Sleeping Beauty, The Mom behind the Baby & Tale of the Bloody Thumb

I have 3 stories to Tell: ....

• SLEEPING BEAUTY: Yea. Finally Heather is home for the summer. It is so exciting to see her again. Just to sit around and have sister talk is so much fun. I'm jealous of Jessica because she gets to see her all the time. So she spent the night at my place on Sunday and boy she likes to sleep in. I got her up at 11. Sure she is one hour behind but she slept through.....Josh, me doing laundry, vacuuming, the garbage truck, the roofer on the roof fixing it, and the builders next door. I'm amazed that she slept through all of it. It also made me feel really productive that I got a bunch done while she was sleeping.

• THE MOM BEHIND THE BABY: I'm having identity issues...kind of. So yesterday Brandon got home. It just annoys me to death how Jason's parents act around Josh. I'm grateful and happy that they love Josh sooo much but they almost express it in ways that make me feel like I don't matter. For instants Brandon gets home. I made it a point that I wanted to be the one holding Josh when Brandon steps off the plane I had to keep telling Jason's dad that I would hold him. They just expect that if they are in the room with Josh that they automatically get to hold him. So Brandon is here. Everyone is saying hi. It's my turn I'm about to say hi/give hugs and Jason's dad cuts me off and says this is Josh...my line after I say my hellos. I know I'm probably just PMSing, but this is just one instants and it's just starting to annoy me. Every time we see them, they don't say hi Jen how are you doing. It is hi Josh as they disappear with my baby. Sometimes if they come over to my house. I just feel awkward as the play with Josh. It's almost like I'm not even there. I think should I go work on something or continue my show I was watching, but then I think that would be rude. I'm glad they love him so much, but I wish they would do it in a way that doesn't make me feel bad/invisible or pounce on my motherhood privileges such as introducing my son.

• TALE OF THE BLOODY THUMB: I had my first child & blood experience today. I don't do well with blood. I was in the scrapbooking room doing a little scrapbooking. Josh was on the floor playing. He started playing with the air intake thing by the door. I kept looking up to make sure he doesn't venture out in the hall and head for the stairs. We were both having fun until the next time I look up and there is blood all over the door. It was like a horror film. I guess he had cut his thumb on one of the tops of the screws or on the vent somehow (I'm still not quite sure how he did it I could not find anything sharp) and then was finger painting with his blood. It was really hard dealing with it because it was a gusher and he would not sit still. I don't think he was bothered by it in the least bit though. After putting a band aid on one thumb. He started putting it in his mouth so I put a band aid on the other so he would have 2 to play with. Hopefully it will stay on. He's sleeping now and I just finished cleaning the blood off my carpet & walls.

Ker Splat or Should I Say Plop or Thud

I am not a nice person in the morning. I'm tired, not coherent, and I try to sleep through any disturbances. Jason usually has to nudge me to go get Josh if he is crying in the middle of the night so this is written through the details I got from Jason....The story begins somewhere between 6:30-7:00 am, somewhere in between the snoozes of Jason's alarm. Jason thought he heard a thud. He shrugged it off. Did he really hear it? It may have been the builders if they got to the neighborhood early. So Jason decides to get up and start getting ready for the day. Then he hears the distinct boinking noise that the door stoppers make when "someone" plays with them. Perplexed and confused he walks over to Josh's room and discovers Josh happily playing on the floor with the door stopper. So congratulations to Josh he now will pull up on things on his own! Shame on Mom & Dad for not making sure his crib mattress was low enough. The last question/thought that lingers in my mind is what happened to the tears. He rolled off our bed once and he cried about it. The drop from his crib would have been higher. It kind of scares me that he didn't cry. Maybe it was his new found freedom that overshot any pain. Motherhood...You can only be so active in your child's life. Teaching him, protecting him, loving him and caring for his needs-the Mother part. The Hood is for all those times you don't have control. You put the hood over your eyes and pray as the child learns on their own and pray that God is watching and that they will be alright.

Traveling with Elvis

We just got back from our Summer 2008 Vacation. We went to the black hills of South Dakota with my family (Mom, Dad, John's Family & Quentin's Family) and friends (Kristin Brown & Lloyd Finlinson & his wife and a couple they know). It was a lot of fun...so here is how it went down.

Friday- We left and traveled to Dave's house. We visited with them and Jason was able to catch up with Jacob, but sad to say we didn't have time for marble works. Flying planes though was just as fun.

Saturday-This was a travel day and thanks to Elvis, we didn't have any melt downs. Josh is such a trooper. I still do not understand the link between Elvis and Josh, but I do not question it since Elvis keeps Josh happy and quiet. We stayed the night in a hotel and Josh got his first taste of swimming. He didn't really like it even when dad took him around for a swim. Now we have issues with bath time. I put him in, he stands up and tries to get out. We have ruined the enjoyable bath time by scaring him with the swimming pool. At least now I know with the proper motivation, he can pull himself up into the standing position without a problem. On Saturday we also checked out Cabelas (Jason forgot his biking shoes & I later found out I needed a coat...it was cold) and ate at this yummy steak place.

Sunday-Yet another travel day. We arrived at our cabin in the late afternoon after meeting up with Quentin & his family. The rest of this day was eating & talking...a true vacation.

Monday-Our first adventure was Mt Rushmore. This was my first trip there that it was more to me than faces on the side of the mountain. I was able to enjoy learning some of the history behind it. My mom was also nice enough to keep Josh occupied so I could enjoy it a little more. On the way home, we got the call that my Grandpa Guernsey had passed away. That was hard, but I had already prepared myself for it and done most of my crying. Jason & I couldn't go to the funeral (it was the following Saturday) due to financial reasons & his job. Plus sometimes its easier for me not to go to the funeral...emotionally draining for me. This way I can just think to myself that it will just be a while longer before we go visit him...in heaven.

Tuesday-So the schedule changed to biking today & tomorrow so the guys went biking & the gals stayed and talked, slept, sewed, and tended to the kids. Later, after the guys got back, the gals went shopping while the dad's watched the kids. Wait a minute are we on vacation? This sounds like a regular day.

Wednesday-Yet another biking day. Jason decided to join the guys later on the Michelson Trail. He went to a gold mine and toured it and then hopped on the trail with the rest of the biker guys. The gals on the other hand squished into one minivan. Jessica & Liz in front, followed by Jessica's kids (Jaquelyn & Calvin) , followed by me squashed between the two car seats of Josh & Andrew. We drove around Custer State park in search for buffalo. We were able to see buffalo and more wildlife. We even got to see as Calvin calls them gummy guys (army guys). They were doing a training session in the park. Wednesday was a long day for me after our wildlife hunt we were meeting the guys at this buffet that we found out later is only open for dinners on the weekends so. We have been driving around all day without naps. Both Andrew and Josh cried/screamed the whole way home. I cried when i got home. That was mom torture therapy.

Thursday- Thursday morning we parted ways with Quentin's family & my parents as they traveled to California for my grandpa's funeral. Jason & I were left with the duty of driving the van back to Kansas. I told Jason he was driving because I don't like having bikes on the back and we were heavy and it freaks me out going over bumps because sometimes it would scrape because we were riding so low. The fun of today was going to wind cave. Cave's are so fascinating to me. I would love to come one day and take the hard tour where you are actually caving & not walking on a paved path. Josh loved the cave so much that half way through he was asleep. Andrew was in a back pack on John's shoulders. I got a kick out of hearing him say duck every time John told him to duck. After that, we were going to see crazy horse, but we opted out because it kept raining. Instead we ate out and came back and watched a movie.

Friday- It's all about the bears. We went to bear country today. It's like a drive through zoo. It's expensive..$15 per head, but fun. We saw elks, reindeer, wolves, buffalo, bears, and other animals. It reminded me of Jurassic park without the dinosaurs. I think I liked being in a minivan because you are up higher and so you are farther away. I think I would get freaked out if I was in a car and a bear came up beside it. At the end you get out of your car and look at the different pens they have with the baby animals. The baby bears were so adorable as they played with each other and climbed up the tree. When we got home we packed up the cars and ate left overs and finished our Bourne movie marathon. Those are good movies.

Saturday-We got checked out and drove to Dave's House and yes we listened to Elvis for at least half the drive and we got Braum's ice cream on the way...yum. We stayed the night and Sunday morning we drove the rest of the way back home. It felt good to be sleeping in my own bed.

Pictures to follow....

Rain is Falling All Around

If you would like to sing along page 241 childrens song book....

Rain is falling all around, through my house-top to sites unfound.
Rain is falling through my pane, down the wall and to the drain.

So with new houses comes new house problems. We finally have all our shingles and I believe with the warm weather they have adhered to the top of the house, but we are still getting water through the roof. Somewhere between Josh's room and the 3rd car garage. We called the roofing people again on Monday and they are backed up a week and half....Justin our builder called today and they are coming tommorrow or the next day depending on the weather. Go Justin.

Also our basement was leaking which Justin came out today and hopefully fixed. It was leaking in 3 spots. 1-was around the sliding glass door...all the water went down to the basement (thankgoodness). Aparently the workers put this tar stuff on and then the caulking which they aren't suppose to because it doesn't adhere to the windows. 2- was the window in the basement. They didn't seal it on the outside. 3-was a leak down the side of the basement. They didn't solve this one. It had everything it was suppose to have. They thought since there was a lot of flooding that is the cause?? Whatever I will be calling them again when it leaks again. The main problems are fixed for now though before we go on our trip.

We also had the main plumming line fixed today. There was a very small leak. Thank goodness I don't work anymore so I can be home to have everything fixed.

The verdict is in. My house loves water.