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Toddlers Today's MomsTalk Archive Hi all, from Stacey. Wow it is pretty slow on here today. I just want to warn you all up front that this is going to be a long, convoluted and selfish post, no personals, but I need to vent some things and I am not sure where else to do it. I have been feeling pretty down lately, not just because of my cousin's baby and what is going on (by the way, he is stable so that is the good news). But I am also just frustrated and I am tired of keeping it inside. I went back to work as soon as Alexa was six weeks old, and DH decided to work from home and watch the girls. We made this decision because my job had the higher pay, benefits, stock options etc. and he was not very happy at his job. We would have paid $1200 per month in daycare, so we figured if he did some freelance work we would come out ahead with what we save on childcare. Unfortunately, he has discovered what we moms already know, that watching a 16 month old and a 2 month old is a full time job. There are days I come home from work and the girls are still in their pajamas. And the house looks the way it did the night before. Sometimes DH is great about cleaning, but we got into it earlier this week because he had done nothing and was upset that I had not cleaned more the night before. I feel like I am away from the girls all day, and then I come home to cook dinner, and I need to spend some time with the girls, so no, I don;t get everything done. But he feels like since he is in charge of the kids all day, that evenings and weekends are his time off and I should do everything then. If I were the one at home, I would not relinquish all responsibilities the second he walked in the door from work. Evenings and weekends should be both our responsibility. Besides, I am the one getting up at night with Alexa to nurse her and he is still sleeping when I leave for work. And now his friend has been hanging out full time with us. We have not had time to ourselves at all this week, either he has gone out with his friend, or we have all gone out with him, or his friend has been over here. Today he left at 9AM to work on the car with his friend, and came home at 3PM so we could take the girls to a birthday party for his other friends' daughter, and as soon as we came home he was out the door. I asked him not to go but he kept insisting and then he left, trying to convince me that I should be fine with it. AAAHHH I am so frustrated. To top it all off, Christmas is turning into a total fiasco. My grandmother is really ill and my aunt is taking care of her, so we are spending Christmas at my parent's house this year, and not with all of my cousins like usual. And my parents are constantly arguing when they are not around other people (although it is fine to argue in front of us even though we have told them it makes us uncomfortable). Plus my brother will be there, and he and my mom are like oil and water. My mom has all these plans for us to visit all of her friends, and she doesn;t take into account that Franchesca gets tired and it becomes unpleasant to be at other peoples' homes all day long. And as for presents? I tried to be really original for my parents this year, and instead of the normal cologne and sweaters and ties, I got them tickets to go see Cabaret in San Francisco. Turns out they went to see it on Wednesday and now I am stuck with $200 worth of tickets for a play they have already seen. And the trike I ordered from Toysrus.com for Franchesca which was guaranteed to have arrived yesterday is still sitting in their warehouse and there is nobody available on their phone lines to complain to. I pay extra for rush shipping and there is no way it is going to arrive in time. The other night, DH and I started looking at adoption websites out of curiosity, since I was adopted at birth, just to check the registries and see if I could locate my birth family. Having had my two girls, I have been wondering what going through pregnancy only to give up the baby at birth would be like, and I have become curious about my birth mom. There are so many people out there looking for the children they gave away, and I know it sounds silly but I am really feeling the sting of rejection as if it just happened, even though I have no idea who these people are. But it makes me feel very alone. I guess I should be grateful that I have two healthy beautiful babies, and that DH and I are healthy too. I know I have a great job, and I live in a beautiful city, and we have food in the fridge and a roof over our heads. And all that just makes me feel like a worse person for feeling so down,like I am a complete ingrate. But I am feeling overwhelmed right now. Anyway, I am sorry to lay all this on everyone, I just needed to unload some of it. You all are the best, and I thank you for putting up with me... Stacey Sunday, December 19, 1999 at 01:09:39 (EST)) Hi Ladies, Kahne here, Well we had Cat's birthday this weekend. It was a great sucess. Of course we havent had rain in forever, and on the day of the party it decides to pour. A lot of the kids didnt make it, but we had quite a few people anyway. We had a good time, and pics soon. I am going to see about a job tomorrow, we really arent making it as well as I would like us to, and the extra money will be nice. I am only going to work on the days that I dont have school, and stop completely after I start my clinicals. I know it will be tough, but I will make it. It seems no matter how hard life is we always make it, huh? Cat will be one on Christmas eve, and she has got so much stuff already, I dont know where I am going to put the rest of it!!! She is up to over 20 barbies!!! I LOVE IT!! She WOULD NOt touch her cake, so we got all the kids there to dig in for her! That will be some cute pics......speaking of pics, Santa pics tomorrow! I am so sorry to see that everyone seems to be having a not so merry Christmas. I hope that all of you feel better soon, and I wish I could help all of you see how lucky we all are, and I know it is hard, but IT WILL GET BETTER. Birdie, Glad to see you back, and I sympathize with why you left. Crystal, Are you OK? Moriah, Thanks for the E card, Alex is such a cutie, and he is getting BIG! I Wish you all a merry Christmas, and a wonderful Millenium! Kahne and Cat almost there email: kahneandsteve@hotmail.com Sunday, December 19, 1999 at 23:25:05 (EST)) Hello from LauraB - Just a few personals LisaB- I will email you some pics today. Moriah - What a beautiful son you have thanks for the e-card Patty - Thanks for the welcome back. I hope your holidays are Happy. Sarah - Sorry to hear about Hannah's hospital adventure. I am glad that your pediatrician supported you. Stacey - Hang in there. If it makes you feel better I think that you shouldn't be expected to handle so much of the home load. Maybe after the holidays when everyone is feeling a little less stressed you and dh could sit down and have a talk. I hope you continue to vent with us so that you have an outlet for your stress. Merry Christmas to all if I can't make it back out here by Saturday. LauraB@Shane 13 months email: xxbryant@aol.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 01:22:45 (EST)) Hi from Christi Finally all of our Christmas shopping is done! Quite a task with no plastic cards being used! Of course Dh and I arent exchanging gifts this year, but to have all of the bills up to date and not larger is a gift to me! We found Caleb a Jack-in-the-box (a hard task to find a tin one) and DD got him a Cabbage Patch Boy---we found some this week-end that were made just for boys, he comes with a snake and a dinosaur, and his pocket filled with stuff. I guess this is a typical boy trait, I will soon find out! Anyway, I am glad to be done!!! I actually sat thru an entire church service yesterday--I didn't hear much of the sermon, but the fact that I didn't have to leave was good. Boys are SO different from girls (at least mine are very different) This brings me to a question for those of you with a boy and a girl. Do you find you love them different? Before I sound like a bad mom...I love my DD, I am so proud of her, and I love to be with her. But when I see a picture of Caleb (the kids pictures are in the hall going up the stairs)I feel so proud--like I want to say "Thats MY boy!" This sounds corny doesn't it. Is this just the feeling a mom has with her son? I am starting to understand my MIL and what she meant when she told me "He will always be my son first!" Okay enough babbaling. STACEY*** I hope you are feeling better KAHNE*** Good luck with the job hunt, thansk for the cheer up wishes LAURA B.*** I look forward to a picture of Shane! See you all soon ladies Christi & Caleb 13 months email: plumbs@coiinc.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 09:34:36 (EST)) I forgot... LISA B> and RITA thank you both for the Christmas cards! Good pictures in both of them too! I will hopefully get mine out today, nothing like cutting it close! Is it maybe time to archive the site?? Christi again Monday, December 20, 1999 at 09:41:51 (EST)) Hello from Birdie. Heading out for the day. Supoosedly going to the office but may sneak in a couple of stores and lunch. Thanks for so many welcome back notes. Nice to be missed. See ya. Birdie and Noah (One) email: LJU777@AOL.COM Monday, December 20, 1999 at 11:27:35 (EST)) Hi from LisaB. Max is starting to turn into a Daddy's boy now. Last night DH was starting to get irritated as he was trying to cook dinner and Max would throw a fit if DH wasn't holding him. I was like, "Hello ... welcome to MY world!!!" - LOL! I'm enjoying the extra freedom but at the same time I miss the "only Mommy will do" feeling. Max has a minor cold - coughing, sneezing, and snotting around. I hope it passes before we make the 5 hour trek up to my folks this weekend. We plan to buy Max a potty chair after the new year but let HIM decide when he wants to start using it. For little boys - do you initially start out with them standing up to pee or do you have them sit down? I can see BOTH ways being extremely messy so I'm prepared for that. I just think it would be hard for them to "hit the target", so to speak. Any advice?! JULIANNE: I'm sorry you missed your niece's Christmas program. It's normal to stop gaining weight as kids become mobile (burn a lot more calories) and also normal for their appetite to decrease (as exploring is more fun than eating). I would be concerned, however, if he's not eating or drinking much for extended periods. I hope he poops soon - but maybe the lack of output is due to the lack of intake. Boo for DH's double standard. STACY: Tell DH to have the friend take a hike. If DH is overwhelmed and doesn't have time to pick up toys or do any work then he doesn't have time to sit around and visit either. It's okay for someone to pop in now and then but it sounds like DH spends more time with this guy then he does with you. We have 2 big toy tubs we got for about $5 each at K-Mart. One is in Max's room and one is in the living room. It takes 5 minutes or less to scoop up all the assorted toys and throw them in there - and the house looks MUCH better! Just an idea!!!! DH needs to realize that both of you have full-time jobs ... you at work and him with the girls. All duties therefore need to be split evenly in the evenings. Maybe he can cook and pick up toys while you spend time with the girls (baths, reading books, bedtime, etc.). Is there any way to get a refund on the tickets? I remember last year I got Mom a breadmaker. We drive 5 hours up there and I smell bread baking as we walked in the door - SHE had just got herself a breadmaker. UGH!!! It was Christmas day and they live in the middle of nowhere so I couldn't even go out and get her something else. I was pretty depressed over it. I hope things get better soon. If not ... vent here or e-mail me and rant and rave all you want! KAHNE: I'm glad the party went well. 20+ barbies? Wow - my 2 sisters and I combined NEVER had that many. Are the grandparents or Mommy doing the spoiling - LOL???!!!!!!! I'm glad you are so full of the Christmas spirit. Yes, we are all very lucky!!! LisaB & Max (15 3/4 months) email: lisa_lab@hotmail.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 11:32:39 (EST)) Julianne here, having a not so good Monday. I was back in the dr's office first thing this AM w/ Colton. His fever went down and his ears are starting to feel better, but he began throwing up Saturday and could not keep anything down Sunday. He was not even interested in drinking any fluids. This morning I could only get him to take 2 sips of Pedialyte and 1/2 oz of milk. He had only 3 wet diapers yesterday, the last one at 7pm. This morning when I woke him up at 8am he was still dry. I was really scared. The dr said as long as he wets a couple of times a day, has tears when he cries & has a moist tongue he is OK. If he stops these then we will have to bring him to the hospital for an IV! I was so glad that he had wet his diaper (slightly) at the dr's office. I got him to drink a few more oz's when I got home too. I am really hoping he picks up. He has lost a pound since Thrusday! He looks so skinny and sad to me. I miss my bubbly active boy! Any tips on what to try to get him intersted in drinking fluids again?? Stacey: I hope you and your DH can come to some sort of agreement over the housework and watching the kids. Maybe if you spent the first 1/2 hour or so with the kids and let Dh do whatever by himself he Julianne & Colton 17 mo email: jjones@batts.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 14:00:21 (EST)) Hello from Rita. Well, the cold bug has hit our house. Amy and Maddy are miserable and I am not far behind them. At least there is no fever or aches attached, so we don't have the bad flu going around. We took the girls to see Santa on Saturday and neither of them were thrilled. Maddy has talked about Santa, but when we got there, the reality of Santa was a different thing. We got a very scared picture right before both girls started crying. Amy walked on Saturday. I saw it out of the corner of my eye, so I wasn't sure until I saw her do it again yesterday. She still prefers to cruise. The weird thing is that Amy started on 12/18/97 and Maddy started walking on 12/19/97. Their milestones are way too similar! And I noticed that Amy has two more teeth coming in on top. That makes six at once! Poor thing is miserable. She just laid down on the floor and fell asleep yesterday well before her nap time. Julianne - Sorry to hear that Colton is still under the weather. Would he eat popsicles? Giving him regular and Pedialyte ones would help with the fluid problem. I am not a fan of jello, but it is also a source of fluid that can sometimes be tolerated. Lisa B - Just wait! Max will be a Mommy's boy once again right before BB#2. Maddy goes back and forth all the time. Amy is still very much attached to me all of the time. Now that she is fully mobile, we will have to see... Christi - Good for you! My shopping is also done and wrapped except for the checks that I usually give my oldest post-college nieces. The Cabbage Patch boy doll sounds perfect. I think that all little ones should have a doll. Kahne - 20 Barbies? I would have to move out of my house... Moriah and Shelly - I hope you guys are well. Well, I had better get going. Take care everyone and stay well! Rita, Maddy & Amy email: ritad@home.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 14:33:50 (EST)) I'm having a girl and finally feeling some kicks. Where in the world is Leanne. She had her ultra sound and hasn't posted since. Speaking of Leanne, Hopefully for your sake the peeing problem is just a phase, however, I have had to deal with it all of Jasmine's life and she just turned six. She doesn't pee her pants during the day very often now but she does wet the bed every night and she still does pee during the day as well. We have had her to specialists and the only explanation is that he bladder is too small so she cannot hold it when she has to go, and you know how sometimes you just have to go REALLY REALLY bad all of a sudden. Try not to be too hard on Cynthia. She honestly may have no control. I know that is easier said than done as I get really upset at Jasmine sometimes, but I have definatly learned to calm down a bit. Probably only because it has been such an on going thing and I know now that there is nothing I can do about it and getting upset just upsets her and me and everyone else. The doc did put her on some medication that worked pretty well, but I chose to take her off of it and deal with it since it made her so drowsy she couldn't function. Take her to the doc. She could have bladder infection. Jasmine gets those quite often too. Well, see ya all. Don't know when I will be back. I'm having a hard time feeling social. Just wanted to see if Leanne had been around coz I'm starting to get a bit concerned. Her ultra sound was the day before mine and no one has heard from her. Romaine???? What's up with her? Is she okay??? Sorry I haven't gotten any more pic's up. Probably will not get to it til after Christmas. See ya all. LuCynda email: lucyndah@telusplanet.net Monday, December 20, 1999 at 15:00:54 (EST)) Oops, my computer froze up on me. I think I was in the middle of responding to Stacey. Stacey (cont): I was trying to suggest giving your husband a break when you first get home so he will be more willing to help w/ dinner, clean, and watch the kids in the evening. I know that when I watch Colton all day on Sat I expect DH to watch him and play w/ him when he gets inside so I can have a break from being mommie! If he wants to get together w/ his friends maybe you could get him to pick 1 or 2 nights a week that he does this so that the rest of the week you can depend on him being home in the evening to help. Sorry about the Christmas present fiasco! Kahne: Happy job hunting! Christi: Wow, all done w/ Christmas shopping and no after Christmas bills to pay for. I remember one year when I was young and dating. I had charged my boyfriend's presents and he broke up w/ me before I received the bill. That was one bill I really didn't want to pay! I have all my gifts bought and wrapped so I am feeling good about that. However, I am sad to say that I will not be getting any Christmas cards out this year. No time, especially w/ Colton sick. LisaB: Thanks so much for the e-mail w/ your suggestions for getting fluids in Colton. I too am curious about the boy p/t question--now that you brought it up. I hadn't even thought that far, stand or sit, all these decisions to make. Have a great day everyone. Julianne & Colton 17mo email: jjones@batts.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 15:10:30 (EST)) Hello fromHelen&Amanda!! OK--- this site needs to be archived big time- its taking me forever to get on here and to read posts-- thanks in advance webmaster!! I think everyone is busy shopping and baking since its been so slow here. DD had a doc app this AM- poison ivy all over her face,:O( so stayed home from school today and hopefully it will be gone tomorrow or at least be less noticable! We went out for lunch today, DD and Amanda. Amanda wore her PB sandwich well- all over her shirt,pants,socks, even under her shoes- what a mess! I got a couple gifts, one for the toy box at the post office and a little ornament for the mail lady. I also got a box of fire logs- the lazy way to make a fire-LOL! And I think I am ready for X-mas finally, have stocked up on camera film and video tapes for the video camera and batteries. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. SARAH-- Enjoy your week off! Hope Hannah is doing well. ROMAINE--Hope your feeling ok?? Happy 32nd!!!!! Enjoy your visit home!! CHRISTI-- Thats great not charging things- my motto is if you have to charge it you can't afford it! Its easy to get over your head w/bills. We don't charge things either. LISAB--I had to LOL at the nativity and Max!!! My son sat to pee and later when he got better at it ,stood on a non slip step-stool, 1st they learn to 'hold it down' and then to aim it in the toilet- but be prepared for lots of wild spraying in all directions, even sitting!! STACEY-- I think its a 'man thing'. They stillhave that concept of certain things being womens jobs and still don't share as much of the housework and child care as they should, your not alone- vent anytime. KAHNE-- Barbies for a 1 year old????? Amanda won't need any --DD has a box in the basement of barbies and clothes, I'm glad I hold onto things. If you have too many its a great time of year to donate?? Well my back is killing me this week- I think its from hanging over the tub w/Amanda, and trying to do my 'ab-roller'. Good news- I am almost done my photo-albums!! I've filled 2 large ones and 5-small ones of vacations- probably20+ pkgs of photos!! What a relief to have that out of the way. Well I should go and start thinking of supper and get some straightening up done while Amanda is sleeping--LATER!!!! Helen&Amanda@16.5mos(#3) Monday, December 20, 1999 at 16:31:17 (EST)) Hi everyone! I'm not going to write a huge post today like I usually do, i don't have much time but just a few things...The concert last night was SO AWESOME! It was hard to remember that Billy turned 50 this year, he had as much energy as a kid on stage! I thanked my mom a million times for taking me. She bought me a program (which was $20!) because I didn't have the money for it and she said she couldn't bear to have me leave without one....girls, I have the best mom in the whole entire world! Adam was really constipated the other night, it was horrible. He cried so hard and was in so much pain. He finally got it out and boy, it was explosive! LOL. I have decided to go over to my brother's on Xmas anyway. I feel bad for my bro that his father is no longer here for Xmas, so I figure he needs as much family around as possible. We (my mom, dad and DH) are just going to ignore my SIL if she says anything rude. Bad news, the lady who did our pics couldn't find our picture disk so they have to make us another...that reminds me, I have to call her. It will be another day or so on those e-mail Xmas cards! But I promise, I will send them to you! Well, I'd better go get ready for work now. Bye! Jennifer and Adam 16 mo email: ddock@gte.net Monday, December 20, 1999 at 16:39:22 (EST)) Hi mommies! Long time, no write! I couldn't get on here for three days! I emailed the web mother, so I hope we can get an archive soon. (Patty, by the way) DH and I went to see "The Green Mile" Saturday night. We haven't been out since our last dinner a month ago. Anyway, that movie was SOOOOO good. I cried and cried. I was looking pretty lovely by the end. heehee. I would highly recommend it if any of you get a chance to go see it! Jarin has been his normal little self lately. He's been pretty happy and funny. Today, since we are on Christmas Break, I got to see him when the Teletubbies came on. He was hysterical! He got so excited, danced and laughed all over the place. So cute! So DH went and got a Teletubby video for him for Christmas. We only had two other things so far for him. **Helen: It took almost ten minutes for the site to load today, and all weekend, it wouldn't even load for me. ARGH! Sorry to hear DD has poison ivy everywhere. I had it all over my face and body in fifth grade and I still remember how awful that was. **Sarah: Yay for you having all week off! I'm glad your Dr was furious with the hospital. I was also wondering why they gave her apple juice if she had diarrhea! We are all doing better, thank heaven! Thanks for the ecard. The Santa was making me LOL. **Romaine: Happy Holidays! That's neat that you and Leanne are married to brothers. Happy 32nd birthday! **LisaB: LOL at the going straight to hell card. We taught Jesse to sit down to potty first and then later to stand. It worked pretty well for us. We have a big laundry basket at our house that we keep all of Jarin's toys in. Thanks for your card. I was LOL at how much Max loved Santa. He is so cute. **Rita: I hear you on the controlling sister problem. I have the queen of them! I hope you and your family all get over your colds soon. Thanks for the card. Amy and Maddy are so cute. I hope Amy gets her teeth in soon and yay for her walking! =) **Julianne: I'm sorry that you didn't get to cancel your plans when you didn't feel well. It's because men turn into babies when they are sick and we are supposed to turn into superwomen! Hope Colton is feeling better really soon. Poor little guy. =( I'd say just give him a little time and keep offering the fluids. Too cute about the wheelies! **Stacey: Sorry to hear you are feeling so down. I hope you are doing better really quickly. I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must feel, working full time and then trying to do everthing else too. I liked Lisa's suggestion about you giving baths, etc - things with the girls, and let DH do things without them so he can feel like he has abreak and you can spend time with the babies. No advice on the adoption thing, maybe it's better that you don't know? Not saying that to be harsh, just sometimes you read about people finding their birth parents and then wishing they hadn't. We're all here for you and we love you. Vent anytime. **LauraB: Merry Christmas if we don't hear from you before then! **Christi: DH and I also agreed not to exchange much this year due to $$. You are not a bad mom. I have both sexes and there is just something about the boys. It may also be because theya re younger and need us more? But I swear, it is just a really different feeling. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!!!!! **Kahne: My DD used to have tons of barbies too. They almost took over our house! **LuCynda: I'm glad you posted. I hope to hear more from you more often. I check out the cyber tots site often. It is so neat. Can't wait to see more when you have time. Congrats on having a girl!!!!! **Jennifer; Glad you decided to go to your brother's after all. I hope it all works out ok. Sounds like you really enjoyed the concert. That's neat that your mom and you have such a great relationship. **Gotta go. take care all. Hopefully I can get back on here soon! Patty and Jarin - 15 3/4 months email: tematheny@ctlnet.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 17:29:11 (EST)) Hi its Lynda here - just a quick post before Ella and I brave the shops to finish my Christmas shopping. I hope to get there as the shops open and hopefully they won't be too crowded! Not much happening around here except a few minor Christmas issues - my brother and his wife will be going to my mum's for Christmas lunch this year instead of in the evening like usual. We usually go to MIL's at lunch and then my mum's in the evening. DH and I both wanted to swap so Ella could play with her cousins but MIL just said NO WAY! Her inflexibility has mildly annoyed me but I guess we just live with it this year and make sure that we arrange things better next year! A few personals: Stacey - We have a dad in our playgroup who stays at home. The mum comes along to our evening functions and she has exactly the same problem as you. The minute she walks in the door she is handed the baby and she also looks after him all weekends. She said that it was really difficult because (a) the baby wanted her exclusively as soon as she came home (partially because she was still breastfeeding I suppose) and (b) she missed him and wanted to spend time with him. But she was getting more and more upset at not having any free time. I know that they have still not resolved anything and she is not too happy about it. I think the suggestions that you share with DH when you come home and on the weekend are good that is what we try and do. Rita - WOW! Amy is walking! That is exciting! - and so close to when Maddy did. Have other milestones been at similar ages ? Jennifer - Billy Joel was great hey! I am very jealous! I am glad to hear that you are going to Christmas with your SIL. You should try and put all the annoying comments behind you and just enjoy being with your family. Well thats it for now... Lynda and Ella (11.5mths) email: ljpjyoung@ozemail.com.au Monday, December 20, 1999 at 18:19:01 (EST)) Hello from LauraB - Well I made it out here two days in a row. Thanks web mother for archiving. Dh is asleep recovering from a cold and Shane is also in bed early so here I am. I got alot of house cleaning and baking done today so I am almost ready for my MIL and SIL to arrive on Christmas eve. I read the quote on the home page about someone's little one not liking baths anymore and wanted to say that it seems perfectly normal . As soon as Shane turned one alot of noises and activities he didn't mind before, started to scare him. According to my Dr. Spock book this is a normal thing for toddlers. Shane is starting to dance now and it is so cute I hope I can sneak up on him and video tape it. He kind of does squats and then moves his hands and if he sees me watching him he starts to laugh. He loves to watch singing and dancing especially Barney. My SIL wants him to grow up to be a rock star so who knows...... Question - Shane's nap schedule has gone completely wacko. Normally he takes a morning and afternoon nap. The past week he has cut it down to one nap early on and then he stays cranky until his bedtime. The problem is he gets tired around 6:00pm which is too late for a nap and too early for bed. Do you think he will work this out on his own or should I try to put him in his crib around 3 or 4 for a short nap? Any help would be appreciated. Christi - My mom has 2 boys and 3 girls and I have always noticed a different bond between mom/sons and mom/daughters. She always would reply to me if I questioned her about it "Wait until you have a son and then you will understand". Well I have a son but no daughter yet so I'll have to see if I do. Of course I was a daddy's girl so that made up for my mom favoring my brothers. Well ladies goodnight and maybe I'll make it three days in a row.. LauraB@Shane 13 months email: xxbryant@aol.com Monday, December 20, 1999 at 23:24:34 (EST)) Hi everybody, Everything is going good, except for the fact that I spilled Root Beer into my Keyboard, now everything kinda sticks..........lol. I am trying to get a job at suncoast movies, I hope it works out. Patty, I read the green Mile, and loved it! I cant wait to see the movie, your post has me wanting to more! Helen, I collect Barbies for Cat, A lot of the ones she recieved are collectors items. ones that will never leave the box, shall we say! Thank you webmother for archiving! Ok, I have to run, but Cat is having the same sleeping problem ( no naps, etc.), I am looking forward to advice, too. She did feed herself for the first time tonight, what a mess, but SO CUTE! Kahne and Cat 4 daays to go! email: kahneandsteve@hotmail.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 03:40:59 (EST)) Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.... We are having lots of snow here in MI this week so we should have a really white Christmas. It just isn't the same w/o it. I am just hoping Colton feels good enough to play in it for a few minutes at least. He loves looking outside and watching the world through the living room window. I feel so bad when he points to me and says "side". He really enjoys the outdoors. I can't believe how long it takes to bundle him up though--and that was just for the visit to the dr's office. He is sleeping much better through the night, still not eating or drinking too much, but had several wet diapers yesterday. Although, he did wake up dry again this morning. I got him to eat some ice-cream and pudding yesterday. The hot chocolate w/ marshmellows didn't interest him in the least--even in a mug w/ cows on it. I enjoyed it though and I made lots of yummy noises so that he would know what he was missing. He just pointed at the cows on the mug and said "moo". Do you think he was trying to tell me something?? Christi: Thanks so much for the ducky get well card. Colton loves ducks. I forwarded it to DH's e-mail at our shop. Hopefully Colton will feel good enough to take a peek at it later this week. Rita: Colton hates popsicles! Any non-food product goes right in his mouth no problem, new foods--just the sight of them and he starts gagging. I have a very picky eater on my hands. Yeah for Amy walking. What a great Christmas present for you. Ouch, 6 teeth at once, poor thing. LuCynda: Congrats on having a girl. I plan on sending you pictures for the tots website, but it will be some time in January before I do. Helen: Hope your DD gets over her poison ivy soon. Wow, sounds like you are all set for Christmas. It always bothers me when I think I am all prepared for an event, but there is some nagging feeling that I am forgetting something. Jennifer: You do have a great relationship w/ your mom. I could't get mine anywhere near a rock concert. I often feel that I don't do enough "fun" things w/ her. I think you are making the right decision going to your brothers for Christmas. Let's hope SIL can be nice and keep her tongue under control. LauraB: Colton often takes naps from 5-6 pm and still falls asleep between 8-9pm. These are usually on the days he goes to daycare or when he takes a short AM nap. Julianne & Colton 17 mo email: jjones@batts.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 10:25:25 (EST)) Hi everyone!! Escapees here from BT!! First of all, we want to wish everyone a happy, healthy holiday!! Hope Santa brings everyone what they want!!! :) I hope the new year will be fabulous for all of you!! Secondly, I got Lexies new picture scanned last night. I sent it to some of you, but if anyone else would like to see my little punkin (who isnt all that little anymore!! 13lbs, 8oz, 26in!) please email me, Im more thhan happy to show her off!! :) Again, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! If anyone celebrates anything else, I hope thats great too!! :) Talk to you soon!! Hugs and kisses!! Love, Lynn & Lexie 4 months on Friday! Already! :) email: pzas1@snet.net Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 11:00:45 (EST)) Rebecca here... I have been lurking for a few days, but haven't felt much like posting. The depression is getting bad again and with the holidays I don't feel much like contributing. I don't want every post to be me complaining. I'm calling the dr today to see about uping my dosage of antidepressant and about getting something to help me sleep. I hope all of you and your babies are well. I will continue lurking but I just don't feel like very good company right now. Merry Christmas! Rebecca & Paige 13months email: burn@canadawired.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 11:03:34 (EST)) Hello from Helen&Amanda!! THANKS WEBMOTHER!!!!!! Now I can post again and read in one sitting!! Thanks Patty also! :O) PATTY-- Your on X-mas break- my kids only get out on wed and have a full day. :O( I think we have some anti- Christmas 'bitty's' in our school since we call it winter break, no parties, no gift exchange, no santas, trees or x-mas symbols- only neutral things like snowmen and mittens hanging anywhere- its sad!! LAURA-- Amanda has one nap but will have 2 if we're driving in the car- she has one late AM for 2-3hrs- usually about 11-1:00 she goes to bed. Try and keep Shane awake as long as possible so he will have only one long one or try and put him in bed earlier, don't let him sleep too long and another nap late or middle afternoon, and again not forlong-- good luck!! JENNIFER-- Glad Adam is feeling better after his explosion! :O) Hope everything goes well at your brothers. :O) KAHNE-- Thats great that you have a collection- I don't collect anything- just like a little of everything I guess?? I would like to start collecting something one day.:O) I spilled coffee on my keyboard and had to buy another- now Amanda dropped this one and the space bar popped off and it doesn't space sometimes. Hope it 'dries-out' and is back to normal! Well I smell a poopy bum!! Since its so easy to get on here now I will check in later!! Helen&Amanda@16.5mos(#3) Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 12:19:21 (EST)) Hi everyone, Christi here! I didnt take notes again, bad cyber fried, I know! I did notice LAURA and KAHNE were talking aout naps, ty to give them theii one nap in early afternoon, right after lunch. I know it is really hard when they are crabby to not let them lay down, but it will help them last thru the evening better. Caleb usually eats at 11:30 and is in bed by noon, he sleeps until 3 sometimes. He goes to bed between 8-9 and sleeps until about 7:30. He is a very good sleeper, ever since he was 6 weeks old--I know I am lucky! Where are Moriah and Shelley? I haven't seen anything from them in a while. REBECCA*** I hope you get the help you need. I can imagine at the holidays it is worse, I do understand (to a point) and it is a horrible feeling. feel free to vent hear or to e-mail me if you want, I will listen. I hope you have a truly wonderful Christmas! Guess that is about all for now, see youal again soon! Christi & Caleb 13 months email: plumbs@coiinc.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 12:25:18 (EST)) Hi Ladies, Darleen here! Nolan is down for a morning nap, rather unusual. He has been skipping the am nap, and sleeping from 1-3-4 in the afternoon. I think he is getting all three molars. He got 1 a couple of weeks ago, but I looked in his mouth yesterday, and I can see three of them coming through. He has been great sleeping through the night, but a crappy eater again. Well we are finally done our shopping, and all our presents are wrapped. I am really excited about Christmas with Nolan this year, but I am not looking forward to being away from home for 4 days. Nolan is 100% home body. He loves his bed and his toys. Whenever we are away, and we return home, he just goes nuts when he gets in the house for about 15mins he runs and screams through the house. Tonight we have a babysitter coming in to look after nolan, we have my Dh's Christmas party. Last night we had some friends and there kids in for a Christmas drink and munchies. Nolan had a great time. He loves the other kids. My Dh keeps hinting to me that he wants me to get pregnant. I said this summer, then that would make them 2.5 years apart. That is close enough for me. Boy..... was I embarrassed on Saturday night, we went to visit some family friends that I have known since I was a kid, and Nolan was wondering around there house following the dog, and the next thing I look up and go and check on Nolan, and a dresser is coming over on him with a ceramic Christmas Tree on top of it, and they both fall on Nolan and break the tree. I was upset because he touched it, but i was worried he was really hurt. He was ok though thankgoodness. The people we were visiting wanted me to take him to Emerg to get him checked out, but I think he was more frightened then hurt. He was lucky, and so were we. He is never out of site now at anybody but families houses. I apoligized, but like they said they have kids too, and it won't be the last think to get broke. I wish he was over the touchy pully stage. Oh well I'm rushing his life away, and I love him dearly and don't want him to grow up too fast. Well ladies I'm rambling, and I'm not even dressed for the day yet. Oh...well Dh will be home for lunch shortly, but I am doing house work. I hope everybody has a healthy Holiday Season! Have a Happy New Year! Talk to you in 2000! Keep smiling everybody! Darleen & Nolan (13mths) email: j7smith@ciaccess.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 13:02:06 (EST)) Hi from LisaB. I'm glad to see it's picking up some around here. Max has decided to crawl again. He still walks but now likes to crawl in circles with his face buried in the carpet. It's so odd to see him crawling as he ceased that ASAP when he figured out how to walk!!! RITA: I hope you're all better soon. Yeah on Amy walking! LuCYNDIA: Any names picked out for your DD yet? Leanne was going to see family (including Romaine) for the holidays so I assume that's why both of them are not posting now. HELEN/CHRISTIE: We charge everything we can, but then pay off the cards each month. HELEN: Poor DD with poison ivy :-( HELEN/PATTY: Thanks for the potty training advice. JENNIFER: The concert sounds great. I'm glad you're going to your brother's. Life is too short for family feuds. If SIL makes anymore rude comments just comment right on back to her!!! Poor Adam being constipated :-( PATTY: Hi! I also requested an archive. What ever happened to archiving every 2 weeks?????? LYNDA: I'm sorry MIL is being such a pill. My folks and my MIL live 5 hours apart so they realize they HAVE to be flexible or they just won't see us at all. LAURA B: Shane sounds so funny dancing! Can you put Shane down for his morning nap a little later? KAHNE: Yeah for Cat feeding herself!!! DARLEEN: I hope Nolan gets all his molars in quicking so he's not crabby for Christmas. I'm glad the dresser and tree didn't hurt him. LisaB & Max (15 3/4 months) email: lisa_lab@hotmail.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 15:12:48 (EST)) Hello again from Helen&Amanda!! We had to go out and run a couple errands and Amanda slept for just over an hour. DS has a hockey game today after school so she will sleep again on the ride there or home. DH has his X-mas party today- for guys only. They rented a hall and are having it catered, and open bar- he should be really roasted when he gets home!!! DD needs a X-mas outfit so we have to do that too tonight- I hate shopping for clothes w/a pre-teen!!!! Sorry I am not sending out X-mas cards- don't know how to do that anyway- feel free to send pics or cards my way- I check the mail once a weekor so and love to hear from you all-- REBECCA-- Its really common to get 'down' this time of year- hang in there- hope the doctor helped when you called! :O) JULIANNE--DD's face looks much today- she got an RX for it and is at school today!! :O)SNOW???? Can you send some here?????? Still none!!!! LYNN-- Have a great Christmas!!!! LATER!!! Helen&Amanda@16.5mos(#3) email: mhim27@hotmail.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 15:27:47 (EST)) Hi ladies from Sue and Cameron. Sounds like most of you have a healthy dose of holiday spirit - as do I! I don't know why I'm so excited about Christmas this year. The thought of driving a couple hours to my parents with I-hate-to-be-constrained-Cameron is not a pleasant one! We're also financially maxxed out, but I'm psyched anyways. I know Cam is much to little to have any idea what's going on, but he is mesmerized by all the lights and decorations. My mom also sent him this great music "book" that plays "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" when opened. He learned how to open and close it right away, and bounces to the music when he plays with it. Cameron will be a year old next week on the 29th. I'm totally dumbfounded as to where the year went. I was looking a pictures of him as a newborn the other day and can barely remember him being so small and sweet. He's still a sweetheart, but a very opinionated and vocal one! Did everyone else's babies start doing new things very rapidly around this time? It seems he learns something new every day now - good and not-so-good tricks unfortunately. LOL! In just the past week he's learned to clap his hands, say "up," "hi," and "cup," blow kisses, and he stood up for the first time the other day. He also took his first major digger and has a big bruise on his shin. Guess it's just the first of many battle scars. Despite all my holiday cheer, I am kind of bummed out about the fact that my neighbors will be moving at the end of next month. In addition to being great friends, they have twin 15-year old daughters who fight over whose turn it is to babysit for Cameron. We've really been spoiled with having them so close by. We don't go out all that often, but have never had to worry about finding a sitter when we did make plans. I don't even know where to start in forming a small network of reliable sitters. Any thoughts? Well, gotta get back to the grind. We have only a skeleton crew here in the office due to vacations and a nasty virus going around. I'll try to get back at least once before Christmas to wish all of you a very merry one! Be happy and healthy! Sue and Cameron (11 3/4 months...) email: sbarry@key.org Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 16:11:21 (EST)) Hi, just a quick hello from Birdie. Trying to tie up lots of loose ends before the new year. Getting there. Hope everyone is well. Take care. Birdie and one year old Noah email: LJU777@AOL.COM Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 16:23:37 (EST)) Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well. I have been totally busy here at work and at home as well, so once again I am behind!! Just wanted to check in and let you know that we are still alive and doing well. Allison is progressing nicely with the potty. She tells us about half the time when she needs to go now. No pressure right now. She's still very young, but it would be nice if she trained early :-). Sorry no personals today. Oh, funny story. For those of you that have seen the Hardee's commercial where the guy is in the field calling to his pigs, Allison LOVES this commercial!! It is too funny. As soon as she hears that guy start to yell "SUEY!!" she stops whatever she is doing and just stares at the tv. At the end of the commercial they show this pork chop sandwich and she points to the tv and says , "Mmmmmmmm". I have no idea where she got this from, but it cracks me up every time she does it. Well, I had better go. Hope to post again tomorrow as it is my last day this week and I won't be back at work until Monday. I may try to post from home, but with all the holiday shuffle going on, I'm sure I won't get to. Have a great holiday!! Beth and Allison (19 months) email: bobwite@msn.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 17:14:32 (EST)) Okay, I'm writing to tell you something about Cody. Surprise eh since I don't do it much. Not that there isn't anything to tell, it's just that with three kids I want to tell everything they do too. Anyway, Cody is the most typical boy I have had yet. He is ALMOST walking now. He does walk, but he still looks drunk and his feet STILL go out to far so he often ends up on his hiney. Well, he LOVES balls. Just loves them. He crawls after them and butts them with his head. Yesterday we were at a family party at a school gym. Perfect place for him to play with the balls as there were about 20 basket, soccer, and volleyballs around. I guess he decided he had enough room to really practice his walking. He would push the ball with his head, then as it was rolling away he would get up, "stagger" after it and try to kick it from a walking/standing position. I was cracking up. I was like "Cody, you can't even really walk yet, how are you going to kick the thing and stay up." He ended up on his butt every time, but would get right back up and go after it again. It was really cute. He is so so so sweet. Oh yeah. He also finally had his first hair cut. His sides were so long I put them in little pig tails and took a picture and then DH held his head down - face down in his lap since he wouldn't hold still- and I shaved his head with hair clippers. Not right off. Just like a bowl cut. He looks too cute. He transformed from baby to little boy though. I couldn't believe how much a hair cut changed his looks. what an angel! Oh, We have thought of a name for our little girl. It was kind of funny because we had chosen Hannah Dawn and that was going to be it no matter what, but as soon as we left the ultra sound place I said "what about Ty?" Dave says "yup, that the one." and there was no question. It happened with Cody too. We had one all picked out. Went for the ultra sound, saw him on the monitor, left and I said "Cody" and Dave said "yup that's the one." He didn't like what I picked for Cody's middle name though. (David) Usually I think of names and he hums and ha's about them, but these two times he just said that those were their names. So it will either be Ty Madison or Ty MaKenzy Which you you all think sounds better. Ty Madison Hansen Ty MaKenzy Hansen LuCynda and Cody email: lucyndah@telusplanet.net Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 17:27:55 (EST)) Hello from Rita. This is a quickie since I am off to another interview. The girls got worse and had fevers last night and early this AM. DH and I tag-teamed it today with me at home this AM and him this PM. Maddy was up to 102 last night, but seems a lot better today. She was running up and down the house this morning. Amy has me worried. She is so listless and unlike herself. It is hard to tell what is the cold and what is teething. She was sitting up this morning and her eyes kept shutting like she was ready to pass out. Her fever was lower than Maddy's, but she does not seem better. She is really struggling to cough out gunk. I am worried about pneumonia and all kinds of things. I hope that I see her up and around when I get home this afternoon. If not, we will take her in to the clinic tonight. I feel so helpless when she cries and nothing I do seems to help. My poor little sweetpea. Well, I had better get my act together. This is a job that I really want, so I need to shine. Kind of hard to do when you have been getting up all night long. Take care ladies! Rita, Maddy & Amy email: ritad@home.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 17:50:50 (EST)) Hi mommies. DH just got here for dinner, so I've got to make this quick typing. Can you feel my fingers flying over the keys? I had to run a million errands with Jesse and Jarin today. I am so ready to just sit on my butt at home now. Jarin fell asleep though, so he was pretty good. Not much new, so on to the personals... **Julianne; Thank you for the postcard. That was so nice of you. I hope we get a white Christmas too - so far no luck. that is so cute about Colton saying "moo" to the cup! **Lynda: Hope you get all your Christmas shopping done. I still have some to do too. UGH - I'm going to run out of time! **LauraB: Jarin doesn't have much of a nap schedule - usually one in the early afternoon. He also loves Barney and the Teletubbies. **Kahne: LOL at your sticky keyboard. Definitely go see the movie. It's probably much different from the book, but very good. **Lynn: Merry Christmas to you and Lexie and all the other BT moms and babies. **Rebecca: I hope you are feeling better. Definitely call your Dr. I know they had to "up" my dosage twice before we got it to the point where it made a difference. I'm thinking of you. **Helen: that is so sad that there is no mention of Christmas at that school! We had Santa come the last day and everyone got candy canes. We had Santas, stockings, presents, reindeer, elves, etc all over the building. We also had the gift exchanges, Christmas trees, etc. We even had (shh, don't tell) a nativity scene at our school! **Darleen: That is so funny about when Nolan gets home from somewhere. Jesse used to be like that too. I'm glad Nolan was ok after the dresser and Christmas tree fell. **LisaB: Jarin likes to crawl when his cousin is here since she can't walk yet. We also charge and pay them off each month. I'd also like to know what happened to the every 2 week archive - wasn't it even every 1 week at one time? **Sue: That's great you are so psyched about Christmas. I know when I look at Jarin it is also hard to remember him being so small. Good luck with the sitter situation. We have no one except my sister. Makes it very difficult to go out! **Birdie: Hope you get all your work done. Merry Christmas! **Beth: LOL at Allison and the commercial. Maybe she wants a pork chop sandwich! **LuCynda: I could totally picture Cody walking and trying to kick the balls around. What a cute image. Jarin needs a haircut too, but I just can't bring myself to do it. My opinion - I love both names, but I think I love Ty MaKenzy more. What neat ideas. How many girls/boys do you have now? **Rita: Good luck with the interview and I really hope Maddy and Amy are feeling better when you get home. **Ok, gotta get dinner. take care all. Patty and Jarin - 15 3/4 months email: tematheny@ctlnet.com Tuesday, December 21, 1999 at 20:32:47 (EST)) Hello from Julianne here in this wonderful winter wonderland! I honestly can't remember ever having a green Christmas. Sometimes we don't get snow until Christmas Eve (last year) but every year as far back as I can remember there has always been a beautiful snowfall to wake up to. I am really excited about Colton and Christmas this year. I think he is going to be felling almost his usual self. He was goofing off and trying to run around last night. His legs aren't so strong yet as he still isn't eating or drinking much though. We are having DH's family over on Christmas Eve and then we will open our presents after they leave. Christmas we will go to my sister's for my family's celebration. That will be an all day event since we wait to open my immediate family's gifts after my aunt, her kids, and my grandma leave. DH should be in a pretty big bah humbug mood by the time we get home. Monday my dad's family has a Christmas party around noon at a school. I am going to take a vacation day so I can go. Colton only gets to see these relatives 2-3 times a year. So, I might not be back on here until next week Tuesday. I will try to sneak on at our shop because that's a long time not to see what is going on with all of you!! Darleen: Thanks for the holiday wishes. How cute about Nolan being so excited to see his house after being away. Yeah for starting to plan for baby #2. It is great that the people whose tree & dresser fell on Nolan were so understanding. Glad he was OK. It is kind of scary going to other homes that are not "baby proofed." Rebecca: I am glad that you are at least still reading and keeping in touch with us. I hope that your doctors can find the right dosage to make you feel better. Helen: I was a very fussy shopper as a youngster. As soon as I could drive my mom stopped taking me. Maybe that's why I prefer to shop by myself now! It is still snowing here. The weatherman is predicting 2 inches today and 4 more tomorrow!! Sue: Good to hear from you again. I hope Cam is good for your Christmas drive to your parents. Yes, it is amazing how all of a sudden our little ones start doing all these new things. It is like a switch it turned on. Enjoy it, it is so much fun to watch their discoveries. I usually get babysitters from children at church whose parents I know or from friends relatives. I have them over to meet Colton first while I am home so I can see how they are with him before I leave him in their care. Makes it easier for me to feel less guilty about going out and having fun. Beth: Too cute about Allison and the Hardee's commercial. LuCynda: That first haircut sure does make a difference. I am thinking about getting Colton's 2nd one soon. I tried to cut it myself, but didn't do the best job! I like Ty MaKenzy better. Cody sure is a determined little boy, going after that ball even though he kept falling down. That must have been so much fun to watch. Rita: I would have Amy checked out if you do not see any improvement. You would hate to have to take her to the ER over Christmas since the dr's office most likely will be closed. How did the job interview go? Just in case I don't get back on here for a while I hope that everyone enjoys the holidays. Stay safe enjoy the family time. Julianne & Colton 17 mo email: jjones@batts.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 10:26:25 (EST)) Hi! A very festive feeling Christi is here! Finally I feel like Christmas, now that it is only 2 days away. The very light snow fall could be helping! And, only one more day of work! Caleb would not eat dinner last night, so he didn't eat. DH thinks I am wrong to not fix him something eles--he did get his bed time snack, so he didnt go to bed hungry. But I don't think it is a god practice to get into, making 2 or 3 different meals each night. Opinions? LISA B.*** Isn't it funny to see them crawl now? It just seems so foreign. SUE*** HI! I remember thinking, "How will Caleb look at 1?" But, now it takes pictures for me to remember how he looked at 1 month. I had forgotten all of the baby acne, etc. Time Fly's! BETH*** YEAH for Allison still usuing the potty!! LuCYNDA*** Too cute about Cody kicking the ball, I can just see him trying to do it! I vote for MaKenzy too. RITA*** hope your interview went well! And hope both of the girls are feeling better! JULLIANE*** All of the snow sounds great! We have been getting snow, but just flurries, I could go for a good 6" (Of course I never have to go outside, so let it snow!) Guess that is it for now! Have a good day everyone! Christi & Caleb 13 months email: plumbs@coiinc.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 11:56:40 (EST)) Hello from LauraB - Thanks for the nap advice from everyone. I think I should probably move the morning nap to a lunchtime nap and then Shane would be energized enough to make it to a 8 or 9 bedtime. I think the real problem is that he is like his daddy and wants to stay up until midnight and then sleep all morning which would be fine except I have places to go in the morning. I'm sure we will get it all worked out. We got a light dusting of snow last night but it's already gone. I guess no white Christmas here in my part of NY. It's kinda sad because it's the only time of the year I don't mind snow. I made cookies yesterday and brownies today and now have my baking done for Shane's daycare party tomorrow. I am all baked out and don't plan on making anything again for awhile. I am also done shopping but still feel the need to go out to the stores just to be a part of the craziness. The grocery stores around here are a madhouse. You would think that they are going to be closed for a week instead of one day. Well on to personals. Julianne - Thanks for the card. Sue - Shane was the same way. As soon as he became a toddler he started learning new things everyday. We actually have to be careful of what he sees us do now. The other day he was trying to take off the outlet cover and plug in my electric skillet cord. LuCynda - I really like Ty MaKenzy. Darleen - Shane is the total opposite. He loves to be anywhere but home. I think it's because he loves to watch people and at home it's just mom and dad. Christi- I agree with you on not cooking a separate meal. My ped also agrees. My DH was cooked special meals when he was little and now he won't eat very much. He even admits that he wishes his mom wouldn't have let him get away with being such a picky eater. It makes it hard especially when you eat at someone else's home. Merry Christmas everyone! LauraB@Shane 13 months email: xxbryant@aol.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 12:44:55 (EST)) Hello from a snuffly and sleepy Rita... Amy was less sniffly this AM and Maddy was alot better, so they went to daycare and DH and I came to work. Amy still had a rough night. The teething is just making her scream. We skated through teething with Maddy, so this is new to us. And if you add the congestion in, Amy is having a very rough time. She didn't want her bottles yesterday, but we made sure she got a lot of fluids and that she ate. She downed her bottle this AM. She still has a low-grade fever that must be part of the teething. Six teeth at once is pretty awful! I hope that we get a little better for Christmas, or we will have to stay home. (I am sure that the ILs would think that it was deliberate!) The interview went very well. The sad thing is that they had made an offer to someone before getting my resume. She was vascillating on accepting the offer and had until COB yesterday to decide. When I left at 4:00 she hadn't called yet. If she turns it down, it is mine. The good thing is that they are creating a new position in January and would like to consider me for that if I don't get the other position. This would be closer to home, etc. Send me positive thoughts, please. Cards - Thanks for the e-cards Julianne and Megan. Moriah - Your card is wonderful! It's so great to get cards. It seems like we have gotten so few this year. Either everyone is late, or isn't doing them anymore. As a child, I always loved to see the cards we got and I used to hang them up to decorate the house. I guess I haven't gotten over that. Julianne - Sounds like Colton is on the mend. Good thing, too. Sorry you don't have snow. DH and I talk about going away one Christmas so that we can have a white Christmas once in our lives. I saw these gorgeous pictures of a resort at Lake Louise and fell in love with the idea of going up there someday. Probably not anytime soon. Christi - Thanks for the well wishes. I would hate to have a miserable first Christmas for Amy. I am looking forward to taking Maddy to church, too, so I hope that we all improve. I think Larry is starting to get it too, although he got to nap yesterday while the girls napped and I went to work. I am still a zombie even though he did get up at four with Amy. Patty - Thanks for the well wishes too. I hope that we have gotten through the worst. I don't relish taking a screaming Amy to any gatherings. Happy Holidays to everyone! I will be around and checking in, but it seems like a lot of folks are going away. For those who are going away, see you in Y2K! Rita, Maddy & Amy email: ritad@home.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 13:19:20 (EST)) Hello Mommies...escaping from BT Today! I just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Holiday and a Very Happy 2000!!!!! And of course to brag for a second, Nicholas is finally cutting his first tooth!!! Yay! Have a Happy and Safe one. Big Hugs and Kisses!!! Jenni & Nicholas (7.5 months) BT Escapee email: njemtjen@aol.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 13:42:52 (EST)) Hi from LisaB. I'm overwhelmed at work. I love my new job but am really feeling the pressure of my first big deadline (Dec. 31). It doesn't help that the morning news on my commute in was so depressing. A 9-mo pregnant lady was stabbed in this area by the baby's father. By the time she was discovered, about 10 hours later, both she and the baby had died. Then there's the 16 MONTH old in Dallas who got DRUNK and fell down a flight of stairs. Apparently a 13 year old sibling was also drunk and the mother was passed out in the parking lot, on her way to buy more booze. Some people just should not be allowed to reproduce. The murderer father and the alcoholic mother both ought to be locked up for the rest of their lives, in my opinion. On to lighter news, Max refused to eat his lunch yesterday but had SIX chocolate chip cookies for a snack - LOL!!! The sitter's Mom was there all day and she tends to spoil Max! Max came home with a banged up eye and I asked DH what happened (I went in early and worked late so he did the daycare run). DH said Max banged his eye - DUH! I asked him how and he said, "I think he was ... ummm ... playing and ... ummm ... fell?" I asked the sitter this morning & she gave me the details (which she said she also gave to DH yesterday). MEN!!!! JULIANNE and MEGAN: Thanks for the cards! BETH: Allison and the commerical were TOO funny!!! LuCYNDIA: Cody sounds so funny running around after balls! I like both names but McKenzy is my fav - it just rolls of the tongue! CHRISTI: We generally offer Max whatever we are eating. If he refuses that (or if it's too spicy), we give him Gerber Graduates meat sticks or a slice of cheese on bread. That why he eats but we aren't making a separate meal for him. My 8-year old nephew is VERY picky ... he always wants chicken nuggets or grilled cheese at every family function (before he even looks to see what's prepared). I hope to avoid that but also want Max to eat. My Mom used to always tell my siblings and I, when we were school-aged, that we had to eat what was on the table, make ourselves something, or starve as she was only making 1 meal - LOL!!! RITA: I'm glad Amy feels better. Max got 4 teeth at once and that was bad enough ... I can't imagine 6. I hope you get the job. I work for state gov't and a lot of times we have already offered a position to someone in-house but have to go thru all the motions of doing interviews to comply with "the rules". I hate it as these poor people are taking time of work, etc. to interview for a job that we have no intention of offering to them. LisaB & Max (15 3/4 months) email: lisa_lab@hotmail.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 14:09:56 (EST)) Hello, hello, hello!! Shelly here! My computer was having probs, so I'm way behind. Riley is doing great. Yestersay, he wanted to sit on the big potty, so I put him up there and he peed right down the sleeve of my shirt. I forgot about that little penis sticking straight out.LOL. Mon. I went over to the town where I used to live to check out a litter of fox terrier pups. I'm getting one for Jesse because his died acouple of months ago. Anyway, I stopped at my ex's house to give him a credit card bill I had gotten in my mail. He was crying and telling me that the cops had been there and that the GF had threatened to kill him. She stoled all of his presents and check books. The cops went and searched her house but found nothing. He was telling me that I was in danger by being in the valley. I had better get home right away because she was crazy and he was afraid for me. Well, my boys are home alone. Tay was babysitting, so I get scared and call my neighboor and ask them to watch my house until I get there. Just to make sure no weird cars pulled up. Then, I haul ass home. I got the kids and went out to my Moms, she lives way out of town. I shook all day. This girl is 6' and probably at least 250lbs and so crazy, most people don't want to be anywhere around her. I feel like, once again, that I'll never be rid of these 2 idiots. I only talk to Jim when necassary, I leave them alone and don't want anything to do with their relationship, but everytime there is a fight , I get drug into it. I don't know if Jim mentioned my name to play head games or maybe she seen that he had gifts for me under the tree. I do know that in the past he has told her things ,like, you'll never live up to Shell or your kids aren't as good as mine. Real head games. I just want to scream. I moved to get away, but it's not working. When I have to live in my own home in fear, it depresses me. Anyway, then later on, he calls me to say that everything is smoothed over and she brought back what she stole. He says the cops are fed up and want the DA to prosecute both of them. Her for the threats and him for pushing her. I hope they make them pay for the time they used up with the cops! They've called them at least 5 times that I know of on each other. I've told him, until he has a restraining order, my boys cannot come over there. They are going to his parents house on C-Eve, but they cannot leave the property. The GF won't come over there, because his parents hate her. Ok!!! I'm done screaming! We are all ready for Christmas and I can't wait. The pup I picked out looks exactly like the one that got sick and died. Jesse will be so happy. I got Riley a stick horse. He loves horses. I couldn't buy them a whole lot, but I did try to get things that they really wanted. Jesse told me today, that he likes it when Santa wrapps the gifts. So now I need special "Santa paper" . Thank Godness for the dollar store. They have all the wrapping paper and bows. My Family will be here for C-Eve, we are having enchiladas. Then on C-Day, we are at my oldest sis house for the traditional dinner. Hope everyone is doing good and will be with family for the holidays! I will try to post before christmas! Love to all! Shelly & Riley Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 15:57:06 (EST)) Hi mommies. Jarin is napping, so thought I'd jump on here. He just threw up again, but I think it is just because he ate too much. He ate his two jars of #2 baby food (yes, he's decided he likes baby food now), 2 cups of dried froot loops, about 5 cheese cubes, french fries, and apple juice. LOL He was awake forever last night - or so it seemed. I stayed up about 45minutes, even nursed, but then I put him back to bed and he screamed for about another 20 minutes. That's my little monster boy! **Julianne: Ok, we're just one state south of you - could you send just a little snow? I think it's been a few years since we've had a white Christmas. I hope Colton continues to feel better and is himself before Christmas Day. Hope Scrooge isn't too scroogy at your house. heehee **Rita: Hope Amy gets her six teeth for Christmas. Sending good luck thoughts your way on the job! We also seemed to get way fewer cards this year. It's so nice to get them from you guys. **Jenni: Happy Holidays and yay for sweet little Nicholas getting his first tooth. =) **LisaB: I'm sure you will meet your deadline with flying colors. I agree with you that some people should just not be allowed to reproduce. I see some real winners when their kids come to Kindergarten, and those are always the ones with 4-5 kids. LOL at DH's explanation- "He banged his eye!" =) Jarin also loves his snacks more than his meals. Gee, I wonder why - I would surely never be that way. =) **Shelly: Glad to see you back on here. Sounds like Jesse will be having a very nice surprise on Christmas morning. =) LOL at "that little penis" spraying your shirt sleeve. Soon that will be us again. **Merry Christmas all! Love to those toddlers. Patty and Jarin - 15 3/4 months email: tematheny@ctlnet.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 17:44:11 (EST)) Has anyone heard from Crystal? I'm worried about her. Last time she posted she was going to the doctors the next day to find out for sure if she was pg - has anyone heard from her since? SarahW, Alex (15mo) & ??(-4.5mo) email: swellman@knightpiesold.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 18:27:37 (EST)) Hi everyone, from Stacey First of all I want to thank all of you for putting up with my whining the other night. I feel much better, since I have been able to put things into perspective. I have resolved not to let things build up like that anymore. Good news, baby Sebastian is doing very well. He was able to go home from the hospital a few days ago. We are all very grateful. Laura B, Christi, Lisa B, Julianne, Helen, Patty, and Linda---thank you all for the wonderful advice. I have decided subtleties do not work well with DH, and I am becoming more vocal when I am not happy or I need help. Turns out he was buying my Christmas gift on Sat night which was why he went out when I didn't want him to. We went out to dinner and then shopping with the girls last night, and he has been receptive to the idea of a little more personal time and less time with his friend. The thing is, his friend is a nice guy and it gets hard to tell him to stay away, but we are working it out. I still have a major beef with Toys R Us. They emailed me last night to say they cancelled my order because Franchesca's Xmas gift was no longer in stock, after guaranteeing it, and even offering to overnight it so that I would have it by 12-24. So I am going to drive 45 minutes tonight at 10PM to go pick one up at the closest Toysrus store. I have already written a letter of complaint to my local newspaper and their corporate office. Franchesca has been really funny lately. She is into that show "Out of the Box" on Playhouse Disney. She wakes up in the morning, and says Pop (translation = turn the TV on mommy) and says "Out Box". She can now say Stacey, Dario (DH's name) Grandma, Grandpa, most of her body parts, and she knows her favorite foods in Spanish. We took her to the outdoor mall the other day, and she kept trying to stick her hand in the fountain and then suck her fingers. Yuck! Alexa is really starting to laugh a lot. She is much more ticklish than Franchesca ever was, and loves when we make funny faces at her. She slept through the night last night, too! Major victory! I can't believe she will be three months old next week! Christi--about your question on girls vs boys, I don't really know since I have two girls. I do think some moms are just more inclined towards boys and some towards girls. One of my best friends clearly has the softest spot for her son, even though she loves her two girls. Personally, I am content with my two girls, and can't imagine having a boy. Fortunately DH is ok with this too, since he is one of seven boys he really likes the girls too. Julianne--I hope Colton starts feeling better soon. Poor thing! Rita--Ditto for Maddy and Amy. I am leaving for Pleasanton tomorrow. I will email you my mom's phone #, and hope that you all are healthy and that we can get together...luckily both my girls have escaped any sickness so far this season---the bonus of not having them in daycare, I guess. Congrats on Amy walking! Helen--Sorry to hear about your daughter and the poison ivy. I got it on my legs and eventually my face one year after we went to a Christmas tree farm to get our tree. And I will never go back to cut one again. What a miserable experience. Jennifer--I am glad you had so much fun at the concert. Lynda--Holidays are so hard to split up, aren;t they? We went with DH's family last year and had promised my parents this year, and DH's dad was calling us like mad last month offering to pay for our plane tix so we would go with them this year. I did not want to break the promise to my parents since my girls are their only grandchildren and this is their first Christmas with them, but it was hard to say no since my parents see them frequently and DH's parents have not met the baby yet and haven't seen Franchesca since last Christmas. Oh well.... LauraB--Dancing toddlers are the cutest, aren't they! Rebecca--I am thinking of you. I hope you start feeling better soon. LisaB--Too funny about Max crawling again. We went shopping the other day and Franchesca did the same thing in the middle of a store. She crawled to the double mirrors and then proceeded to bark like a dog at her reflection...who knows what goes through their minds LOL. What horrible news about the baby who was drunk and the other man who killed his pregnant wife or girlfriend. People can be so twisted sometimes. Shelly--I am really sorry to hear about your problems with your ex. I hope things get better soon! Hello to everyone I missed, and as I will be out of town starting tomorrow and probably won't post, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!!! Stacey, Franchesca, and Alexa email: stacey.romero@home.com Wednesday, December 22, 1999 at 23:08:23 (EST)) Hi all! It's Moriah. I've been "lost" again! LOL Really I've made an attempt to keep reading but it seems like everytime I go to post I get interrupted & then disconnected by the time I get back to it. :( So here's a selfish post that's only about us! Sorry! Well my mom was here last week. HOLY MOLY! I was so ready to send her back! Shelly - you can keep her! LOL Then we had our Christmas Miracle early! Alex had an MRI scheduled to check his brain for abnormalities. I hadn't really brought it up because I was VERY stressed about the possible outcome & truthfully I just couldn't discuss it with ANYONE. I was just sick at the thought of bad news. It at 1st seemed like a disaster. The paper work said sedation & that he'd come home the same day. Well once we got there it turned out to be general anthesia & he had to stay over night. I was hysterical at the thought of a night in the hospital during this cold season. BUT it all turned out okay in the end. The hospital we were at (we'd never been to that one) only had private rooms. SO he was none the worse for wear. But the miracle part is that his brain is totally NORMAL! So a huge sigh of relief from us. Sorry I didn't bring it up sooner but I just couldn't. Geoff just got home this afternoon for Christmas, so he's here for a couple days :). Alex is being the cutest baby ever! He is totally schooching around on his back. He gets under the tree & touches the presents. I've already given him on of his presents because I just couldn't wait :) We've gotten a couple of Zandy Card orders, so I've been working on that. We're hoping to have our website up & running after the 1st. Well I better go. I hope that everyone has a nice holiday & a SAFE one more importantly. I'll definately post before the BIG 2000. Hugs to all! Moriah & Alex (14 1/2 months) email: geoffandmoriah@msn.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 00:49:40 (EST)) Hi its Lynda here, This evening I have just finished wrapping the last of the presents (except for the ones that DH hasn't bought yet - he is a Christmas Eve shopper - as am I usually but I have been marginally more organised this year.) I now feel like I am ready for Christmas to happen! We went for dinner at our next door neighbors yesterday. Instead of taking Ella - our neighbor suggested we leave her at home and use our baby monitor to listen for her. What a great idea ! Ella slept peacefully all night, we enjoyed a lovely dinner and at the end of the night we didn't have to disturb our sleeping baby to bring her home. Going out was so easy !!!! On to the personals: Christi: Thanks for the lovely card. Rita: Poor Amy and poor poor you. Six teeth at once! Ouch! At least this way she is getting them over and done with I suppose. I hope she is feeling better by Christmas day - and good luck with the job. Stacey: Glad to hear you are feeling better. Subtleties don't work with my DH either. He has told me to just tell him directly what I want (quite reasonable really I suppose) but sometimes I would like him to offer without me having to ask. The Toys-R-Us episode sounds like a major hassle - just what you don't need a few days before Christmas. Moriah: Wow! (Big sigh) - I can't imagine what you were feeling about the MRI - particularly when you found out it was a general and Alex had to stay overnight. Sounds scary. - I am very very happy for Alex and you with the great result!! - I have also given Ella a couple of presents because I couldn't wait - and bought heaps more than she needs. Oh well! Well better get to bed - 2 more sleeps to Ella's first Christmas day! Yeah! Lynda & Ella (11.5 mths) email: ljpjyoung@ozemail.com.au Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 07:21:27 (EST)) Hello from Helen&Amanda!! Well the countdown is on-- only a couple days to get everything together-- check your cabinets to be sure your not 'almost' out of anything you need for x-mas AM-- checkyour camera/camcorder's film- charge your batteries or buy extra-- I am speaking from experience, can you tell-LOL! Hope everyone is almost ready for the big day!! It still doesn't feel like Christmas w/out any snow.:O( The kids are ofically out of school so we will have to tryand get the little sugar cube houses made and decorated. I try and do it each year and buying boxes of sugar cubes is much easier than baking houses to decorate! DH just left to continue w/his shopping- what the H**ll is he buying???? He is peaking my curiosity--I did ask for a sewing machine since mine is crappy and I am sick of breaking needles.AndI am sure he went to 'victoria's secret' for a thing or two. I am trying to get the house and baking in order-I don't know what it is but I feel this need to have everything ready for the big day, laundry done, house all dusted,picked up and vacuumed, I even like the truck to be washed and vacuumed out-- whats with that- just added stress I guess.?? ###CRYSTAL-- We are wondering about you????? Has anyone heard from her, and is she not ready to post for whatever reason????? Hope they are doing well. :O) ###STACEY-- Whine anytime please!! DH needs little reminders who he is married to every once in a while too- the guys are just so tempting to him-LOL! So happy little Sebastian is home and doing well. :O) :O) :O)!!!!!!! Sorry about Toys'R'us!! Like we have time NOW to chase around!!! Penny's did the same to me- it was comming, not here, comming, on backorder, still comming and now-oops- they are out!!!!!Thank goodness its something for DD and its not on her list so I can replace it w/anything. ###MORIAH--What a Christmas present!!! So happy for you all- loved the card- so appropriate and what a sweetie, just wanted to kiss him, he is so special!!! :O) :O) ###LYNDA-- I already gave Amanda one of her gifts too- she saw the box and was whining and trying to open it so I opened it and she couldn't care at all!!! Oh well at this age thet don't know whats going on and its nice not tohave to hide everything- thats next year! ###PATTY- Shame on your school and the nativity- its not 'politically correct' don't you know that- get with it--LOL!!!! A town nearby had a nativity on the town green and has had to get rid of it b/c of complaining, also on the news another had a nativity-a tree- and a giant Santa--- a pastor was on TV bitching that the Santa was bigger than the nativity, and it wasn't proper!! Go figure!! People need to get a life! ###JULIANNE-- So cute Colton saying MOO!!! I want snow too!!! We did get an outfit for DD, at the end she was saying- 'why don't YOU just pick it out mom'!!!! It was a LITTLE stressful!! ###LUCYNDA-- Good luck picking baby names- we have a terrible time, never agreeing until its time to leave the hospital! ###SHELLY-- A puppy for Christmas- he will be so surprised! Its not the quantity but the quality and I'm sore the dog and horse will be a big hit!! So funny about the peeing!! ###CHRISTI-- I agree on the special meals- they do that when they get older so why start now! LOL! ###RITA--Hope you get a call for the job!! ###LISAB-- Sorry about Max's eye- Its hard to hear about people being so stupid- especially this time of year. I agree some should NOT re-produce and be sterilized!! ###PATTY-- Jarin has an appetite like Amanda!! She's my little chow-hound!! Well enough of the BOOK-- I should go- everyone have a great Christmas and thanks for the pics and cards in advance- I have to check my mail!! LATER!! Helen&Amanda email: mhim27@hotmail.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 09:09:54 (EST)) Hi from LisaB. Max might have gotten an adorable puppy for Christmas. There was one on our doorstep last night so I fixed up a box with an old fluffy towell for it to sleep in and gave it some food and water. DH is off today so he's going to try to find out if it just wandered over from a neighbor's house or if it was dumped. We haven't let Max see it yet as we might not be able to keep it. Max has also learned to touch his toes ... and now he'll do it and squat for several minutes at a time. It KILLS my legs to watch him - LOL!! SHELLY: What a pyscho GF. CHRISTIE: Thanks for the e-card. SarahW: I e-mailed Crystal last week and never got a response. I know she was on PT for awhile (I sneak over there ocassionally as we are TTC) but she hasn't posted there recently either. STACEY: Yeah on Alexa sleeping!!! Franchesca and the mirror was too funny - ARF! ARF! MORIAH: Great news on the MRI. What joyous news, esp. at this time of year!!! Can I please, please, please, please get the card everyone is talking about?!! LisaB & Max (15 3/4 months) email: lisa_lab@hotmail.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 10:58:55 (EST)) Katy here Moriah- YEAH!!! What a wonderful Christmas gift., I know what waiting for an MRI is like. Liam had one when he was in the hospital last year. It's scary. But I am so glad that everything turned out okay. Sorry I haven't been here in a while, been getting into the seasonal spirit. Liam has another cold, but I kind of expected he'd have more colds when he was in daycare. Last Sunday was my sister's birthday. (She's 20, I feel so old!!!LOL!) We had lasagne and Liam ate it very well until near the end when he put his dirty hands in his hair and had sauce in his hair. It was so cute. I've managed to not give Liam any presents but that's because they are all at mom's house. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a great new year. Katy and Liam email: princess__bride@hotmail.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 11:19:29 (EST)) Julianne here, sneaking on at DH's shop. He actually had the internet up when I stopped in. The grocery store sure was busy. I think I am all set until late next week. DH & I got a good night's sleep because Colton slept through the night for the 1st time in over a week!! Yeah. He ate pretty good last night so I was very glad. I weighed him yesterday and according to our scale Colton has lost 4 pounds over the last week. I have to fatten my little one up as is skin & bones. DH picked Colton up a Christmas present when he went golfing (indoors on a simulator) this week. He got him a toy golf cart w/ clubs. Colton will have lots of fun playing outside this spring. Last night we were kicking the blocks back and forth and he was just giggling. Christi: I would try to avoid the 2nd meal for Caleb. I am stuck doing it for Colton because he still in not into table food. I hate it. After I see his dr for his 18 mo check I am going to try to be tough and only offer him what we are eating. I want to discuss his eating w/ the dr first though. Rita: I am hoping that you will end up with one of the jobs. Lisa: The news sure is full of sad and depressing stuff. I hate to hear about little kids in such bad situations like that too. How in the world have you managed to hide the puppy from Max? We let Tequila be downstairs in the winter time. She barks when we are playing upstairs and Colton stops, listens, and says "woof woof?" We end up letting the dog in the kitchen a couple times a week to play w/ Colton. She has started to let Colton sit on her even. Shelly: What fun potty training adventures you are having. Sorry that your ex & his GF are being such a problem. Patty: Ok, I have contacted the people in charge of our famous Michigan "Lake Effect" and asked them to send the snow south for you. We have plenty here now. Hope it works. Stacey: Glad to hear Sebastian go to go home. What a cute image of Franchesca barking at herself in the mirror. Moriah: Major happy dances for you. Wow, what a HUGE relief. Makes you really believe in Christmas miracles. Sorry it had you so stressed though. Helen: The sugar cube house sounds like a great idea. Well, I better go, the groceries are sitting in the truck and my house is screaming to be cleaned. I want to pick Colton up from daycare early too. Julianne & Colton 17 mo email: jjones@batts.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 13:05:43 (EST)) Hi from Christi Okay, I am kicking myself right now, I had stopped by, taken notes, left to clean my house, and yes threw my notes away. Oh well, I will do my best. Caleb is doing well, he ate dinner very well last night. Last night was also the first time we put mittens on him, and it didn't dawn on me until I put them on that he couldn't suck his thumb. But, thankfully he thought they were funny and just kept waving them in my face. After we had been in the car for a while (we went looking at lights) I took the one off so he could have his thumb to go to sleep. I have to say, all of my "moms" (daycare moms) did very well by me this year! Lucky for them ;-) I recieved a fruit box(14 pounds!) a box of nuts, a crystal dish, and $50 Not too bad. I am glad I went and got the kids some more things. STACEY*** I heard on the news today TOYS-R-US are giving $100 gift cert's for people who couldnt get their orders by 12/24. I would definatly contact them! What a good mommy to drive 45 minutes one way for a gift. The things we do for our kids! I am glad Sababstian is home, I have kept him and his family in my prayers! RITA*** hope you get some much needed rest! LISA B.*** Hope you get to keep the puppy (if you want it) We were going to get one last spring(of 98), but we got Caleb instead, good trade! SHELLEY*** And I thought I basic IL's were bad! I don't envy your situation, good idea to keep the kids away from it! Your puppy sounds great! MORIAH***I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! How true your Christmas cards--a miracle! I am praying prayers of thanks for yourwonderful news! Glad Zandy Cards is getting a good start! A cute story, then I am off... Caleb has started to throw his diapers away, he thinks it is funny. So I gave him one yesterday, off he went, he came back int he living room with a bottle of vanilla. I figured he got into the cupboard, so I went and put it away. My DH came upstairs after I went to bed last night and asked if Caleb had tossed his diaper, I said why? He found it in the cupboard where the vanilla, sugar etc go. I didnt even see it when I put the vanilla away! Good thing it was not dirty! Christi & Caleb 13 months email: plumbs@coiinc.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 13:07:28 (EST)) Ho Ho Ho from Sue and Cameron. Only time for a quick note before heading out for a nice mini-vacation - only 4 days, but I'll take what I can get! CHRISTI and LISAB - thanks for the nice card and email messages. MORIAH - congratulations on your fanastic news! What a great Christmas gift. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with their friends and families. Hope nobody gets coal in their stockings! LOL! Looking forward to checking in with you again next week (when Cam turns 1 year old :-) + :-( Sue and Cameron (359 days old...) email: sbarry@key.org Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 13:59:10 (EST)) Hi mommies, I'm too upset today to do personals, but I just wanted to update you on the latest SIL events. She called me two days ago (I don't know if I've already said this or not, but..) she called me and basically brought the whole thing up again, she didn't let me get a word in. She then started talking badly about my parents, especially my mom) and that's when I really started getting mad. After she hung up, I was crying and my mom called and new what had happened even before I said anything. My mom called over to their house, but SIL would not get on the phone. (coward!) My brother said he was going to bring the kids over last night, and my mom was hoping that she wouldn't come with them. She had the balls to show up at my mothers house with them. Then she hasd the nerve to ask my mom "are you going to be civil?" My mom told her that she shouldn't have come over, she should've called her on the phone the day before becuase my mom was not going to get into it with her in front of the kids. Then she said "well, if I'm not welcome here, I'll just leave." So she did and picked my bro and the kids up at 9pm. Then last night I get a call from my mother who is crying and can hardly breathe (she has stressed-induced asthma and can't use an inhaler because of a heart condition) telling me to not answer the phone in case they call me because she just got into it with SIL on the phone. I guess SIL called her. This morning I find out from my friend who is like a sister what happened (my mom had told her this morning, but couldn't talk about it anymore because of her health) SIL has layed into my mother treating her like S***, calling ME a liar and saying all sorts of other mean things. My mother also told her what she thought of her. Needless to say, we ARE NOT going there for Xmas and I am officially taking her gift back because she doesn't deserve it. She needs to see a shrink because we think she's going nuts. Maybe I should make something clear so you all understand....my mother has done more than anything for her and those kids. She always has gone out of her way to be like a mother to SIL because her parents don't live her and never visit. Nothing is ever enough for that B****. She is the Godmother of Adam.....I'm looking into changing that! Ok, sorry guys that I had to lay all that on you, I am just really worried about my mom's health. And, I don't understand why my brother is not doing something about her. I'm sorry, but if DH ever did something like that to my parents, I'd say "see ya!" Blood is blood. Well, I sent all of you a Xmas e-amil card. Wal-Mart didn't make us a pic disk so it is just an animated greeting. Have a great holiday and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Jennifer and Adam 16 mo email: ddock@gte.net Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 14:06:36 (EST)) Hello (sniff) from Rita This cold has hit me like a ton of bricks! Now Larry is sniffling, too. Maddy is a lot better and Amy is somewhat improved. We broke down and got the topical gel for her gums last night and it worked like a charm. So much for the advice in "What to Expect in the Toddler Years!" We needed the sleep! Didn't get the call on the job, so I guess that the woman waited until the last minute. I will, however be notified before they post the next one and the person that I know in that group is writing the requisition. I finally have the inside track on a job - that is what you really need in this company. Moriah - Glad to hear from you! Happy happy dances on the MRI results! I am sure now that this will be a very good Christmas for you. I love your card. Christi - Thanks for the e-card. Maddy has become a very picky eater and won't even try a lot of things these days. If she won't eat what we are having she can have either yogurt or cottage cheese and these are the only choices we give her. I am not into fixing more than one meal, either. Debbie - Thanks for the wonderful card. The girls are adorable. Maddie has such beautiful hair. I know that you are glad not to be snowed in anymore and trapped by the pass. How close does the snow get to Kernville? Larry is already researching camping in that area sometime in the spring. Stacey - I hope that we get better, too. Either way, I will give you a call at your mom's house. Crystal - I hope that everything is well with you. Please post when you can. Helen - You sure sound organized. I'll have to take some tips from you since I have learned that we really need to plan things out with two children. We just can't let things fall where they may, anymore. DH went out and got tapes for the video camera last night. We haven't even caught Amy walking yet on film. His job over the holiday break is to transfer all of the tapes onto film. I think we haven't done that since Maddy was a year old - two years worth of activities. He he. Lynda - We are actually having some balmy weather here in CA. It's weird to have a warm Christmas, especially when Christmas icons are often snowmen. I often wonder how it would be celebrating Christmas in your part of the world. Shelly - Your ex's GF really takes the cake! I have seen a lot of people like that when I worked in the criminal justice system. I once dated a guy who's ex was similar and I decided that I did not want to have her in my life too, so we parted. Well, this year is drawing to a close and next Friday, Maddy will be three and "graduating" from this board. I can't believe that I have a preschooler! I can remember so vivdly how she was whisked away to be resuscitated and how long it seemed before I finally heard her cry and she was returned to me, just like it was yesterday. (I often have to think of this when I feel exasperated by her behavior!) What a wonderful and wild time we have had these three years! Take care everyone! Rita, Maddy & Amy email: ritad@home.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 14:15:28 (EST)) you guys, marraige is hard. How in the world do you not give up? I love David with all of my heart but it just isn't working. It's just not. We talked about splitting up last night. Well, I guess I talked about it. He doesn't really talk about anything. Just sits there and listens, or maybe he isn't even doing that. The hardest part is that he isn't even a jerk. I wish he were sometimes. I wish the whole thing were black and white so I could just say one way or another. But it isn't black and white. I love him very much but I am not what he wants. Not that he tells me that but I just know. It isn't hard to figure out. He wants his home to be his castle. He wants to come home and be babied by a sweet and tender wife who needs nothing from him. I'm not like that. I expect him to help out a little bit around the house and I am far from sweet and tender. I'm just not. In truth, I'm not even a nice person. I'm not rude to people, I just don't interact with anyone which is partially why I don't post very much. I have a very very hard time interacting with people. I get so so lonely, but I don't really get lonely for a close friendship. I just get lonely for being amongst people. I like the deep conversations you can have with a few people you might call "casual friends." The kind of conversations that when it is over it has no affect on anything. It is just over. I like conversation just for the sake of conversing. I feel so alone right now. I haven't felt connected to anything for so long. The only time I feel a little bit real is when Cody wakes up and I go in his room and he lites up at the site of me. I need to feel connected to Dave. He was my best friend for so many years and now I feel like we are strangers. We are absolutly great when a conversation is NOT about us. Just like when we were just friends, but then when it is about us it turns into disaster. He doesn't want me to talk about anything, but it good or bad. He wants me to stay away from conversations that are remotely emotional. What am I suppose to talk about then, the weather? How am I ever suppose to feel close to him if I cannot talk to him about things that matter? Even though I know he doesn't want to talk, I talk anyway, and then end up crying and crying and crying because I don't get any response, or reassurance, or anything. The he gets upset. He never yells, and he never even tells me he is upset, but I can tell he is just trying to wait out the outburst and that he is annoyed. Nothing I say matters. Not my opinions, or suggestions, and certainly not my tears. I tried to explain to him that although my self esteem is mostly my responsibility, a lot of my self esteem and self worth comes from the messages I get from him. And I think that is true in every marriage. How could ones self esteem NOT be linked to her/his marriage partner. Well, he said that he can't really think of things to tell me that are good about myself because he doesn't see anything. That hurt. And he wasn't saying it to be mean or out of anger, he was just being honest. But then I realized that he feels nothing for me. He thinks he loves me but I really believe it is just an obligatory feeling. How could he really love me if he sees nothing in me. If he doesn't admire me, or respect me or anything? Shouldn't a married couple find things to love, cherish, admire, respect and all that? I feel that way about him. So what is wrong with me? And it really really hurts that I can cry my eyes out about that and today he will have forgotten all about it. Well, today for me will be like hell because I will be sitting here wondering at what point he realized I am not what he wants. Wondering why he can't see anything good to love and admire in me. Every little thing I do during the day is for him, to better our home, to take care of him and the kids, to build them up and have them feel safe and secure. I don't think I ask and need that much. I think my needs are pretty typical. I just need verbal reassurance that he loves me with his whole heart and that I am a loveable person. I just need him to encourage me when I am down and to offer his input when I have an idea or a problem. Basically I want his interaction. But instead I feel like I live with a shell. He seems so emotionless. I can never tell what he feels if he really feels anything at all. And actually he says that most of the time he is just here, that he doesn't feel much of anything at all. It all feels so overwhelming. I wish I didn't love him, then it wouldn't hurt. I hate it when he tries to put his arm around me when I am upset. He isn't doing that to comfort me, he is doing it to feel that he is trying to do SOMETHING so he doesn't have to feel guilty about the fact that he doesn't really want to hear it, or that he is in the process of falling asleep. This is harder than being married to my x husband. I hated him. It was easier coz I didn't hurt. I just hated. I know I am not what Dave wants even though he may not know exactly WHAT he wants. And in truth, he isn't what I want either. I want someone motivated. A go getter who knows exactly what he wants. I want someone with passion for life and for me. I want someone who can - not all the time - but CAN talk about feelings and goals. I want someone emotional available to me, someone who is concerned about my well being and is there when I need him. Not someone who just goes to sleep while I am trying to talk to him. I want someone who doesn't procrastinate everything for three or four months. Some of the things that are Daves responsibility have been sitting undone for three months and it is humiliating to me, like the back yard has garbage all over it because the dogs got a bag of garbage. For some reason he can't find the time. He blames it on me and tells me I demand so much of him that he doesn't have a second to do anything else. Bull. I don't know what to do. I would honestly rather miss him apart than together. I would honestly rather try to make it on my own. I can't stand the way I feel about him and it is getting worse. I don't want to feel this way about him, and I certainly cannot handle feeling totally alone anymore. I can't figure out how women stay in marraiges for ten years feeling the way I do now. I would rather die. I just can't do it. I can't. I can't handle it anymore. I need to feel loved and I don't. And I don't think it will change either. It is just not in his nature to be expressive. So either I just decide to settle with it and forget my needs or he decides to try to be there for me more and even being half as expressive as I would like would make a world of difference. All it would take for me to feel loved and secure would be a few sentances. Why can't he do that??? But you know what? It won't happen. You know why? Because he doesn't have the motivation or the desire to try to change anything about himself. No, I'm not expecting him to do all the changing. Every day sees new goals for me, how I can be a better wife, and mother, and person. Every day I work hard on myself to be better for him, but he refuses. He thinks I should just accept him the way he is and that no one has the right to need change from anyone. I completely disagree. I think two married people ALWAYS need to be changing and compromising for each other. He won't. And the things that really bugs me, is that at times he agrees, and says "your right, I'll try to work on that." and then he forgets all about it. It's like he says it to shut me up, or he just gets lazy and doesn't want to do the work. And the other thing, and this is the last thing, no one knows what things are really like. EVERYONE who knows us sees the two of us and thinks David is the most wonderful man in the entire world. He is so sweet and soft spoken and takes such good care of me and the kids. I am so loud mouthed and demanding. No one will even let me say how I feel. We talk to our bishop and I try to express something that hurts me and he shuts me up somehow, someone he tells me that my feelings are not real, that Dave can't possibly do anything wrong so therefor it is all my problem. That is just need to do this and this and this to try to be better for him and that I just need to not worry about things that hurt me because I am conjuring them up in my own mind or SOMETHING. I dunno. I feel like screaming and right now I am really resenting a lot of people for not listening to me. It's not that I want anyone to take sides, or that I even tell anyone (expect the entire internet population now) anything about what is going on, but when I try to even say one little thing about how something hurts me and that I don't know what to do to deal with it better, the shush me up. David can do no wrong in anyones eyes. He even said last night that he has noticed people treat me like the big bad witch and him like a white knight. well, in my opinion, silence can speak louder than words. I may raise my voice, but he completely ignores me, neglects to fulfill his responsibilities, and does other little things that hurt me. Is one really worse than the other? I don't think so. If he yelled at me it would have no impact. I was yelled at my entire life. I am immune to it bothering me, but ignoring me. Nothing devastates me more and he knows it. So, he hurts me silently and no one can see it. And I am alone. I have no friends. Seriously. Not one. I have no one. My sisters live far away and I'm not close to them anyway. I don't really like my mom very much. It is hard for me to. Isn't that the most terrible thing in the world to say. But, I am not close to her. I can't turn to her. My dad and me have had maybe two conversations in my entire life. Don't misunderstand, him and my mom are together and always have been, he is just a shadow. He only talks to me when he needs me to come to the school to teach his high school students multi media stuff. My parents live in the same town and they don't visit. They say they love me, but they are kinda like Dave. I know logically they do, but they don't try to show it. My MIL wishes Dave had just held out a little longer and married some sweet, untarnished woman who didn't already have kids. My brothers, well, I love them tons. But they are just kids. The one that is married, I don't like him very much. That is terrible too isn't it. But he is so judjemental, know it allish, stubborn, close minded, critical, demanding, I could go on. Not to mention that he doesn't treat my kids very well. He thinks that if I spanked the dickens out of them they would be better behaved. They aren't even badly behaved anyway, what reason do I have to spank them. His wife, well, she is sweet, but she tries to hard to get everyone to love her which means that she lies without even realizing it. She says things just to sound like everyone else and it bugs me. I have some good conversations with her sometimes but there is no closeness there. And really, the only people I would ever feel comfortable being remotely close to is my family and closeness is non exsistant there. My dad has hugged me once in my life and the sad thing is that I grew up in an unaffectionate home and so affection is really hard for me to give. I'm watching my kids like they are me at their age and I am trying to be more affectionate, I try to hug them but I just don't like it. Cody is easy, he is a baby, but the other kids. Man, it is really hard. And poor Jasmine, she is the cuddliest kid I know. She needs to be loved and cuddled and kissed and I just can't do it. man, I should shut up. Sometimes I just hate myself. Sometimes I just hate that I get on here a spew forth all this garbage coz I have no where else to put it. I am really sorry. Really. Disregard it all if you want. LuCynda email: lucyndah@telusplanet.net Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 14:31:55 (EST)) Hi again from LisaB. CHRISTI: Thanks for the card. Your 2 little angels are adorable! JULIANNE: I'm glad Colton slept and is eating better. 4 lb is a lot for a toddler to lose in a week. The puppy is outside, on the front porch. JENNIFER: I'm sorry your SIL is such a witch. I would just write her off (good riddance). Try, however, to keep in touch with your brother and the kids. LuCYNDIA: I'm so worried about you, sweetie. I'll e-mail you when I get off of here. LisaB & Max (15 3/4 months) email: lisa_lab@hotmail.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 15:01:42 (EST)) Hello to all. Riley is busy watching the older boys play N64. He gets the controller fom them and tries to play. Sometimes when the TV is on, he'll drag out the controller and thinks he's playing. He watches those two way too much. I don't know why, but he runs after Jesse all the time and mimics everything he sees Jess doing. The other night, Jess was on the couch with his feet up in his night shirt. So Riley gets up there and puts his feet inside his shirt and then kept looking at Jess. Everytime Jess moved Riley did the same thing. When Jess is reading his readers to me at night, Riley gets up there and tries to say the words too. My Mom thinks he has no idea that he is a baby.LOL Well, the wacko GF left town. I can breathe a sigh of relief! My Christmas wish is that she never come back!!!!!! The boys are going to the movies with their Dad and then to spend the night at his parents. I won't see them again until about 9:00 C-eve. Makes it easier to hide the puppy this way. I'm determined not to let him see it until C-morning. **Jennifer- what a bitch! How dare the SIL talk like that to you and your Mom. Could it be out of control hormones? Just hang in there and remember none of the crap she's spilling is true. At least you got out of going over there for X-mas, is that a relief? Will you spend it with your parents? **Helen- What in the H@!! is he buying you?!!! Now I want to know. **LisaB- Hope you get to give the puppy to Max! I'm tying a red bow around the neck of Jesse's. It's very little and looks just like the RCA dog. The one that died had one blk eye and I was able to find another with one blk eye too. I'm really excited. I love giving my boys what they ask for. Although, it dawned on me today, that I did not get the Furbie that Tay was asking for. I thought they were girl toys, but he really wants one. **Mo-WOOHOO, go Alex go!!!!! Quit giving him early gifts, you know you'll just go buy more!LOL Psst. Alex....this is your Auntie Shell....make a stand right now bud!...Tell Mom no more early gifts and you DON'T want to hear what everyone else bought you!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for Tay to come visit you. I'm not even giving Jim a choice. For those of you who are wondering. Moriah and Geoff love to tell each other what they are getting. Geoff tells Mo what his fam has bought her and she tells him what all his gifts are too. They are horrible!!!!!!LOL I can just imagine poor little Alex covering his ears when he's 5, crying "Please don't tell me anymore!!!!!" Love to everyone. I didn't take notes so I didn't post to everyone! Sorry, I'll do better next time!!!! Shelly & Riley Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 15:11:11 (EST)) Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays friends. Becky here. I know you probably don't even remember me since it has been so long since I posted. Sorry no personals but I wanted to wish everyone happy happy merry merry!!!!!! I am so excited about Christmas this year. Harley really loves our tree and our antimated santa claus. It really is special to see the holidays through a little ones eyes. Even my husband who is usually a grinch has the christmas spirit this year. We have limited finances so this year we decided to get each other a video camera for christmas since we didn't have one and Harley is growing up so fast. We got harley some books, teletubby silverware and toys and slippers and other assorted goodies. I have FINALLY got Harley's room all fixed up. Harley was an unexpected blessing and our extra bedroom has been a storage area for 10 years and was jam packed with clothes, boxes of junk, etc. Every weekend since Harley was born I have been sorting, storing, throwing away and giving to the salvation army out of that room and now it's finished!!!! He really loves his room and we have his crib set up and everything. Now the real challenge is going to be getting him to sleep in it. I know I'm terrible but he still sleeps with DH and I. I'm a little worried about Harley not really talking yet. He babbles but no real words. His peditrician said to bring him in to see a speech therapist if he doesn't start saying words by the time he is 18 months. I told my best friend (also named Becky) that and she laughed so hard, and said he is fine and that alot of kids don't talk until they are 2 years old. That made me feel alot better since she has 2 teenage kids of her own and grew up in a family of 8, so I guess she should know. Anyway, I guess this long lost stranger has babbled enough. If anyone has new pictures of their babies I would love to see them. Take Care and Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Love Always Becky and Harley Becky & Harley 16 months email: bsmisek@scfair.org Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 15:35:21 (EST)) Rebecca here... I was just skimming the posts and I didn't really take notes. Moriah - Congrats! Every milestone for Alex fills my heart. I remeber when we were on PT together. All of our prayers must have been answered to give you such an amazing little boy. LuCynda - I sent you an e-mail. Things aren't really great here, though your wishes have made me feel good. I go to the drs today. Hopefully he can help. I wanted to thank all of you for your Christmas wishes, cards, e-mails. I also wanted to thank you for your love and support over the last 2 years. At this time of year I start to think of the people who mean alot to me and all of you come to mind. Without your support I don't know where I would be. Your friendship has meant so much to me. I love you all and I hope all of you have a terrific Christmas. I'll be at my mom's all weekend so I probably won't be back until Monday or so. I'll talk to you then. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX!!! Rebecca & Paige 13months email: burn@canadawired.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 15:39:55 (EST)) Hooray for Alex!!!!!!! I am so happy for you. Merry Christmas! Becky Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 15:43:46 (EST)) One last wish for a special Christmas for everyone! Sue and Cameron email: sbarry@key.org Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 16:24:46 (EST)) Hi Mom's! Darleen here, Nolan is napping hopefully! Well.........I hope every one is coming down the homeward stretch of getting there Christmas shopping done. My Dh and I are going out first thing tomorrow morning to finish up last minute things. He had to work until today, and I haven't been feeling like fighting the crowds alone with Nolan. We took Nolan for a drive last night to see all the Christmas lights. He didn't mind them. Other then, that I think I am getting excited more because of Nolan and seeing what he's getting for Christmas. LuCynda-I hope you and your Dh work things out for the best. I know it is hard when one person puts more effort into the relationship then the other one, but they say communication is #1 in a marriage. My Dh isn't very open, but we make the best of it. I love him dearly, and I'm pretty sure he loves me. I wish you all the best. We are here for you when you need friends to talk too! I found when we were having problems, I went to the minister alone, and that helped me. Dh didn't know I went. It was a relief for me to be able to talk to somebody other then friends and family. Good luck! Make the best choice for yourself and your family. Don't be miserable for the rest of your life, life is too short! Have a Merry Christmas! Well that's all until next week! Merry Christmas Everyone! Darleen & Nolan (13mths) email: j7smith@ciaccess.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 16:53:04 (EST)) I just want to tell everyone merry christmas!! Cat will be one tomorrow, I cant believe it! Love to you all! Kahne and Cat 1 day to go!!!!!!!!!!!! email: kahneandsteve@hotmail.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 19:43:06 (EST)) Hi mommies. Jarin has been so much fun the past few days. He is just giggling all the time. Tonight, he got a big Po Teletubby from my sister when we did Christmas with my dad. He was hugging it, kissing it, picking it up and throwing it out of his chair and laughing. It was so cute. Unfortunately, he was also up again last night for two hours. I finally put him in his crib and let him cry himself to sleep - it took about 25 minutes. =( I love my little monster boy so much! He had lots of fun opening his present, so tomorrow and Christmas Day should be lots of fun. =) **Stacey: I am so glad you are feeling better about things. =) And I am also so glad that Sebastian is ok and got to go home. What a relief for his mom and your family. I was going to tell you the same thing Christi said - on the news here it said that Toys R Us was giving $100 gift certificates to those who didn't get their toys for Christmas. So cute that Franchesca is talking more and Alexa is laughing. It is so precious when they first start to laugh. And Yay for Alexa sleeping all night? How DO you DO that? **Moriah: YAY for Alex!!!! I am so happy for you guys. What great news at Christmas time -what would we expect from our little miracle baby? Loved the card, so true! Glad that Geoff gets to be home with you too. You are so funny with letting Alex open presents already. **Helen: My DH also loves to buy things for me from VS. And I, like you, love to have the house all cleaned up before Christmas. So Jarin isn't the only chow hound right now? He goes in stages, one day he'll eat everything and the next, nothing. **LisaB: So cute about Max squatting and touching his toes. I can just see him. =) **Katy: So Liam likes to wear his lasagne, huh? LOL **Julianne: Ok, I will be watching for that snow now! **Christi: Glad you got good gifts from your daycare people. Too funny about the diaper in the cupboard. **Jennifer: Sorry to hear that things are worse with the SIL. =( **Rita: Hope you hear about the other new job soon. =) **LuCynda: I am worried about you, hon. Is there any chance that you could talk to a counselor? Even if your DH wouldn't go, it might help you to be able to talk. Or, like someone else said, could you talk to the minister by yourself? Maybe your doctor when you go for a prenatal visit? Heck, you're paying him anyway, let him listen to you. Maybe the hormones are making things seem worse. I'm not trying to downplay anything at all - please don't think that. Just trying to give you some suggestions. I hope you feel better soon. We're all here for you when you need to vent. You know that. **Shelly: Jarin also likes to watch my Jesse play N64. That's so funny that Moriah and Geoff have to tell each other about the gifts. LOL at Alex saying, "Please stop!" **Becky: Hello stranger!!! Great that you finally got Harley's room ready. Good luck getting him to stay in there. Jarin doesn't talk much at all either. I don't worry about it. I know he will when he's ready. My Jesse and Jaime both didn't say too much until after 18 months and then WHAM they never shut up. LOL **Rebecca: I'm still thinking of you too, hon. I hope you get things worked out so you can feel better. Keep working with and talking to your doctor. I'm sure eventually you'll get everything back in balance. It does take time. Believe me - I know! **Kahne: Happy Birthday to Cat tomorrow!!! **Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. =) Patty and Jarin - almost 16 months email: tematheny@ctlnet.com Thursday, December 23, 1999 at 23:36:22 (EST)) HOHOHO!!! Merry Christmas!!! Happy Quanza (Have no clue how to spell that one) and Happy Chaunaka, Haunaka, hanaka etc... from Birdie. It's 2:00 AM and I am still baking. I am insane!!!! First to admit it. I am also eternally ten. I am way too excited for Christmas. I can't even go to bed and Santa doesn't come until tomorrow. I hope he did a good job this year. (Of course he came early for my birthday so it will be okay if I get something silly) Anyway, I just wanted to wish all of you a very merry christmas. So sorry I haven't done any personals. LuCynda and Rebecca- You are in my thoughts Helen- HOHOHO. No, I'm not calling you that. It's just my way of wishing you a good x-mas!!!! HEHEHE Rita, Christi, Cynthia, Patty, Kelli, Shelly, LisaB, Lynda, okay I'll stop. I was going to list all of you but I'd be here through x-mas...Happy Holidays!!! Moriah- Loved the card!!!! Adorable, big baby. That is such awesome news. I am totally picturing him schooching. What a sweety. Have an excellent Christmas. So glad Geoff got home. Take care and have a good one!!! Birdie (all alone at 2:00 AM) Friday, December 24, 1999 at 03:04:27 (EST)) Hi Lynda here. Its 8:00pm Christmas Eve in my part of the world - and we are having the devil of a time trying to get Ella to go to sleep - she's crying again now and DH (god bless him) has just gone to see to her. Do you think she knows that tonights the night???!!! On to some personals: Helen: I am going to put the film in the Camera right now so to be ready first thing in the morning for Ella's first Christmas! - Like you I like to get things in order, especially since we are going away for a few days and I don't want to come home to a mess. Jennifer: Forget what I said previously about smoothing things over and going to SIL's for Christmas. She has escalated the issue hugely and for no apparent reason - sounds like she is a bit unbalanced and the stresses of the Christmas period could be getting to her. Sorry your Christmas has been spoilt by her. Rita: Souns like you stayed healthy just long enough to see the girls through the worst of it - and now your body is giving in to it. Shame about the job but sounds like you will have frint running for the next one. Naturally enough we never have a white Christmas, occaisionally we have a coldish Christmas but more often than not it is warm to hot. Tomorrow is expected to be around 28 deg celsius - and we will be having roast Turkey/Pork and Ham for lunch followed by plum pudding - not exactly warm weather fare - but a fairly traditional Australian (via England) Christmas meal. LuCynda - try not to do anything rash over the next few days that you may regret. I hope that having the board as an outlet helps. You said that you like deep and meaningfuls with strangers - so maybe a counsellor would be a good person to talk to. Also I thought it might help if you could remember what it was about your DH that attracted you to him in the first place. Do you think you might still be able to find that in him ? I guess my attitude is not to give up on the marriage until every last avenue has been exhausted. Birdie - hope you got some sleep! Well we are off for a few days down the beach (hope the warm weather keeps up) and then back home to Melbourne for New Years Eve. We are having a quiet New Years at a friends place. Although I am going to see if my mum can look after Ella all night so that I can have my very first full night sleep in almost 12 months - ahhhhhhh!!! heaven!!! If I don't get back before then - all the very best to all who post on the board (and any who just read - please join us) and to your families and friends. Have a safe and happy time!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lynda & Ella (11.5 mths) email: ljpjyoung@ozemail.com.au Friday, December 24, 1999 at 05:16:20 (EST)) Hello on Christmas Eve from Rita Yes, I am here at work on Christmas Eve. It is crazy what we are trying to accomplish at the last minute to prepare for what might be a support nightmare - the dreaded Y2K! I pray that my pager never buzzes. Kahne - Happy Birthday little Cat! Christmas Eve! (And I thought that we had a bad time with BDs on 12/31 and 1/4) May you have a wonderful second year of life! Birdie - Girl, you are insane - in all the right ways! I have two more things to make/bake for my family gathering on Sunday. Last night I was up until 11:00 stitching the initials on the new Christmas stockings that I made. They're pretty plain, but I have all kinds of room to spiff them up for next year. I'd like to add trim and maybe some special buttons that make each one very individual. We thought that we were not going overboard, but with all of the gifts that friends and co-workers have sent for the girls, it looks like quite a haul. Lynda - Have a great, warm Christmas and enjoy the beach. I actually love the cold and rocky beaches that we have here. DH loves the tropics and wants to convert me. Well, I had better get back to my Y2K nightmare. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy(?) Kwanza, and Blessed Ramadan to everyone. Rita, Maddy & Amy email: ritad@home.com Friday, December 24, 1999 at 13:09:46 (EST)) Hi all, Just want you all to know that I am feeling better today. I still don't feel great, but I'm not feeling completely overwhelmed. Thanks for all your support you guys are the greatest. And just so you know, never think that I will actually leave Dave k, coz I couldn't live my life without him. He is my angel and best friend and there isn't a sole in the world who knows me as well, or who tolerates me, who has to put up with all my junk and still loves me so much. I really really do love him with all my heart. It is just that once in awhile the differences seem, well, really different. And, at those moments those differences seem completely impossible to deal with. But, we have a lot to go on. And actually most of the time we don't really have a WHOLE lot of marital problems, we just need to learn to communicate better. He knows it and I know it. He is completely willing to go for counselling. I'm afraid I made him sound like a stubborn jerk. He isn't at all. He is willing to give whatever I need. The problem isn't his willingness at all, it is that he just litterally has know idea how to go about it. His parents were extremely poor examples. Not that they had a BAD marriage, they just didn't really have A marriage. I don't know how to explain that. Dave is the youngest of nine kids. He was also a surprise 8 years after they thought they were done. So, by the time he was born, his parents were in their 50's. Now they are 75. Anyway, talk about a generation gap. And, his older siblings were so much older than him that eventually he ended up feeling like an only child. Plus, after he was born his parents started sleeping in completely separate parts of the house. I tease him all the time that all along they had no idea how she kept getting pregnant and after he surprised them they moved their living quarters away from each other just to be safe. LOL. But the point is, they don't communicate. The co-exsist. They also never really taught him anything at all. I guess they were just too tired by then. I dunno. But I understand with all of my heart why it is so hard for him. But it is still hard for me to accept it sometimes. But he loves me and will not even consider separation as an option. I don't really either. I feel it sometimes but I think it is out of desparation coz I just don't know what to do. We do need counselling and are going to look into it. We just need to find someone who does nights. Luckily, in our neck of the world we get such things covered by health care. Just like our medical visits. Someone said to dump on my doctor coz I'm paying him anyways, actually, I don't pay him at all. That is what I love about Canada. I can go to the doctor whenever I need to and not have to worry about it in the slightest. It is great. I do need to talk to my doc. That is hard in itself because not only do I live in a really small town where everyone knows everyone, he also goes to my church. It just feels funny. I'm thinking about going to see my doctor in Lethbridge. He is great. It is just a far drive. I won't give up my marriage I promise. And in truth, most of the problems are mine. Not that he isn't having problems too, but I DO need to learn to deal with the issues better and not learn to mellow out a bit. I tend to really over-react. Not in the sense that my feelings are an over reaction, but my actions in dealing with my feelings are. On a lighter note. We had to bath our husky last night. She is not small anymore. It took both of us. DH holding her in the tub and me dumping numerous buckets of water over her. Which was cold coz the hot ran out. She whined and whined and kept trying to jump out, and eventually the only way DH could keep her in was to get in with her. Shoes and all. At one point I was doing her face, the most important part because her markings are so distinct there, and I had to dump water right on her head. DH had to wrap his arms around her neck and ended up with his head almost right on hers. I dumped and they both ended up with a face full of water. How absolutly hillarious. After she gets out of the tub she goes freakin psycho. She jumps on our couch (the downstairs black trashed one that is a sectional and spans the entire room) and runs up and down and up and down and rolls over and over and does these little flips and stuff. Have you ever seen an animal to the funky chicken while they are dying. (sorry, I grew up on a farm so I saw it alot) You know, how they just flip and jolt and twitch and jump all over the place? Well, that is exactly what she looked like. It reminded me of when my mom ran over one of my cats. Okay, okay. Don't feel all grossed out or bad or anything. It was a fact of life growing up on a farm. Animals got run over, we had to shoot the sick ones, it just happens. At the time I was distraught over my poor kitty, and my mom was too, but now I can't help but look back and sort of laugh at how many cats I've had and how many of them met a tragic death. And I really did love them all, so I'm not cruel. It just seems like a cat a day got run over. Or they curled up in the inside of the vehicles and then you start the vehicle up and hear this really weird noise and see little peices of goo and fur flying all over the place. Alright, I've gone on enough. I know most of you are cityish and are probably disgusted with me. Birdie, you are probably the sickest of all at hearing all my problems huh. I'm really sorry for that. You have had to put up with it for almost two years now. Well, chow for now all and have the greatest Christmas ever. Luv ya tons LuCynda email: lucyndah@telusplanet.net Friday, December 24, 1999 at 14:26:09 (EST)) Ok I had to tell someone, one year ago at exactly this time, I was giving birth! Ok, I have to run! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kahne and Cat, 1 TODAY Friday, December 24, 1999 at 18:37:01 (EST)) Hi All, It is Christmas Eve, and I am chatting on TT. My Dh is sleeping, and Nolan is running around playing. LuCynda- I'm glad to hear you are going to work it out. Anyways, what part of Canada are you from? I am from Canada also. Chatham,Ontario, near Windsor(1hour). Well I better go and get Nolan bathed for Santa, and ready for bed. Merry Christmas! Darleen & Nolan email: j7smith@ciaccess.com Friday, December 24, 1999 at 20:19:22 (EST)) Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!!! We love you all! Shelly & Riley Friday, December 24, 1999 at 20:20:56 (EST)) Merry Christmas everyone!! DH and I (okay, mostly DH) are doing "Santa" things right now. We have big "sleigh" marks in our front yard, and half eaten carrots, hoof marks and footprints. heehee, so much fun this year. We went to GIL's tonight, and then church, came home and there were gifts on our door from MIL, so the kids got to open them, and then their jammies from us. Finally at 10:30 the kids finally went to bed, not asleep, but in bed. My sister caled this morning, and they are first time foster parents tonight! (They are suppose to be open to highly adoptable kids, but we will see.) Needless to say, my mom and I went shopping like crazy this morning, nothing left to choose from really. The little girl is 4 (same as my DD) and the baby is 5 months--perfect for Caleb's hand me downs. Okay, I will stop babbaling! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! OH, one personal... HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAT!!! Christi & Caleb 13 months email: plumbs@coiinc.com Saturday, December 25, 1999 at 01:56:59 (EST)) Hi mommies. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Jarin is napping, but I had a hard time getting him down. He was so excited, running from new toy to new toy. He had so much fun unwrapping gifts, but his most favorite thing was the mini m&m's in his stocking. He opened those, and was pretty much done with the whole gift thing. He LOVES his Rock&Roll Elmo and his Barney & Teletubby videos. He is so much fun. =) Jesse had a ball opening all of his gifts too. So sweet and thankful for everything. Jaime - man, oh man, was she ever excited! We went and put a downpayment on a car for her (a 93 Olds Achieva) and she was jumping up and down and running everywhere. She has to pay the payments now, but she was thrilled. Her payment book was one of her gifts. LOL **LuCynda: I'm so glad to hear that you are feeling happier today. The dog bath story was too funny. I can just see it. Our dog used to run wild like that after a bath when we were kids. Take care of you, ok? **Christi: congrats to your sis getting to be a foster parent. Hope it all works out ok. I think that would be such a hard job, as I would never want to give the kids back to the parents. =( **Happy Birthday Cat! =) =) =) =) **Merry Christmas to all of you. you guys are the best. Love you all. Patty and Jarin - almost 16 months email: tematheny@ctlnet.com Saturday, December 25, 1999 at 16:23:28 (EST)) |