Kimmy Bj and Chloe

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Just about Kimmy

I've worked for Sylvan for 3 years. Last week I was offered a Director of Education position at a center in Redlands. When I was first offered the position I was excited and ready to embark on this new adventure, but after starting the job and having countless phone meetings with corporate I started seeing red flags. One thing I've learned in life is to listen and listen carefully. The choice of words that people make when talking are for a reason. They are easy to miss which in the end causes nothing but conflict and heart ache. They needed someone to fix their mess. I was their "salvation", exactly what they needed to make that center great and make it run the way it should. I felt important and wanted, but what I didn't know is that they had other plans. They knew I had a timeline and that I was leaving in February. They wanted me to fix their center and then train someone to take my place all in the 3 months that I was available. I am all for making things better and leaving my mark on the world, but this just seemed a little too crazy. I don't want to be used. If the the pay was amazing and there were benefits then I wouldn't even think twice about be taken advantage of, its a win win situation. In fact I would even consider putting off school so I wouldn't have to train someone to take my place. I wouldn't need to go back to school! Unfortunately this job title offers awful hrs (11-8), no paid vacations, no raises, and most importantly no insurance. So in my way of thinking...it's just not worth it. I love Sylvan and I truly believe the system works, I just don't think they take care of their employees like they should. It's a shame.

As of right now I'm back at the Rialto Center and I couldn't be more thankful for that. I'm still going to get the DE training so if I ever needed to take that job (for whatever reason) I would be ready. I just get the luxury of staying where I belong. It's closer to home and the people there are just so much better.

After several years of working in the schools and working with children, I have never felt like I was good enough. This taught me a lesson. It taught me that I am good enough. In fact, I'm excellent at what I do. You think I would have gotten that from all the parent phone calls demanding that their child be with when they went in for help or the stack of thank you letters and gifts from the kids. It took this huge ordeal for me to take a step back and realized that I am accomplishing what I set out to do. Even though its not in my own classroom yet, I'm on my way. This has given me the confidence to Believe that I can change children lives and be a positive influence on them.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Septembers Winding Down...

As September is coming to an end and October is beginning our family is so excited about the upcoming holiday season. It always seems that no matter how difficult life is, the holidays always have a way of taking your mind off things. We are HUGE Halloween and Christmas fans so we like to embrace all that the season has to offer. I will probably be posting blog entrys like crazy from now until January. So BEWARE! Ok so here we go!

This month is a huge month for us. Not only is it Halloween, but it's Breast Cancer Awareness month! When I was younger I used to do the Relay for Life and I will never forget how moving it was to be a part of that. I'll never forget the one we went to with my cousin. They asked us to bring paper bags with family members names on it that had Cancer. We camped out and took turns walking the track. At night they lit those bags and lined them around the track so as we walked we saw exactly what it was that we were walking for. We were walking for our aunts, cousins, mothers and ourselves. It was an experience that changed my life and I couldn't describe to you how sentimental it was. My goal for next year is to be a part of that again and start being a part of something bigger then my own little world.

My mom had her first Chemo session last Monday. I'm very pleased and surprised to say that she is doing well! The only problem she is having is stabilizing her blood pressure and blood sugar. The medicines they have her on to help gain back white blood cells and alleviate nausea is causing all that to go haywire. Thankfully she only has to be on the pills for a few days after each Chemo session. My mom would kill me if I posted a picture of her at her first Chemo session, so I won't. I have to admit though, that picture was so cute of her sitting there trying on all kind of hats they were handing out for free. It's really nice of people to donate and make hats for them. They aren't the easiest things to buy. The nurses say she will definitely loose her hair, but like I try to tell her it's only temporary. No other news on that, we are all just thankful that she is doing well.

We made it to the fair this year! We were having a hard time deciding if it would be worth it to go. Honestly, the fair is nothing short of a money gouger. By the time you pay for parking and tickets your out of money to spend on the yummy food, games & "cheap" merchandise. We would rather be putting that huge chunk of money towards something more long term and meaningful. When we do go, we try to get discount tickets. Luckily every Friday is "Canned food Friday". If you bring in canned food you get in free. We couldn't argue with that! We get to help the needy and enjoy the fair all in a days work! We went last year and ended up finding some really awesome deals on bed sheets and wall paintings. So we said why not? Chloe really enjoyed the farm! I think watching her was our highlight of the day too!

The goats loved her. In fact there was a few times where they tried to "attack" her!

Her favorite part was the baby pigs. They were sticking their noses out on the other side of the fence and Chloe had fun touching them.This morning when she saw my mom she said "Mimi the piggie stuck his nose out at me and it tickled! Silly piggie! That was fun!"

When Chloe was done at the farm, we got to do a little shopping. She got bored and took a nap and to be honest there wasn't much to shop for this year. All the same people were there that was there last year. I scored on some jewelry and we got another set of sheets. We got out pretty cheap! So when it was all said and done, it was worth going. We couldn't believe how dead it was. We didn't need to take the tram because we got really close parking spots. That was a first!! The most important thing was that Chloe enjoyed herself. It's memories like these that you want to hold close to your heart.

Well, that's the end of my story for now. I'll be back soon...There's always something to talk about!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Whats goin' on in September?

What a roller coaster this Summer has been. It has tested my strength beyond belief, but I know that whatever happens is meant to happen. Even though its not what we want, it's what we need and I can't argue with that. The decisions we make in life create nothing but a butterfly effect. So taking extra time to choose decisions wisely has always been a priority to me.

I've got a few more updates for you all. I love to write and I miss it. However, I tend to spend too long on one subject so I'll post them in separate paragraphs with convenient pictures matching the subject so you don't have to read through everything if you don't want to.

When we lost the house I felt like it was opportunity for me to jump on board and finish my Multiple Subject Credential. I love elementary kids so much that I just couldn't see myself working with older kids (I originally wanted to be an English teacher). I enrolled back into University of Redlands and planned on finishing out my credential at Garcia (where I went to school). After the recent events with my mom I had to make a decision to either finish school anyways or wait until her Chemo was done. I know what Chemo does to a person and putting that extra burden on my mom to watch Chloe while I was away at school and work all day seemed very selfish to me. So I decided to enroll for February instead.

Speaking of my mom, she is recovering very well from the surgery and she seems to be a little bit more positive about this whole ordeal. She has been going to Dr. appointments at least twice a week. They are preparing her for the Chemo sessions. They want to make sure her heart and everything is in good condition before pressing forward. They are also doing tests just to make sure that the cancer has spread to any other part of her body. The Dr highly doubts that's possible, but its better to be safe then sorry. They are doing the Chemo as a precautionary measure as well. The Dr. said that there would be a 60% chance of it coming back if she didn't go ahead and have it done. It's an 18 week process and she should be done and "in remission" early January. I'll keep you updated on how shes doing, but so far she seems to be handling it pretty well. Lets just all pray that the Chemo is nice to her.

On another note, Our little Chloe is growing like a weed. Her vocabulary grows by the day and her personality gets even more apparent. She is very strong-willed. there is no doubt that she knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to get it. Lets hope she keeps that through out her life to accomplish all the goals she sets for herself! Her favorite thing to do is see Mickey and Minnie at Disneyland. Every time we go, she creates a plan for us. That plan always includes a visit to see her favorite characters and a ride on The Little Mermaid. It's such a great experience to take her there.

On a side note, I put together some of her funny sayings that I thought you might enjoy:

"Guess what?" "what" "Chicken Butt!" (and then she rolls on the floor laughing)

“ Don’t shhh me daddy!”

“Have patience mommy”

“just wait 2 minutes”

“ look mommy it’s a Happy Birthday to you! I like the pink one. I have it?” (cupcakes)

“ Oh birdies where are you? Daddy, baby birdies can’t hear us...louder? Otay."

“Watch hippo? Shake a hinnie Mommy! Daddy!” (madagascar)

She is a very bright little girl. She can count to 15 and she knows all of her colors. She loves to paint and color. I'm so impressed by some of the stuff she can draw on her own! She loves to watch Mickey Mouse Club House, Care Bears and pretty much anything on Disney Jr.

We are very proud of our little girl. It's such a blessing to have her in our lives. Even when she has her "terrible twos" moments I wouldn't trade it for the world

I know EVERYONE is curious if we are going to have another one or not. The answer is...OF COURSE! I grew up as an only child and though it had MANY perks, the biggest thing I missed was having a brother or sister to confide in. I want her to be able to have at least one sibling so she can have that bond that I missed out on with my half sisters growing up. Unfortunately, our insurance is horrible right now. We just can't afford to have another munchkin. The bills would be outrageous and not only would we be in debt forever with school loans, we would add the Dr bills to that list too. So its being put on hold until we can either get better insurance or find a way to manage the insane Dr bills. It is absolutely in our plans for the future...That is if its even possible to have another one. I guess we will just have to see!

Well...That's it for now. Thanks for being interested in our lives :)

Friday, August 17, 2012

Our house and The big "C"

It's been a really long time since I've written a blog. The main reason for me doing this today is because I really don't want to keep explaining our situation over and over. It really hits a soft spot and i'd rather just explain it once to everyone then several times. So the first story is about "our house" and the second is about what I call The big "C". I hope this helps everyone.

As everyone knows Ben and I were in the process of buying a house. This process started in August of 2011 and sadly came to an end in May 2012. I'm making a really long story short on this one because it really is old news and we've been trying our best to move on. April first our lovely state decided to make some changes on FHA loans for first time home buyers. When we first signed the contract in August they agreed to pay our down payment and give us assistance on loan approvals. We also qualified for grants that allowed first time home buyers under our salary scale to put money towards a down payment. Our loan officer waited too long to put in our application for those grants so it really hurt our chances of getting the grant money. As of April 1st 2012 all of the grants were no longer available because they exhausted all the money putting us in a really bad situation because we had to come up with that missing portion of the down payment in order to have reasonable monthly payments. We could have gotten other loans to make up for that money, but the "silent loans" were evil and quite frankly we didn't want people telling who we could and couldn't have in our house. On top of that the HOA fees and property taxes went up becoming one of the highest costing communities to live in in that area. We wanted it so badly and came so close to getting the house regardless of the financial changes. We had to do the final walk through on the house and everything. After a lot of research, pain and frustration, we made the ultimate decision to walk away because it just wasn't worth it. We didn't want to put ourselves in a financial situation that could ruin us if anything were to happen to our jobs. We also didn't want to put ourselves in a community that had the right to change their fees and taxes so drastically at their desecration. It was a scary thought and we wanted no part of that. It was a tough decision and we couldn't understand why everything had to fall apart at the last minute, especially after everything going so well. Then a few months later things began to fall into place and we began to understand.

Home is where the heart is and I couldn't stress enough how thankful I am to be living close to my mom during this difficult time. This brings me to my second story. My mom was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I couldn't possibly describe to you how I feel so I won't. It all happened very quickly and I tried to keep this information on a need to know basis. With something this fragile, the last thing I wanted to do was talk about it. I got flooded with texts and phone calls so I want to explain whats going on so I don't have to do it over and over. I am strong, but there is always a breaking point. My mom had surgery to remove the cancer 2 weeks ago. They took out 10 lymph nodes as a precaution because the dye ( that detects cancer) didn't work in her body because this was the second time having the dye in her system. She went to the drs today to find out if they got all the cancer. I'm happy to say that they got all the cancer and it only leaked into 1 and a half of the lymph nodes of the 10 that he took out. This is excellent news. The dr wants her to do Chemo as a precaution because they want to make sure that it isn't anywhere else in her body. This is also good news, i'd rather her take all precautions necessary then to have to go through surgery again because they neglected it. There isn't much more that I can explain to you at this point. I just want everyone to be aware of the situation. I appreciate everyone's concern. It's just easier for all of us if people don't constantly call, it seems to make the situation a little easier to handle. I will keep you all updated with these blogs. As far as what I'm going to do about finishing my credential, I haven't decided yet.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

February

Happy 10 Months Chloe Pea!!

Ok, ok. so i'm posting this months just a little late, but it's better then not at all! I have to say I've seen more changes in miss pea this month then I have in a few months. She gained a new love for lights. She will spend hours pointing to lights and asking me to turn them on and off...over...and over...and over. Cute, but at the same time incredibly irritating. She points at the light switch if it isn't on...and when it's on she points and whines until I turn it off. I just don't understand it. Silly girl.

She does really well recognizing names now as well. Our puppies love her to death and she loves them. I will tell her to give the ball to Roxy and she will. It's amazing how quickly she picks up things and understands what people are saying to her.

She finally got enough confidence to let go of the couch and our hands. She is walking all over the house and loving every minute of it. She hasn't mastered the tile yet. Once she reaches tile she reaches for someones hand or bends down and crawls through it. I don't blame her, she slides a little when walking on it.

Her favorite food is bread...just like her mommy. I swear she would live on it if I let her. She loves anything orange, hates everything that's green (unless it's peas). She had cherrios for the first time a few days ago and loooves those too. I have to hide all her little snacks because she would live off that and never eat anything healthy. If I leave snacks out she will point and wave her hands until she gets it.

On another subject, we had our first Valentines Day as a family! Ben suprised me with my favorite lillies and beautiful necklace and got Chloe her favorite toys:

She loves balloons and teddy bears. She spent all morning playing with it.

After a nice morning of family time, BJ and I left the little one with Grandma and Papa to have a nice evening out. Our dinner plans got interrupted at Disneyland when we found out that Ariel's Grotto was booked for the evening. So we decided to head to the beach and spend some time there.

It was a beautiful night. Clear skies and crisp cold wind followed us along a walk on the beach and a nice dinner at BJ's restaurant. I've never been one to enjoy Valentines day. I always thought of it as a useless holiday to just spend money. This year I looked at it a little differently. Having a family of my own seems to make days like this a little more special, simply because it makes me stop to realize just how lucky I am. I have to admit it was really nice to just get away and spend some time with my husband.

Overall it's been a pretty pleasant month. I have an interview with Jurupa Unified for a sub teacher position so i'm excited about that. Ben's job is going well so far so we are thankful for that. Other then that nothing has changed.

Happy February!!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Years

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 9 Months Chloe!!!

I can't believe it's been 9 months already! I feel as though I was just bringing Chloe home from the Hospital. It was a very long and difficult year and I have to say that I am SO happy it's in the past. I can only hope and pray for a better year for not only my family, but everyone's family. We ended 2010 with a bang and brought in 2011 with an even bigger bang. We filled the house with family and friends, played games, lit our sparklers, enjoyed the bubbly and watched the ghettos shoot off fireworks.

Chloe fell asleep in my mom's arms and slept all the way through the celebration, but briefly woke up to say goodnight to her cousins.

Speaking of the FAST-GROWING little munchkin, I can't believe how quickly she is picking up how to do things. She wants to do everything on her own and LOVES to show off!! We got her a stroller for Christmas so she can start walking on her own and boy does she. It's funny though because she will walk with it, hit a wall and decide that she is done.

Her new favorite food is bread, although I think she enjoys the waffles too.

No she doesn't eat the whole thing...I had to buy the mini waffles because the dogs ended up getting more of it then her...I'm sure they aren't complaining though.

We have been taking her to Disneyland with us because she enjoys it so much we can't resist. We normally only like taking her during the day, but sometimes we make an execption.

Other then that I don't have any exciting news. Jobs are doing well. My mom got her cast off finally. She is trying to get used to walking on it again. I'm sure it will take some time. Until next time :)

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas has come and gone :(

After a week of rain, I am happy to say I see clear skies. Normally I love cold rainy weather, but there is a limit. A week straight of rain is just too much for me...around Christmas time anyway.

My mom went to the Dr's on the 17th to get her cast off and they surprised her with another 4 weeks of a cast. The bone is still fractured and they said if she puts any weight on it at all she will break it and have to go back in for more surgery. So I'm praying that January 12th will be her day. My mom waited until the 17th to start her Christmas shopping because she thought she could walk by then and when that changed my dad and I had an adventure of taking her out. It was actually fun pushing my mom and Chloe around in the wheelchair. Chloe loves the ride and it gives my mom a chance to get out of the house. We went everywhere in the pouring rain and got all the stuff we needed.

I got a Christmas present in the mail: JURY DUTY ...freaking awesome.... It's not the time to have that right now, but then again it never is. I was thinking of excuses to get out of it and just praying that I will be lucky enough to not have to go. I never get that. I call the night before and they say appear at 12pm (not 8am). JOY. Merry Christmas Kimmy lol.

Christmas eve was enjoyable as alway. We had a fire and bbq beef sandwiches with my aunt and uncle. My ant made some yummy brownies and I made a banana cream pie. Chloe opened her Christmas eve gift (Teddy Bear Jammies):

Then Daniel came over and played Playstation while my little one, like a crazy monkey, crawled all over him and then fell asleep on the couch. It was a late night, but it was fun. I enjoyed being the mommy and (Santa) putting out all presents and candies in the stockings. It was a different experience then what I was used to.

Christmas day was sooo busy.

We went to a few different houses before being able to come home and enjoy our new toys...well Chloe and Ben's new toys lol. Chloe had a blast playing with all her new toys... could really careless about the unwrapping part (which is surprising because she is obsessed with paper). Overall it as a fun, new experience. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas too!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Christmas Time!

It's December!! I will probably have a few December blogs because...It's Christmas time!!

A little celebration:

Start with a few things to catch up. My mom's birthday was on Dec. 1st and so was Chloe's 8 month birthday. To celebrate my dad and I went to Vinces and brought it back to her since she couldn't go out. We bought her a Disney Pass for Her birthday and Christmas so I can't wait to take her when her cast comes off on the 17th. Every one is anxious and excited about her getting her cast off just in time for Christmas!

A little drama:

What's the holiday season without some drama?! I'm going to spare most of the details, but it's been a rough few months and being Christmas time it makes it even more frustrating because all we want to do is enjoy the season. My precious jewelry got stolen. I don't know how and certainly don't understand why. I'm still praying that my jewelry will magically appear where I left it...or even on my door step. I'm just broken up about it because It had to be someone that I allowed in my home, someone I trusted to be there... Beside that, our blow up penguin got stolen as well. Last year it got slashed and Ben found a way to patch it up so we could use it this year too. Apparently people don't want us to have that penguin! I'm praying it's not someone we know. It makes me think that I am a horrible person. All these things continue to happen to us and don't know why. It's not like we have a lot of friends that we hang out with. I just don't get it. So i'm going to say this...If you are the person who is doing all of this to us, please stop. You've made your point and I would appreciate it if you would just stop.

A little rant:

I honestly feel like a horrible person. Things have been said to me and my family that really hurt my feelings and sometimes it makes me wonder if I REALLY am a bad person. I try my best to be polite, welcoming and friendly, but all I get in return are devastating results.What have I done to make people WANT to steal my things or talk badly about me? I really want to know. I never thought that the people I would associate myself with were capable of such sad and hurtful things.

A little Chloe:

On to better things. Chloe pea is growing so quickly. She took her first steps tonight. If she had more confidence i'd almost bet she'd be walking by now. It's her favorite thing to do. She refuses to play with her toys or do anything that doesn't require crawling or walking. If I don't loose weight chasing her around I swear there is something wrong with me. She still doesn't have any teeth, no sign of any teeth either...I guess the song "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH" actually apply to her haha!! She's been eating solid foods on a regular basis now. She is feeding herself snack and bottles, which is really nice. I wish more people got to know her. She really is a comical, loving, little girl. It's a shame no one knows her as well as we do. Regardless, she is so full of life and I enjoy every minute I spend with her.

We took her to look at Christmas lights at the Alta Loma District and she had such a blast. I could only imagine what she will be like this time next year.

A little work:

I'm working at Sylvan still and I love it. I'm getting about 15 hrs a week which is just enough for me. I couldn't handle being away from my little pea any longer then that right now! Hopefully I will be there for a long time and I can get a Sub job too. Ben is still at ITT, which is a blessing. It may not seem like it because of all the overtime and long hrs, but it really is worth it. It's allowed us to have a good Christmas this year!

Well I will end it here. Thanks for reading, comments are greatly appreciated (that way I actually know people are reading lol) Have a Blessed Christmas

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Another month!

What a month! October ended with a bang, both good and bad. I know I already did an October blog, but a couple things happened since that I want to share.

As far as my surgery went, recovery was hard at first, but got a lot easier and I couldn't be more happy that I had it done. The pain is still there, but it will heal with time. The best and most dangerous part is that now I can eat whatever I want. Which you don't appreciate until it's taken away from you. So I gotta be careful that I don't blow up like a ballon!

Mickey's Halloween party was a blast. I really enjoyed having Chloe there and am so happy we decided to go ahead and take her. She LOVED all the characters and the fireworks. She met Captain Jack Sparrow, who tried to take her wand ( which a nice lady in line gave her because she fell in love with her). She met Jessie from Toy Story and she got to touch her face. That was soo cute. Over all it was a fun and magical evening and I couldn't have asked for a better anniversary and first halloween (for Chloe).

Speaking of Halloween, that was a blast as well. My mom taught Bj and I how to make pizza for the first time. She coached from the sidelines and it actually turned out to be REALLY yummy.

Then we had an awesome evening of games, which in the end turned out to be one of the best game nights i've ever had.

So that about sums up October's events. On to November! Happy 7 Months Chloe Pea! She is one sneaky little girl. She knows how to crawl, but refuses too. She had everyone fooled that she didn't know how until I caught her in the act today. This little girl wants to walk and nothing else. The only way I can get her to crawl is to put her in a huge open space and set something far away that she absolutly can't live with out. Otherwise she tries to pull herself up on anything that's taller then her and will try her best to walk around it. It's quite entertaining to watch. Because of her determination, I believe that she will be walking pretty early. If she doesn't I will be shocked. She talks constantly and she moves constantly. She still isn't a big eater, loves her yogurt and applesauce though!

My mom had surgery on her foot that she broke. They had to put a plate in and two screws so she will be stuck on the couch for about 6 more weeks. Poor thing! I've been spending a lot of time over there trying to help her and my dad out with chores and shopping and all that good stuff.

I got a job at Sylvan. I started working there the first of November, It is nice to be back. I really missed working with the kids. Things are ran a little differently at this Sylvan, but it's a good thing and I don't mind the change. I'm getting about 11-14 hrs per week so it's just enough to start saving for a house and paying off all those nasty credit cards.Hopefully I will be there for a while, I would still like to sub, but I'm waiting for an opening around here. That might be a while!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Chlidren

I just have to rant and rave today. I'm so angry and so hurt by the way these parents treat their children it makes me sick.

First of all children are miracles and gifts from God, I believe it is HORRIBLE to ever wish you could give your child back or leave them in the dumpster. I will never believe people when they say "oh it's a joke" because they DO say it for a reason. Yes children can be frustrating, but to wish you could give them back?! People are out there struggling to get pregnant and paying thousands of dollars to have a small sliver of hope of being able to bear their own child and don't...If you have a child, you should feel honored and blessed regardless of how frustrating they can be. As a mother I would hate myself for even thinking of giving my sweet little girl away.

Parents must not think their children have feelings...or even feelings of embarrassment. Disiplining you child should be done ,yes, but when you cuss at them and spank them in public, that's just wrong. I heard a parent screaming F* you to their child outside of Rite Aid today. People have no patience with their children. It really upsets me to see an angry parent tell their child how worthless they are and again wish they were just given back and out of their lives. I could only imagine what these poor kids are feeling. Don't tell me they don't understand what you mean! Children are smart, they learn at a VERY young age.

Another thing that bothers me is when parents sit there don't disipline their child. They need to show the authority and do something about it, not just sit back and let it happen. Like today at work, a toddler was messing with a plant and one of the teachers asked the little girl to stop throwing the dirt out of the plant and onto the floor. THE MOTHER just sat there and continued to let her do it, even after someone already asked them nicely to stop. The mother told her a few times to stop, but never got up and took her away from it. On top of that, she left the dirt all over the floor for someone else to clean up. NO, toddlers may not understand the word no, or just not understand that they are doing something wrong to begin with, but that's why the parent needs to GET UP and show them that NO means stopping what you're doing and NOT going back to it. Not just letting them do it over and over again, while you continue to say no. You teach by example people, not by words. EVER heard of practice what you preach? Kids have every right to explore their surroundings, touch things, carry things ect..but it's the parents job to teach them how to do those things. Even if it takes months of tiresome repetition, children will only learn by example.

UGH I'm so irritated. I'm sorry if this offends anyone. Everyone is intitled to raise their children as they wish. It just breaks my heart to see how some parents choose to raise their children.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

October- Yikes

What a month this turned out to be. Seems like no matter what's going on, October always seems to be the busiest and most challenging for almost every one I know. So I need to start this blog with lots of love and hopes for healthy recoveries. Two babies were born this month, congrats to the families! My friend is very sick in the hospital, so my prayers are with her. My mom just broke her ankle AGAIN in two places and has to wear another cast for who knows how long. My cousin just got out of the hospital after battling a horrible infection and my other cousin is battling migranes and fibro. So MUCH love to everyone and my prayers are with you!

Surgery:

Most of you know I had my gallbladder surgery, FINALLY! I could not be happier that I had it done! We had a small scare with my lady parts before the surgery. The Dr thought I had endometriosis (a disease that lines the uterus and prevents you from having more kids...hysterectomy) so he wanted to do that part of the surgery at the same time. I found out Monday that I don't have it! I'm glad they went through with that though because I DID have a small cyst, which is now gone! The surgery over all went very smoothly, the pain is almost completely gone and after 3 long weeks I can hold my daughter in my arms again!

On a happier note: Halloween is here and my anniversary is near!

Halloween is my second favorite holiday ever. This year, like every year, we are going to Mickey's Trick-or-Treat party at Disneyland for our Anniversary. It will be 3 years on the 27th, 6 years total. Time flies! I'm really excited about it and hope it's just as good as I remember it. Our halloween costumes this year are going to be interesting. Ben is Peter Pan, I'm Wendy and Chloe is Tinkerbell. That's gonna make some great pictures. I will post all that on the next blog, but I was excited so I wanted to share.

Chloe:

Chloe is SIX months old now! She is still tiny, 14 lbs and just about 27 in long. Would you believe she is still in newborn and 0-3 month clothes. INSANE! Dr says she is healthy and strong so no worries! Her new favorite thing is standing. I can't get that girl to sit for more then 5 min before she is trying to pull herself up or get me to help her. She will never learn how to crawl because all she wants to do is practice walking. Her favorite thing to eat is peach yogurt and sometimes sweet potatoes...she is finally coming around to more varieties, but what can I say the girl knows what she likes.

So That's the end of my blog for now. I will try to do it more often with more juicy stuff so it isn't so boring to read lol. I'm just fighting a cold and major lack of sleep right now!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

A Turn For The...Better?

First off HAPPY 5 Months Chloe! Yikes...She is growing so quickly. I can't turn my back on her for one second anymore. The past couple months she has been doing this kind of crab crawling thing where she will be on her back and try to scoot across the floor (or wherever she is), but just in the past week she has become a master at it. I turn my back to grab some water or something and look at her and she already got herself across the room. She found my shoes and decided to play with them, so now I have to hide them because I never know where she is going to end up! It's insane.

She gets all frustrated and confused when she tries to do that on her belly...but if she was doing it on her belly she would be crawling! Silly little girl.

Gallbladder business: I had THE worst attack about 2 weeks ago and ended up calling off work for two days because of it. I had to get a Drs note in order to be excused of course, so I saw my Dr and when he found out that the Surgeon didn't push my insurance through he got pretty angry. To make a long story short, he made a phone call and got me an appointment with a different surgeon. To make matters more complicated my Dr. gave me a two week off work notice that way I could recover and possibly have the surgery. Now I'm just waiting for the best insurance option and an actualy surgery date (which should be some time this month).

Jobs: Stater's didn't like the fact that I needed time off for surgery or sick leave, so they let me go. Their company policy states that you have to have 6 months in the company (starting from your hire/re-hire date) in order to get any time off...including medical reasons. I'm really not all that upset about it. I was meant to teach and Staters would have just gotten in the way of that dream. I loved the job and loved the pay, but I don't want to work for a company that doesn't allow their employees to be sick. At least I can be home with my little one now and just work on finishing my credentials.

On a more exciting note...Ben got a job!!! He is working in Admissions at ITT and we both have a prety good feeling about this one! He applied for this job over two months ago and they were waiting on a international background check (from his mission in Honduras) to come back, but they saved a spot for him!! I already miss him, but I know it's gonna make the world of difference financially for us! Better yet he got insurance....So paying up the butt for my surgery is no longer a worry.

I wanna thank everyone for their help and support through all this and I really hope these changes in our lives are for the better :)

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Our Life Now

Chloe is 4 months already! She is growing so quickly and is as healthy as can be. She almost doubled her birth weight at 12 lbs 14 oz and is 25 in. long! She is a talker just like her daddy and looooves to discover new sounds. She absolutly hates to sit down or lay back. She wants to stand or sit up straight all day long. I wouldn't doubt if she started walking early! We bought a little pool a few weeks ago so she could have her first pool session. The Dr. says "NO SUNSCREEN until 6 months!!!" lol so we don't keep her in it for long, but she enjoys it.

On another note...I am back at Staters decorating cakes again. Sadly, there are no teaching jobs around for me to grab. At least I get to do one of the things I love! I got a really sweet pay rate and even better hours so I shouldn't complain. I do miss my little Chloe, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Eventually my dream of becoming a teacher will be a reality, but for now the part time is perfect when you have a little one at home. I want to start selling cupcakes on the side, so if you are interested in anything for parties...I got skillz lol.

As far as my gallbladder goes, it's still in me. The insurance I have right now won't cover the surgery I need to get that or my csyts out (I have some on my overies) so I'm trying my best to take it one day at a time. My insurance for Staters doesn't start for another 6 months so pray BJ finds a job before then!

Speaking of BJ, he is still looking for a job. Times are so hard in the working world right now. If anyone knows of a job please let us know! Things would be soooo much easier if he got a job with some good insurance. Other then that nothing big has happened yet.

That's our life right now, hopefully it will turn around and things will start to get better in the financial department for everyone :)

Friday, April 16, 2010

Chloe's here!

I know you guys already know that our sweet Chloe is here from the overwhelming amount of pictures, but we just can't help it. I wanted to go ahead and do a sort of "Birth Story" because I know a lot of you have been asking about how it all went down. I'm going to do it in a nut shell so it's not long and drawn out hehe. So here it goes:

April 1st we went in at 6 am to start the induction process as planned. When I went in, my cervix was dialated to a 1. By the time the Dr. got there and got the gel situated in me it was a little after 8 and the waiting process began. after a good hour they checked again and still nothing...so they did another gel treatment and waited another hour or so. That time I jumped up to a 4 so they did another gel treatment and waited another hour. By that time I was begging for an epidural because...well I just hate pain. They gave it to me and broke my water assuming my cervix might just do it's job because it jumped so quickly. The epidural made everything better until about 3 hours passed and the 4th gel treatment proved to be worthless. By then the Dr. was positive that a c-section was the best way to get Chloe out. He waited another 2 hours just to make sure nothing changed and of course nothing did.

All of a sudden the nurses came in and said ok lets go. They took me so fast I couldn't even say good-bye to my mom or Ben. To spare the detail of this tramatizing event (to me because I hate operating rooms...they scare me to death), Ben got to come in at the last minute and hold my hand through the whole thing. At 7:29pm Chloe was finally here. Ben got to cut her cord and hold her to show me while they were sewing me up. Then they wheeled me away to recovery for a good hour and a half. By the time I got back to the postpartum room it was around 10:30.

The following day the Dr. came in to see how I was doing and he told me that Chloe had been face up (just like I was) and that he would have ended up doing an emergancy C-section if my cervix decided to start working. He also told me that she was trying her best to come out and her head was shaped a little like a cone from trying so hard. If he wouldn't have taken her she would have been in major distress! So over all i'm extremely happy the way things worked out, he took mine and Chloe's life into his best interest and I'm so glad he did!

We got to come home on Easter which was about 3 days later and now here we are. I just wanted to thank everyone for their love and support. I really needed the company in the hospital because I was going insane! So I love you guys and thank you so much!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Chloe's day (Revised)

An update to our little Chloe's Arrival:

I went to the Dr's today and found out that I am o% dilated and o% effaced...SOOO it's not looking too good for a natural birth right now. THE reason I SAY this is because my entire pregnancy i've had issues with my cervix. The pain has been unbearable at times, the Dr even put me on maternity leave early because the pain was so bad. He's been telling me all along that the pain may mean that my cervix is trying to do it's job, but can't. My Dr thought it would be best to go ahead and set an induction date for March 30Th. He is going to try to induce me and see if my cervix will cooperate on that day. If it doesn't then he will give me two options 1. C-section or 2. come back on April first for a second try. HE isn't counting on it opening at all, considering my background, I haven't progressed and I'm already 38 weeks. However, I have another appointment next wed. so there is one more shot at my cervix opening on it's own..which we all need to pray it does. If it doesn't the induction date will stay the same, but we can't guarantee that Chloe pea will be here on that day. Though that is the main factor in choosing induction over "nature" I also have one more issue to deal with....

Most of you know about the diseased gallbladder i've been dealing with, it's causing somewhat of an affect on the whole natural birth process as well. I've been fortunate to not have many attacks while pregnant, but now that Chloe is so big she is putting a lot of strain on my gallbladder. It's extremely painful and aids in making the gallbladder worse. The Dr said that he wants to induce as well because a diseased gallbladder often leads to dangerously high blood pressure during last trimester and sometimes puts both the mother and child in danger of losing their life. He is watching my blood pressure closely and it is still ok, but it can change easily. I don't know if anyone watches 19 kids and counting, but she DID have that issue and almost lost her life...Her baby ended up being months early. I'm just lucky my case isn't as extreme and the Dr is keeping a close eye on it.

Bottom line is, though induction may not be the BEST way to bring Chloe in this world...considering my circumstances it may be the smartest and safest way. So we will all have to just play it by ear...SOOOOO keep us in your prayers...I will be doing all I can to get my stubborn cervix to open...The last thing I want is a c-section!

Friday, February 5, 2010

February update

So it's safe to say that we are finally moving. They put a "for rent" sign in front of our house today to get it rented out faster...It's a bitter sweet moment for us. We are REALLLLY going to miss this area, the good neighbors (can't wait to say good-bye to the horrible neighbors next to us and their stupid devil cats), and most of all our house. I, personally, will really miss working in the school districts up here, especially since i've got two years in with them. It's going to be hard trying to get in down the hill because they will take the pink slip teachers (laid off) before me...BUT We had to weigh our options and moving back down the hill closer to family just seems to be the best and most wise choice! It will help with the milage and gas expenses on Ben's car AND my mom will be just around the corner to help with Chloe when I start student teaching in Sept. So now we are just waiting for the ok to either move at the end of Feb. or the middle of March. Hopefully sooner then later because we all know the little ones come when they want to NOT when the dr. says :)

Speaking of our little one! I'm starting my 8th month! She is doing fantastic and is 4 pounds! I can't believe how FAST the time has gone. I'm so excited about it and can't wait to hold her! My awesome class had a suprise baby shower for me and another pregnant lady on our last day, which was sooooo nice of them! My teacher even got me a gift, I couldn't believe it! I'm even more excited about the baby shower coming up on Feb. 27th! I hope people actually come...I feel like a lot won't...Anyway my gallbladder is doing just fine, I haven't had much of a problem with it so I feel pretty fortunate. I think most of it is because I'm careful what I eat. My dr. did put me on maternity leave though because I've been having some real bad pains in my cervix area. it's been going on since my second trimester and is getting worse. He said it's nothing to be worried about, the pain usually means it's doing its job. But it hurts to walk, sleep...just about everything so he gave me some prescription tylonol with codine to help me sleep when it gets bad and told me to just take it easy!

So that about does it! I think I covered everything!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

December 2009

Oh man I can't be happier for this year to end! It has been such a rollercoaster of events that I will be so glad to just wave good-bye and never look back. Always seems when things go perfectly right...something comes right behind it to make it perfectly WRONG. What I will never understand is that it has to hit all at once. Trying to wait for that rescue boat so you don't drown, is incredibly stressful. I'm incredibly thankful for my parents, if it weren't for them we really would have drowned! It's a great time to count our blessings and know that no matter what, it will work out. BJ got a new job, not the greatest, nor does it have the best hours, BUT, we have an income and insurance so we can at least sleep a little easier at night. He loves it, so we will try to make due until I can start working full time again. A lot of changes are going to be happening next year and I have never been so unsure of my future, but I do know that i'm ready for the ride. All I can really do is BELIEVE and go with the flow.

On a lighter note, Chloe is growing strong. I feel her all the time! She is a little over a pound now and has such an amazing personality already. It's almost as if she knows we are listening and watching her. All of her sonogram pictures she has to show me her feet and this one I swear she's kissing us. Good thing is, we do know that Chloe will be Chloe and not turn in to Zachary.. They confirmed it again at my latest drs. appointment. So once we get our finances settled and find out whether or not we can stay in our home we can actually start getting her room together...hopefully that will be soon.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Our Anniversary and quick update

So our two year anniversary is coming up on the 27th and my parents decided to buy us tickets to Mickey's Trick or Treat Party! It was a lot of fun, even with all the construction going on. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by! We are especially excited for Halloween, but it seems as though not as many people are coming this year. It's a little dissapointing, but I'm sure it will be fun. My dad is going to have a bowling tournament on the Wii, so he is really excited about that!

On a side note I recieved our first published book in the mail a few days ago. I feel like it's such a huge accomplishment and it has given me the drive to create more books so I can publish them and hopefully make some profit. I would love to persue a Childrens book career..well more like a side career because teaching is my first passion of course! Who knows maybe one day my books will actually make it somewhere!

Oh and I also wanted to say that I am more then half way done with my credential program. I have about 3 more classes and it's all down hill from there! It's exciting to think I might actually have my own classroom some day!

We picked out all of our stuff from the package for Chloe's arrival and are slowly paying it off. As I get the stuff I will post pictures so you guys can see it. They aren't the same pictures as what's in the previous blog because we got to choose the colors yay! We also registered at Babies R Us and Target if anyone is interested in it. We will probably go back in Jan or Feb to finish the registry because the lady said a lot of new stuff comes out then and we should come back and add it.

That's about it!

Monday, October 19, 2009

It's a Girl!

We are so excited to announce that we are having a precious baby girl. Her name is Chloe Elisabeth Eller. I've looked over the u/s pictures tons of times just to make sure she was a girl and am finally convinced. Please keep us in your prayers, that she will be healthy and strong and that I will have a smooth and safe delivery. I worry about it every day, but I guess it's only the begining of what it feels like to be a mom. I can feel her moving around finally, it's a weird, yet comforting feeling. I just wish Bj could feel her too...in time I guess! We are slowly working on her room and piecing everything together. If you have any questions ask me please!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Special Baby Package

I know a lot of you have been asking what we need help with for the baby and today we found the greatest deal ever! It's a package deal that includes just about every essential we'll need for the little one. We are going to pay monthly for it so instead of gifts I would really like cash or checks so we can get this thing paid off within the 6 months that we are supposed to. The package is customizable so we can choose the fabrics and colors of the stroller, bedding, and all the other stuff that includes that! (THE PICTURES ARE JUST THE EXAMPLE OF THE PRODUCT) Here is a list of what all comes with the package so you guys know exactly what the money will be going toward. almost everything is either Disney or Graco brand, the crib i'm not sure what the brand name is, but its nice!

Crib (4 way changing so we can use it through the toddler age) - includes ortho firm mattress

matching changing table (with padding, drawers, and shelfs)

Rocker glider with matching ottoman (the one BJ is sitting in, but in Cherry.)

customized stroller with a car seat (has tons of cool compartments and thing that tells the temp. it can be folded up wi

h one hand!! it's awesome!!)

deluxe high chair (that moves to 5 different sizes so if you want to sit you can match it to you height and it has a tray you can take off and wash along with the permanent tray.)

complete bedding set (Mickey Sports for a boy....purple butterfiles for girl)

complete gift tub set (bath tub, bottles, bibs, a few diapers ect..)

15 pc soft goods (my choice of clothes, bibs, bottles, burb rags ect..)

Umbrella stroller

deluxe walker (baby can use starting at 4 months, it has removable supports so when they get older they can walk around instead of just bounce or rock..it turns into a baby rocker too)

soft mink blanket

bassinet (probably the pooh bear one, but its my choice)

and thats about it, so it's quite a bit of stuff and the good thing is we can change things out if the baby ends up being the opposite of what the dr. told us. we are going to wait until we know for sure what the baby is before we start customizing everything! so if your interested you know what to do :) Thank you sooooo much! Anything will help!! The total cost of it all is a whopping $1600, but considering the quality and amount of stuff we just couldn't pass the opportunity!