Sooo....

I think we found our house. We're putting an offer in on it. Yay! So excited to even feel like we're making progress!! It's just about everything we were looking for- short of the 3 car garage that Brent wanted. It's on a Cul-de-sac, and it's a huge yard with plenty of room for the pool, plus they already built an awesome deck onto the back of it- it has lighting under it and all around it- perfect for our crawfish boils-it's about 3300 square feet, so it's right around what we were looking for- 5 bedrooms, and office & a game room. The game room's a little small, but it'll work. Brent wants to redo all the landscaping on the front, but overall, it suits us great. It's the schools we wanted, and yet it's not too far into KW to add anything to Brent's commute than what he already drives. The taxes in this neighborhood are half what they were in the other two neighborhoods that we were looking at. Sooo keep your fingers crossed for us that it all works out!

"If Love were enough, I'd still be here with you."

Ugh! Tore my heart out on Grey's last night ( I just got around to watching it on the DVR last night)! I know it was a rerun, but I just started watching it about a month ago after much persuasion and I'm totally hooked now.
When McDreamy said that last night, I turned to Brent and said, "I want that on my tombstone!" He just rolled his eyes at me and walked away. Hmpf.
I'm a total fatalist I know, and anyone who's been around me for any length of time knows it too. I have my songs picked that I want played at my funeral (in case your interested, it's I will Remember You and I hope you dance. ) and I've told Brent what is really important to me for him and the kids should anything ever happen to me. I know. It's terrible. But you just never know. God help me I hope everyone lives forever, and nothing bad ever happens to any of us. But reality dictates otherwise. I'm not a pessimist at all, and I'm a very happy person. But there's always that nagging fear in the back of my head (not enough to make me a hypochondriac, no worries there).
Oh, and don't wear black to my funeral, please.

Annnnyyywayyys, on another note, we seem to have a blue tongue epidemic going on around here....it really brings out their eyes, don't you think?

This is what it looks like when...

Your baby gets a hold of the lemon at the table. Actually it's the second time we let her get the lemon, since we didn't get the camera out fast enough the first time. There's the good mom side that would never do something like this to my children, but then there's the rational side to me that says,"I loved lemons when I was a kid- it can't be that bad to let her get a taste of it. Besides, what other time will we see her make a face like that?!?!"

Happy 7 Month Birthday Megs!

Busy, busy Megan... the month has been another full one for you (and us!) . You're a grabby girl these days- anything within your reach is grabbed and in The Amazing Drooling Mouth. Cam & I have a game we play with you- you're "The Pink Monster" who comes and slimes all of his Batman & Superman figurines. Sorry, you have been exploited.
You had your first overnight visit on your 6 month birthday with Gramma & Papa. I cried. A lot. It was an impromptu overnight visit, so I didn't have time to prepare for it at all. We got back a lot later than we thought we would from the cookoff, and your Daddy thought (and he was right) that it was just mean to go wake up you & your brother to bring you home at one in the morning. You did fabulous, and I was there bright and early to get you. There's never a doubt of you being in great hands, it's just that they're not mine is all.
You were 15 lbs, 9 oz. at your 6 month check, and 25 1/4" long. You are sitting in the 45-50% percentile. Not big, not small. Just perfect. :)
You made the amazing discovery of your ears this month- sometimes I think you're going to rip them right off of your head you twist and pull on them so much. I thought at first it was an ear infection, but it's just you trying to yank them off your head.
We also attended church for the first time since you've been born. The doors stayed intact when we walked through, amazingly enough. We really like this church, and want to continue going. That page in you & your brother's baby books stares at me all the time with a terrible guilt "religous upbringing" and "christening" are all left blazingly blank....I do feel it's a void that needs to be filled (not just in the baby book- in our lives).
You have mastered the knack of flinging anything that comes into your hands. I'm always amazed with the grace with which you do it, and the distance that things can fly. You're drinking from a sippy cup now, although the original one I got you has gotten flung too many times- as soon as you saw the straw cup your brother has, that's what you want, and you nag & grab at it mercilessly until he caves and lets you have a drink.
The interaction between the two of you is so adorable- you really have such a great big brother. Don't get me wrong, he does have his times that you annoy him, but I have to say if you were trying to gouge my eye out, I might get annoyed with you too.
















You are eating chicken now- both in baby food form and in table food form. That tooth we thought had come for sure went back into hibernation, but you can gum things with grace.

When I took this picture of you, I couldn't help laugh. I cannot deny that that is the 'look' that could have only come from me, and to see it on a 7 month old is just incredibly hilarious to me.
Happy Birthday, my spunky little baby!

Love, Mama

I bought a skirt.

I know, that doesn't seem monumental enough to write about. But here in Heather's world it is. I have not been seen in a dress or skirt in the last 3 years. I have no particular problem with them, except that for me they're totally out of my comfort zone. Last week my sweet husband made some remark to the effect of that 'skirt' and 'Heather' don't go in the same sentence. And being the bull-headed stubborn ass I am, I just wanted to prove him wrong. :)
There's this whole new set of worries that come with open-ended coverage..... I can't do cartwheels in them (yeah, I can't do a cartwheel anyways, but you never know when things might change. I still try to now and then.) and I have to be aware of how I'm sitting so I don't look like a crude truck driver. I ordered this skirt from CAbi - it's a clothing company that sells the clothing at home parties (like Pampered Chef and stuff) ... I was actually pleasantly surprised by their clothing- great stuff with great fabrics... AND to top off the skirt, I bought a shirt with a PATTERN on it! Watch out! Heather's living wild these days!

We think we might have found a house we want- we're going to check it out again today. This is one we'd build. It would push us back because the lot we'd like is being released until May, and that would put completion at or around October. BUT if it's what we actually love, then I'm game. I was beginning to think that all hope was lost and we'd never find what we wanted... at least there's hope.

And, only because the post seems empty without a picture in it, I'll leave with a picture of Cameron that I took this morning (no, no that's not the costume muscles- those are really his, just like his Daddy's :P) in Costume #557- Quarterback Superman:

Megan had the most fun...

the bluebonnets are out!

Yay!!

Thanks so much girls!! I would have never applied without your support!!

http://3scrappyboys.com/mboard/viewtopic.php?t=780

I'm SOOO excited! If I knew how to do cartwheels, I would!!!

Date night...

Brent and I had an impromptu date last night- we went and pigged out on sushi- one of my favs! Then, doing what any couple with a night out without children would do, we went to Wal-Mart, of course. ;) Party on Aisle 9 with the wild and crazy Kellers!

Took the kiddos to the Volunteer Fire Station this morning. Cameron was in heaven of course. And I found out my daughter likes men in uniform too!

They were so gracious and hospitable- Cameron got to sound the alarm, turn on all the lights, and got a goody bag with coloring books and a frisbee with some stickers. I have a huge appreciation for the work these guys do for our community, and the fact that all of them seem to really enjoy what they do, and the community they serve. So fabulous!

OOTM

We were at the park the other day, and I turned around to check to see where Cameron went, and lo and behold, he had dropped his drawers to pee on a tree. He comes running back with a huge smile on his face-

"Mommy Mommy, I just helped the ants!!"

"Oh, really?!? How so?"

"They were thirsty, so I gave them a drink!"

Now, there was a teensy part of me that was grossed out by the thought, but the majority won over and I cracked up. That kid, I swear the stuff he comes up with....

Bad Mama

I don't know what's worse, letting your daughter fall asleep in the swing at the park, or stopping to take pictures of it....

:P

low 70s and sunny....

It's been beautiful weather here the past week and looks to stay that way. Great times to be outside before it gets so unbearably hot that we can't.
He is such a cutie. Almost too big for his first bike and ready to move on to the next one.





















ALERT: for anyone telling me for the last 4 months that this baby was cutting a tooth for the massive amounts of drool she produces, you can finally say you were right. She now is the one tooth wonder.





























This is Megan's signature move- she can't suck her thumb without putting her hand behind her head. Personally, I think my husband has been teaching her that. For anyone who's ever seen my husband try to dance after he's had a couple, you understand.
Been doing many practice shots with the camera- I LOVE this picture. Most of the pictures that involve Cam these days are of the back of his head as he runs as soon as he sees the camera. Either that or a totally goofy face.











Got tons done this weekend packing and prepping. We're going to look at some houses tomorrow. Our agent came by yesterday and said the house looks great to show and should sell fast, since there isn't many one stories this large, and hardly any one stories on the market now. Which makes me even more nervous to run out and find the house of our dreams pronto.

No luck on any DT so far- got rejected by three. Yuck. This reminds me of why I don't try out for these things. The DT I was on before I didn't apply for- she came to me and asked me. So I don't even get any credit for that effort. There's a couple (I think) more that haven't announced anything yet, and after that, I'm done. It's too discouraging, and it makes me not want to scrapbook, which is silly, because that's not why I do it.

I am totally IN LOVE with my
new makeup! This stuff is fabulous- it feels so nice- like you're not even wearing makeup! And it stays on alllll day which is a definite first for me. Highly recommend it. It's a little pricey, but I can tell that will last a long time by the little amount you have to use each time.

Can I tell you what an absolute KLUTZ-O I am? I have a black (really black) bruise on my hip the size of a grapefruit from trying to get out of the bathtub and hitting the faucet on the way up. I'm surprised it didn't rip out of the tub I hit it so hard. Yet another reason I'm blessed with "Dozer" (as in BULLdozer) as a nickname. And my poor son is following in my footsteps- we'll keep our fingers crossed for Megan...

This whole photography thing...

I feel like such a putz with a great camera... I can't even tell you how many pictures I've taken, trying to figure this thing out, and feel like I'm actually using it....I took this one today (among many, many others). What do you think? I'm having trouble with exposure (usually under-exposing) . The first one is the PS'd version, the second is the original. I initially didn't like the contrasting green behind her, but I think it makes her and the teether pop a little more...

Did you know sibling torment started so early?

to market to market....

Started the undesirable chore of packing today. Yuck. The house is going on the market at the end of the month, so I've started on closets and my scrap room first. The positive in this is that in packing up my scrap room (which means just consolidating with accessibility at the moment) I've come to realize that when you have to look at something and wonder,"Do I really want to move this with me? I've been saying I was going to use it for the last two years....." At the moment the 'Give Away' box is just as full as the 'move' box. Which means I shall need to replenish when I have a whole ROOM to fill up in the new house! Yeah!
I think we're going to rent a storage unit while the house is being shown, just to move some of the toys, scrap stuff, extra furniture into so the house doesn't look so 'full'. Our house isn't cluttered or cramped or anything, but babies produce a million large toys, as 3 year olds produce many riding toys, and millions of teensy tiny toys that seem to reproduce while we're all sleeping. And we have a couch, love seat and chair w/ ottoman in the living room, and I think we're going to take the chair out to make it flow a little better. I wonder if I could make the big screen TV 'vanish' while we're at it.... I loathe big screen TVs in living rooms. They are gigantic black boxes that could eat a whole family. Our real estate agent is coming by on Monday to give me a low down on everything. A little nervous, since this is our first house to sell. I'm the most worried about timing- getting into the new house and selling this one at the same time. I hope the stars align right for it all....

A lil Booty for ya...

I tweeked this one some in PS- the pics weren't coming out the greatest with fabulous bathroom lighting, but I still liked it...

It's been a week.

With no medicine on my part. Every six months or year or so, I try to take a break from the crazy pills, just to see if I'm okay without them. Still not. There's something slightly depressing about knowing you have to take anti-depressants for the rest of your life in order to function okay.
I've been taking some form of them since I was 14. I've been through a littany of them- started back in the days when Prozac was the cure all. I was on Zoloft for years until I got pregnant with Cameron, then went off of it. After I had him, my body make up had changed because it didn't work anymore, and I went through a six month period of trying a few different kinds. I've been on Wellbutrin XL since then. I stayed on it through this pregnancy (recommended by the doctor this time- I guess it's in a different category than Zoloft was).
It always starts out the first few days that I think I'm fine- I guess because it's still getting out of my system. Then the anxiety starts in. I start feeling so worried and nervous about everything and everyone, until it reaches a fever pitch sometimes so bad that I will be driving down the road and have to pull over because I can't breathe and I'm hysterical.
It's not that I don't have the same exact thoughts when I am on medication, it's just that the way that I process it all is totally different. I rationalize it, and can talk myself through it. I can work it out in my head so that it doesn't get to a fever pitch. I don't feel the urge to just break down and cry in the middle of something, and I don't hyperventilate out of the blue.
Brent always tries to understand- there's something comforting and yet scary all at the same time to be married to someone as normal as Brent when I'm just not. It's like the rock you can cling to when the boat capsizes, yet I wonder if sometimes that's just what he does because he doesn't know what else to do in the eye of the storm.
What I always wonder about this and everything else is how much of who you are is what you are born with, and how much is the product of your environment? If my kids grow up and are on some kind of medication, and feel the need to be in order to feel whole, will it be because I passed on some kind of gene that made them that way, or will it be because they grew up that way? I can't think about it too long right now, since it has been a week without medication, and all the possible scenarios can send me into a tizzy all on its own. These days I internalize much of it.
No worries. My pharmacy is open on Sundays.

Cameron just woke up a little bit ago and came into our room to tell us he messed up his bed. Brent asked him if he went potty, and he said no, it all came out of his mouth. :( He didn't cry or anything. We went and changed his sheets and jammies, and he's not running a fever or anything, so I didn't give him anything. He just wanted to go to sleep in a clean bed. Such a trooper. I was feeling sick all last night, and now Cameron throwing up- I hope it's not the start of a virus through the house. Send us well vibes.

scrapper's block

I've had a lo sitting on my table for 3 days now. Every time I go to do something with it, I end up totally frustrated because I feel like it's ending up looking like every other lo I've ever done. I feel like all my stuff just runs together. Need fresh. I'm determined to conquer it by this weekend.... it's a great picture, with great new CBX papers, so it shouldn't be such an issue....

The "Must you shove the camera in my face AGAIN?!?" Look

Gotta love it... she was lucky enough to inherit her Mom's looks I guess....


















I don't know if anyone else goes through this in other parts of the world, but down here there is this insane madness that happens about this time. It's called Preschool Registration. It's when Moms get up at 3 in the morning to go sit and wait in line at the local coveted church preschools to get a number passed out to them around 6 usually, only to wait until 8 when they start calling numbers. Some churches make you actually sit in line, and people bring lawn chairs and hang out for hours until they get their number, then wait a few more hours with the hopes they still have a chance for their child to be in the class they desire, otherwise life is over and Harvard is a dashed hope it seems. It's crazy.
I am a lucky one who's husband drove to the church at 530 to get the number, so all I had to do was show up at 8 and get my child in his classes (all is well, we're still on the course for Havard). But these women are crazy I tell you. I'm pretty positive these are the same women that camp out on Black Friday to get the $1.99 big screen TV at Wal Mart too. The ones that scare me.

My heart swelled while I was waiting- I had a chance to chat with his teachers for a few minutes during registration, which you don't have much time to do during the pick up/ drop off time. I was asking them how Cameron was doing, what they thought of him, etc. etc. (The usual parental alien probes that come out without any nudging at all) Now, first let me say, I LOVE my son. LOVE him. My heart swells when I think of him, picture him, see him. That being said, he can drive me CRAZY. He's not a mean child, nor bad, nor does he throw tantrums. He TALKS. NONSTOP. And that can drive anyone insane. Really. Promise. He's an unusual 3 year old in the way that he has no problem striking up a conversation with anyone- adults, children, babies, dogs, trees, whatever. Himself. Yes, this is a good trait to have, but everything needs an off switch now and then. He is also VERY imaginative. Always a character of some kind, and when we're home, he's in a costume. Always. ALWAYS.
Anyways, not everyone loves nonstop chattering action heroes, even preschool teachers, so I was trying to feel them out in how Cam was in relation to the other kiddos. I asked them point blank if there were any behavior issues (talking) that were of concern. One of them said that Cam is one of the sweetest boys they've ever had, and that yes, he does talk a lot, but he melts her heart every day when he picks a flower in the school yard and wants to come marry her, or save his 'princess' from the dragon. She said the best thing we can do is keep fostering his imagination, and never stifle it. *swoon*( I worry about the day that he has a teacher that likes more of the reality check teaching. ) So I said, "So picking the 20 or so costumes up off the floor every day, that's good?" She said absolutely. It made me feel really great about our decision to xfer Cameron to this new school, because he's so happy to go now, and his teachers love him (and yes, I know they're probably blowing smoke up my ass that he's the best, but who cares?) and that makes my heart swell.
Moments like that are great when something happens that solidifies your instinctual decisions to let you know you're doing the right thing, especially by your children.