ONE YEAR AGO TODAY...

Exactly one year ago today, this is what I was doing. Well, not exactly one year ago since technically Cam wasn't born until 10pm, straight up, and it's pretty early in the morning here. Anyhoo, Here I was! Looks like fun, doesn't it? Well now, one year later, I can say that it was fun. If you would have asked me on this day a year ago I would have burst into tears and sobbed "no"! This was June 30th but all of this began the morning of the 29th- I was induced by my doctor at 11am, checked into the hospital at 3pm, labored until midnight and was then sent home. Back to the hospital at 8am the next day. Labored until noon at which point my doctor broke my water. That was disgusting and I am thrilled that I never have to experience that again...my contractions really hit about 5 seconds later. I lasted for all of 20 minutes before I practically begged for an epidural. Labored until 7pm and that's where the real fun began. I pushed and pushed and pushed. I said one bad word the whole time and felt really bad about it. I also felt bad for snapping at the nurse...she told me that she could see his hair and I told her to reach up there, grab it and get him out! Obviously that did not happen because I was being wheeled into the operating room for a c-section 2 hours later. Fun, right?



This sweet little thing is the reason I can say the experience was fun. This was my precious little first born son when he was one day old. He was so small! Well, not small enough since he got stuck and he had to be removed via c-section but whatever...here he is! He weighed 7lbs 7oz., was 20 1/4 inches long and named after his Papa (Cameron Robert). He had the darkest hair and for a couple of days it did this weird Bird-Of-Paradise flippy thing in the front. I loved him the minute he was born! I didn't get to see much of him right afterwards because my doctor had to knock me out after the delivery...I woke up about an hour and a half later to this beautiful little boy just staring at me. It was so awesome! For those of you who know me I'm sure you can tell right away that he looks just like his Daddy...I think the only thing he got from me was my dark hair and it's not even dark anymore. I miss him being this little but...


This stage is also great. Look at him...isn't he too cute!? He loves his bath time. He loves his stuffed monkey and stuffed frog, he loves goldfish crackers, Fruit Loops and orange sherbert push-ups. He loves Cody (our dog) and nana and papa. He loves his Aunt Mandy and Uncle Aaron. I KNOW he loves his Daddy (they're buddies!). He growls at you to be cute and screams at you when he's hungry or wants your food. He laughs when you tickle the inside of his thighs or under his chin. He cries when he has bad dreams and then clings to his mama until they go away and he can sleep peacefully again. All these things I have learned about my son over this past year.

Today he is one. One! I can hardly believe it because it still feels like I just brought him home. I can honestly say my life is better because of this child. I look forward to all the changes he will go through in the upcoming years and I look forward to all the things I'm sure he'll teach me. He will always be my baby...even when he's 50 with babies of his own. He is my first born son and that, to me, is precious. I thank God for him every day and I hope he knows, or will come to know, just how much I love him.

So Happy Birthday my sweet Cameron! Today is all about you and only you...

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

Thirteen things I am thankful for, huh? Well, I'm sure I have more than 13 but we can start here:

1. First and foremost- my Mom. For many reasons but mainly because I know she'll show me how to get my own TT icon so I don't feel like a TT loser. Seriously though, she is the world's best mom. She's Super Mom for heaven's sake and always has been.

2. My husband. He is my best friend and without him I would not have precious baby-son.

3. My job- I work for a great company in a great office with 13 ( hey, what a coinky-dink) of the greatest girls. Yep, all girls. Oh wait, we hired a guy to be our marketing rep a few days ago...whoops! Pray for him everyone! :)

4. Our new truck! Yee haw it has AC...need I say more? My Neon does not have AC and neither does Andy's older than dirt Firebird. Trust me, I am so thankful for this new truck!

5. My Budget Sheet...it has helped me get my act together financially and that is ALWAYS a good thing.

6. My dog, Cody. Without Princess Codilums I would not truly appreciate the value of a new couch!

7. My parents being able to move out here 2 months after I found out I was pregnant. I can't imagine them not being here to watch their grand baby grow up.

8. Starbucks...yummy, yummy, yummy. I'll take an iced mocha frappachino, please!!!!

9. My blogging friends- you are all so patient with me and my sporadic posting habits! Thank you!

10. Quack-qwee! I know my mom is the only person here who knows what quack-qweey is. Let me just explain that it is the funniest little duck toy thingy that kept my son entertained for hours when he was teeny.

11. My dishwasher- looking at my kitchen now I am going to REALLY love my dishwasher tomorrow morning!

12. High speed Internet...without it blogging would be a serious frustration for me.

13. My son, Cameron. He teaches me every day to be a better person. :)

Oh my heck, I could go on and on and on. I guess it's a good thing when you have a hugemongous list of things to be thankful for! What a positive TT this was. Thank you to my Aunt Bev for chosing the TT this week. I am THANKFUL you chose a topic that was so easy, fun and uplifting!

"LIVE, ON AMERICAN IDOL"

Week after week I heard Ryan Seacrest say those exact words over and over again. I used to think to myself, "Gee, wouldn't it be nice if it really were live?". Well, for Andy and I last night, it was! We got to see Carrie Underwood live!

Every year, Country Jam USA comes to Grand Junction. Well, it comes to Mack, Colorado, which is a "town" that has about 2 houses in it. But, when Country Jam comes the population multiplies ten fold. We heard on the radio last week that when Country Jam is in town, Mack is the highest populated town on the Western Slope, even if it is for just one weekend. Anyhoo, Country Jam- a four day concert series that, this year, featured groups like Surgarland, Gretchen Wilson, Alan Jackson and of course, Carrie Underwood. There were about 15 more but I can't remember them. Now, I'm not going to lie- it really is a huge 4-day party where people drink and act crazy. For three years in a row, me and a group of friends would head out to Country Jam to "mingle" and have fun. I was always to chicken to drink out there so I baby-sat mostly but back then I had a good time! They have a hugemongous piece of land that they turn into the world's largest campground that hold, seriously, probably 500 campers. It's nuts! But, a friend of mine at work won a bunch of tickets and gave me two so Andy and I could see Carrie.

The minute I got out there, I was immediately reminded of why I quit going to Country Jam. Holy, moly there were so many people and it was loud and dirty and hot. BUT, I really wanted to see Carrie. I guess I'm just old now- if and when I go to Country Jam I really do want to watch the concerts. So, Andy and I found our spot and went to find something to eat. Let me back up a sec- I have to thank, again, my hubby for even going out there with me. She was the headliner for the evening so her show didn't even start until 9:30. Andy got up and went to work at 4am and didn't get home until 5:30pm. He "slept" for an hour and a half and then got out of bed and took me all the way out to Mack. :)

I guess it was like any other concert we would go to- we sat about a half a mile away and watched her on a big screen TV. She looked adorable, as always, and was really a pleasure to see live. She covered most of the songs off her album and she even did 2 Gun's and Roses songs, which was pretty impressive because Gun's and Roses is a 90's heavy metal band! We were out there for about 2 1/2 hours before coming home, we were exhausted but both really glad we got to go. So, I guess it shows that some Idols really do live up to their title- I wonder if we'll ever see Taylor out this way? :)

"OPT ME OUT, SCOTTY!"

I hate it when I go to my mailbox and instead of getting my latest People magazine there are 5 or 6 credit card offers for me and my hubby...each! "Your pre-qualified!", "Just sign and return to open your new credit line!", "0% APR on all account transfers!". Please, like I need another stinking line of credit. I'm working hard to get my credit score in near perfect condidtion here, people! What used to really strike my curiousity was how did they know I could qualify for a $25,000 PLATINUM Visa? I didn't ask for that...I never inquired about that at all. Hmmm...well, they have the greatest access to my credit report. Not good, in my opinion.

Being in the industry that I'm in, having a good credit score can open a lot of doors for you and it could also make or break the deal to your dream home! I attend a monthly certified closer luncheon where we have various guest speakers that speak about different, or new isues/laws/policies, in our industry. I missed last month's meeting but I was given a copy of the meeting minutes. Guess what one topic was? You guessed correctly, credit scores. Did you know that for every credit card offer you receive, your credit report is pulled and it takes 2-3 points off your credit score? I didn't know that...doesn't sound like a lot of points, right? But, they add up. I probably get 10-15 offers a month. I was a little shocked and even more irritated that I keep getting these offers that I promptly tear in half and throw away. What to do, what to do...

I was reviewing some documents this afternoon when I came across the greatest little address ever! The address for the National Opt-Out Center! These people can take your name off the marketing mailing lists for Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for two years!

For those of you who already knew this 1. I'm jealous and 2. I'm sorry if I am boring you. :)

This is perfect for me since I am trying so hard to improve my credit score...hence the Budget Sheet in my WFMW post. All you have to do is write to their address, ask them to remove your name from those three lists, give them your complete mailing address and social security # (don't freak...they probably can find it themselves!) and sign it. Bam! No more CC offers for two whole years! Now that is pretty cool to me. Besides, don't you think it should be up to you when your credit report is pulled? If you, and you alone, can screw up your credit then you, and you alone, should be able to prevent it from being screwed up!

Now, I did a teeny bit more research...this is not the same thing as the Do Not Call list...that's for telemarketers, which are awful as well. So, if anyone is interested in getting their name off nosey marketing lists, here's the address:

National Opt-Out Center

P.O. Box 97328

Jackson, MS 39288-7328

The two letters I typed this afternoon for my hubby and I are already signed, sealed and ready to go out in tomorrow's mail.

Thank you, everybody, for visiting Missing Marbles and her Friday soap-box presentation! :)

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY I AM NOT DOING A THURSDAY THIRTEEN

1. Cameron

2. Andy

3. Work

4. Cameron

5. Andy

6. Work

7. Cameron

8. Andy

9. Work

10. Cameron

11. Andy

12. Work

13. Cameron.....

Hee, hee :)

WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY...ON A THURSDAY!

It seems I have a little catching up to do. Little Man is in bed sleeping peacefully with his favorite monkey (a gift from Papa) and his favorite frog. Daddy, after working a 65 hour week, is also in bed sleeping very soundly, I'm sure. So, this leaves me some free time to blog away!

I think I will start with my very own, and very first, Works For Me. Now, this is quite the acomplishment because NOTHING has really worked for me in the past year. I literally take things one day at a time. I have my father, Curmudgeon Central, to thank for this one. It's called my budget sheet...and it has worked like a charm for one whole year! A little history first...when I met my hubby and moved in with him, we decided right away that we would combine our checking accounts but I was in charge of the money. Heh, heh, definately did NOT work for me back in those days. He didn't keep a check register so I thought neither will I. Bad move, very bad move. So, to make a nasty story short the bank hated me for quite some time. Now, I am not proud of this fact, not proud at all. That is why, when I was 6 months pregnant, I ran the long trek (three houses down) to my parent's and bawled at their kitchen table because I had yet again flubbed up our account. That's when Dad, he who is almost as organized as mom, busted out The Budget Sheet.

Basically, what it is, is a document my dad created that broke out the month into 4 weeks. Each week had it's own little box with 6 more little boxes inside. Above the little boxes is one box that you write down what your paycheck is going to be. In the little boxes you write down what bills you have due for that week and how much is owed. With a little basic subtraction you can figure out what you are spending on bills for that week and how much money you will have left over for whatever!

This has worked wonders for me. I get paid twice a month and Andy gets paid once a week so not only are my bills paid ON TIME, the bank loves me again. I have not bounced a check in alomst a year and I have started keeping a check register again. The beginning of every month I sit down and fill in my Budget Sheet and I am good to go for the whole month. Talk about having your paycheck spent before you even get it, but this works for me!

WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

When Andy and I decided to buy a house we decided to buy one that was going to be built from the ground up. We would go in and pick the carpet we wanted and the tile we wanted. We would get to pick where all the phone and cable jacks went. Heck, we could add concrete wherever wanted to as well! What I guess we forgot was all the landscpaing that would have to be done...by us and us alone. Yes, we could have chosen to roll landscaping into our closing costs but we were already having down payment assistance rolled into our closing costs so why add more. Hmmm.....wondering if that was a great idea or not.

Yes, that is my hubby, standing in a hole 5 feet deep. Cute, huh? Well, not so cute if you knew why he was standing in a hole 5 feet deep. The brilliant people who built our house told us that they would mark with spray paint where we needed to dig to get to the main water line for our sprinkler system. Our house was built in the summer of '04 and it must have been a hot one because they MISSED the dang water line by four feet and mis-marked our house. I swear it took my hubby and his best friend 5 hours to dig that hole. Thankfully they laughed this off. Trust me when I say that putting in a sprinkler system is hard work and this would have easily irked me if I was the one digging.

This is not the first place we started either. No, no, no...our landscaping feat started 2 weeks before we actually moved into our house. We have a dog, a precious lab-sharpei we call Cody, or Princess Codilums for long. :) Our back yard is pretty big. Three things do not go well together in a new house: a dog, a huge dirt backyard and new carpet. So, two weeks before we moved in we spent upwards of a $1000 to buy sod so she would have a safe place to pee and play. Again, my hubby set to work and three days later we had sod...but no sprinkler system in the back because we are smart first time home buyers, and I say that sarcastically. It's a pain to move a sprinkler all around the yard these days! What the heck were we thinking? So, the sprinkler system we have now is just for the front yard...the back yard gets to wait until next summer because we are working on the front yard this summer.


This big 'ol rock pile has been sitting in our driveway for a month. Because of my hubby's work schedule we get landscaping done a little at a time. Now, I have to say that putting rock down is the easiest part of landscaping ever! Someone comes and dumps it, you shovel it into a wheelbarrow, roll it over to where you want it, dump it out and spread it all around. Piece of cake really. This afternoon, after sweet hubby-love gets home from work, we (with the help of my dad) will finish the skinny side of the driveway and call it good for rock in the front yard. Next we get to deal with the weeds that are popping up in the new grass we planted. Grrrrr....

So, hopefully this will explain where I have been and why things have been hectic around here. Factor a baby into the plan and it's gets even trickier. Speaking of baby-son...his Baby Einstein video is over and he's not too happy about it! Ta ta for now!!!!

Well, here I am after a long time away from the blogging world and the dynasty. So sorry everyone but you will see where I have been on my next post. Mom explained the whole copywritten icon rule (which she broke, ha ha) so she gave me permission to use this cute one that has her name on it. Hey, mothers pass things down to their daughters, including icons sometimes. Friday Feast...what a cute idea! I like posts that have me answering questions...makes it easy. :) So here goes!

Appetizer

What is a word you use that would not be considered common?

Hugemongous and ginormous...OK, I KNOW that these words do not exist. So, that counts for not being common, right? Although, I did see on my cousin Dan's blog that he used the word hugemongous. I think that was the word he used...our word may become common after all!

Soup

What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?

Well, I did have a really cute apple calendar on the wall in my office. Then my sweet hubby decided to put his THIRD TV on the desk (A 27" TV on my desk, in my office, fabulous!)), which knocked it off my wall. Not sure where it is now SO I usually just use the calendar at work, which is Microsoft Outlook.

Salad

Name 3 people you speak with by telephone on a daily basis.

I call Mom everyday, whether she is watching my son or not. I call her for everything, even if I'm just bored and have absolutely nothing to say. I also talk to my husband several times a day, again about something or maybe nothing at all. I also talk to our title plant in Montrose on a daily basis and that's always work related so I would rather talk to mom and Andy.

Main Course

If you could buy a new outfit for someone, who would it be and what would you purchase for them?

Honestly, my hubby. And I would buy him some new shorts. He needs some in a bad way, especially for work. He works for Frito Lay and he has to work outside so he gets pretty hot. Long pants just don't cut it this time of year. Hey, maybe I will get him some when I am out getting his Father's Day gift today!

Dessert

What's the last beverage you drank?

I had a diet root beer last night with my sesame chicken and egg rolls

CAM'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

Can I just say that I am sooooo excited for Camerons' first birthday? I mean, really excited. So excited that I booked the park in March. There is just something so cool about throwing a birthday party for my kid. That is still so strange for me to say, "my kid". I feel like I just gave birth to him!

Anyhoo- some people think I am a dork because I am having a birthday party for my 1 year old who won't remember the day but I don't care. I already have a theme picked out...Baby Einstein!!!! I think the Baby Einstein characters are so adorable and Cam cracks up at the elephants. Last weekend (before the Rotavirus hit) I bought his cute little invitations to send out. I got party hats for the littler kids in the family to wear, as well as, little treat bags to make for those kids. Hey, I got treat bags when I went to b-day parties so why not, right? I bought cake plates and napkins, all with the Baby Einstein characters, and plan to buy red plates to match for the BBQ food. Oh yeah, that's the plan by the way. A big ol' cook out with lots of yummy food and cake! I'm thinking about taking a picture of the Baby Einstein caterpillar to Wal-Mart and having the cake made with him on it. :)

The sweetest thing I got for him was this little felt hat that says "It's My First Birthday". How cute, huh? PLEASE tell me there are other mothers out there that got excited for the first birthday! I am going to get balloons in primary colors to decorate the picnic area with and I am thinking about having Jimmy Buffett playing in the background. Hee, hee...what a dorky mom I am!

Hopefully I didn't bore anyone to death...I had to think of something to Blog about before everyone stopped coming to visit me! I can not be the slacker in the dynasty, that would be awful! So, please feel free to stop by and tell me what a big silly mommy I am for wanting to play Jimmy Buffet at my son's birthday party. His FIRST birthday party! Woohoo!!!

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

Wow, everyone wrote these sweet and serious things they love about themselves. But, given the weekend I had, mine is a little more comical. Hey, I need a little humor in my life and who better to poke fun at than me!!! Here goes:

1. I love that I'm a bookworm. A true bookworm even though I have had a baby. I take my books to work and read them on my lunch hour.

2. I love that I seem to make people laugh. And that makes me feel good. At least I'm not making people cry!

3. I love that I have no problem throwing things away. Ask mom, I hate clutter. Hate it! So, if it serves absolutely no useful purpose in my life...goners!

4. I love that I burst out in song in my office. Ever feel like singing a little tune? Well, I do. And it isn't always the one playing on the radio. Most of the songs I sing at work are commercial jingles.

5. I love that I don't shop as much as I used to. Trust me, that is a good thing. Unfortunately I am still paying for clothes I can't fit into anymore.

6. I love that when I DO shop, I have no problem shopping in PJ's. Most of my shopping trips are quick trips so who cares, right?

7. I love that I learned to budget. Hee, hee...it took me a little while but with my father's help I got it all figured out!

8. I love that I love trucks! I would love to own a Nissan Titan or a Toyota Tacoma. I have a little neon now and it's a little girly...I would like to sit up a little higher on the road. I'm short so I have a "small" complex.

9. I eat the same things when I go to restaraunts. ALWAYS sesame chicken, ALWAYS pepperoni pizza, ALWAYS lasagna...etc. etc.

10. OK, to get a little personal here...I love that I take a book to read when I go to the bathroom! Sorry, but it's more quiet time for me to read!!!

11. I love that I take 35 minute showers...and HOT ones. Again...more me time...without the book, of course.

12. I love that my hubby picked me. That is the most wonderful feeling in the world. And it's also great that he thought it was cool to have babies with me!

13. I love that I survived Rotavirus!!! Enough said!!!