So today was an interesting one. We got back yesterday from a long weekend in Cedar Key with Michael's family. It was a fun trip, although the weather wasn't too great, we had a good time. I decided to get Sophia's laundry out of the way when we got home...there was a pretty large pile of it (even though I had done a load on the trip!). We have a full week....both Sophia and I have doc appointments and then have to repack for a weekend trip to Birmingham. I got all her cute little clothes nice and clean with no prob.
Today was my day to get all the laundry for me and Michael done. Guess the dryer had different plans. I just wish it would've given me some kind of sign before I washed two full loads of clothes. Here is what exactly happened.
I realized I couldn't wash all of our dark clothes in one load so I (thankfully) pulled out some things that I didn't think we would need done first which left a still pretty large load full of jeans and shirts and all the undies. Ran the washer. Put that load in the dryer and ran a white load (not quite as big but with some of our white towels in it that we use regularly). After I had showered, got Sophia up from her nap and fed her, I went in to check the first load in the dryer. It wasn't dry, but that wasn't totally unexpected....it usually takes a couple of cycles to get them dry, especially in a large load. A couple of hours later I went back and it still wasn't dry. At all. And I noticed that the clothes weren't just wet, they were cold. UGH! By this time it was nearly 4:30. Sophia was down in her second nap. I texted Michael, 'emergency, our dryer is definitely broken'. I am sure if he did the laundry (or ever wants clean clothes again) he will also consider this to be an emergency.
He actually came home shortly afterwards and had apparently googled the subject at work before coming home. But I made him call my uncle (who is handy with everything, whereas Michael.....well) to find out really what we should do. I also went across the way to our nice neighbor and asked if I could possibly use her dryer for my two wet loads of laundry, one of which has been tossing around in cold air all afternoon. Thankfully it is not her laundry night and she said yes.
I don't think it would be such a bad thing if the washer broke and not the dryer (unless water went everywhere. That would suck.). You wouldn't wash a load like normal and then just be screwed without a drying option. As I was today. And no can do on the line drying....for one, we don't have anywhere to hang a line....and for another thing I am not going to hang my undies out for the neighborhood to see. Plus it's cool and rainy-ish out so they wouldn't dry anyway.
Hopefully we can get a part to fix the heating element that is broken and get our dryer back up and running. Sure, I'd love a new one. But hey, if we can make this one last for 30 years then why don't we just go that route??
(No, that is not really how I feel, that is more an opinion of my husband, but he did promise that when we move out of the condo we will leave this washer/dryer set...whether the dryer works or not.....and I am holding him to that!)
If all goes as planned I will be back to laundry in just a couple days....by then it will be piled up to four more loads instead of the one I would've had left had the stupid dryer just kept working!!
****Update: And just over 24 hours later and the dryer is up and working again! I take back my previous suggestion that my husband might not be that handy...he took apart, tracked down the part we needed and replaced it (correctly, no less) all within a day and only had to send my uncle one picture and talk to him once on the phone....as in, my uncle didn't even have to stop by to help him!!! And it is working great! I did a small load tonight to test it out and we are back in business. I guess my husband is handy with some things after all.****
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Busy, Busy
Is it October already??!! While warm months are my favorite, I love the fall as well and the cool weather that comes after the very hot days of summer, plus football and Halloween and Thanksgiving are upon us. We have a very busy month (well, two months really) coming up. We are heading to Cedar Key, FL at the end of this week to meet Michael's family and then next weekend we are going to Birmingham to visit my sister, bro-in-law and nephew. The weekend after that I have to work, then Halloween, then November we start off with a day trip to GA Southern for the Homecoming football game, the following weekend I work, and then the trip I am most excited about......we are going to Disney for the week of Thanksgiving!! And each week is full of appointments and laundry (as usual) and things to get done to prepare for each weekend. While I should have a lot of material coming up to blog about, I hope I can find the time to actually sit down and do it!
We are VERY much looking forward to the Disney trip. Typically we go every couple of years and stay at the awesome time share my parents own in Orlando. It will Sophia's very first time visiting Mickey's hometown. She LOVES everything Disney, from Mick and Minnie to the Princesses to Nemo to a lot of the songs featured in Disney movies. She is really going to love it. And mostly, we are going to love seeing her reaction to all things Disney. We are going to take her to Universal as well to visit her other current loves....Barney, Curious George and the Cat in the Hat. Why is Barney so annoying to adults, but SO addictive to babies and kids?? Who knows, but it is the cutest thing in the world when he sings the I Love You song and she leans in for a "great big hug and a kiss from me to you"......so adorable and she does it every single time she hears the song. Can't hate the goofy purple guy for that!! We also plan to take her to Sea World. She loves fish and dolphins and has done great the couple of times we have taken her to the aquarium. The last time we went there, she even sat through and watched the entire dolphin show (and really saw the dolphins as they jumped and swam through the water!). I think she will really enjoy seeing the whales and dolphins and other cool shows at Sea World and I have always enjoyed going there myself. Going to Orlando is one of my very favorite family trips and I am so excited that this time we have Sophia to join in the family fun.
In the back of my head (and from a lot of people telling me) I know she won't remember going and probably won't really know what is going on. But I know she will be excited at seeing Minnie everywhere....even just going into a store and seeing a book with Minnie on it or a stuffed Mickey Mouse, she points and smiles and makes all kinds of noises of excitement and recognition. I don't really think she will let a life-sized Mickey or Minnie hold her, but I don't think she'll be scared of them. It will probably be overwhelming to her....but I think (hopefully) in a good exciting way. I know we will be taking as many pictures and video as possible so we can document how much fun she had.
Anyway, it seems like with all that is going on for us in the coming months that time is going to fly by and before we know it we will be driving down to the happiest place on earth. Now I just have a million things to do before we are really ready!!!!
We are VERY much looking forward to the Disney trip. Typically we go every couple of years and stay at the awesome time share my parents own in Orlando. It will Sophia's very first time visiting Mickey's hometown. She LOVES everything Disney, from Mick and Minnie to the Princesses to Nemo to a lot of the songs featured in Disney movies. She is really going to love it. And mostly, we are going to love seeing her reaction to all things Disney. We are going to take her to Universal as well to visit her other current loves....Barney, Curious George and the Cat in the Hat. Why is Barney so annoying to adults, but SO addictive to babies and kids?? Who knows, but it is the cutest thing in the world when he sings the I Love You song and she leans in for a "great big hug and a kiss from me to you"......so adorable and she does it every single time she hears the song. Can't hate the goofy purple guy for that!! We also plan to take her to Sea World. She loves fish and dolphins and has done great the couple of times we have taken her to the aquarium. The last time we went there, she even sat through and watched the entire dolphin show (and really saw the dolphins as they jumped and swam through the water!). I think she will really enjoy seeing the whales and dolphins and other cool shows at Sea World and I have always enjoyed going there myself. Going to Orlando is one of my very favorite family trips and I am so excited that this time we have Sophia to join in the family fun.
In the back of my head (and from a lot of people telling me) I know she won't remember going and probably won't really know what is going on. But I know she will be excited at seeing Minnie everywhere....even just going into a store and seeing a book with Minnie on it or a stuffed Mickey Mouse, she points and smiles and makes all kinds of noises of excitement and recognition. I don't really think she will let a life-sized Mickey or Minnie hold her, but I don't think she'll be scared of them. It will probably be overwhelming to her....but I think (hopefully) in a good exciting way. I know we will be taking as many pictures and video as possible so we can document how much fun she had.
Anyway, it seems like with all that is going on for us in the coming months that time is going to fly by and before we know it we will be driving down to the happiest place on earth. Now I just have a million things to do before we are really ready!!!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Little Smarty Pants
Just wanted to post a quick blog to somewhat brag on the smartest baby in the world....Sophia Rose! Ha, ha. Well. I guess we are getting there. But I am amazed at all the things she is picking up on lately and how she can take commands and stuff like that. Real big girl stuff.
For example, today when I was making her lunch, she was hovering like usual and dragging some toy around the kitchen (directly under foot). I told her to go in her room and get a bib so we could have lunch. Her room is not at all far from the kitchen, as in, I can see into her room from it, so I wasn't worried about her going there alone, if she in fact would go. She did start to head that way, dragging her toy behind, slowly going in that direction. I kept repeating my instruction to get a bib and she kept going in the right direction to get one, slowly but surely. Normally when I am trying to put up laundry, she takes out all the bibs and towels and washcloths because they are easy access for her.....just in bins/baskets under her changing table. Not a big deal, just more for me to put away. Anyway, all of the sudden she is heading back to the kitchen....still has the toy but also has a bib!!! She got lots of big hugs and kisses and praises for listening to Mommy and being such a smart girl. She seemed pretty happy with herself.
Later we were playing on the floor (well, Sophia was doing more playing....Mommy was sitting on the floor with her paging through a Parenting magazine) and Sophia crawled over to the box of diapers we just had delivered. (Yes, we get diapers online. From Amazon. $30 for a box of 186 and free shipping, that's $12 cheaper than even Sam's club. We are awesome, I know.) On the box there is a teeny tiny Elmo in the bottom corner that she loves to look at and point to, so she had crawled over to check out Elmo and all the sudden she yells out "Elmo" or something that sounded really really close to that as she pointed to him. That got my attention for sure. I tried and tried to get her to say it again....but no go so far. She did smile so big when I said, "Sophia did you just say Elmo?" that I am pretty sure she did, in fact, say Elmo. Who knows what she'll say the next time I am reading a magazine? Probably something like, "Mommy, stop ignoring me and come play with me!"
This age is really fun. Even though most of the time I am not sure what she is saying, she babbles non-stop all day long. And while we were playing I found a new tooth that has broken through her gums....in the back on the top! I had no idea there was anything back there....I just thought she was kind of stalled with the two little middle teeth on the bottom in the front and the four top teeth in the front (and one just came in around her first birthday, it was an uneven three for the longest). She is really growing and changing and learning every day. :-)
For example, today when I was making her lunch, she was hovering like usual and dragging some toy around the kitchen (directly under foot). I told her to go in her room and get a bib so we could have lunch. Her room is not at all far from the kitchen, as in, I can see into her room from it, so I wasn't worried about her going there alone, if she in fact would go. She did start to head that way, dragging her toy behind, slowly going in that direction. I kept repeating my instruction to get a bib and she kept going in the right direction to get one, slowly but surely. Normally when I am trying to put up laundry, she takes out all the bibs and towels and washcloths because they are easy access for her.....just in bins/baskets under her changing table. Not a big deal, just more for me to put away. Anyway, all of the sudden she is heading back to the kitchen....still has the toy but also has a bib!!! She got lots of big hugs and kisses and praises for listening to Mommy and being such a smart girl. She seemed pretty happy with herself.
Later we were playing on the floor (well, Sophia was doing more playing....Mommy was sitting on the floor with her paging through a Parenting magazine) and Sophia crawled over to the box of diapers we just had delivered. (Yes, we get diapers online. From Amazon. $30 for a box of 186 and free shipping, that's $12 cheaper than even Sam's club. We are awesome, I know.) On the box there is a teeny tiny Elmo in the bottom corner that she loves to look at and point to, so she had crawled over to check out Elmo and all the sudden she yells out "Elmo" or something that sounded really really close to that as she pointed to him. That got my attention for sure. I tried and tried to get her to say it again....but no go so far. She did smile so big when I said, "Sophia did you just say Elmo?" that I am pretty sure she did, in fact, say Elmo. Who knows what she'll say the next time I am reading a magazine? Probably something like, "Mommy, stop ignoring me and come play with me!"
This age is really fun. Even though most of the time I am not sure what she is saying, she babbles non-stop all day long. And while we were playing I found a new tooth that has broken through her gums....in the back on the top! I had no idea there was anything back there....I just thought she was kind of stalled with the two little middle teeth on the bottom in the front and the four top teeth in the front (and one just came in around her first birthday, it was an uneven three for the longest). She is really growing and changing and learning every day. :-)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Not Another Thing!
As if there wasn't enough on the internet (and my iPhone) to keep me from sleeping at night, I have finally come around to a slight addiction to Pinterest (yes, I know that I might be the last person to discover it...well, close to the last, I turned my sister on to it tonight!). In case you do not know what Pinterest is....um....well, I don't exactly know what it is either. But I do know that it is a site that lots of other people "pin" their interests and they are all collected in groups and you can see all these cool, creative things and all these yummy, delicious looking foods and get good ideas for yourself. Yeah. Something like that.
Michael actually asked me several months ago if I had heard about it or had checked it out. I said no and he tried to explain what he understood of it (not much) and I was not at all interested, I thought it sounded kind of ridiculous. I just didn't really understand the point of it, I guess. Now I still don't really understand the logistics of it, but I do understand the point....to see other people's really cool and creative ideas all in one place....and to take them and use them as my own!!
I haven't actually joined or whatever it is you do. I basically have been browsing and if I find something I like, I just make a note of the website or blog that it originated from and visit that site later. It has brought me to some very cool sites, some that have gotten me really excited about trying new recipes and also trying some crafty things with Sophia (who is not yet at an age to do crafty things.....guess I'll have to just make sure to remember them for when she is). Normally when Sophia takes her naps I will tackle various chores or sometimes nap myself or catch up on the Housewives....today I spent the time on Pinterest, with a notebook at my side jotting down the cool things I found. I don't know if that makes me more or less lame than watching the Housewives while my daughter takes a nap....better just keep those opinions to yourself!
Anyway, while I encourage you to check out Pinterest, I encourage with caution. It is very addictive! I even have an app for it on my iPhone so the past few nights I have been laying in bed till very late hours just looking at various things when I am sure I should be sleeping. Hey, it's that or Bejeweled. Or reading blogs. Ok, I probably wasn't going to be sleeping anyway. :-)
***Watch the blog for an upcoming overhaul...new background, pictures, everything....it's just time for a little change, a little blog refresher.....coming soon!!***
Michael actually asked me several months ago if I had heard about it or had checked it out. I said no and he tried to explain what he understood of it (not much) and I was not at all interested, I thought it sounded kind of ridiculous. I just didn't really understand the point of it, I guess. Now I still don't really understand the logistics of it, but I do understand the point....to see other people's really cool and creative ideas all in one place....and to take them and use them as my own!!
I haven't actually joined or whatever it is you do. I basically have been browsing and if I find something I like, I just make a note of the website or blog that it originated from and visit that site later. It has brought me to some very cool sites, some that have gotten me really excited about trying new recipes and also trying some crafty things with Sophia (who is not yet at an age to do crafty things.....guess I'll have to just make sure to remember them for when she is). Normally when Sophia takes her naps I will tackle various chores or sometimes nap myself or catch up on the Housewives....today I spent the time on Pinterest, with a notebook at my side jotting down the cool things I found. I don't know if that makes me more or less lame than watching the Housewives while my daughter takes a nap....better just keep those opinions to yourself!
Anyway, while I encourage you to check out Pinterest, I encourage with caution. It is very addictive! I even have an app for it on my iPhone so the past few nights I have been laying in bed till very late hours just looking at various things when I am sure I should be sleeping. Hey, it's that or Bejeweled. Or reading blogs. Ok, I probably wasn't going to be sleeping anyway. :-)
***Watch the blog for an upcoming overhaul...new background, pictures, everything....it's just time for a little change, a little blog refresher.....coming soon!!***
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Neuro News
The day after Sophia had her one year check-up, I had my doctor's appointment with the neurologist. As it turned out, the doctor was in the same building that my Obgyn had been in before they moved....so very easy to find! Too bad my appointment was scheduled right during the worst part of rush hour. Oh well. Luckily, traffic wasn't too bad and I got there with about ten minutes to spare. I had filled out all the paperwork before my appointment so all I had to do was show my license, insurance card and hand over the paperwork and then wait. And wait. And wait. My appointment time was 9:20am. By 9:40 I was seriously annoyed. By 9:50, I was seriously ticked off. Oh, and it wasn't like the waiting room was packed, I was the only one in there, with the exception of one other patient, who walked in about ten minutes after me. I was finally called back by a nurse who weighed me and put me in a room to take my blood pressure, ask me a few questions and then leave me to wait for the doctor. I actually had seen the doctor I was going to be seeing walk in to the office as I sat in the waiting room right around my actual appointment time (McDreamy he was not.....oh well....real neurologists probably don't really ever look like that anyway). So I figured I was probably his first patient. And that he was in no hurry to actually see me. I would say it was probably 10 or so by the time he came into the room.
He asked some questions about my migraines (when I started having them, was there a history of them....glad I spent time filling out all that paperwork....guess reading it is NOT what he was doing while I was in the waiting room), looked in my eyes, ears, mouth, checked my reflexes like a regular doctor.
Generally I do not like to go to the doctor. I don't go unless I really have to. The fact that I was even at this doctor meant that my migraines have gotten to a point that something needs to happen. That being said, when I am at any doctor (or dentist, hate going there too), I try to joke a bit to make the mood light. Just imagine all the comedy when I was pregnant and going to the doctor every couple of weeks. Ugh. Anyway, there was NO joking whatsoever at this appointment. When I felt like answering a question with a bit of humor, I just choked it back and said nothing extra at all. This doctor just didn't seem to have even a touch of a sense of humor. At one point, he asked me what I do for work. A LOT of funny responses came to mind, but instead I just said, 'nothing, I'm a stay at home mom'. He said (in a very dry monotone), 'well, that can be a lot of work'. If there was a neurological diagnosis of brain exploding due to holding back funny/sarcastic comments, well, the migraine thing would've had to have taken a back burner. When I was telling Michael about this later, he pointed out that I probably didn't really want a jokester dealing with my brain. He has a good point, brain issues are nothing to joke about. But there are a lot of people who are uncomfortable with going to the doctor and the doctor should try to make the patient feel comfortable. You definitely don't have to be a comedian, but geez, crack a smile at least!!
We did not chat for very long. He asked if I had even been given any daily medication for prevention of migraines. Um, what? No, I certainly have not. And if I have been, it surely would not be working very well, seeing that I am here for terrible migraines, right?? Some scribbling on a pad, grabbing of some migraine relief pill samples, directions to keep a migraine diary, instructions to return in a month and we are done. The whole thing was between ten and fifteen minutes. And I waited like forty. Oh, and something else I found out after the fact....since that was a specialist the co-pay was FIFTY dollars!!!!!!
Anyway, tomorrow will be one week that I have been taking something called Topomax, a preventative medicine for migraines. Actually, it is often used to prevent seizures, but is very effective in adults against migraines. I take one pill a night and we will see how that works for the next month. Oddly, the only migraine I have had so far (although it has been less than a full week) occurred on the night of my doc appointment. I took one of the samples and within about an hour, my headache actually went away. A few side effects of the Topomax may be decreased appetite (is this supposed to be a negative??) and decreased sweating (again, am I supposed to complain about that?) and possible kidney stones after prolonged use (ok, finally...I do not want kidney stones)....but the doctor really doesn't want me to have to use it for a long time so hopefully that one won't be an issue. I am optimistic that preventative medicine is a good way to keep my migraines in check...and if they do happen every now and then I can at least have a prescription that actually works to get rid of them. That is all I ask!!
He asked some questions about my migraines (when I started having them, was there a history of them....glad I spent time filling out all that paperwork....guess reading it is NOT what he was doing while I was in the waiting room), looked in my eyes, ears, mouth, checked my reflexes like a regular doctor.
Generally I do not like to go to the doctor. I don't go unless I really have to. The fact that I was even at this doctor meant that my migraines have gotten to a point that something needs to happen. That being said, when I am at any doctor (or dentist, hate going there too), I try to joke a bit to make the mood light. Just imagine all the comedy when I was pregnant and going to the doctor every couple of weeks. Ugh. Anyway, there was NO joking whatsoever at this appointment. When I felt like answering a question with a bit of humor, I just choked it back and said nothing extra at all. This doctor just didn't seem to have even a touch of a sense of humor. At one point, he asked me what I do for work. A LOT of funny responses came to mind, but instead I just said, 'nothing, I'm a stay at home mom'. He said (in a very dry monotone), 'well, that can be a lot of work'. If there was a neurological diagnosis of brain exploding due to holding back funny/sarcastic comments, well, the migraine thing would've had to have taken a back burner. When I was telling Michael about this later, he pointed out that I probably didn't really want a jokester dealing with my brain. He has a good point, brain issues are nothing to joke about. But there are a lot of people who are uncomfortable with going to the doctor and the doctor should try to make the patient feel comfortable. You definitely don't have to be a comedian, but geez, crack a smile at least!!
We did not chat for very long. He asked if I had even been given any daily medication for prevention of migraines. Um, what? No, I certainly have not. And if I have been, it surely would not be working very well, seeing that I am here for terrible migraines, right?? Some scribbling on a pad, grabbing of some migraine relief pill samples, directions to keep a migraine diary, instructions to return in a month and we are done. The whole thing was between ten and fifteen minutes. And I waited like forty. Oh, and something else I found out after the fact....since that was a specialist the co-pay was FIFTY dollars!!!!!!
Anyway, tomorrow will be one week that I have been taking something called Topomax, a preventative medicine for migraines. Actually, it is often used to prevent seizures, but is very effective in adults against migraines. I take one pill a night and we will see how that works for the next month. Oddly, the only migraine I have had so far (although it has been less than a full week) occurred on the night of my doc appointment. I took one of the samples and within about an hour, my headache actually went away. A few side effects of the Topomax may be decreased appetite (is this supposed to be a negative??) and decreased sweating (again, am I supposed to complain about that?) and possible kidney stones after prolonged use (ok, finally...I do not want kidney stones)....but the doctor really doesn't want me to have to use it for a long time so hopefully that one won't be an issue. I am optimistic that preventative medicine is a good way to keep my migraines in check...and if they do happen every now and then I can at least have a prescription that actually works to get rid of them. That is all I ask!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
More One Year Stuff
I shall catch up on my blogging one day. Anyway, at Sophia's 12 month check-up we found out she weighs 21 pounds and 13 oz and is 29.25 inches long....50th percentile for both. At her last check-up (9 month) she was in the 75th percentile for weight (and I think 90th at six months) and has pretty much always been 50th for height (and probably always will, sorry Soph!). She really only gained a couple pounds over the few months and Michael and I were a little worried we weren't feeding her enough....but her pediatrician said that she is doing great and is just perfect. Just not really as much of a chunky-monkey girl anymore! Now we can start to give her whole milk. Yay! No more formula! Well, we are kinda doing it gradually, but in a couple weeks we will be formula free in this house. It will be like a small raise, haha. Sophia did have to get a few shots but she did pretty well....she lays still for the nurse and then just screams her head off. It's pretty sad to watch. But she doesn't really thrash around too much or anything. Yet. Also at this point she is still ok with the examination the doctor does. She thinks the stethoscope is funny and tries to grab it. She isn't a fan of when the doctor looks in her mouth....she really clamps her teeth shut, haha. Every time we are there the doctor says that next time Sophia will remember and start to not like being there....so far it hasn't happened. She especially loves seeing the other kids in the waiting room. I know at some point I am going to pull in to the parking lot and she is going to freak, but for now I am going to enjoy the somewhat easy doctor visits. I am sure it will turn ugly eventually and then my posts concerning doc appointments will be far more entertaining.
On the actually day of Sophia's birthday (Wed, Sept 7, in case you forgot), Michael and I decorated our house Minnie Mouse style. Minnie is Sophia's favorite. She goes crazy pretty much whenever she sees Minnie. In fact, I was in Party City with my Mom and had planned to go with a baby animal theme and she saw the baby Minnie stuff and was really freaking out, trying to grab it, nearly jumping out of my arms for it. So I caved and went baby Minnie themed. Guess I'll just let her pick her birthday theme every year, haha.
When she woke up from her nap we brought her out to see all the decorations and she was just so excited, pointing to every Minnie all over. We taught her how to tell us how old she is (How old is Sophia??)....it's a lot like pointing, but she throws up one finger every time so we think she gets it....!!
We had even more presents for her to open, just from us, and she had a good time with that. And then I made some cupcakes, with a special one just for her. We gave that to her at exactly 8:30 pm (after she had a veggie for dinner, of course), the time she was born. She loved it. And loved the Minnie plate that I put it on. It was nice celebrating her birthday with just the three of us after the fun and excitement of the big party the previous weekend. I feel like I am still in disbelief that we already have a one year old!!
Here are some pictures of her actual birthday....our little birthday cutie-pie!! Happy Birthday, Sophia!!
On the actually day of Sophia's birthday (Wed, Sept 7, in case you forgot), Michael and I decorated our house Minnie Mouse style. Minnie is Sophia's favorite. She goes crazy pretty much whenever she sees Minnie. In fact, I was in Party City with my Mom and had planned to go with a baby animal theme and she saw the baby Minnie stuff and was really freaking out, trying to grab it, nearly jumping out of my arms for it. So I caved and went baby Minnie themed. Guess I'll just let her pick her birthday theme every year, haha.
When she woke up from her nap we brought her out to see all the decorations and she was just so excited, pointing to every Minnie all over. We taught her how to tell us how old she is (How old is Sophia??)....it's a lot like pointing, but she throws up one finger every time so we think she gets it....!!
We had even more presents for her to open, just from us, and she had a good time with that. And then I made some cupcakes, with a special one just for her. We gave that to her at exactly 8:30 pm (after she had a veggie for dinner, of course), the time she was born. She loved it. And loved the Minnie plate that I put it on. It was nice celebrating her birthday with just the three of us after the fun and excitement of the big party the previous weekend. I feel like I am still in disbelief that we already have a one year old!!
Here are some pictures of her actual birthday....our little birthday cutie-pie!! Happy Birthday, Sophia!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Will Never Forget
I am a few days late on posting this blog (we were out of town with Michael's family over the weekend...a very nice time in the North GA mountains) but I feel like I definitely need to write on the topic that is probably on so many people in our country's mind right now...the ten year anniversary of 9/11.
Pretty much everyone I know can remember exactly what they were doing, where they were, how they felt, that day. No matter where you live in the country, the events that unfolded on that day affected everyone in some way. It is one of those moments in history that stays with you forever.
I was actually at work, at Associated Credit Union, at my desk on September 11, 2001. A radio always played softly in the background as we worked, but today the music seemed to stop and there was all talking. A girl in our department was training a new employee and was talking so loudly that we could barely hear the radio, but most of us could tell it was something very important that had happened. Finally I told her to just shut up, clearly something more pressing than her teaching the new girl how to order debit cards was going on in the world and I wanted to hear what it was. I felt confused about what I heard (although probably the information was sketchy with those early reports), how could a plane not see that huge giant tower and plow into it? It seemed quite clear though after a second plane hit the second tower that we did not just have two random accidents, that something quite scary was going on.
I know I completely stopped working at that point. I just sat and listened to the radio and wondered what in the world was going on in New York. Then I heard something that made me a lot more scared on this strange day. A plane had also flown into the Pentagon in Washington DC.
Now, if you know me, you know that I am NOT a fan of flying. I am also not a fan of those I love flying often, and unfortunately, my Dad travels a lot. On planes. Ever since I was quite young, I would beg him not to go on his trips and he would tell me that actually flying is safer than driving. I guess I see his logic, somewhat. I know that car accidents happen a lot more frequently than plane crashes. However, if you are on a plane and it goes down, you are very likely to not survive. Hence my desire for him (or me, or anyone I care about) to just not be in one.
Back to 9/11. I knew that my Dad had a business trip to Washington DC that week and that he was supposed to be flying into DC that very day. You can probably see where my head was going at that time. Sure, probably a million flights fly into DC each day, from a hundred different places. Not having the most confidence in flying in general, I jumped to the worst possible scenario and my common logic took a back seat. I very nearly freaked out. I first called my Dad's cell phone. No answer. Then I called my parents' house. No answer. Dad's cell again. No answer. Finally I decided to, even though I knew he was supposed to be out of town, call his office. When the receptionist answered I didn't even know exactly what to say (ask for my Dad when I know he isn't there? ask if he was on the plane that just crashed? ) so I just said something stupid like, 'Hi, this is Nicki' (after 4 years of calling my Dad at work from college, along with my Dad being the boss, the receptionist knew me pretty well, haha). She said, 'Hi, Nicki, your Dad is right here walking through the lobby, hold on a sec'. Talk about relief. When he got on the phone I probably yelled at him for not answering his cell, but I was never so happy to hear his voice. He said that his trip was cancelled, given the events of the day.
The credit union closed at 3 that day and I was glued to the television for the rest of the night, watching the horror that occurred in our country. Since that day I have read so many books and watched so many different shows that tell about this tragedy. Even seeing the same images over and over again still make me cringe and feel so sad for everyone who lost someone on that day. I am not someone that lost a family member in the 9/11 attacks, but for about 5 minutes on that morning, I didn't know that for sure. While that was a scary moment for me, it was nothing compared to what so many people went through on that day. However, as you can probably imagine, I am still not a fan of flying.
Each year since, I have always spent the time watching different documentaries (even the same ones over and over) about the tragic day. I feel like hearing the details of the day and the stories of loss and the stories of heroism each year help me to remember and help me to be thankful for everyone and everything I have. Last year, I wasn't able to pay as much attention to the anniversary....it was my first full day home from the hospital with my newborn baby girl. This year, a decade after the attacks, my DVR is overflowing with any and everything about the day. I would love to go and visit the new memorial and see the new World Trade Center some day. I know I am going to remember that day, those images, those stories, for many decades to come.
Pretty much everyone I know can remember exactly what they were doing, where they were, how they felt, that day. No matter where you live in the country, the events that unfolded on that day affected everyone in some way. It is one of those moments in history that stays with you forever.
I was actually at work, at Associated Credit Union, at my desk on September 11, 2001. A radio always played softly in the background as we worked, but today the music seemed to stop and there was all talking. A girl in our department was training a new employee and was talking so loudly that we could barely hear the radio, but most of us could tell it was something very important that had happened. Finally I told her to just shut up, clearly something more pressing than her teaching the new girl how to order debit cards was going on in the world and I wanted to hear what it was. I felt confused about what I heard (although probably the information was sketchy with those early reports), how could a plane not see that huge giant tower and plow into it? It seemed quite clear though after a second plane hit the second tower that we did not just have two random accidents, that something quite scary was going on.
I know I completely stopped working at that point. I just sat and listened to the radio and wondered what in the world was going on in New York. Then I heard something that made me a lot more scared on this strange day. A plane had also flown into the Pentagon in Washington DC.
Now, if you know me, you know that I am NOT a fan of flying. I am also not a fan of those I love flying often, and unfortunately, my Dad travels a lot. On planes. Ever since I was quite young, I would beg him not to go on his trips and he would tell me that actually flying is safer than driving. I guess I see his logic, somewhat. I know that car accidents happen a lot more frequently than plane crashes. However, if you are on a plane and it goes down, you are very likely to not survive. Hence my desire for him (or me, or anyone I care about) to just not be in one.
Back to 9/11. I knew that my Dad had a business trip to Washington DC that week and that he was supposed to be flying into DC that very day. You can probably see where my head was going at that time. Sure, probably a million flights fly into DC each day, from a hundred different places. Not having the most confidence in flying in general, I jumped to the worst possible scenario and my common logic took a back seat. I very nearly freaked out. I first called my Dad's cell phone. No answer. Then I called my parents' house. No answer. Dad's cell again. No answer. Finally I decided to, even though I knew he was supposed to be out of town, call his office. When the receptionist answered I didn't even know exactly what to say (ask for my Dad when I know he isn't there? ask if he was on the plane that just crashed? ) so I just said something stupid like, 'Hi, this is Nicki' (after 4 years of calling my Dad at work from college, along with my Dad being the boss, the receptionist knew me pretty well, haha). She said, 'Hi, Nicki, your Dad is right here walking through the lobby, hold on a sec'. Talk about relief. When he got on the phone I probably yelled at him for not answering his cell, but I was never so happy to hear his voice. He said that his trip was cancelled, given the events of the day.
The credit union closed at 3 that day and I was glued to the television for the rest of the night, watching the horror that occurred in our country. Since that day I have read so many books and watched so many different shows that tell about this tragedy. Even seeing the same images over and over again still make me cringe and feel so sad for everyone who lost someone on that day. I am not someone that lost a family member in the 9/11 attacks, but for about 5 minutes on that morning, I didn't know that for sure. While that was a scary moment for me, it was nothing compared to what so many people went through on that day. However, as you can probably imagine, I am still not a fan of flying.
Each year since, I have always spent the time watching different documentaries (even the same ones over and over) about the tragic day. I feel like hearing the details of the day and the stories of loss and the stories of heroism each year help me to remember and help me to be thankful for everyone and everything I have. Last year, I wasn't able to pay as much attention to the anniversary....it was my first full day home from the hospital with my newborn baby girl. This year, a decade after the attacks, my DVR is overflowing with any and everything about the day. I would love to go and visit the new memorial and see the new World Trade Center some day. I know I am going to remember that day, those images, those stories, for many decades to come.
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