#MMM Slowly Getting There

As I am trying to get back to normal, some things fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, blogging takes a back seat to the needs of my family. After being sick for nearly 2 weeks, Fuss and I are finally on the mend and I have been able to get my house back in order (somewhat). I cannot wait to help out my bloggy friend Angela from Life With My Littles with her big Newborn Event. :) She and I have become very close over the last couple of years after I won my first diaper from her. So, I will continue to work out the details and try to get some more sponsors on board (including the ones I already had) and get this all put together.

Other than that, we have recently found out that my BIL and his fiancee are getting married in June! My sister is due for her first June 6th and is having a little boy!! And my baby sister is graduating! :D So much going on, but so thankful for all of it. Hoping to add our own new baby to that mix soon if the Fates be kind.

#MMM Joining the January #Fitness Rush

Hello, January Fitness Fiends! Hubby and I have decided to join the "New Year's Resolution" crowd and joined Planet Fitness this month. I am (somewhat) excited because I would love to have a nice, toned body again. I don't want my 20-year-old body back...maybe 25... I would, however, like to have less jiggle and a little more definition. Not necessarily a bikini body, but to look good and not have a muffin top! LOL. I'll have to post a photo of myself before I start working out. My current weight at 5'1" is 133. Hubby would be upset if I put his stats, so I'll tell you he is 6'1" and hates his weight. His goal is weight loss. Fingers crossed we'll be able to meet our goals and I will be able to keep from hurting my hernia in the process.

Wish us luck! And perseverance!

#MMM Taking a Short Hiatus

I, sadly, have to step away from blogging for a bit to focus on my own health. I am currently in a splint for my broken ring finger and I (finally) haven an appointment set up with the surgeon for December 7. I am hoping I won't need surgery, but we shall see. I have a review to post for an awesome holiday gift for a new dad or dad-to-be and I have a guest post lined up as well.

Enjoy the Mania! I will update when I can and I hope to be back to "normal" soon!

#MMM Hand Injury

This is going to be a short post. I have a pretty severe hand injury this week and am returning to the doctor for the second time after Beast literally dragged me across the street, sending me airborne. I definitely dislocated the ring finger of my left hand and, although it popped back in, I may still have some soft tissue damage to deal with. Hoping to be back to normal soon. 


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#MMM Another Angel in Heaven

 

So, I know I don't talk about religion...and I'm really not going to today either, but as this week has come to a rather abrupt conclusion I will write about my Great-Grandfather. We lost my Great-Grandmother in February of 2009, the year I got pregnant for Fuss. I feel that she has been around to watch her great-great-granddaughter grow into the spunky little girl that she is (and probably had a hand in that spunk as well!). This week, my Great-Grandfather had a massive heart attack and was placed in the hospital. We didn't expect him to make it to the weekend, but he did. I visited him the same day the doctor had told my uncle and cousin that he wasn't going to last long. From being paralyzed and not able to speak, he had an entire afternoon of intermittent moments of lucidity. He spoke with his granddaughters and his great-granddaughters. For me, it was surreal. I have never been close to him like the other grandchildren were/are. It is a very long story and one I won't get into as it's not my story to tell. However, as I was getting ready to leave his room, he grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him, squeezing tight. Poppy (as we called him) refused to let me go. So I stayed a little longer. I had errands to run, but they weren't  important right then. He was. He looked at me and smiled. He squeezed my fingers. Then he said, unprompted, "I love you." He had never done that with me. Ever. I am so blessed to have had that one moment with him and to know that in his last hours, he was able to tell me he loved me. A few hours later, Poppy took a turn for the worse and was placed on comfort measures. He passed away Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

I am very glad to have gotten to know him better in the last few years, but even more glad that Fuss was able to know her Great-Great-Grandfather. Not too many people can say that. She may not remember him fully, but his love for her will last in her heart. I know now that he is walking with my Great-Grandmother alongside a river just like the one they chose to build their retirement cabin on. My Fuss now has another Ancestor to watch over her as she continues to grow and mature.

Goodbye, Poppy. Rest in peace and enjoy eternity with Mamaw Rie.

#MMM Better Late than Never!

Well, I'm running late today! lol. I had work earlier today and then I had to take Fuss to the doctor because her "ears hurt". She has an infection in her right ear. I am hoping she starts getting better quickly and doesn't do what the doctor thinks is going to happen (ie. cold with runny nose, cough, sneezing).

I also went out for my *second* birthday dinner with my family tonight. My mom, stepdad, uncle, aunt, 2 cousins, sister, and future BIL were all there. The only person missing was my Hubby because he had to work. At least I got to celebrate with him though on Thursday. :)

I have managed to get Fuss's Christmas present shopping finished thanks to Toys R Us layaway. I also have Little Man's shopping done, but I found a deal I might not be able to pass up for a game for him. I have a few other things here and there, but no one else is finished. Guess we can see who the important people are, huh? Fuss has started asking for different things, so we finally started telling her she would have to ask Santa. Now, everything she sees, she goes "Can I ask Santa for that?" Ahhh the innocence of youth!

#MMM What a Great Weekend!

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support this week. It helped tremendously.

Now, on to the fun stuff...Fuss had her first "Halloween party" at the library's Mother Goose hour. She dressed up as Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog (pics to come later). Hubby took her and she went "trick-or-treating" around the library. :)

Friday evening was pretty boring. You know, aside from the tantrums and meltdowns that are standard fare for a 2-year-old.

Saturday was the best day, though! Fuss carved her first pumpkin! She also drew a "face" on one. She HATED the way the insides of the pumpkin felt and refused to touch it after she realized it was icky.

We also cooked dinner at my MIL's house (where we carved the pumpkins) and it was delicious! We made flat iron steak with this recipe. Since it was raining, Hubby broiled the steak instead of putting it on the grill, but it turned out amazing! We had salad, potatoes, peas, and pumpkin roll for dessert. The pumpkin roll was store bought, but it still tasted really great. My MIL even asked for the recipe! I think, though, that next time I will use tomato sauce or tomato juice instead of tomato paste to keep from having to strain so much of it. That part was a pain in the butt.

The one bad thing? Beast decided to EAT one of the pumpkins! I think it made him sick because he wanted out at 1 a.m. and again at 7 a.m. Usually once he is in his kennel for the night around 10, he stays there till 7 or 8 a.m. Serves him right for eating random things. (He ate 1/2 yard of a blanket once just before Christmas.)

Now, we are preparing ourselves for the "Frankenstorm" that is supposed to hit us with a few inches of snow and some seriously high winds. I can only hope we aren't out of power for a week like we were in July. And I hope that the people on the coast and up North don't get hit too badly either. Fingers are crossed that the weather forecasters are wrong on this one.

#MMM Blighted Ovum

It is with a heavy heart that I write today's Manic Monday post. I am supposed to be 11 weeks pregnant as of tomorrow. Unfortunately, after spotting all weekend, I went to the doctor today to discover a blighted ovum. There is a sac, but no baby. The sac even stopped growing at 7 weeks, 6 days. I  have already gone through my crying period this morning. Hubby and I talked about it a lot today and we plan to try again soon. I think we are going to leave how soon up to a Higher Power to decide when it is time. My only hope is that it doesn't take us a year like it did after my first miscarriage to conceive Fuss. I was/am devastated by this loss. However, I know that there was nothing that I did or didn't do (or that Hubby did/didn't do) that caused this. It happened and life moves on. Honestly, I think the hardest part is telling the family. They were all so happy for us and now they are saddened along with us as well.

I am still planning on helping out with the event in April/May (when I would have been due), but in a different way. I am still working on the planning of that part, but will let you all know when it works out. Until then just keep us in your thoughts over the next few days. This is going to be a tough week.

#MMM Family Fun

This weekend we had a blast! I completely overdid it, but it was so worth it! Friday, Hubby and I were cleaning up and we managed to move all of our stuff out of one storage building into another (larger - and cheaper) one. It only took us about 2 hours since we didn't have much there, but after that we went out to dinner with the In-Laws since they had watched Fuss for us. Actually, that part was funny. We went to MIL's house to borrow FIL's trailer and Fuss refused to go with us! She asked to stay at their house. :) Of course, "Grandmommy" said to let her stay. That made the packing and unpacking really easy too.

Saturday, we went to Pittsburgh to visit a couple of friends and go to a pumpkin farm with them. The pumpkin farm was awesome! We were literally there ALL DAY. Fuss went down slides and saw chickens and goats. She even got to play with an old-fashioned water pump. The weather was beautiful too! Fuss led my friend and I through the corn maze and we were only the 2nd group of people out! Guess my little girl has a great sense of direction! The whole day, she kept asking to ride the horsies. So, of course, we had to do that. She ended up with the stubborn one that the boy couldn't control, but other than that it was good. She was absolutely worn out after that. Of course, she also kept waking up all night and was up 3/4 of the night before, so that probably helped the exhaustion. Fuss even picked out 2 small pumpkins while we were there that we are going to carve and/or paint for Halloween later this week. After the pumpkin farm, we went to our friends' house and had dinner (baked ziti! YUM!!!) We finally made it home around 10:30 after leaving the house at 8 a.m. Fuss passed out in the car, so she slept in her clothes. The best part? She got up at 5, I told her to go back to sleep and she did. She woke up at 7. Same thing. She finally got up for the day at 9:30!

That brings us to Sunday. My Mom texted me and asked if I was busy. I said no, but I was resting because I overdid it the last 2 days. So, she came over with my nephew for a mini play date with his cousin. Fuss and Little Man had such a good time! She made me laugh after they left though because she goes, "Mommy, he likes to play with my doll house." And she was so excited by that fact that it tickled me! Plus, my brother would absolutely FLIP out if he heard her say that too! LOL.

As of now, Fuss has gone to bed at 8:30 p.m. this evening leaving me to do as I will. However, since I have a partially dehydration, partially hormonal-related headache, I am going to bed early myself. I can't take anything for my headache except Tylenol right now. :-/ And I have almost 200 transcriptions to get done tomorrow, so I'm posting my MMM early this week.

#MMM Exhaustion

Here we are again, Monday. I have been so exhausted that I can barely function the last few weeks. However I have gotten a couple sponsors for reviews/giveaways in the near future! One will be just before Christmas for Daddy Scrubs Daddy Day Pack. This diaper bag looks awesome! I also have one for Cleava. ;)

We are starting to prepare for our holiday insanity. First we have, Halloween where we have a couple friends and their kids come over for dinner and Trick-or-Treating. Then Thanksgiving when we visit my Dad. And, lastly, Christmas. This year with my little sister newly out-of-state, step-dad working out-of-state, and my BIL visiting us from Cali, Christmas is going to be INSANE! But it will be a lot of fun too. I'm just not sure if I can keep up with it all.

Have you gotten your Christmas shopping done? I have a few gifts, but not anywhere near finished! I'm really trying not to go overboard this year.

#MMM Always Manic

Today, I had 140 transcriptions to get done before close of business central time. Sucked, but I got it done. I even had a little time to spare! However, I did take a quick nap in the midst of all that work because I couldn't hold my eyes open. Especially after Fuss didn't go to bed early, but got up early!

This evening we went to the mall to look for Halloween costumes. Complete. Fail. Seriously, Fuss didn't even want to look at them. The one she HAD said she liked a couple weeks ago, she now hates and yelled that she didn't want it when I went to buy it. If this keeps up, she's going to be dressed in plain clothes for Halloween because I really don't care.

We also went to Toys 'R' Us. I was going to put a few things on layaway for Fuss for Christmas. One was a game for her LeapPad. No big. Doesn't matter if she "wants" it or not, she will play it and enjoy it because it has dogs. lol. I was also going to put a baby doll crib/stroller/pack'n'play set-type thing. She said she didn't like it. Well, F**k. Now what? Do I get the stuff anyway and hope she likes it by Christmas or just say the heck with it? She did, however, find an Ariel doll that she wants. So, that will be purchased. I have a set of Princess wall stickers for her already that I found at Walgreen's. Welcome to the Princess Stage. *sigh*

I am also thinking about a new(er) car. Not sure what to go for though. I don't want a huge payment, but I don't want a P.O.S. car either. Hubby and I are debating which one of us will have our vehicle die first. That is going to determine for sure who gets a new(er) one first. lol. In all honesty, though, we really want a new house. We need more room. It's just that finding something within our price range with what we want is a little trickier than we had hoped. I think we can manage (and probably drive ourselves nuts) for another year, but after that just not sure what will work.

P.S. Not sure what I did wrong with the code this week. Can't get it to show up to give each person their own linky. I apologize for that!

#MMM I'm Sorry for Breaking Your Heart

Fuss has learned the fine art of apology. At least most of the time. Sunday evening we went out to a friend's house for a Pampered Chef party. Fuss said bye bye to Daddy as we left, but he went to work before we got home. As we were leaving, Fuss asked to see Daddy. I told her Daddy was at work. At this point, she started crying and going, "I'll never see him again!" We get into the car and she is still crying with little bouts of silence. When she finally is sitting there with tears running down her cheeks, she says, "I want Daddy! I miss him and I love him! I never seen him again!" I almost burst into tears myself! It was so heartbreaking to hear. So, not thinking, I said, "Honey, you are breaking my heart! Daddy is at work."

After we got home, Daddy called her from work while on his break. She got to tell him "I love you and miss you" and she told him good night. I asked her if she felt better knowing that Daddy said he'd be back in the morning, and she said, "Yes." As we were watching TV and getting cuddle time before bed, she turns to me and says, "Mommy, I'm sorry." I asked what for. She says, "I sorry I break your heart." So, I told her "It's okay. I feel much better now and you make Mommy's heart happy. You made me feel a lot better." She hugged me tight and we cuddled until bedtime. It was so sweet, I just had to share!

Nothing much to report for now. Hoping to get a few reviews and/or giveaways set up soon, but no guarantees on that since I'm working a full-time schedule at this point. Plus, I am exhausted all the time. Guess I really need more sleep!

#MMM Good News!

Grab the Button code for button and box:

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Thank you, Heather, for the button! :-D

Fuss does NOT have an extra tooth! She actually has an extra cusp on her 2-year molar. *Whew* The dentist says this is a good thing because she will have extra room for her permanent teeth.

There isn't much else to report. I have a sinus infection with fluid in both ears. My ears were starting to get red and infected too. Now, I'm on amoxicillin for 10 days. It would be great if I could breathe again!  At least I'm not feeling as badly as I did a few days ago before the meds. The only bad thing is that I am probably going to get another yeast infection after having done all that work last week! Oh, well. Life goes on.

More next week as I am not feeling well right now and need to go lie down and rest. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.

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#MMM Now, I'm Annoyed

Welcome to Manic Mommy Monday! Feel free to link up with us and share your own brand of Mania every week! You can also join us on Twitter with the #MMM hashtag!

Job was going great. Really, it still is. I got a raise and have been making very high marks on all my QA. The only problem is that now I am pretty much back to a single doctor. That doctor has 6 days off this month. In addition to that, the doctors don't work on Sunday, -5 days.  Then, they didn't work on Labor Day, -1 day. That makes a grand total of 12 days that I am without work! Thankfully, I have been asked 2 times already this week to help fill in with another doctor, but I am not sure how we're going to manage this. Our child care expense has gone up since Fuss is now going to the sitter 3 days instead of 2 a week. *sigh* I guess we will see what happens in the coming weeks. Hopefully, I am asked to consistently fill in.

Fuss goes to her first dance class this week. She is SO excited! I had her try on her leotard and she didn't want to take it off to go to bed! LOL. I am excited for her. I loved dance and I hope she will too. She also gets to do tumbling. Depending on how things go, she may end up in just tumbling down the line (she is definitely our little gymnast).

I also have to go to the dentist on Wednesday for a cleaning, but I have to take Fuss with me because she is still complaining of her teeth hurting. All of her 2-year molars are erupted, but it looks to me like she has an extra tooth coming in on the side of the last molar. She has a lot of inflammation and is saying her ears and teeth hurt. That is exactly what she said when she was teething in the first place! I took her to our pedi and all he said was "watch her and if she is uncomfortable give her medicine." First of all, I wouldn't have called him if I hadn't thought it was necessary. Secondly, that is not an answer! And third, I don't want my 2-year-old running around half-dazed because she is on pain killers all day! Our solution has been Hyland's Teething Tablets, Orajel, and THEN pain medicine if she continues to complain. And ONLY if she complains. I don't get it. She has inflammation and there are 6 points on this molar instead of 4, but all I am told is her ears are clear and to watch her? Sometimes doctors are irritating. Normally, he is one of the good doctors too. He even asked me if I was still breastfeeding (last appointment with him we were)! He is supportive of an extended/altered vaccination schedule as well. Most of the time, I love him. Last week he just pissed me off! I just hope my dentist can shed some light on the matter and get all of us some relief.

So, next week, we'll have an update on the teeth if I haven't posted about that sooner, and we will have an update about Fuss's dance class! I can't wait!

#MMM Happy Labor Day!

Welcome!  

To Manic Mommy Monday, started by The Gnome's Mom, hosted by Crunchier by the Day and 2 Sleeping Babies...where Mommy bloggers from all walks of life join together to share a little bit about ourselves, our families, our lives. Sometimes we get too busy planning events and running around that we need a reminder to just take a breath and enjoy the insanity. Feel free to link your blog up here as well!   Enjoy to the Mania!    

As you can see, we have a new blurb! If you would like to link up, please do so! I have also added the #MMM linky page to my tabs at the top of the page! :) 

All is pretty calm around here so far this month. I have my first full-month paycheck coming in this week, which I am very excited about! I get to pay back the "loan" I took from our personal account to purchase necessary equipment before I was able to start working.  I have given in and gotten an ergonomic keyboard for myself as I was already starting to have wrist pain and hand numbness - both early signs of strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. I have been using the Logitech Wireless Wave MK550 for nearly 2 weeks and I am LOVING it! (No, I have not been reimbursed or given any type of compensation for this plug, I just really like it!) I haven't ever been comfortable using the split keyboards, so when I found the wave I decided to try it out. It even has a built-in cushy wrist rest. I had to still get used to a slightly different layout, but it wasn't bad at all. Plus, it comes with a wireless mouse too. 

Fuss is still up to her normal shenanigans. She now "reads" stories to us (in other words, she memorized them and repeats them looking at the pictures) and she can spell the first 4 letters of her 5-letter name! She loves watching her Signing Time DVD's and tries to sign along with them. We had done basic signs with her from 6 months on, but this is so great! I really hope to use them much more with (hopeful) #2!

We have begun our TTC journey now and, go figure, I end up with a horrible yeast infection! I have to be treated for a full week to make sure it is gone. I have also had to bleach ALL of my towels/washcloths and intend to do the same with all the underwear in the house...well, except Fuss's. lol. This is no fun at all. The worst part is that I have been dealing with the symptoms for over a month (maybe longer) and thought I had knocked it out. Apparently not. If this doesn't work, I'm not sure what we're going to do, but I seem to be a little better already. **Note: I have not had the "typical" YI symptoms. No itching. No burning. Just a little skin cracking. Go figure.**

 I really enjoy quiet weeks. The only problem is that I know it's usually the calm before the storm! We normally end up having all Hell break loose after a few quiet weeks. Oh well. 

Since today is Labor Day, don't forget to check out Fuss's Birth Story before you leave. It is quite wordy, but so much happened that I couldn't figure out how to comprehend it without all the words. 

 

#MMM All Quiet on the Eastern Front

Welcome back to Manic Mommy Monday!

The only thing I have to report today is work. Last week I was swamped with transcripts. Today, I am swamped, so not much time for anything else today. Heather and I are still working on a new button and posting for MMM.

Fuss is continuing to grow and get into mischief. I swear, the 2's are going to kill me. These tantrums are absolutely ridiculous! We were at Target yesterday and I actually had to threaten to run her over with the cart before she would get up off the floor and quit kicking. She still kept crying though.Of course, going to Target with a semi-tired 2-year-old isn't necessarily the brightest idea. However, I did manage to snag one of the remaining Sony Blu-Ray players for only $9.79 since they were on sale for $79.99 and I  had $75 worth of gift cards. (Thanks Dad and Step-Mom!)

Feel free to link up below and let us know what's going on in your lives. And don't forget to hop and comment on the other blogs if you can!


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#MMM The Reboot!

Big announcement today, Manic Mommies! Heather from 2 Sleeping Babies and I will be taking over the hosting duties of Manic Mommy Monday for Lori (The Gnome's Mom) due to the insanity and stress she has been dealing with recently. Besides, right now she has little internet access, so it just makes sense to take a step back and ask for some help. :) I love her and seriously hope all of this craziness comes to an end quickly so life can get back to normal for them. That being said, over the next couple weeks, we'll be rolling out the new format for MMM and we will have a new button for the blogs to display! If you would like to link up just head HERE and add yourself to the linky!

As for us, we had a wonderful weekend! I mentioned last week that we would be headed to Cass Scenic Railroad on Saturday to take Fuss (and myself) on a ride on a real steam locomotive! Hubby and I decided to take the dinner train since it had dinner, obviously, as well as a live bluegrass band. We left home around 11 a.m. to make a 2.5-hour drive into the mountains. It was a good thing we left early as the GPS decided to take us around the mountain! Honestly, when your GPS actually says, "Take left on Road" you know you're out in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say, we decided NOT to trust the GPS and figured out our own way there. We actually were only a few miles from where we needed to be, but for some reason the GPS decided we needed to take the service road down the mountain instead of the main road. We had no cell reception all day because the Greenbank Radio Observatory is located in the same county and there are no cell towers in the ENTIRE COUNTY!!! So, we set the phones to airplane mode and enjoyed the day cell-free. Fuss had a blast too. We explored the general store, the museum, the remains of the old saw mill (which will hopefully be restored for tours soon), and the locomotive repair shop in addition to the train ride at the end of the day. The only thing Fuss didn't like was the loudness of the whistle. And Mommy and Daddy forgot earplugs. Once we were up the mountain, we stopped for dinner and the bluegrass band Appalachian Outback. Fuss had fun dancing while we ate dinner - a great smoked beef brisket with beans, cornbread, salad, mac'n'cheese, and cake! We will definitely be going back to do the 4-hour ride to the top of Bald Knob in the future!

My cousins came to visit from Indiana. We went to church Sunday morning and had a wonderful dinner at Cracker Barrel while we talked. It was so much fun being able to spend time with them! Fuss was talking about them during her bath Sunday evening and how they were going home soon. She apparently loved the playtime she had with them as much as I enjoyed just having someone of like mind to chat with. Hopefully, we will get to see each other more often in the future.

This week starts school for most kids, but Fuss is still too young. Princess does, however, start school this year! That girl is going to give her teachers a run for their money for sure! LOL. After Sept. 4 Fuss will also be going to "daycare" 3 days a week instead of 2 and 1 day with Grandmommy. It will be a change but I think she will enjoy playing with the other 3 girls her age. As I mentioned here, Fuss has been going to a sitter on the days Daddy works. At least the sitter is my next door neighbor, so I know her well and know Fuss is taken care of. I do still feel guilty about sending her away, but I think she will really enjoy the social interaction she will have soon. She has really enjoyed the little boy that my neighbor has a few days a week as well. Fuss has even started wanting a bike so she can ride bikes with him.

That's it for today, but tune in next week for our next installment!

#MMM Funerals and Bees

I'm joining in on a blog hop with The Gnome's Mom to share a little bit about the life I lead here. The Gnome's Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read and follow on a regular basis as well. If you're a blogger and would like to link up, feel free! And add us on Twitter with the hashtag #MMM

Last week we had an unplanned trip to Atlanta for a funeral. Hubby's uncle passed away after only 2 weeks' diagnosis with colon cancer. This particular uncle called me "Little Bite Me". I met him when I was 19 (shortly after starting to date hubby) and I was still a little, shall we say, "spunky"! lol. He was teasing me at breakfast because I didn't eat very much, so I told him to "Bite me". *blush* He thought it was hilarious (after getting over the initial shock) and called me that affectionately thereafter. He even threatened to videotape my wedding and put "Little Bite Me's Wedding" as the title on it! LOL. He was a great person and will be very much missed. I heard a random song bird the night before we left for Atlanta to go to his funeral. It made me wonder because it was 10 p.m. Then I thought, must be Uncle Skip coming to say hi.

For the rest of the Manic Days, Fuss just got her first bee sting today. From a yellow jacket. We have also had a mystery rash on her hands and feet with complaints of her "feet and mouth hurts". No fever and no blisters, so I'm not exactly sure it's hand-foot-and-mouth disease, but only a few more days' wait will tell us for sure. Today, my main concern is watching Fuss to make sure she isn't going to have a reaction to the bee sting.

I also have my first check on the way to me for my "real" job. I am still enjoying it, and the flexibility is great (3 days off for the funeral with no backlash). I will eventually get into a rhythm with this job and be able to figure out how things fit in different slots. Eventually.

Oh! And we are going to Cass Scenic Railroad this weekend for the 2-hour train ride and dinner on the mountain! I can't wait! Fuss loves trains and I just know she'll have a blast!

Until next time!

#MMM Rollin' Right Along

I'm joining in on a blog hop with The Gnome's Mom to share a little bit about the life I lead here. The Gnome's Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read and follow on a regular basis as well. If you're a blogger and would like to link up, feel free! And add us on Twitter with the hashtag #MMM

Well, I know Lori at The Gnome's Mom is extremely busy with her recent move, so we probably won't have a linky, but hopefully, we will get a few people to read! :)

Summer is in full swing here and around the country. My favorite part of summer JUST happened...I got to eat my first home-grown, vine-ripened tomato off my own vines! Seriously, I think there should be a tomato festival somewhere (other than the one in Spain, even though throwing tomatoes at people sounds thrilling). And I just finished my first half of my first tomato with just a dash of salt on it. I would have eaten the whole thing had Hubby not wanted half, but it is his right since he worked with them as much as I did. I don't mind. There will be more!

Over the weekend, I went to my 10-year high school reunion. It was great! Okay, the food was typical buffet-style, and we should have had some tunes, but the best part was hanging out with all my old friends. Seeing who changed (and who didn't) over the years as well as meeting their other halves and getting to know each others' families.

Thanks to my MIL, Fuss had her first overnight stay. Well, not her *first*. Her first was with my mom when she was 2 months old and I was too exhausted to know my head from my butt. I slept 12 hours that night and ended up engorged, but refreshed. Anyway, so Fuss stayed all night with my MIL and FIL on Friday. MIL told me she cried for Mommy and Daddy as she was falling asleep, but she was great otherwise. She didn't even have trouble with pottying! She did, however, have an accident and wet the bed first thing in the morning. I guess because it was a new house and she didn't know what to do. The best part of it is that she actually ASKED to go stay over with my mom and step-dad after we had dinner with them Sunday night! Apparently she enjoyed herself! :)

I am still working on getting a decent routine going between housework and work. It is really difficult to separate the two. At least I know one of them doesn't have a deadline! I managed to get Fuss's 2T clothes all boxed up for storage and her 3T clothes out to wear. This kid is growing way too fast for me. She honestly grew an inch in just over 2 weeks. And I am beginning to feel that guilt slip in now and then that I should be still focusing on her, enjoying taking her to the pool or for ice cream, instead of sitting inside all day during the week typing medical reports. It's dumb. I know it is. I know I'm working to provide a better home for her and, hopefully, a second baby for the future. But she doesn't understand. And I hate that look when she breaks down in tears because she just wants Mommy to play and I can't leave my work. THAT has got to be the hardest part of being a working mother, especially a work-at-home mom. I feel twinges of guilt that I have to have a sitter for half the week so I can work and Hubby can sleep. *I* should be the one playing in the sandbox with her or drawing on the sidewalk! It makes me sad and angry all at the same time. And I often wonder if it is really for the best. I hope so.

#MMM We Have Normality

I'm joining in on a blog hop with The Gnome's Mom to share a little bit about the life I lead here. The Gnome's Mom is one of my favorite blogs to read and follow on a regular basis as well. If you're a blogger and would like to link up, feel free! And add us on Twitter with the hashtag #MMM

"...we have normality, I repeat we have normality." - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Things have finally settled back down to our normal rhythms. Hubby is back on his normal work schedule and I think I finally have a decent routine with my new job. Fuss is enjoying her new sitter twice a week as well. Last Wednesday she even went potty for the sitter! (Our sitter is our next-door neighbor, so Fuss has known her since birth.) At least I only have to work for a few hours a day...only until about 2 p.m. if I don't work until Fuss is up at 9 or 10.

Today I actually spent the day with Blondie, Princess, and Charlie. We had such a good time (and I even got to go grab groceries while Blondie kept Fuss entertained) just hanging out and chatting. We definitely don't get to do that often enough!  The funniest part was Fuss and Charlie kissing each other. Fuss looked at me and said, "Mama, he kissed me!" and placed her finger on her lips! LOL. Blondie and I were dying! The worst part is going to be the upcoming teenage years! HA!

I made plans to take Fuss for a train ride soon as well. I hope she isn't afraid of it! I'm just glad we have a regular rhythm after all of the chaos of the last 2 weeks. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that things remain calm for a while.

Oh! I also have my HS reunion this Friday, so that should be a lot of fun...plus a baby-free night!