Two more months till THE BIG ONE

It has been a wonderful 10 months with our little princess!!! We are very thankful for this blessing!!

Allyson

It has only just begun...

What you may ask? Stealing toys from other kids!! :)

Today Sophia and I headed down to the 'Burgh to visit Erin, Laurel, and the boys. It was the first time to see their new house! (They have done some great renovations. It is looking awesome!) Sophia and I hadn't seen Laurel for about 4 months -- so the visit was long overdue! Erin and I talk so much via email, FB, phone -- that I couldn't believe it had been that long since we actually had a face-to-face conversation! I think it was just what we both needed!! For those of you that don't know, Erin and I were pot-luck roommates freshman year at Butler and have remained great friends ever since that year!! It has been fun to watch our families grow together!!

I was able to document their interaction today with pictures! It all happened so quickly -- boy those kids move fast!!

Sweet, innocent Laurel -- chewing on her plastic hammer ... minding her own business!

Sophia enters the picture ... "Oh, look at me ... such a cutie with a big smile!"

Sophia: "That toy is MINE .... hahaha"

Laurel: "Yeah, not sure what just happened."

Laurel: "I finally got my toy back, but seriously ... another picture? Really?"

Sophia: "I am just sittin' pretty! All innocent and content, playing with my sock."

Sophia: "Wait, there is that toy I was playing with."

Laurel: "You will have to pry it from my hands."

Sophia: "Ok, I am strong!"

Sophia: "Ha Ha Ha ... I got it now!" (Mommy in the background, 'Sophia that wasn't very nice, you should give that back to Laurel.')

Laurel: "Hey wait, that is my toy!"

Sophia: "Who me? I didn't do a thing!"

Laurel: (Still pondering what just happened!)

Laurel: "Fine, I will just get another toy -- you can have the hammer!!"

Sophia: "Gee thanks, it is mighty tasty!!"

Oh, and the drama only begins... wait till the teen years huh?

At least we ended the day with a nice walk! Aren't the girls so cute side-by-side in "THE BOB?" (and check out that awesome hat Erin knitted for Laurel!)

Allyson

No more FB'ing until ????

So sad folks ... my facebook account has been all messed up since Friday AM! I have only been able to log-in ONE time since then!! I have talked to lots of other people and they haven't had any problems!!!

I guess I am way too addicted b/c I am just dying!! You don't realize how much you use the site for social networking until you can't get in!!! Ahhhhhh... sure wish they would fix it! FB withdrawal symptoms are in full-force!!

I had to blog about it since I can't do a status update!!

Tear! :(

Allyson

Twins?

So what do ya think .... does she look like me at all? Even the slightest bit?

(Thanks Apryl for letting us borrow this cute outfit -- who knew I would already have the perfect outfit to match!)

Allyson

Beasley's and Baird's!

Elissa Kate, Allyson, and Sophia

Saturday afternoon Chris, Ingrid, and Elissa Kate came to visit! Elissa is ~10 days (or so) younger than Sophia!! It was so much fun to see them interact. The more and more Sophia interacts with other children, I see her personality coming out. I have a feeling she is going to be a pistol. Your typical first-born traits are present!! Guess first-born's don't turn out all too bad since I was one!!

We let the girls play for a bit while we caught up! We headed out to Beasley's Orchard for the hayride out to the pumpkin patch! There were some MASSIVE pumpkins out there!! After the pumpkin patch, Nate and I had to get some more apples at the Orchard. We had a nice dinner at Los Rancheros to warm up! We put Elissa and Sophia's high chairs right next to each other. It was so cute to watch them trying to touch each other. Sophia was very interested in stealing Elissa's Cheerios!

We had a great time and were thankful the Baird's came for a visit!

"Ahhhhhhhh!! I love this place!"

In the back of the pumpkin patch!! Boy was that sun bright! Poor Sophia didn't have any sunglasses!!

Hope everyone had a blessed weekend!!

Allyson

Hanging out with Isaiah

This morning we went over to Jen and Isaiah's house for a little playdate! Jen is off on Fall Break now!! I love that all my peeps are off work so we can play during the day with friends!! Sophia and I witnessed Isaiah pretty much start crawling towards Adam's laptop! It was so neat to see!! Too bad Sophia didn't take a hint! Oh well, let's face it ... the more I want it .... the less it will become a reality!

Well, off to work shortly!! Yeah -- adult brain stimulation!

Allyson

Beasly's Orchard Play Date

This afternoon we met 3 other mom's and their kids at Beasley's Orchard! We all had a wonderful time! It is so fun watching these kids interact with one another! Sophia is the "mother hen" of the group, as she is the oldest!!

Here are a few pictures to enjoy!

Maeve, Nathan, Isaac, and Sophia. Maeve decided she wanted to love on Nathan and give him a smooch! Well, Nathan didn't like it too much and the tears started flowing!! Guess he isn't ready for the ladies yet!

Sophia standing up in between pictures!

Mom and Sophia. She was so preoccupied watching everyone, she couldn't seem to look up at the camera!

Maeve decided to hit on Isaac during this photoshoot! He likes the girls!!

Ahhhh.... two buddies!

We girls gotta stick together!!! :)

My little punkin sittin' in da pumpkins!

Allyson

Smile!

Aren't I just full of them?

Allyson

Wow, what a weekend!

This weekend while Nate and Sophia were outside exercising, I was exercising my brain (finally) working at "The Meijers" (as my grandma calls it)! I just love it when people put a "s" on the end of a stores name? "Did you see bananas were on sale at Krogers?" "I gotta go to Meijers to get my prescription filled." "I heard there is a hot new pharmacist working at the Marshes down in Greenwood." (Right Mel?) It has become a running joke in our family!

Saturday was quite the eventful day. It was one of those days that you look up at the clock and say, "wow, it is 2:30pm and I haven't gone to the bathroom since 7am!" We were really busy and time flew! I really had a great weekend. However, I had quite a few interesting experiences!

First, I got to work to find out many "rules" and "practices" had changed since last month when I worked! When a prescription label prints, 4 auxiliary labels print as well. Some say "Take with Food or Drink. May cause drowsiness. Do not drink alcohol. Keep in the refrigerator. Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Etc." As a pharmacist, we would read through them all and choose the most appropriate labels to attach to the bottle. On every label there is also a statement that says, "Caution: Federal Law prohibits the transfer of this drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed." Why do I tell you all of this? It appears that a pregnant girl took one of her boyfriends pills and it caused her to lose the baby. She sued the pharmacy b/c it didn't have the label, "Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant." I mean, why would it have that label? It was her BOYFRIEND's medicine and I doubt he planned on getting pregnant in the near future. She actually WON the case and the pharmacy had to pay out big bucks. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She took someone else's medicine (which it says federal law prohibits) and she isn't at fault? That doesn't make an ounce of sense to me! Does it to you? So Meijer corporate is making us attach every auxiliary label that prints to the bottle. Let me tell you that it kills me to have to put "Do not take if you are breastfeeding" on an 8 month old antibiotics OR "Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant" on a 90 year old man's blood pressure medication! Seriously? What has this world come to?

As many of you know, you have to purchase any product with psuedoephedrine from the pharmacy counter due to crazy kids (and adults) that make METH out of their bathroom tubs, back of their vans, in old barns, etc. You might think it is a hassle to take the time to go to the pharmacy counter, but believe me, it is even more of a hassle for us pharmacists. Saturday I was in the middle of checking a really big order, and I heard a tapping noise at my counter, to which I responded, "I will be right with you mam." The tapping just got louder, "I will be right with you mam." And louder .... I finally peak my head around the wall and look her straight in the eye and say, "I will be right with you, I am finishing up a prescription." She looked at me and said, "Oh, I didn't hear you." Are you kidding me? Sure you did b/c I talk really loud!! You just thought tapping your plastic card on the counter would get me there faster ... well sorry mam ... you had to wait longer b/c I proceeded to check another prescription while you continued to wait and tap!!

A man walked up to my counter to pick up his prescriptions and he was talking to his "dude" on his cell phone. He stood at my counter and continued to talk ... "Hey dude, I got this gnarly thing on my head and I gotta get me some drugs to get it all healed.... Yeah, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger ... They think it maybe something with letters called MRSA .... " Seriously dude ... get off your cell phone! So I just looked at him and waited for him to stop talking to his "dude." He moved the phone to the side of his face and said, "Can I have my prescriptions now?" I answered, "I can go over them with you when you stop talking on your cell phone." He says, "Hold on man ... I gotta get my drugs and they want to talk to me...." and puts his phone (open with "dude" on the other end) on my counter and looks at me with a blank stare. I took my sweet time to counsel him and then I turn my back to ring him up and he is back on his phone again. Seriously people, get off your PHONES for one minute. Heard of manners?

My last story (I promise!)!! I looked up at the clock and it was 2:30pm. I had yet to go to the bathroom since I started my shift -- and I had to go BAD!! You all know that uncomfortable feeling? I head out of the pharmacy to the bathroom and am stopped 100 feet from the pharmacy. The lady looks at me and goes, "Do you work in the pharmacy?" Let me think lady .... "UM YEAH" -- did the name badge that says PHARMACIST give it away???????

I really don't make it a practice to do my grocery shopping in my white lab coat! She then proceeds to carry on a 5 minute conversation with me.

Lady - Do you have a minute?

Allyson - (thinking to myself - Yeah um, after I pee on you I will) -- I am actually headed to the bathroom.

Lady - Oh, ok. Well, are all your antibiotics free?

Allyson - Only select ones are free (turning to walk to the bathroom before I explode!)

Lady - Is ciprofloxacin (name butchered of course) on the list?

Allyson - Yes it is one of our free ones, however, it is on manufacturer back order so we are completely out of stock.

Lady - Well, you can just change it to a lower strength and I will get that one.

Allyson - (NO YOU WON'T) - We don't have any Cipro of any strength or any pack size. (Turning to walk away AGAIN)

Lady - Do you have Cipro ear drops?

Allyson - (getting the slight bit irritated and having some serious GI cramping) Yes, but they are not free nor can you substitute for oral pills.

Lady - Why not?

Allyson - (NO answer b/c it was such a STUPID question) -- A blank look.

Lady - What should I do?

Allyson - You can go to another pharmacy or we can call the doctor to switch the medication. (Yes, and you might actually have to pay for something).

Lady - Ok (and turns and walks towards the pharmacy)

I bust a move to the bathroom and barely make it! I get back to the pharmacy and tell my techs the story. Would you believe that same lady came back and ask the techs, "Are you sure you aren't hiding any Cipro back on your shelves? Maybe somewhere you don't remember."

Yeah lady.... we are .... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Well, hope you enjoyed a few of my crazy interactions! Working retail always allows for comic relief!!

Happy Monday!!

Allyson

Be all that you can be....

Thanks to everyone who commented on Facebook and on the Blog. I greatly appreciate your words of wisdom and advice. I did not blog to create controversy, only to let you all in on my thoughts and emotions after watching that silly episode of the Dr. Phil show. The topic can be so polarizing, so I am grateful for all the positive words!!

I am so glad that those that read this blog and those that posted on Facebook are high-class women! I am proud of my friends!!

KM had one of the best summaries: "The most important part of this conversation is maintaining respect for each other as women and mothers (or future mothers). We are hard enough on ourselves without having to fend off judgments from our peers. Motherhood is a constant challenge, regardless of situational factors, and we should all stand together to help each other be the best we can be."

"An Army of Mothers: Be the Best You Can Be"

We are all in it together --- so why not build one another up? Too bad Dr. Phil didn't interview you wonderful women before doing the show! It sure could have been a heck of a lot better than it was!!

Thanks my high-class friends!!

Allyson

Lessons after watching Dr. Phil

The TV isn't on much in our house. For those of you that know my husband, he really hates TV. He thinks that 99% of it is "pollution!" I, on the other hand, enjoy watching some TV -- I have my shows that I must DVR each week. Sometimes it is great to sit down and relax with a mindless activity! TV has been the source of many "discussions" in relationship and marriage! After almost 3 years of marriage, I think we have finally resolved our conflicts and have compromise!

All of that being said, I was flipping through the guide on our dish and saw that Dr. Phil's program Wednesday was stay-at-home moms vs. working moms. Hum... this could be interesting, so I dvr'ed it! I had the chance to watch it yesterday afternoon during Sophia's nap and it made the wheels in my head turn and turn! As with most TV programs, it over-promised and under-delivered. However, I have to admit, I have rarely watched a "talk-show" that has created such an emotional pendulum in my life.

He interviewed a few mom's from the different sides. The stay at home mom had some pretty polarizing views to which I didn't fully agree with. The working mom's seemed to need to work to be a better parent. Dr. Phil talked about the fact kids in a "good" daycare develop cognitively quicker than those at home with mom 100%. Also, those kids score higher on "pre-school" entry exams. Wow -- that is kind of a slap in the face for stay at home moms? Kind of makes the stakes higher, pressure is on you might say... so the thoughts started racing through my head .... what all can Sophia and I do at home so she develops and is prepared for her years ahead? Am I doing enough? Maybe love and affection aren't enough at home? Or are they?

I could see where both groups of moms were coming from -- but watching the discussion didn't help me resolve my mixed emotions, it actually created more unrest in my head. Where do I find balance? I know after working a weekend at the pharmacy, the following Monday with Sophia is something I cherish immensely. I look forward to seeing her when she wakes up and having some snuggle time. I feel sad about the things I missed while at work, but I am fully confident that she and Nate created lasting memories and bonds together, alone ... without me! I know, they need it ... but I still miss them both dearly!

I also struggle finding the perfect balance of work shifts and home time. What is the perfect number to allow for continued peace at home as well as provide a mental challenge for me? Recently, I have only been working 1 weekend/month. It just doesn't seem enough for the mental health/challenge part! On one hand, I don't want to burden my parents with watching Sophia too much. On the other hand, I know they would love to spend at least 1 day/week with her alone! It is hard not to feel guilty, but I know they love and cherish every minute they are with her! They always ask for "more Sophie time!"

With winter coming (too quickly at that, what happened to fall), I worry that I am going to get bored at home. Stir-crazy you might say! I struggle with worries about being "cooped up" and not interacting with the real world. Some days I love being at home with Sophia, other days I can't wait for Nate to get home b/c I need a major break. It is going to be a fine balance b/w staying at home and getting out. One of the many reasons I wanted to stay at home with Sophia was to keep her healthy and out of daycare. Although, I need to keep my own mind healthy as well. One thing that helps keep away the winter blues is hitting the gym in the morning. Cardinal Fitness has a kid's room and the lady that works in the AM is awesome. There are usually only 2-4 kids in there total (which is a perk)!

Another outlet for sanity in my life is my breastfeeding group. As a new mom, I deeply desired to meet other mom's going through similar circumstances with kids at similar ages! If it wasn't for the friendships I formed in my group with a few mom's, I probably wouldn't have stuck with breastfeeding (due to my low supply issues and the need to supplement after each nursing session). I look forward to Monday mornings each week knowing I get to see their smiling faces and hear about their life! We have the opportunity to learn from each other, and the kids love playing together! They are such a blessing, and I thank God constantly for bringing them into my life! The great thing is that we are getting together outside of group for Book Babies at the Brownsburg library next month and it gives us all something else to look forward to on Tuesday's!

Dr. Phil said that ~70% of mom's are working moms (FT or PT) these days vs. only 30% back in 1965. His featured guest hit the nail on the head ...(not word for word, I paraphrased it) "Being a stay at home mom is harder these days b/c we don't have the community/village that the women of the past decades used to have. Lots of moms are working now (and some have to work to make ends meet) which causes stay at home moms to feel even more isolated and alone. Plus, most of us don't have family that lives close. We need support from a "village" of friends to help draw us out and keep us sane." I am thankful that my "village" is growing with new friendships! I am also thankful for old friendships that continue to be a rock for me!

The bottom line is that everyone has to do what works for their family! I am convinced there is no right or wrong way! As a (mostly) stay at home mom, it is a slow learning process of finding balance in life. What is too much? What is too little? I know I am not alone in my struggles! I welcome any advice or words of wisdom to finding that perfect balance in life! I guess the ever-changing aspects of life keep it interesting at least, huh?

I hope this post wasn't a jumbled mess --- at times I wondered if there was even a flow to it! I hopefully communicated (in a somewhat clear manner) some of the many thoughts racing through my head!!!

Have a great weekend!

Allyson

Puddles

(This isn't Heidi, but looks an awful lot like her!)

My parents dog, Heidi, is ripe in years (aka ... on her last leg). She has become quite docile in her later years and is quite pleasant to be around. However, at times, she has problems with her bladder and stomach. At least a few times per week, my mom finds a little "surprise" around the house. Last week when Nate and I were down Monday dropping Sophia off ... Heidi left a little "surprise" next to the oven! Dad thought the oven was dripping water, put his hand in it, and sure enough it was pee! Nate decided Heidi needed a new name ... Puddles. Quite appropriate now since "puddles" seem to mark her previous location!

All of this being said, last night during mom's birthday celebration, we thought Puddles left a surprise at our house! After laughing and blaming Puddles for the mess, we quickly realized the real culprit: SOPHIA!

Sophia was jumping in her Baby Einstein Jumperoo next to the table while we were eating dinner. She was in the best mood, laughing, talking with Heidi, playing with her toys, etc. She could have won an adorable baby contest during the 30 minute dinner session! Since it was time for Sophia to go to bed, mom picked her up to take her back to her bedroom. Mom said, "Why are the bottom of Sophia's socks soaked? You could ring them out they are so wet." I bent down and saw a little "puddle" under her jumperoo. We all said, "Puddles ... did you leave a present for Sophia?" Poor Puddles just looked at us, then went back to sleep. After closer examination, Sophia's rear end was soaked as well! (She had a Huggies disposable diaper on from when my dad changed her when I was gone). She must have been jumping so much that she shifted her diaper -- allowing a path for quick escape! Poor girl -- jumped so hard she squished the pee right out of her diaper, under her pants, down her leg, and to her socks.

Who would have thought jumping around in your own pee could be so much fun and provide such joy!!!

Hope you got a good laugh!! We sure did!

Allyson

9 Month Check-up at 9 1/2 months!

Due to scheduling issues, we were in today for Sophia's 9 month check-up at 9 1/2 months! According to Dr. Gill, she is doing wonderfully! A happy, healthy baby girl! It is always nice to hear those works from the doctor -- I think so each day but maybe a tad biased!!

9 month stats:

Weight - 19 lbs 15 oz (63%)

Head - 18.5 (98%) -- Those brain cells keep getting bigger and bigger!

Height - 29 3/4 in (97%) -- We almost broke the 30 in mark! No wonder we need 12 month size pants for length! Can't be having high-waters in the winter!

The doctor didn't seem to be concerned that Sophia wasn't crawling. She has met every other milestone and then some .... Her anal-retentive mother is the only one that appears to worry!

I told Dr. Gill that we "practice" crawling every day! Heck, this child is the queen of tummy time ... she is on that stomach ALL the time!

Oh how the time has passed so quickly!!!

Allyson

Could it BE any colder?

Brrrrrrr, it's cold outside!!

Saturday we headed down to Columbus for the Alzheimer's Association annual Memory Walk. Nate always leads a team for his group at Cummins! This year Sophia was in tow! We had a great time and kept her bundled up!! My dad joined us as well! Nate's favorite part of the walk were the "walking tacos" at the end of the route!!

Happy Sunday! Here's to a great week! Sophia, Nate, and I are all a little sad b/c Nate has to go back to work tomorrow morning! Tear! :(

Allyson

A Week of Vacation!

This past week Nate has been on vacation. We struggled for the past few months to figure out what would work best for the family. We really wanted to head to FL at the end of September for a week, but we chickened out not knowing how Sophia would do during the 12 hour drive. It could have been a recipe for disaster! We tossed many ideas around but finally settled on a few!! Too bad the weather wasn't better this week -- I think it has rained 4 out of the past 6 days!

I invite you along to relive our vacation through pictures!!

Friday evening Nate and I went to a wedding downtown! We had a great time with my parents, Sarah, and Brandon! Kristin was a beautiful bride and the appetizers were out of this world!!

Aren't we hot stuff? I was thrilled to get in my "little black dress!" Nate parents were gracious and came out to watch Sophia!

Saturday it was gloomy most of the day! We went to the nursery to look at trees, to Beasley's Orchard to get some apples, and ended the day with a photo shoot at the park! We thought we should get some 9 month pictures, since our last shoot was at 6 months. Sophia was quite somber in those pictures! (I will try to post a few in the next week or so!)

Sunday we had a wonderful run at Eagle Creek Park in the afternoon. Here is a picture of Sophia all bundled up getting ready to head out!! Isn't that little Halloween outfit adorable? (Thanks Apryl!)

After the run, we decided to snap a few pictures. I set Sophia down in the leaves and she went WILD! This is her first "run-in" with crunchy leaves!!

I turned my head to get my camera and found her eating the leaf!! Ahhhh! I had to do a full finger sweep in her mouth to get all the little "crunchy" pieces out! Thank heavens she didn't swallow any!!

Shouldn't every Monday morning be like this one?? Nate and Sophia chillin' after her breakfast!! Later that morning, Sophia and I headed to group. She weighed 19 lbs 15.5 oz this week!! Almost 20 lbs for my baby!!

After Sophia got up from her afternoon nap, we headed down to my parents in Greenwood. Here is a cute picture of Nate reading Sophia a book before dinner! Don't you love her "major cheese" and the fact her shirt says, "SMILE?"

Much to my surprise, Sophia slept really well Monday night! We all were up at 7am for a great breakfast! (Thanks MOM!!) Here is a cute picture of Sophia playing after eating!! What she didn't realize is that mommy and daddy were going away for a few days and she was going to be with Grammie and Grampie K! CHEESE + squinty eyes = hilarious picture!!!

Tuesday morning after breakfast, Nate and I headed south to Brown County! Unfortunately it was pouring down rain!! What to do? I did not want to camp in a monsoon! We ended up booking a cabin in the woods instead of a campsite! The Abe Martin Lodge just remodeled and built an aquatic center inside -- so we enjoyed the pool, slide, and hot tub most of Tuesday afternoon. By the evening, the rain had stopped, so we headed out to do a nice 2.5 mile hike!! Here is a shot of me in the woods with my walking stick! I don't know what we would do without them! Really makes the hike much easier on the knees! :) (Boy I sound old!)

Wednesday was BEAUTIFUL all day!! We started off the morning with a 7.5 mile hike! Here is the view before we started the hike at Ogle Lake! It was such a beautiful morning!

After our long hike, we headed back to the cabin for some yummy snacks, then to the hot tub to relax!! After a few hours at the pool, we headed out again for another 3.7 mile hike! Yes, we are crazy and hiked over 11 miles in 1 day! What a vacation huh? :) It was great!! Here is a picture of me at the end of the day -- VERY glad to be done hiking!!

Thursday morning we woke up to more clouds! Are you kidding me?? Nate really wanted to do a 3 mile run around Brown County before we left --- so I put on my rain gear and we headed out. Thankfully it didn't start pouring down rain until we were finished!

Needless to say, after hiking 13.5 miles and running 3 miles of hills, my legs felt like jell-O!

Nate and I headed back to my parents to pick up Sophia! I was so glad to see her!! She had the best time staying overnight with Grammie and Grampie K! I am not sure who had more fun, my parents or Sophia!! Her days were packed full of activities and playtime!! I am so lucky to have my parents close by to help out and volunteer to keep her for overnights!! What a blessing! (Thanks mom and dad!!)

We woke up today to more RAIN!! I think it has been raining for 48 hours straight!! Nate and I deemed today as a PJ day! All three of us stayed in our PJ's ALL DAY LONG!! Don't you just love those kind of days?

What better way to end a PJ day Friday than with a nice, warm bubble bath? Right Sophia?

Hope you enjoyed the journey!! We sure did!!

Allyson and Sophia

Boo!

I see you!!

Happy Monday from my little Halloween cutie to yours!

Allyson

Calling all Faithful Blog Readers...

.... someone needs your urgent prayers!

I was just informed that one of my college friend's husband (Brad) lost his job yesterday. They have four small boys, and she is an awesome stay-at-home mom!!! Please pray for their family and pray that God would provide a job for her husband!!! God has done some amazing things in their family and I am confident that He will continue to provide!!!

Brad's degree is in Graphic Design. He has worked the past 5 years on the engineering side in both transportation and site planning. If you know of any job openings or connections, PLEASE leave a comment and I will relay it to Jen!

Please ask your friends to pray as well!

Allyson