Angelic Princesses

Angelic Princesses
Originally uploaded by mbowling

Goodness, I've been post happy these past few days, and I've taken quite a few photos recently. I had to share this one of the sweet girls. Ella was so excited when mom asked her to pose for a photo with Payton that she practically climbed over Payton to get into position. My kid just idolizes her.

I've been a bit nostalgic lately, which I can only assume is normal with the impending birth of a second child, that I've been flipping through photos from Ella's first years. I realized we didn't have a decent, recent picture of Payton and Ella together, so I am so happy this one turned out as well as it did. This one is definitely being posted to her bulletin board.

Bellies Full

Man, we've eaten well today. My belly is full and this boy must have no room because I swear a foot is lodged in my ribs and it hurts. We started the day with homemade cinnamon rolls, fruit and some leftover bacon. The rolls were good, but not has fabulous as I had hoped. I definitely will make them again as the dough is a keeper. The inside mix needs some tweaking. I admit I did run low on cinnamon, but it had other issues than just that. I also would alter the frosting by using less cream cheese. My overall assessment: very yummy with definite potential.

Our Easter dinner was a tasty success. Ham was definitely easy, and even though I am not crazy about ham, Mike, Payton and Rene raved about it. In addition to the ham, I also made green bean casserole and fruit salad. Rene added homemade scallop potatoes and dinner rolls to the menu. Those potatoes were so divine. Rene excels at making home style quality food, and these potatoes didn't disappoint. Although, it's better not knowing how much butter was in the dish. We finished off the meal with a chocolate mousse pie, which was rich and decadent. In addition to good food, we enjoyed having the opportunity to catch up with Rene and Payton. Ella was bouncing off the walls having Payton around to follow and mimic.

Food, more so an over abundance of candy, was the recurring theme for the weekend. From birthday candy to Easter candy, we are overrun with junk. We had so much that we repurposed some of the candy given by the grandparents and from her daycare party to fill the eggs that the Easter Bunny left for Ella to discover. I figure in a year this kid would be on to us. Hopefully we can push it off on the expected visitors stopping by to welcome baby boy into this world, whenever that maybe.

Weekend Recap

Order Up
Originally uploaded by mbowling

Update on baby boy: As my doctor said at my Friday appointment, this kid is content as a lark and is just happy staying inside me. I hope this means we won't have to force him out. The doc said she expected to see me in a week -- still pregnant of course, but she said stranger things have happened. I am completely okay with this. For the most part, I feel good for being this far along. Of course, I get uncomfortable and various parts of my body start aching at different times, but I am happy to continue to shelter this little guy until he's ready or the doc decides his time is up. It was a very brief appointment as she squeezed me in between a emergency c-section and another delivery.

After the appointment, I picked up Ella early from daycare and then we swung through and got Mike before heading to Paradise Park in Lee's Summit. Mike and I thought Ella would benefit from some extra family time and doing something special. Mike was a last minute addition to our outing and thank goodness he was there. Ella isn't quite big enough to tackle all the tunnels, so he had to help her weave her way to the top, so she could slide down the windy slide. There was no way I would have fit with my basketball stomach and I can only the imagine the meltdowns that would have occurred. The ball pit and the pizza parlor were other areas Ella really enjoyed. (See photos of our adventure here.) With all the time spent serving mom and dad fake pizza, we decided to cap off the evening with real pizza from Waldo's Pizza. It was so yummy.

Today was errand day. It included the standard weekend errands -- Target and grocery store, as well as a trip to Stride Ride to get some new shoes for E, who has crazy wide feet and grows out of shoes faster than any other clothing item. We finally ended our morning run at Babies R Us where we picked up a few items for baby boy. After nap time, we helped Carter celebrate his 2nd birthday. Ella was the only girl but it didn't stop her from joining in all the fun. Tomorrow, we are having Rene and Payton over for dinner. I have a chocolate mousse pie and homemade cinnamon rolls in the fridge, which is why I am still up at this ungodly hour. For our Easter meal, I'll be cooking my first ham. I know it's tradition, but I'm not crazy about ham. I just hope it tastes good. Now that I've updated about our exciting weekend events, I should attempt to get some sleep.

Less Than Two Weeks

My body is ready to pop. Will I make it to April? I don't know, but tonight my body does not feel normal. Then again, I am two weeks, if not less, from giving birth to my second child -- what is normal? It's a full moon tonight, so you never know what could happen. Ella was born on a night of a full moon. I really need to at least get through this weekend before this baby is born. I just need more time, yet there is so little left.

Mike is trimming my toenails right now because I can't do it for myself. I hate asking him to do it, but I just can't bend down to reach them. I have very ugly, nasty feet and he's being so gentle. On top of that, the poor guy has had to tolerate a very whiny and exhausted wife this past week. After a long day at work, I really have no energy to cook dinner or accomplish much on our list. He lets me just relax and makes no comments about my behavior. What a good husband, and now he's telling me to close the computer and get some sleep.

Baby Prep

Progress is being made. It's high time as we have less than two weeks to go, so really it could be any day now that baby boy decides to make his appearance. As much as my body is ready to serve an eviction notice, I need this time to finish preparations. This weekend we did knock off a few more items on our to-do list. The swing, bouncy seat, bottles and infant toys have been relocated from the basement to their new homes. Car seats are ready to be installed. All clothes have been washed and unpacked. We selected a going-home outfit. Unrelated to baby boy, we finished hanging a few more decor items in Ella's room.

We still have yet to pack the hospital bag -- it's on tap for tonight. We pulled out the bag we plan to use as a reminder to tackle that task. Find the pack-n-play. I'm not sure I'm ready for it to be set up in our room yet. Finish cleaning and organizing the nursery. It's in a good shape. I just need or want to reorganize the closet a bit. A trip to Babies R Us is still on my list as we need to pick up a crib mattress and a few basic items including some diapers. Pick up a gift for baby brother to give to Ella -- not sure what that will be. I am sure I will think of more as the day progresses. Work wise, I don't feel as prepared. I'm hoping to make good progress on that front this week.

As for Ella, I feel like we have made a good effort to prepare her for baby brother's existence. She understands that he is in my belly as she occasionally will lift my shirt to kiss my stomach or talk to him. She is also aware that he will be sleeping in the crib and using these new contraptions we pulled out this weekend. We had some battles over her wanting to climb in the swing and sit in the bouncy seat, yet nothing I wasn't anticipating. Since we had a low-key weekend at home, I tried to spend lots of time with her just playing and being silly, and giving her lots of hugs and kisses. My worry with her has escalated in recent days. No real reason other than knowing her world is about to be rocked and forever changed. The same is true for us.

Easter Snow Hunt

Easter Snow Hunt
Originally uploaded by mbowling

So much is wrong with this picture. A kid should not be bundled up to participate in an Easter egg hunt.

Snow littered the lawn Saturday morning. Even with the dusting, we still opted to bundle up and trek over to the neighborhood park to partake in our subdivision Easter egg hunt. We promptly arrived at 9:45 am to greet the Easter Bunny, but he was a no-show as was the hunt. We weren't the only families waiting. While it was apparent there were no eggs hidden in the park, it would have been nice if a sign or a neighborhood representative would have greeted us in the park. Rather, the sign informing us that the hunt was canceled was posted at the entrance of the neighborhood. That's a helpful location. The sign said the hunt will happen MAY 29. Who knows if that was a mis-print or not.

Poor Ella. She has yet to really experience her first Easter egg hunt. Last year, the weather also interfered with our plans. We have one more weekend to attempt a hunt, even if it's in our own yard.

A Week of Nice Surprises

I had such anxiety as this week started, mainly because of worries at work. Even with all that, this has been a nice week of fun surprises. First, I come in Monday to find a woman on my floor had brought me in three large shopping bags full of baby boy clothes. It took me two trips to load the clothes in my car. I came home and "oohed and awed" over the little treasures. I definitely got some quality items that will be put to good use. It was so generous of her and such a nice unexpected surprise. The closet will now be overflowing with boy newborn clothing.

My second fun surprise was Tricia offering me a ticket to see "I Love You Because" at AHT. I am guilty of passing on social opportunities during the week because of the logistics involved with Ella. Plus, I just want to see her little sweet face. With all that, I am so happy that I took an evening to see the show. Great show -- had me reminiscing over Mike's and my early dating days. Wonderful company. Overall, a quality night of entertainment and as an added benefit it was a cheap evening out. As Tricia and I were conversing and waiting for Mike to pick up Ella, a woman from D'Bronx walked up and handed us slices of pizza rather than throwing them out. A touch greasy, but it was free so we gobbled it up.

My last surprise happened again at work. During our floor's monthly food celebration, I was handed a card from our floor. I was in the middle of a conversation, so I didn't open it until I was back at my desk after sampling the tasty treats. The sweet card contained plenty of good wishes for baby boy and a gift card to Babies R Us. Again, completely unexpected and so thoughtful of the ladies on my floor. I'm excited to go shopping for a few boy items. Maybe we can squeeze in a trip to BRU this weekend.

The week isn't over. Hello lottery ticket.

Achy, Achy Lungs

Lungs still ache, but I am ever so slowly starting to feel like a normal human being again. I still wear out quite easily, but my husband has allowed me or insisted that I rest and relax. I don't sit every easily, but I have tried to put forth a good effort. I am ready to fully return to the land of the living as I have lost a whole week to this illness, and the clock is ticking.

I can't recall a time in my past when I have ever battled bronchitis. My typically ailment was strep throat, which I haven't faced since my tonsils were removed in 2002. I really hope this is one of the few times my body has to fight this. It's painful and exhausting. At my ob appointment on Friday, my doctor and I discussed the bronchitis and she forcefully encouraged me to get healthy as quick as I can. With labor and delivery around the corner, her concern similar to my primary care doctor is this developing into something worse like pneumonia. Unless I make significant strides, she threw out such words as chest x-ray and doctor-ordered rest. Both docs have no concern with the baby, more with me and how I would handle labor while I'm still battling the bronchitis. I hope to not find this out.

A Plague on Our House

First, it was an ear infection. Next came the hand, foot and mouth with the impetigo. And now, it's bronchitis for mom. We need to change the karma. My lungs ache and hurt. At the doctor's recommendation and the encouragement of others, I am staying at home once again today. I hope to rest as much as possible. I woke feeling pretty good. I had slept fairly well considering I'm battling this sickness and am 36+ weeks (and my hips just ache). I thought I can do this. I can survive another day, and then I crawled out of bed. Once I get Mike and Ella out the door, it's back to bed for me.

Confirmed

Ella and I spent two hours at the doctor's office where they confirmed it's hand, foot and mouth. They also said the rash on her face looks like impetigo, which is a bacterial infection that develops when there is a sore or a rash that has been scratched repetitively. We left with another prescription for an antibotic, directions to continually and regualarly apply neosporin around her mouth, and instructions to try and keep Ella from rubbing her mouth. The doc admitted this wouldn't be easy. We have the go ahead to go back to daycare tomorrow. While I take comfort in knowing she is not contagious, her face tells another story. I hope we see significant improvement overnight.

Rash and Hospital Visits

Through self-diagnosis, Mike and I have determined Ella probably has hand, foot and mouth. Of course, we'll take her to the doctor tomorrow for confirmation, but based on the rash and the mouth sores, I would be surprised if it was something else. On top of that, she has been on antibiotics for an ear infection, so I suspect whatever she does have is viral. Overall, she's has been a good patient, although there have been plenty of tears shed.

While she was napping, I had my maternity care appointment at the hospital. I got to sign lots of forms, review my medical history and discuss my birth plan, which is essentially survive for as long as I can before insisting on the epidural. Not a lot has changed at the hospital since I had Ella. The hospital is still under construction and parking is still limited. They are more adamant about the floor nap time from 2 to 4 pm to give moms and babies a break from all interruptions. Some of the birthing rooms now have a whirlpool tub, so I certainly requested one of those. The nurse took me to see one and it was a deja vu moment as she took me into the same birthing room where Ella was born -- 282. Being at the hospital brought back so many memories from Ella's birth and definitely made me keenly aware how quickly this baby boy could be making his appearance.

Sunny Days Inside

Mike and I were eagerly anticipating the beautiful weather expected today as cabin fever had definitely struck this household. We had no real agenda except for enjoying a taste of spring. Well, our plans were quickly derailed when E woke up with a 101 temp. No other symptoms just a high fever all day, so most of the day was spent close to home. The poor thing was fairly clingy, alternating between mom and dad, and fairly miserable most of the day. We did convince her to go for a ride in her wagon, so we were able to enjoy a few moments of the nice weather. I hope she's able to quickly kick whatever is ailing her, I hate to see her like this and am a touch dumbfounded by what's causing the high temp.

Being at home did give me the opportunity to finish cleaning out the nursery closet. It is now empty and ready to be filled with baby boy's clothes. I also went through bins full of Ella's old clothes and pulled out quite a stack that baby boy should be able to use. I was pleasantly surprised by how much we actually do have. This helped decrease my worries that the boy wouldn't spend his days only donning a diaper and channeling WT influences. Now I just need to get everything washed and moved into his bedroom. Small steps, but it is progress.

I must thank everyone for the outpouring of kind words and support. I was fairly miserable earlier this week and there was no way to sugar coat it. My spirit has improved, but my body and my perspective on my body remains the same. I know I am on the down hill side of this pregnancy, and I will get through. Some days you just feel every aspect of the pregnancy more than others.

Beached Whale

Less than 5 weeks and counting. I think I am in denial that I am having another child. Of course, I can't wait to hold that precious boy, but my head cannot wrap itself around the fact that we will have two children in our household. Seriously, two kids. What were we thinking and this soon. We're not emotionally, mentally, physically or financially ready for this or at least I'm not. Ugh, there is SO much to do, things to buy, things to re-organize, stuff to be found, cleaned and set up, lists to be made, work work that needs my attention..... The list just keeps growing and my motivation keeps waning.

So much for thinking I would stay on the small side. I feel like and look like a beached whale. I caught a side profile of myself and just wanted to cry. It is not a pretty picture. My face got fat and my back side exploded this past week. If it gets any bigger, I swear I will bust a seam in my pants. I tell myself to enjoy these last few weeks because this quite possibly could be the last time I am ever pregnant. I'm trying, but I can't do it today.

My other gripe is if special dress code allowances are made for people who have had foot surgery, why can't pregnant woman get a pass when they are in their last month. What's so wrong with wearing yoga pants and oversized hoodies to work, at least I would be comfortable. Overall, my maternity clothes really are okay, but I am just I'm tired of wearing what seems to be the same 5 outfits each week.

It's apparent that today has not been the best day. I'm hormonal, tired and feeling quite off kilter. The good thing is at least it's almost over, and hopefully I'll awake tomorrow to find a sunnier and happy disposition waitingt for me at the foot of my bed.

And this little piggy went Wii Wii Wii!

Sorry folks, its the best way that I could announce on here the newest member of the Bowling household...the very sought after Nintendo Wii!*

*Quick aside---its currently 10:30 on Sunday night--Ella is asleep, and Amanda is catching up with the Oscars on the TiVo and I'm currently awaiting the restart of the Sprint Cup race in California. On normal nights, the light would be turned off and we would be heading off to sleepy world, but I'm going to wait the rain delay out and watch the part of the race upto halfway of when it officially becomes......uh....official.

Amanda's brother Scott, had a very keen eye up at the Best Buy in Sioux City and was able to track us one down! So for the last week we have been playing every once in a while, working on our Tennis and Bowling skills on the Wii Sports game that comes with it. Its been fun and a nice stress reliever for us. Ella even likes to get in on the act, she will watch Mommy and Daddy and plays with her "Wiimote" and swings it over her head and then points it at the TV. She's even request to go down stairs and "watch Wii". Its just too funny.

We had Scott and Tricia down on Saturday night and we had a little impromptu Taco Night/Wii Party. Many thanks to their friend Kyle who let us borrow 2 of his Wiimotes and his Guitar Hero III as well. That game is on the list for sure. I do have a good feeling that the Wii won't be near as possible during the summer months, but during this crazy winter and and with Amanda's pending maternity leave, it will be some fun for her when hopefully everybody is down for a nap!

Race update....are you serious? Its currently 11:17 right now...9:17 at the track...and they say they will be back racing by the TOP of the hour which means 10:00pm for the drivers...which also means 1:00 *A.M.* on the east coast...yeah, all of 10 people will be watching that. Not to mention all of 10 people will be in the stands at the track. That speedway already has enough issues as it is. Crazy. I can't believe it. I guess it doesn't matter, neither one of us can sleep at the moment.

The weekend overall was good. We were soo wiped out from the party and family last weekend that we were anxious for a lower key weekend and having some fun with the Wii. We did make a run down to the Mall of the Great Plains down in Olathe. It has some big open spaces and we figured that Ella needed to stretch her legs and run a little bit. We did come across a little place for kids and birthday parties that have a little kiddie train that goes around a track. Ella saw it and really wanted to ride it so we went in and bought a couple of tickets and Ella took a ride all by herself! She looked SO CUTE riding it with a big smile on her face. It was really the first time she's ever done anything like that without Mommy or Daddy tagging along for the ride. Amanda and I were just beaming. I turned to Amanda and said "I know its just a train ride, but I feel like she just left for college"! Crazy feelings being a parent sometimes, I tell ya.

April 2

April 2 has always been a special day in the history of Mike's and my relationship. April 2, 2000 was the day we officially started dating. Although it had lost its significance once we started celebrating wedding anniversaries, we both remember the events of the day well. We met in St. Joe, Mike came from Lincoln and me from Kansas City. I arrived first, and I remember him scaring me while I waited in my car, our walk through a park in St. Joe, the ice cream treat, and most importantly neither of us wanting to leave the other. It wasn't until we were about to depart that Mike summoned the courage to ask me to be his girl.

Why the walk down memory lane? Well, it was only tonight that Mike and I realized that our second child, our sweet baby boy, is due on April 2. Man, how pathetic are we that it only took us until I have 6 weeks left to connect the dots?! Yes, it's unlikely I will actually deliver on April 2, but now I have more reasons to hope for an April delivery.

Coughs and Lack of Sleep

Poor Ella had an incredibly tough night last night as she is battling a cough and some congestion. No one in our house got much sleep last night. Ella couldn't seem to decide what she wanted and her parents couldn't do anything right by her. The poor kid cried way too many tears last night and in the process broke our hearts.

At one point, she was standing in the middle of her room just sobbing when she paused for a moment and said, "mommy and daddy's room." I think it was almost midnight. Mike and I were exhausted, and even though Ella hadn't spent a night in our bed since her 1st birthday, we knew this was not a battle we wanted to wage, so we all climbed in our bed. It certainly couldn't be described as restfull sleep between her tossing and turning and coughs and cries. Once I determined she had been resting peacefully for some time, I took her back to her bed. But it wasn't long before she was crying again for mommy and daddy, so Mike carried her back to bed. We finally got her down in her own bed close to 3 am, giving Mike and 3 1/2 hours of decent sleep. I desperately wanted so stay in bed this morning and just sleep. Mike said when he went to wake up Ella, her response was, "Let me sleep daddy." How he wished he could have.

I hope tonight goes better. She's been down since 8:15, but is making quite a bit of noise. My body and my brain really need a solid night's sleep. I've said before but sleep is a beautiful thing especially when it takes place in my comfy, cozy bed with my husband next to me. I'm off to experience those joys.

Birthday Photos

Birthday Wishes
Originally uploaded by mbowling

The house is quiet now, well except for the race Mike is watching. Maybe it's better to say, the house is empty. We enjoyed having everyone down, but now we're enjoying some downtime.

We've gone through some of our birthday photos and posted a few. Looking back, it really was a good week, although I think all of us are ready for a slightly more low-key week. My only goal today is laundry and relaxing. We do need to get back on the baby train, which can wait one more day. Off to take a nap, my body is exhausted and my back is hurting.

Post Birthday Post

Yes, this post is a few days late. It's been a busy week, what else can I say. Ella's birthday celebration has now come to a close. Last night was the final portion. A little less than 25 people, including 7 other kids, invaded our house. I believe everyone had fun. I did. I just always wish I had more time to talk with everyone. I had a tough time keeping tabs on my kid. She loved having so many kids in her space, but it is at times like these that I realize how small our house is.

Ella kicked off her birthday by actually waking up her parents at the time she was born. While she has made the transition to her new room easily, she is crying out more in the night than she did in the crib. Mike went to her because the last time I got up with her in the middle of the night, I didn't fall back asleep. While he was in with her, I heard her scream, "I want my mommy." I sprung from the bed, ventured in her room, reassured her and placed her blankets in the appropriate order on her back. When Mike and I were back in our room a few moments later, we realized the time. We took a few seconds to reminisce and then crawled back to bed.

The night of her birthday (for Mike and I it's not really Valentine's Day anymore), we picked her up early but waited until her Valentine's Day party was over, and hit Oak Park Mall, where she enjoyed two rides on the carousel, an overpriced meal at Rain Forest Cafe and time to run around in the kid's area. She dug the atmosphere at Rain Forest. Her favorite animal was the cheetah. She was a bit skittish around the elephants. She wanted to get up close and personal, but only if she was in one of our arms. She ended the night by opening the gifts from her parents. Overall, I believe she had a fun night. She talked the next morning about how she got to ride horseys. I worried at first we weren't doing enough to make her day special, and my ever wise and objective husband pointed out that we need to enjoy the days when she is completely entertained by $2 carousel rides and spending time with mom and dad.

Friday was special because it was her party at daycare. We waited a day to celebrate, so she and the other kids in her class would get a separate Valentine's Day party and a birthday party. Ella was so excited to take in cupcakes that she had to hold them the whole drive in. When we walked in, another girl in her class said, "Ella more cupcakes," in complete disbelief. It gave us a nice chuckle.

With her party being Saturday night and the usual way her parents procrastinate, Mike and I spent a few hours Saturday morning running around for food and supplies. Ella spent the time hanging out with grandma and grandpa. We had everything ready just in time for the first guests to arrive. Ella was spoiled with lots of cool gifts. I hope to post pictures later today.

New Big Girl Room

New Big Girl Room
Originally uploaded by mbowling

It is a momentous night in the Bowling household as E is spending her first night in her new big girl room. So far, she's doing great. She's been down for over an hour and we haven't heard a peep out of her. We both want to check on her, but know better then to wake the sleepy giant.

It will be a slow transition, but I finally feel like we are making progress in our preparations for baby boy. While E's bed and some toys are the only things in the room right now, we will add a dresser and bookshelves once we move the computer desk out. It's quite the purple room but E seems happy with it, and I adore her bedding. Now, we are on the hunt for decor items.

The past few days have been a blur. We drove up to Omaha on Saturday to surprise my mom, who thought she was coming to Omaha to have a birthday dinner with my youngest brother. Little did she know, all her children and her precious grandchild would be in attendance. Even though it was the furthest we had ever driven for a meal, the company and the food definitely made it worth the drive. Mike spent Sunday painting, and Ella and I were busy making arrangements for her birthday week while spending time playing together. I can't believe the little rascal turns two. It's a busy week in the Bowling household, but it will be a good week.

Pregnancy Weight Rant

Bear with me, I have another pregnancy rant. For some reason, being pregnant means people, co-workers, general strangers, etc. have the right to ask inappropriate questions or make asinine statements. Seriously people, I am not wearing a sign that says, "Yes, I want your thoughts on breast feeding, what is or isn't appropriate for me to eat, why only good mothers stay at home with their children and my birth plan." Please note if you are a good friend or family member, who I commonly discuss personal matters with, these comments are not directed to you. Trust me, I appreciate and respect your honesty. I enjoy and want to have an educated, respectful discussion on most topics related to pregnancy and child rearing. What irks me to no end are the ones who judge and spout off before they filter it through their head.

The spark for this rant is some inappropriate comments I have received this week. Taken individually, I let them roll, but I've had too many and it has pushed me over the edge. Earlier this week, a women in the elevator was stunned to hear how far along I was. She responded with, "Are you sure there isn't anything wrong with the baby because you are too small for being 30+." This was the same woman who said to me last pregnancy, "You must be having a girl because you are big everywhere." One example of the loving and heartfelt wishes I've heard.

It really shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone that I am a bit sensitive to matters concerning my weight, but quite honestly, keep any opinions, thoughts or general observations about my weight to yourself. I really don't want to hear it. If you do feel inclined to say anything, I would suggest, "Wow, you look great for being thirty plus weeks."

Yes, I am carrying this baby boy differently than Ella. It's natural. It's a different kid, but no worries the kid is progressing just fine. I had a doctor's appointment today where I expressed the concern that the general observation is I am on the small side. Her first comment, which is why I love all five feet of my petite, feisty doctor, was "Why can't people just keep their damn opinions to themselves and their mouths shut." She had me lie down and measured my belly. She said, "Just what I thought, you are right on target." We then discussed weight gain, how pregnancies vary and how amazingly complex the human body truly is.

So while I appreciate everyone's concern, the kid is still cooking right along and she still expects him to be between 7 1/2 and 8 pounds. Time will tell, but that's enough of my rant.

Baby Book Phase I

This past weekend, I completed the first phrase of a very personal project that I have shared with no one except Mike. Rather than do a traditional baby book for Ella, I decided to record my thoughts in a journal to be shared with her at some point in her young adult life. Writing in her journal was an opportunity for me to record my pregnancy experiences, all the mundane and joyful ones. I remember writing her birth story while Mike was witnessing her first bath and I was awaiting my mom's arrival. I think that entry was at 3:45 am. My intention is for Ella to better understand and appreciate her journey into this world. Approaching her baby book in this manner allowed me to not only record her developmental milestones but to track my development as a mom.

The journal begins on June 5, 2005, which was the day we first learned of her existence. This phase ends with a Feb. 3, 2008 entry. I am not sure how long I will continue to journal to the kids (don't fret, I've started one for baby boy bowling -- although his book doesn't have near the entires that Ella's did at this point). I have purchased a new journal for Ella. It may take me until her 5th birthday to finish it, who knows. My only promise to the kids in their respective journals is I would journal through at least their first year.

I love periodically picking up the journals and flipping through them to read past entries. They certainly provide a snapshot of our life and my mindset when writing an entry. Mike and I have debated the appropriate time to give these to Ella and baby boy. I think the right opportunity with each child will present itself. As excited as I am to share these with my children, I do believe letting go of them will be quite bittersweet.

Amazed

I wonder if as a parent you ever stop being amazed by your children. I certainly hope not. I love that every day this girl will surprise me with what she says or does. Last night as we were preparing for bedtime, Ella was naked, running around in a circle as she sang the "Wheels on the Bus." She did it with such freedom, purpose and energy that I found myself just smiling with pride swelling inside me as I watched her. Maybe with her birthday quickly approaching (two weeks!), I'm more reflective and aware of how much growth and development she's achieved in two brief years. It's not a statement of how "advanced" I think my child is compared to other kids (because I don't think she's advanced just on par), but how fascinating it is what all kids learn to do in two brief years. How did this baby that popped out of me become this defiant, stubborn yet positively adorable little person running our household?

The most recent new developments:

*She now will "sshhh" us when she doesn't want to listen to us anymore. She puts her little finger to her lips and tells us to be quiet, especially if we're in the car singing to the radio.

*Speaking of the radio, Ella now expects, better yet demands, Sirius' Kid Stuff station almost every time she's in the car. Don't think you can fool her with another station. That girl knows when we try to pull a fast one and quickly calls us on it.

*She said the word "actually" yesterday. I attempted to explain that mommy was actually the one that possessed X object (I can't remember what we were discussing), but she stopped me in mid-sentence and said "Actually, it's daddy's," and quickly ended that debate.

*At dinner, Ella wanted mommy's drink which was a Diet Dr. Pepper in a styrofoam cup. I told her she couldn't have any because it was like coffee and was only for grown ups. She said, "No mommy that not like coffee." Again, the girl is on to us.

*She repeatedly asks for Payton to spend the night. Our standard response is always soon. Ella now responds with "Tuesday or Friday." Guess, these must be her favorite days of the week. I didn't even know she knew specific days until I heard "Tuesday" for the first time.

*She also has asked lately to go visit Aaron and Carter. (We've been trying but that household can't kick the various bugs going around.) I told her a fib the other day and I said they were out of town and when they were back that we would go over to see them. (They had been out of town one weekend, but weren't on the day Ella asked about them.) A few days later we were looking at "Ella's pictures" on Flickr. When we came across the picture of the kids from New Year's Eve, Ella unprompted said "Aaron and Carter out of town." This girl doesn't seem to forget anything we say.

I just love that little creature.

30+ Weeks

Seriously, only 10 weeks until this baby will be here. 10 weeks. How is that possible? Where did this whole pregnancy go? Today was another doctor's appointment and either my sixth or seventh sonogram of the pregnancy. I've completely lost count. Everything checked out great, finally! I had what should be my last sonogram. I love getting the chance to see the little guy, but it is a relief knowing that there is no medical reason why I need another sonogram. The good news is the placenta finally migrated away from my cervix, but the baby is now breech with his head nestled in my left ribs. The baby boy has 7 weeks to navigate to the correct position before my doc gets concerned.

Other interesting nuggets from the appointment: he is 3 lbs, 6 oz. and the doc expects him to end up about 7 1/1 to 8 pounds. I'm measuring a few days behind my due date, but the tech said measurements on breech babies always seem slightly inaccurate. He also appears to have some hair. Good heart rate. Oh yea, he's also beautiful. He had his little hand resting on his head at one point. I swooned and he has the cutest little feet.

Hopefully this appointment serves as motivation to get into baby mode. The doc gave me a big to-do for our list: schedule my maternity care appointment with the hospital. It's the appointment when you fill out endless yet necessary paperwork and are reminded of all their policies and procedures. We did order new bedding for Ella's new big girl room. Once we have it, we can select paint colors and start transforming the computer room into her new big girl room. We are definitely moving at a snail's pace. I keep telling myself as long as we have diapers and some clothes, we'll figure the rest out.

Closet cleaning

Hodge podge of closet items
Originally uploaded by mbowling

Our entryway closet had become a giant dumping ground and it was impossible to find anything unless it was the last item we shoved in it. Mike decided he had enough (and he's slowly beginning to exhibit signs of nesting) that he enthusiastically tackled the unorganized and overstuffed closet.

As he removed every last mismatched glove, black purse, ball cap and diaper bag, Ella decided it was the perfect opportunity for her to take stock of the inventory and catalogue the items, which is how she ended up in this ensemble. Of course, her coat is a daily staple, but the rubber ducky hat hadn't been seen since late summer. Ella wanted to make sure it still fit. What I can't remember is why in the world I gave her a snack while she was modeling the latest closet fashion. File that under not my brightest mom moment.

Her snack that afternoon was two tasty graham crackers with a thin spread of vanilla frosting in the middle. It was one of my favorite "special" snacks as a kid. I recall being served that mostly at bible school or camp. It made up for the days when celery and cheese whiz was on the menu. Mike said he never had the pleasure of experiencing that sweet childhood treat, so he indulged in a few. I felt sorry for the poor guy that he had to wait until his 30s to experience such a yummy concoction.

Back to the closet, Mike has it organized and everything is back in place. I now don't dread opening the door each morning to retrieve my coat and gloves. To help understand how crammed it was, we discovered a women's tan lightweight jacket in our closet that certainly doesn't belong to anyone in their 30s. If you happen to be missing a tan jacket and you're a female older than 50, we might just have it. The likely suspects claim it isn't theirs, so we really have no clue who the original owner is. It's not like we get that many visitors, so who knows how long the jacket has been residing in our house.

Hangin with Trey

Hangin with Trey
Originally uploaded by mbowling

Most of you who look at this photo are going, who the heck is that guy Scott and Mike are hanging out with there? Was he some winner of some Royals' contest? Well, sort of--he's Trey Hillman, aka the new manager of the Kansas City Royals.

For the first time this year, the Royals held a fanfest and Scott and I thought it would be fun to partake in it and see what it was all about. Of course Tricia, Amanda and Ella tagged along and saw what all the fun was about. They had a lot of cool skills stuff to check out and Ella even did a couple of them! She did a 90 foot base running challenge where she ran from one base to another---with nothing but a huge smile on her face, of course. It was pretty awesome. She also hit a ball of of a tee (with Daddy's help of course). But she really wanted to spend more time picking up the whiffle balls. They had a moonwalk that she had fun it while dad and uncle Scotty got some pitch for season tickets from a sales broker. They had the model of what the "new" Kauffman Stadium will look like, and different piece of memorabilia from over the history of the Royals. It really was pretty neat!

There was a lot of autograph sessions--we saw David DeJesus, Shane Costa, Gil Meche, Joey Gathright, and finally when it was all wrapping up we got the chance to get our picture with the new manager, so that was pretty cool. He shook our hands, we got to welcome him to KC and Ella even wished him "good luck!" She gave him a high-five and he told her that she was precious. Which she IS of course.

It was a good day.

Food poisoning

I fear that baby boy bowling will never have a name. We have batted about numerous names and have discarded almost every name discussed for a multitude of reasons: like it but too popular, friend's kid has that name, not a positive association, it's already in the family, Ew! past bad boyfriend name -- otherwise not a bad name, and so forth.

Our criteria isn't lengthy -- just a solid boys name that works as a child and as an adult and is not owned by anyone else in our circle of family and friends. It also must work with Michael as the middle name and Bowling as the last. It also must flow with Ella whether casually joining their names or for me as a parent to yell in a fit of frustration.

Part of me is wants a name to pick us, similar to what happened with knowing Ella was the right name for our first daughter. It was a shared and special moment between Mike and I three years prior to us getting pregnant. I don't want to settle on a name, and I want there to a more meaningful reason to selecting a name other than I like it.

Recently though, one name seemed to be emerging from the limited list of names even under consideration. While there had not been a light bulb moment, the name kept coming to us as a central character in some of Ella's favorite books, a favorite author had dedicated one of his books to Ella and this name, etc. I was beginning to feel more confident that this was the right name for us, but not 100% committed to the name.

Mike and I decided when pregnant with Ella that we would not share a name until the baby was born. We didn't want to be influenced by others. I was taking the same approach with baby boy. At my department's holiday lunch, the topic of baby names was discussed and a co-worker suggested the name Sam. I slyly smiled and said it was a name on our list and quickly approaching the top of the list. Most at the table agreed that it was a good name for us. I wasn't prepared for one co-workers concern, "Aren't you worried they would call him 'sambo.' " I was dumbfounded and had no idea of that phrase. Before the conversation could continue, we were interrupted by the waiter.

On the drive back to work, I confided into co-workers that I didn't get the joke. A co-worker in her 50s explained to me the origin of sambo, but didn't think a potential nickname should automatically strike Sam from our list, especially ones not many in our generation were exposed to. Mike agreed, but I was less inclined. Mike and I had consulted with multiple friends and co-workers. I wanted to know who and how many were familiar with the story of sambo, and hardly anyone was, so the name was climbing the ranks once again.

That was until last night when Tricia and Scott were hanging out at our house after a trip to the Royals Fan Fast and an introductory dinner for them to Sweet Tomatoes. The topic of names came up and we decided to ask them about sambo. Tricia knew, but I should have figured with her mom's background and Tricia's love of reading. The agreement was Sam is a good solid name and Sam Michael Bowling definitely has a nice ring to it. I also explained how Sam was the initials of my siblings in birth order (Scott, Amanda, Matt -- yet I didn't work in Justin, so it was more a convenient reasoning for Sam.)

Tricia said Ella and Sam out loud and commented how sweet that sounded and then she reversed the names. The minute she did, I knew the name had been kicked off the list permanently. Sam and Ella. (Tip: say it aloud and you'll get a good laugh. Hence the title of this post.) Separately both are great names, together, it's just not meant to be. I couldn't believe it hadn't hit Mike and I before, but we only ever said Ella and Sam, never Sam and Ella.

Sigh, I'm disappointed because none of the other names under consideration are jumping off the page. We still have 2 1/2 months for this boy to marinate, so hopefully another name will emerge a winner. If you happen to ask for an update, don't be surprised if my response speaks to the merits of Cletus over Mortimer.

Slumber Party

Slumber Party
Originally uploaded by mbowling

After some gentle reminders, Comer shared the pictures from New Year's Eve with us. The kids looked so adorable laying next to each other. In this picture, they look more annoyed with us. I'm confident that they knew we were making a feeble attempt to induce sleep, so the adults could enjoy some "kid-free" time. It wasn't meant to be, but they did stay distracted long enough for the the women to victoriously and soundly defeat the men at Scene It. Who knew the movie "The Unforgiven" would be the obscure and correct answer that sealed our victory. I hope a rematch is in our near future.

Where, O' Where is Sleep?

Seriously, all I want to do is sleep, and I can't. Insomnia fascinates and frustrates me. It's so bizarre to want something so desperately and yet have it be so completely unattainable. I have been awake since 2:30 and it's now 4:30. I went to bed so exhausted. I have a big day at work and this is not helping.

To demonstrate how random the thoughts are that keep me up, here's a quick running list as I lay on the couch attempting to will myself back to sleep:

It's taking a few minutes to get the thoughts going. Maybe I shouldn't encourage them. Maybe this is a positive sign that my brain is currently free from randomness and could actually focus on falling back asleep. Maybe it's trying to lure me back to bed only to rev up the minute my head hits the pillow and then torture me so. Nope, here they come:

*Do I have time and the energy to make Ella's birthday invitations? Do I really need to make invitations if we're doing a low key birthday celebration? Should I really send invites if it's primarily family? Can't I just send an email with the details? If I do that, does that take away from her birthday or reflect poorly on how special we think it is? Have kids birthdays got a bit out of hand?

*Did I really need that second cookie last night? I told the girls only one cookie, but then stole another one after we all changed in our pajamas. Shame on me.

*Should we start officially potty training Ella? She's practically requesting a new diaper after each time she's wet and she's willing to attempt to change herself if you won't do it. It's quite the site to have your child run down the hall with her pants around her knees, with her naked bottom peeking out from her shirt and her diaper in one outstretched hand as she requests a wipe. She asked me to change her as we rocked last night (yes, I'm actually got the chance to rock her a few nights this week.) I opted not to because we had just put a fresh diaper on. Am I sending mixed signals? Was I being too lazy?

*I need to get my haircut. It's getting way too long and my drying time is increasing.

*Did I get the load of reds in the dryer?

*Why is Yoshi so annoying? Why can't he be a dog instead? Will we ever have the type of schedule where we could have a dog?

*What's on tap for this week? What are we going to eat this week? Ugh, I have to make a grocery store run. Why do I hate the grocery store so much?

*Did I pass my gestational diabetes test? As my doc says, no news is good news, so hopefully, I didn't fail.

*Why do women battle insomnia more then men?

It's almost 5 am. I promised myself I would try again at 5 to fall back asleep if only for an hour. Wish me luck.

Beautiful Words

Lately my little girl has been uttering the sweetest phrase. No, it isn't "I love you" or "you're the best," but rather "NO NO NO, FOOTBALL, DADDY!" And then she promptly walks over and shuts off the tv. Ah, I love that little girl.

Now if all fairness, I did convince Payton and Ella to let Mike watch the end of the Giants/Cowboys game tonight. They both wanted him to turn off the tv, and I convinced them that he should get to watch the rest of the game. He did buy us pizza after all.

Lost my chair position

I am trying not to take in personally. I am really trying. Yes, the but is coming. But my child refuses to let me rock her. Yes, she's growing up and I need to let go, and all that other parenting mumble jumble. I wish it was that simple. Understand though, it's not that she's giving up being rocked. No, that's not the case. If it was, I might be able to handle it better. The issue is she just refuses to let ME rock her. Daddy is the only one who can do it.

Oh sure, mom is good enough to read "Let's Go to the Zoo" and "Olivia" 10 million times in a row with Ella on my lap nonetheless. When the lights are shut off and her music is turned on, her only request is "Daddy rock." I beg, I plead, I demand. It gets me nowhere except I end up feeling like a 2-year old, rather a 2-year old with a broken heart. I thought maybe after a few nights she would be back to preferring me, but nope. Every night for what the last two weeks, no matter how I play the game, the end result is the same: "daddy rock."

Don't get me wrong I love that Mike and her have such a special bond. I just miss that quiet time with her in my arms. She's showcasing her independence more each day that even kisses and hugs are few and far in between, so I was relishing our quiet cuddle time, and now I don't even have that. I knew she would eventually push away from me. I just didn't expect it would be before her second birthday.

How to keep yourself afloat in water.

Essentially that is what Ella is learning to do. Or more like thats what Amanda and I are paying her to learn.

Ella is officially taking swimming lessons! We figure if this girl is going to be a fish, she better learn how much fun you can REALLY have once you learn to swim. She's taking them at the Bonner Springs YMCA. Which, by the way is not an easy place to find, even though my Garmin led us straight to the correct address, they have it stuffed inside of an old school. I have no idea why they felt the need to make it about as hard as all get out to find. We also may have missed a few signs that pointed us to the right direction. Oh well.

Even though we prepped Ella saying that this was like swim "class", she really wanted to run around and play like it was the middle of July and the sun was beating down. I got in the 3 foot WARM (oh it felt SO good) pool and I held her the entire class. And for those of you who know Ella--this was not something she enjoyed for 30 minutes straight (The girl just wants to wiggle her way out of Daddy's arms). But regardless she put up with it once she realized that couldn't touch the ground.

We worked on kicking on our bellies and back. We learned to throw a little bitty rubber duckie and kick in the water towards it, with Daddy's help of course. And we worked on blowing bubbles in the water too. And there was no way anybody was going to peel that huge smile on her face the entire time. 30 minutes came and went so quickly for her she fought tooth and nail getting out of the water. As did Daddy, that water was WARM! But alas, we wouldn't have fit in too well with the next class as we were not 70 year old women.

We have assured her we will be back next Saturday for more swimming lessons, and I'm sure she will be all ready to go when Saturday comes.

The First Day of 2008

Pure Bliss
Originally uploaded by mbowling

It was COLD. It was Windy. None of that stopped Ella from loving every minute of sledding on the first day of '08. She giggled with pure joy each time she was pushed down the hill. We lasted maybe a 1/2 hour in the frigid air, but enjoyed each minute.

It's hard to believe the holidays are over. I have loved having some extra time with Ella these past few weeks, but it's time to assume a more normal routine. I suspect tomorrow will be tough on all of us.

We rang in the New Year with the Comer family, who we actually hadn't seen in some time. Correction, we celebrated the last few hours of 2007 with the Comers. Ella made it to 11 pm before we decided to call it a night and head to our house. The night was also meltdown free, which was a pleasant surprise for both sets of parents. We tried to get the kids to all fall asleep in Mike & Jen's bed around 10 pm. We turned on a movie as they snuggled next to each other, but 20 minutes later they made their way downstairs to rejoin our party. (It made for the cutest picture, which Mrs. Comer better email me!)

Overall, the kids played quite nicely together, allowing us adults some time to socialize, eat and laugh. I should add drink to the list, but I was just a spectator in that arena last night, along with the DD. Only a few short months to go before I'll be able to indulge again. Sigh....I really only miss it on nights like New Year's Eve. I love me some champagne!

Well, happy New Year to everyone.

Photogenic

Merry Christmas
Originally uploaded by mbowling

Here is one of my favorite photos from Christmas and another great photo of my two favorite people. As much as I love this photo, I'm envious as there are far too many good photos of Mike and Ella together compared to the paltry number of photos of her and I.

There are good reasons why more photos of these two exist. First, I'm typically the one using the camera and second, I dislike having my photo taken. Really, how can I compete? These two are just so darn photogenic. I don't possess that gene.

Toddler Speak

One of the cons of having a highly verbal child is the incessant demands. Heard for the first time tonight on the drive home: "GIVE IT BACK..RIGHT NOW...MOMMY."

Needless to say, it was not Ella's happiest or proudest moment.

Although just a few seconds later, she was belting out the chorus to "Jingle Bells" and completely cracking Mike and I up. So is the life with a toddler.

Merry Christmas

The gifts are opened. The living room is a mess. Ella is overstimulated and Mike is geeked about his latest gadget. I imagine his new Garmin will keep him entertained for quite some time. It's been quite the day.

Ella is having a ball and her parents are exhausted. I guess that's the mark of a good day. She received too many packages for me to even recall what she unwrapped. Ella was visited by Santa twice this year. He came Friday night at our house and then last night at grandma's house. She definitely has enjoyed everything associated with the season and Mike and I have enjoyed observing her as she experiences all the joy and chaos.

For Christmas Eve, we celebrated with some of my mom's side of the family. After a white elephant gift exchange and tasty chicken noodle soup prepared lovingly by my brother, we headed to Christmas Eve service. We debated whether or not to take Ella. She was telling us she was tired as she has had some difficulties sleeping while at grandma's house. As much as I wanted my husband and my daughter with me for the service especially since Uncle Justin had a solo, I had visions of a massive meltdown during the candle light silent night. Ella seemed to catch a second wind.

She actually provided lots of laughs as we sat in the pew. She enjoyed waving at Justin in a rather over-the-top, animated way as he sat in the choir loft. She was very much into checking out the surrounding people, and she would clap after each song and proclaim, "It over." One of the best moments was her loudly requesting me to sing "Wheels on the Bus" while the rest of the congregation was singing a hymn and after she broke a pencil, she requested her daddy to fix it. She actually did fairly well and lasted through most of the service until I went to check her diaper and she loudly proclaimed, "I just wet." I took her back to the nursery, and Mike relieved me so I could take communion. He tried to bring her back for the singing of Silent Night, but she demanded "I play first."

Fortunately for Mike and I, she went down fairly easily, which allowed MIke and I to get some sleep, which we desperately needed. It has truly been a good day. Hopefully, we'll have photos to share in the next few days.

Merry Christmas all.

4th Saturday in a row!

This is just unbelievable.

Most people who know me know that I'm HUGE weather geek. In fact, I'm such a geek I don't usually type the word "weather". Its usually "wx". Its an abbreviation I learned while working on the radio in Maryville back in school. Usually, the winter weather really doesn't start rocking around here until about mid-January or so. But THIS year, starting back on the first saturday of December the weather has been a factor every Saturday this month. I think its been over a month since we have seen the sun on a Saturday. Today is no different.

A few days ago it was a just a possiblity for about 1-3 inches MAYBE. Then yesterday it was MAYBE 2-4. This morning I got up and complained to Amanda that once again we are opening our gifts here at home and there isn't a snow flake on the ground.

We got around and headed to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast--holy CRAP it was good. I devoured a Sante Fe omelette that just rocked my world. Amanda had French Toast and eggs--so she was pretty happy too. Ella, as per her usual routine raided both of our plates. But as we watched outside--the rain started to fall, and by the time we we were done with our yummy breakfast it had turned to strictly sleet. And it piled up quickly! Thankfully we made it home before the sleet really kicked in.

Its since turned to snow, but nothing much right now. In fact, its really not doing much at all except for being really freaking windy. But it sounds like it will really kick in the snow here in the next hour or two. I hope Ella will wake up here soon so she can see it coming down while its still light outside!

In the meantime we'll be packing up for our trek up north to Sioux City tomorrow morning. We had contimplanted going up today, but we just weren't quite ready and with the weather being as it is we made the right choice. The weather is much worse in the St. Joe area again. They have been hit big time with a terrible ice storm a couple of weeks ago and now its just been snowing like the dickens again today, sounds like they may have 10 inches before the whole thing is over. Hopefully the roads will be clear by the time we come through tomorrow morning!

So today I'm a happy camper--we have candles lit, Christmas music playing all day, hot coffee sitting next to me and white stuff falling from the sky---all is good.

Merry Christmas!!

Sleep Repeat

So far this pregnancy, I have avoided the insomnia that I battled regularly with Ella. That was until tonight. I have been awake for a few hours now. All has not been lost though. I drafted multiple emails regarding work projects. I am waiting to send them until a more reasonable hour. How crazy would I look if I actually sent the messages at this time of night?

I'm not sure if I can blame the insomnia on the pregnancy or work, which has been absolutely insane, so much for the Christmas slowdown we were anticipating. I woke up and had so many work issues swarming in my head that I decided to just start tackling them. I really would like to go back to sleep, but I'm not sure that's possible. I should try. My sweet husband came down to check on me and now he's parked on the couch with his laptop examining the radar and checking out iTunes. Yes, we are somewhat pathetic. Strike that, we are pathetic. Our laptops have become another appendage.

Tonight is suppose to be the night of our annual Christmas date, but unless we get some sleep, we'll be sacked out by 8 pm. Not that we have a clue what we're doing, but actually it doesn't matter. The best part of the night, in addition to getting some quiet time with my husband, is the retrospective conservation on the events of the past year. We will relive all the mundane, sweet, wonderful, emotional and stressful moments from 2007. It's a great way to reflect on how life's events have impacted us and our relationship. It's been one of our relationship traditions since the beginning.

I am starting to yawn. Maybe I should try to find sleep land, but my stomach may lead me to the kitchen first. Please let tonight not be the start of a nasty insomnia cycle. I love sleep too much and miss it when it goes away.

Picture Post

It's time to get back to work
Originally uploaded by mbowling

I have been slacking in the photo department lately. No real good reason. I just haven't dragged out the camera and it seems like I'm the only one in this family that knows how to operate our point and shoot. I could also blame the camera with the hopes that Santa is reading my blog and grants me my Christmas wish of a new digital camera.

Even though we have only taken a few pictures in the past few weeks, we have managed to capture a some decent ones, like this one or at least ones that make Mike and I laugh. Ella is so use to seeing Mike and I in front of our laptops that she can easily identify which one is mine and which one is dad's. She enjoys her share of computer time as well, which mainly means looking at pictures of herself.

I also really like this one. Uncle Scotty had us over a few weeks back to watch some Chiefs football and enjoy some mini-man burgers, one of my favorite dishes that he makes (and he makes a lot of tasty ones). My mouth salivates at the mere mention of those tasty concoctions. And, I am not just saying this, so he'll continue to cook for us.

Finally, this one of my marshmallow kid cracks me up. She doesn't battle us with her coat as she once did, but she definitely would prefer a singular layer to all this. Can't you just tell how annoyed she is with me? I'm not sure if she is more annoyed by all the entire contraption or the fact that mom took yet another photo of her while she was miserable. Don't you just feel nothing but sympathy for this poor child.

So this is my easy way of doing a post. My husband is wrapped up in tv coverage of the great potential this weather has to be the Ice Storm of 2007. I need to drag him and myself to bed, so we can awaken early to brave the winter roads in the morning. I am so dreading this.

Mama Broke Santa

I broke santa. I admit it. It's true, but it was never my intent. It just happened, and Ella won't let me forget that I indeed did break santa.

It happened last night. It was dark. It was cold and I was carrying too much. It was a recipe for disaster. If I had realized this, disaster could have been averted, but luck was not on my side. Glenda gave us a cute ceramic santa decor item from Hallmark. It was (and hopefully will be once again) a nice holiday decoration that Mike and I were excited to add it to our collection.

When we left Larry & Glenda's house after celebrating Larry's birthday, I carried out to the car what turned out to be too many bags. I opened the back door with the intent of placing most of the bags in the backseat. Before I sat Ella's bag, my purse, the bag of leftover food, a gift bag and a plastic bag which contained the santa wrapped up in paper, I decided I wanted my purse up front with me and not in the backseat. Rather that set all the bags down and grab my purse, I tried to juggle various straps as the bags were suspended in the air. The strap of the plastic bag slipped from my grasp and landed on the hard, cold driveway with a shatter.

Mike was in the process of strapping Ella into her car seat, and politely asked me, "what was that?" I didn't need to look down. I knew what it was and I knew a million pieces were waiting to greet me once I unwrapped the santa. I just said, "I'm sorry. It was santa, and I bet I broke him." That brief statement would come back to haunt me.

I retrieved the bag and gingerly unwrapped what previously had been a very cute holiday decoration. I let a quick sigh once I noticed it was a clean break and santa was only in two pieces. My spirits were lifted and I apologized again and said a little superglue was all it needed.

I safely secured the bag, closed the door and took my place in the front seat. My door hadn't even shut before Ella uttered, "Mama broke santa." I agreed with her, but reassured her that mommy was going to fix santa and santa could be fixed. She wasn't buying it, so the whole drive home, Ella repeatedly reminded me of my clumsy act, by continually and matter of factly stating, "Mama broke santa." With each utterance, my spirit dropped. I might as well have stolen candy from a child because I in her eyes had done the unthinkable. I broke santa.

I was hoping she had moved past it this morning, but upon returning from the grocery store, Ella from nowhere reminded me of my crime. I admit it. I'm not proud. Now if I can only find the superglue and maybe all will be right in the world once again.

Updated as of 11:08 pm: I learned santa was broken in not two but three pieces, but he now has been completely restored and has taken up residency on our hallway table thanks to Mr. Handy, my husband Mike.

Weather Causes a Change of Plans

As a parent, you hate to see your child hurting, but it also sucks when your spouse is hurting and you feel like you can do nothing for him. The lovely Midwest weather is keeping us from the extended Bowling Christmas in Des Moines this weekend. Our sensible sides prevailed when debating whether to brave the drive or not. While we know we made the right decision, it doesn't make it any easier to digest it. We haven't seen most of this group for a year and we were looking forward to spending the day with them, eating delicious food and overindulging on grandma's cookies. Mike knows he has no control of the weather, but he's disappointed and I wish knew how to cheer him up. A peppermint mocha from Starbucks might be in his future.

Seeing him this down reminds me of the Christmas Day when Mike was in Wichita alone because he had to work and I was in Sioux City with my family. I remember talking to him and hearing the disappointment, hurt and lonelinesss in his voice, and realizing how I only wanted to be with him, and how guilty I felt that I was with my family and he wasn't. And how stupid I was for not being with him. For me, it was a big, hit me over the head moment, when I realized he was who I wanted to be with always, even if it meant not being with my family. Another confirmation for me that I was in the relationship for the long haul.

It was hard to enjoy myself knowing the guy I loved was alone. I remember entertaining the idea of driving to see him, but I was a good seven hours away. I'm sure there were reasons why I didn't go to Wichita. Looking back, I can't recall them. I'm sure Mike being the great guy he was and is, probably told me that one of us should at be with our family. While he would have appreciated the gesture, I ultimately would have been the person alone as he had to work that day.

All of this to say, my husband is a bit grumpy today and Ella and I hopefully will be able to make him smile. I think we plan to spend the day decorating the house.

Holiday Picture Adventures

Last night, I attempted the task of dragging Ella to Target to capture some holiday cheer on film. I braved this adventure alone as Mike was driving to Wellsville to look at a dresser we found on Craig's list.

I was barely prepared as I had in my head the pictures weren't suppose to take place for another week. I made the appointment a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving and hadn't official written it on any calendar, so in my universe it didn't really exist. The phone call from the studio on Monday night caught me slightly off-guard. Luckily, I had found a dress on Black Friday, but I had even settled on that. Maybe I was being picky, but none of the holiday dresses I saw throughout my search really stole my heart. So, I selected a traditional red velour dress. Of course after I found the dress, I couldn't find anything for Ella's hair. So, on Monday night after the piano was delivered and Ella was tucked into bed, I ventured to Target to look for hair bows, only to discover that their holiday hair display rack was completely empty and I a bit baffled. Rather than get too frustrated, I reminded myself that Target is a big store and I am a creative individual. Surely, I could find something to substitute as a hair decor piece. I cruised through the accessories section, the beauty aisles, the Christmas home decor section, and settled on some ribbon and a Christmas stretchy bracelet. As I handed the clerk my discoveries, I proudly thought to myself I will make my own holiday hair bows for these pictures.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. I leave work early to get Ella, so we will have ample time to get ready. I feel prepared and am optimistic that we can remain on schedule and on task. The first clue the night wasn't going to go as I had hoped was Ella wasn't in her classroom, but rather the playground. I make it down there to find a girl with chaffed checks and a runny nose. I encouraged her to quickly walk up the stairs or let mommy carry her, and she reminded me that she sets the pace not me. One lesson that I've learned is it's easier to match her slower pace then try to force her into my pace because eventually it will cause a major meltdown and then we are no further ahead and both of us are even more frustrated. Miss Independent also wouldn't let me help her in the car. She wanted to shimmy into the back seat and plop herself in the car seat. We finally pulled off the postal dock a 1/2 hour later from when I first arrived. Luckily, the traffic gods were shining down on me and I used our quick drive home to prepare Ella for the night and wearing her pretty dress.

We arrived home at 5 pm, giving us 40 minutes to get her ready. I let her bang on the piano as I gathered the tights, hair bands, shoes and dress. Without too much of a battle, I was able to get her dressed. Her hair was another story. She refused to sit still. I finally bribed her with a snack. I worked fast and the end result was perfect. I told myself to quickly throw her in the car seat and get to Target because somehow it was 5:35. I turned to grab my bag only to turn around and discover Ella attempting a somersault. In my head I'm screaming NO!!! in slow motion. I quickly composed myself before uttering any words and just encouraged Ella to go downstairs, so we could get in the car. I dug out the lint brush because even though I had vacuumed the night before, Ella's dress managed to attract a healthy quantity of Yoshi's hair. We make it down the steps when she spots her stocking cap on the rocker by the door. She says to me, "I wear it." I encourage her to let her baby doll wear it, which she insisted we bring along. She grudgingly obliges me, but then says, "It don't fit" as we walk into the garage.

I open the car door and throw my bag on the passenger seat. I turn around to find that Ella has pulled on her cap, so that it completely is covering her eyes. The same cap the girl refuses to wear any other day. I can't help but laugh and realize that I have lost the battle and her hair, while for a moment was perfect, it just wasn't meant to be. I also realize I never completed the improvised hair bows, so much for my good intentions.

We arrived at Target and shockingly they were ready for us at our scheduled time. The lady graciously gave me a few seconds to roll the lint brush over her dress and adjust her hair. I couldn't recreate my earlier masterpiece, so I settled for slightly lopsided pigtails with stray hairs falling out. For all that had transpired, Ella was in fairly good spirits, which all changed once the photographer attempted to position her. She tried props, including fake ceramic cookies that Ella attempted to eat and and a gift box with over sized ornaments inside. Ella was frustrated that the prop cookies were fake, so again as a bribe to encourage her participation in the pictures, I told Ella that she could have a cookie after her session. The lady was continually snapping pictures, but I knew Ella was positioned awkwardly and the photographer was playing nice to appease me. In fleeting moments, Ella would flash her beaming smile, but for the most part she wore a stoic look.

Being the good sport I am, I offered to sit with Ella for few pictures hoping that would increase her comfort level. Ella only wanted to sit in my lap and after a few minutes just laid her head down on me. I thanked the lady for her understanding and knew it was best to just call it a night. I think the photographer sensed my disappointment and defeat and said to give her 15 minutes and we would go over what she captured. When I told her the ordeal was over, Ella reminded me I had promised her a cookie, so we were off in search of another treat for the night.

I called Mike to inform him of the debacle. He reassured me that we probably had one good one in the whole batch. I wasn't feeling as optimistic. We ventured back to the studio after Ella settled on a miniature cupcake as her reward. I was shown the slide show and was a bit taken back. They were not jaw dropping good, but from what I had anticipated, I was surprisingly pleased. Of course, the best ones were ones that they enhanced by either cropping or dumping on specialty paper, which meant they were more expensive that the standard sheet. How my night had gone, should I have expected anything less. While she wasn't posed just right or her dress was gathered oddly, they actually captured Ella's sweet smile and her glowing personality. How could I not purchase them? After spending a lot more than I had planned, Ella and I ventured for home not before I picked up some Mickey D's for dinner. Proper nutrition was definitely not achieved last night, but I didn't have the energy to do much more than pull through a drive-thru.

The pictures won't be in for a few weeks. I hope they don't disappoint. Regardless if they do, I am just happy that she and I survived another adventure together, and now I realize why we neglected to have any professional pictures taken since last Christmas.

An old friend returns

Pearly whites
Originally uploaded by mbowling

Allow me to wax nostalgic for a moment. This piano has resided in my Grandma Davis' house for nearly as long as I can remember being able to see. Its served many a purpose for all those many years in her home, be it a piano, an extra place to sit, a make-shift buffet table, a time waster, a good way to annoy the parents, etc. But, time took its toll on its tuning and Grandma decided that it was time to purchase a newer one. So this ole girl went to storage for a while.

But after some help from Aunt Suzanne and some hard work by some tuners, its back into good shape, and thankfully, its now in our home in Shawnee. It really means a lot to me to have something as special as this from my Grandma's house now to be in our home.

I look forward to the day when I can see Ella and Amanda sitting together on it playing and sharing some special time with music. Maybe dad can even help on guitar!

Thanks Grandma and Aunt Suzanne for thinking of us!!

Indoor Water Fun

I am sitting in a darkened hotel room with my snoring child on the floor next to my bed. My husband, after my urging, is cozied up to a bar watching the KU/MU game. It's been a good day. Mike, Ella, grandma, grandpa and I met up with a small group of the McManigal clan to enjoy CoCo Key Water Resort in Omaha. The McManigal's used to gather every Saturday after Thanksgiving at my aunt's house in Omaha, but she went and moved to California, so we were stuck without a home. While I wished we would have had greater participation from the family, we have certainly enjoyed our day.

I didn't dare mention the word "swimming" to Ella until we had safely arrived at at the hotel. Really, rather than tell her, we walked into the water park after we checked in. She had slept the entire trip to Omaha, so she was still in a groggy state. Although, it didn't take long for her to soak in her location. Before long, she was asking to put on her swim suit. The girl literally swam all day, and much like time spent at our neighborhood outdoor pool, she preferred the big kid area to the kiddie pool. She made multiple laps with dad around the lazy river. They were quite the pair. Every time, she floated past me, she would yell, "I swimming, mommy." The girl beamed nothing but pride and excitement. She also raced daddy on the side-by-side slides.

My only complaint about the experience was how cold the air and water was around the kiddie pool. Even though, we weren't there for any real significant amount of time, it wasn't very comfortable when we were there. Ella's lips turned a shade of blue that I have never seen before. We frequently had to pull her away from the fun to warm her up.

As a family, we capped off the evening by enjoying a potluck feast. Everyone piled into one hotel room to enjoy some tasty food. Ella relished the role of family entertainer. Even though, she hasn't seen most of this family since last Thanksgiving, it didn't take long for her to warm up to everyone there. It was a quick day, and tomorrow we venture home. I hate saying goodbye, but I am ready to be home and back in our standard routine. Ella has been extremely difficult at bedtime during this trip. With tonight as the exception, each night at grandma's house was a battle and took at least 2 1/2 hours every time. It has been exhausting, all the more reason I am so thankful and relieved that she is currently asleep. I guess I should join her in dreamland.

My Working Slave

My poor husband is still at work. Yes, it's 10:45 pm and he has been there since 8 am for a staff meeting. The project has him frustrated, mad and exhausted. The reason is because he loves me. Well that, and he has a gob of work to do that he needs to have finished, hopefully enabling us to hit the road early tomorrow. So my wonderful husband is busting his rear because he knows how much this holiday means to me and how I don't want anything including his work and the weather to interfere with my plans. I can't say it enough -- he is such a good husband.

If all goes well, we will be on the road tomorrow before any bad weather hits and we will arrive at a respectable time at my mom's house. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I am really excited about our plans this year. We will be celebrating the day with my family and all my brothers and their spouses/significant others. I am not sure the last time my brothers and I were all around the same table at the same time for a meal. A Normal Rockwell picture it won't be, but it will be full of energy, debates and loving insults. I can't wait.

I imagine after we've stuffed ourselves with my mom's tasty cooking that we will plot our tactical approach for Black Friday -- another highlight of the Thanksgiving holiday. It is the only day I relish in the craziness of the shopping season. After we spend Friday afternoon and evening recovering, we'll awake Saturday and head to Omaha for an extended McManigal gathering. Can I just say I love this holiday and I didn't even mention the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Think Healthy, Not Colors

Most of our family and friends know that Mike and I are adding to our family. Baby #2 is expected to make an entrance by April 1st if not sooner. Mike and I are excited, but a little unsure how we'll go from a family of three to a family of four. I guess I should stop singing "three's a magic number" to Ella. This might interfere with her willingness to accept the new baby!

While the pregnancy has been different from Ella (love my crazy blood, which is another post for another day), the overwhelming speculation is we're having another girl -- high heart rate, how I'm carrying, our gut instinct, etc.

One misconception that I need to address is Mike and I are not pulling for a boy. We're not pulling for a girl. We truly don't care what we are blessed with. I have been a bit taken back by the assumption that because we have a girl that we automatically want a boy. Again, we don't. I realize others are pulling for one sex over another, but as Mike said to me, "Hey you'll get what we get and you'll like it!!"

Mike is not a king (yes, he's my personal prince but that's losing sight of my argument) and I am not a vessel to provide him an heir. If I am never the mother of a boy, my life will not go unfulfilled. I am excited that I have the opportunity to be a mom to another precious child. Parenting this second one will be completely different regardless of sex because even if it is a girl, it's not like she will be a duplication of Ella. She will have her own personality. She will have her own likes and desires. She will have parents who hopefully are a bit more relaxed, and she will have a big sister. Her environment naturally will be different from the world that Ella was welcomed into.

One other thing, if this baby is a girl, don't make the assumption that we'll have three kids. Mike and I have never said we will have x number of kids in x years and before we are both x age, and we want them to be a particular sex. We only decided we wanted kids. Never did we set a target goal. We told each other that we would start with one and evaluate any decision to have another once we had reassessed our current journey through life. I will admit as of today I am at peace with only having two.

Leaves, leaves and even more leaves along with a visit from P and a sweet request

All smiles in the leaves
Originally uploaded by mbowling

It was a long day, but Mikey survived. He is sporting a war wound, a massive blister in the crook of his hand. Ella and I helped when we could or I helped when Ella would let me. It seemed promising at first as Ella was interested in filling the lawn bags, but that lasted only a few microseconds before she realized it was much more fun to run through piles or toss leaves. Even then the old standby's of chalk, buggy rides and cars quickly won out over the excitement of dead leaves, so we left Mikey to have all the fun. I did manage to take care of the front yard while Ella napped, a small perk for Mike who slaved away in the backyard for the entire day or at least from sun up to sun down.

Ella had the pleasure of enjoying Payton's company last night for an overnight. The rule that the sum is greater than its parts is so true when those two wacky and crazy girls get together. They are so rambunctious. While their energy can be draining at times, I love listening to the laughter and squeals of happiness as they chase each other around the house. Ella was a bit lethargic this morning since a cough woke her up around 6 am. Once Payton popped her head in our room at 7 am, Ella was a bright, happy girl, no indication of a restless night battling a cough.

Ella stole my heart last night with a request. I was finishing up our last bedtime story, when Mike came in to give Ella a goodnight kiss and hug, which she happily accepted. Before I lay her in the crib each evening, Ella gives me a final hug and a kiss. Mike was still in the room as Ella and I stood next to the crib. She gave us each another hug and kiss on request, and then mumbled something. I wasn't sure what she said, and Mike said, "Family hug. She wants a family hug." It was the sweetest embrace. I swear my heart literally sang. The girl knows how to get to me. What a sweet, sweet moment.

It was a suite night

Mike and I had quite the Friday night. T2 was given a suite to one of the nine Garth Brooks concerts at the new Sprint Center. They had done quite a bit of work for the arena. Since the concert didn't generate enough interest from T2 employees (not a huge country or mainstream crowd), an invite was extended to some of the spouses.

I am not nor have I ever been a huge Garth fan, although I do know quite a few of his songs. I had heard he was a genuine entertainer and puts on a great show. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing a musical legend performing from the comforts of a suite stocked with food and beverages?

I had a great time. What impressed me about his was his shear energy level. He gave the crowd everything he had and he left nothing behind. He performed for more than 2 hours and hit all the fan favorites. He seemed so humbled by the crowd's love and appreciation. Mike really should be posting about the concert. He was so cute and giddy with excitement. He actually had seen Garth perform at Kemper the last night time he rolled through town, and was definitely one of the bigger fans in the suite. It definitely was a good date night, and a night we couldn't have enjoyed if Larry & Glenda wouldn't have been able to babysit on such short notice. i didn't know I had a ticket until late Wednesday afternoon. A big thanks to them, and to Mike's boss for offering me a ticket.

They are waiting....

Oh lordy. Here it comes. The day I absolutely dread. Do you know what is hiding under all that?

Our backyard.

365 days a year. The ONE day stands out for the most unpleasant experience of gathering up all of these leaves and either bagging them up, or trekking them all the way down to the bank of the small river that is just off in the distance. The last few years have each been something different:

2003 I loaded them all up on to a big tarp and pulled them to the river bank.
2004 I bagged them all up. Final tally: 35 bags of leaves. And one very sore body. 2005 Amanda's Mom gave me a leaf blower/vacuum which worked pretty well, but it was a lot of stop and go throughout the day. It did cut the bags down to about 18 bags, so that part was nice.
2006, Well, lets just say that I was bad. I let them hang out through out the entire winter and by the time the wind and snow all it its way with the leaves, there was only about a couple of bags to take care of in the late winter/early spring. But I did feel bad because the leaves were all in my backyard neighbors fence, so this year, its back to picking them up in November.

2007, well, I think I'm going old school and just piling them all up on the tarp and hauling them down to the river. Seems to work pretty well, nobody has any problem with it, and the leaves decompose nicely during the winter and don't cause any hazard. I think the neighbors don't complain because they feel sorry for me. :)

Hopefully this year Ella will be able to help me and make for some fun family time and pictures. I'm sure she's going to want to jump in a few piles!

Jacket No Longer Ella's Friend

At one point, I expressed concern that Ella was using her jacket as a security blanket. Oh, those days are so behind us. Now, she despises her coat. She refuses to put it on. It's a battle each and every time. Tonight when I was picking her up, I grabbed her coat from her cubbie as I walked over to her, and instantly she tried to push it out of my hands and just cried out, "Momma no." Her cry of "Momma no" wasn't a defiant no, but more that she truly hated the coat and a plea not to force her into it. My heart was breaking.

I showed her that I was wearing my jacket, so she needed to do the same. That didn't work. I told her it was cold outside and the coat keeps her warm. That didn't work. I said if she wanted to leave that the coat had to go on. That didn't work. During all of this, all she would beg and plead with me not to wear it. Her teacher told her if Ella wouldn't wear it, then she would. Tanya stuffed one arm in the jacket and Ella cautiously laughed. I tried to be patient, but she was standing her ground and was blatantly refusing to cooperate. I thought about cutting my losses, grabbing her and letting her walk without wearing her coat. The weather was cool not cold this afternoon, so it wasn't like I would be exposing my kid to extreme elements. I also realized that if I gave in this time then I was setting a poor precedent because I knew Mike had fought the same battle this morning and Ella left the house with the jacket securely on.

I crouched down knowing my daughter would have an extreme dislike of me, at least for the short term. I quickly threw an arm in each sleeve all while Ella was sobbing. I didn't bother to zip the jacket. I grabbed Ella and headed for the car. I was no more than three steps out of her classroom when she spotted the drinking fountain and asked to have a drink. The tears stopped and Ella and I took turns at the fountain. I then spotted the bathroom and quickly remembered my bladder was full. Ella and I ducked quickly into the bathroom, only for Ella to rip the jacket from her body the instance I was indisposed. So I had the great fortune to replay the entire jacket saga once more.

I was thrilled once we were actually making our way to the car. Ella was still upset but the tears had slowed to a trickle. I was ready to just head home. One problem, Ella refused to be strapped in the car seat, much less even sit in it. I felt so defeated and tired, but summoned enough energy to quickly win that round. My reward was listening to my kid whine and cry the entire drive home. She stopped long enough to point out an ultralight in the sky. Of course, she called it a helicopter, but it did give me a break from the tears for a few moments and once it disappeared into the night, the crying resumed. I was so thankful to pull into the driveway, so I could free that kid from cage.

I guess this behavior is what people mean as the "terrible twos." As trying as tonight was, I must say part of me enjoys watching the little miss "I do it" develop her independence.

A Not So Happy Ella

My sweet little girl is sick. She threw up 3x yesterday, including overnight. It was not a pretty site when I went it to get her out of bed at 9 am. I thought it was a bit strange that she was still asleep that late, but it had been a busy week and she had gone to bed later than normal for most of the week. I thought she was just catching up.

When I opened her door, the horrible smell was my first indication that all was not well with Ella. I'll spare you the gritty details, but I had no idea vomit could get so matted in hair. It was everywhere in the crib, on Lola (sorry S&T -- I'm not sure if she can be saved), even on the floor. Mike quickly disposed of the soiled pjs and bedding, and Ella just stayed in my arms. She had no interest in anything but snuggling with mom, which I loved. I only wish she wasn't feeling so icky. I tried to convince her to get in the tub, but she wasn't ready. She wanted to stay on the couch. She asked for some milk and water, which we willingly gave her. The problem was it resurfaced about 10 minutes later. Another round of cleaning and moving locations. We finally got Ella completely cleaned up, including the hair, and dressed. We relocated to the downstairs couch and turned on a little bear, and again before long what liquids she had drank reappeared. The poor thing was just miserable. She alternated most of the morning between mom and dad.

After her nap, her spirits seemed better. She never ran a fever, but she was not interested in eating or drinking. She would take a few swigs now and then. She finally ate some crackers late afternoon and luckily those stayed down. Ella did end up crashing for good at 7:30, which is so early for her, and I can report she's still asleep, which considering the time change is the longest stretch ever for this girl. Mike and I have gone in periodically to check on her. Luckily, the sheets are clean. I am worried about her, but I figure sleep is what she needs right now.