My Date For New Year's Eve

My sweet hubby is at work tonight so Cameron and I are enjoying each other's company and celebrating New Year's Eve together. The one bad thing about Shawn working late tonight is that Cameron can't go to bed until Shawn gets home because I am not able to lift him into his crib. Hopefully he will fall asleep on the couch, but that is doubtful. Anyway, I took some pictures of my wonderful date tonight. I prepared an elegant dinner for just the two of us and we toasted to the New Year with some chocolate milk (lol). Anyway, we are going to sit around here and play and watch some TV and wait for Daddy to come home. Isn't my date just so handsome? Ah, I am so lucky to have such a sweet and handsome date!! Here is to wishing you all a Happy, Healthy & Blessed New Year!!

A picture to share

The other night as we were getting ready to go out... my hubby took this picture of Cameron and I and I thought I would share it. As you can see, I am in desperate need of a haircut, but that probably won't happen for another couple weeks. I am gonna have to be shaggy for a bit longer. I can hardly wait for it to be cut off. Anyway, not sure if you can see that smile behind those hands, but he has such a precious smile that he was covering up.

A Talk With My Surgeon

Today I contacted my surgeon with questions about my weight restrictions. I am getting quite yantzy if you can tell. All I want to do is grab a hold of my little boy and hold on so tight to him and unfortunately I am not able to do that yet. I couldn't remember what my doctor told me, I guess my old age is getting the best of me (lol). Anyway, the nurse informed me that I am not able to lift anything over 20 lbs for 4 weeks from the 22nd when I had my staples removed. So, I guess I still have 3 more weeks left (UGH). I am getting so frustrated to say the least and all I want to do at this point is to snuggle with my little boy. I just want to be able to do all of those things that I am use to doing with him and as you guessed it.... I am missing it BIG BIG bunches!! I guess you could say that I am a bit jealous too. I mean this little boy of mine is totally obsessed with his Daddy now and doesn't want a thing to do with me and it is killing me. We go from being best of buddies to strangers or something close to it. It hurts!! Well, I guess I will just start counting down those days and when those 3 weeks are up, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be holding that little boy as much as I can in a 24 hour period. Another thing that I mentioned to my doctor was the fact that I was still experiencing sharp pains in my surgery area. I asked if it could possibly be the fact that everything was moving back into place and that the muscles and everything were growing back together or whatever they do after surgery and she said "yes" and "no". She explained that if the pains continue and I am still experiencing them next week then I should probably come in and have an x-ray done. I asked why and she explained that it could mean that perhaps I still have a gall stone that is basically floating around in there and wreaking havoc. Oh, geesh!! I about lost my mind when she said that. What I didn't tell her is that I have been experiencing the pain for the past couple weeks. It is intermittent, but it is definitely something that gets my attention so here is to hoping that the pain disappears soon. The last thing I need or want is another surgery and most importantly to be cut open again and deal with weight restrictions again. Gotta love it!! Well, I will keep you all posted. If you could just keep me in your prayers - I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

Birthday Invites Complete

I love days when I feel like I got alot accomplished. Well, with Cameron's 2 YEAR Birthday right around the corner... I decided to make birthday invites for his birthday party. Since his birthday is on a Tuesday this year January 6th, we decided to have the family gathering for his birthday on Saturday the 10th. Well, since I have my lovely new printer (courtesy of my in-laws) I decided to make invites this year. Well, I found some pics for his invitations and created them myself. I think that they turned out pretty good and well Cameron was thrilled with them. He was just so excited about having a party!! Anyway, I am going to start practicing on making a Mickey Mouse cake myself (decorating and all) and if that doesn't work then we will go with good ole Kroger or Wal-Mart so we will see. I thought if I take a try at it this weekend then perhaps I will be ok come birthday time and his cake wouldn't look too terribly bad (lol). I will keep you posted on that. Well, I included pictures of his invites. Hope you like them.

Inside the card on the left side

Inside the card on the right side

Marley & Me Fit For Kids?

Alot of you questioned me as to whether or not the movie is fit for kids. Well, I can tell you that there were TONS of kids in the theater to see the movie, but to be honest with you... I am not sure that it is something that we would take Cameron to see. I do know that every family is different and some families would say it isn't that bad while others might say that they didn't find it appropriate. I will say this.... it is definitely worth watching it twice so perhaps check it out with your hubby and if you find that it is ok then take your kids to see it. All I know is that there were a couple times that Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson were making out on the bed and there were a few times were there were some cuss words, but no nudity and nothing too graphic, but the making out on the bed and a few cuss words was enough for me. Hope this helps you all determine whether or not the movie is right for you and your kids. Minus those few things that I mentioned above..... it was a GREAT movie!!

Date Night Out with Marley & Me

As many of you know, my husband is a school teacher for High School Spanish. Well, the good thing about him being a teacher, means that he gets lots of time off during the year. The time off couldn't have come at a better time to be quite honest. He has been such a BIG help with me recovering and it means that he spends more time with Cameron and I which we have truly enjoyed. Well, my husband and I aren't drinkers at all. I use to enjoy a good margarita with salt, but since I am a diabetic.... well, that is a thing of the past and well my husband just doesn't enjoy it so he doesn't drink which is fine with me. We never really go out on New Year's Eve, but we thought since my hubby was off from both jobs today and tomorrow that we would take advantage of that time and go out. Well, tonight we went out for dinner and we went to go see Marley & Me. If you haven't seen the movie then we highly recommend that you go see it and make sure you take plenty of tissues. Yep, I got my buttered popcorn if you are curious and really enjoyed it and we also shared a box of Milk Duds (yummy). Anyway, I am definitely not going to ruin the movie and tell you all about it, but it is definitely one you should check out. Touches your heart, that is for sure!! I am pretty sure I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Prayers are needed for Stellan

If you aren't familiar with MckMama and her blog then I highly recommend that you check out her blog. One of the many things I love about MckMama is that she loves the Lord with all of her heart and well so do I. Stellan is MckMama's youngest son that was born not too long ago and unfortunately he is very sick with RSV and is in need of lots of prayers. Please head on over to her site and say a little prayer for her sweet miracle baby Stellan. Thank you in advance for any and all prayers that you send up for that precious little boy. Hopefully with lots of our prayers... that little boy will be on the road to recovery and back home where he belongs.

Organization Complete - Before & After Pictures

Oh My, what a mess!! Cameron always goes to the doorway and points to something he wants and then we have to go and dig through everything to get what he wants. Gotta love the catch all closets full of stuff. Not only is it a catch all for all of the toys that Cameron plays with here and there, but it is also a catch all for all of the stuff and junk that I just decide to throw in there to hide when company comes over.... quick and easy clean up job (lol). I have tried taking the door off and making it just a little play area for Cameron, but taking off the door doesn't help keep it clean. So, we put the door back up with hopes that it would help and well, that didn't work either. Anyway, it is clean now and that will be one of my New Year's Resolutions to keep it clean...at least for a little while (hahaha). Here are BEFORE pictures.

Lookee There - You can't even see the back of the closet. What a mess!! Here are the AFTER pictures of the closet. Much Better - huh? You can actually see where the front and the back of the closet end and begin.

Ta Da - I separated all of the toys and labeled each drawer with my new label maker. Now I know that it won't stay this way especially with busy fingers into everything, but it looks nice - right? Hopefully if we stay on top of things then we can try our best to keep it organized and looking good at least for awhile. Yep, I think he has plenty of toys and that isn't even the half of them. He still has tons more in his room and in his bedroom closet. Yep, I think we need a bigger house!!

Time to Organize

My good ole hubby is off from both of his jobs today and tomorrow and I have just a few plans for him (hehehe). I gotta take advantage of him being around and why not do it now while he has 2 days off in a row. One day to help me organize and the other day to recover (lol). Anyway, we have this closet under our stairs that I am wanting to get organized. It is basically full of toys, books and who knows what else. Anyway, I am going to get some totes, organize toys, take some up to his room, organize books, take some to his room and organize, organize and did I say organize? Yep, that is what the day is all about. Anyway, as I am sitting here typing my husband is not wanting to wait so I must go and help him now before he gets a bit frustrated. I will post before and after pictures later. Hopefully we can come up with some type of plan for this closet and not just use it as a junk hold all. Hmmm, perhaps a bigger house would work perfectly (hahaha).

May I borrow your glasses Mr. Potato Head?

You gotta love the good ole Mr. Potato Head. I mean what is there not to like about this toy? You can give him so many looks and dress him up anyway you would like. Well, Shawn's cousin Stacey and her husband Scott bought Cameron a Mr. Potato Head for Christmas. Well, let me tell you that he LOVES it and especially loves the yellow glasses that belong to Mr. Potato Head. I tried to tell Cameron that they were way to small for him, but he still wanted them on his face and indeed he got them on there..... how? I have no idea, but he did manage it. He put them on his face, gave me a thumbs up and said "Cool Dude". Now tell me that this is not the cutest picture!?! He just cracks me up!!

Cameron wrestles Mr. Potato Head on a minute to minute basis and they fight over who is gonna wear the glasses next. Cameron wrestles with a smile and I think Cameron won this battle. What do you think?

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y !! I won this battle and what do you think about that there Mr. Potato Head? I guess Cameron decided that he could exchange him the glasses for a tongue on top of his head. Hmmm, you wonder what poor Mr. Potato Head thinks of that.

I guess Cameron finally decided to play nice and allow Mr. Potato Head to wear not only the glasses, but also the green hat. I bet Mr. Potato Head feels much better.

I remember the days when I use to play with my Mr. Potato Head when I was younger. I love the fact that he is still around and now there is so much more you can do with him. What a great gift for not only Cameron, but his Mommy too

My Sleeping Prince

I caught my precious little boy sound asleep on his Daddy's chest the other night. Nothing more precious then watching a sweet baby or in my case a toddler sleep. I still relish the fact that I can watch him peacefully sleep and him not even know it. I remember when he use to snuggle up under our chins and we could hold him so close and he was so small and tiny. Now we hold him and his feet dangle over the side of our arms. Oh, where does time go? Our baby has grown up so fast and he keeps growing. I love seeing him grow and learn, but boy oh boy do I miss that baby stage. For those of you with little ones.... enjoy them because they grow so fast!! Cherish these special moments.

Santa & Mickey Mouse came for a visit

Our Christmas was a very good one and I hope yours was as well. As Cameron gets a bit older, things become more and more fun. Shawn and I didn't exchange gifts because quite frankly we didn't have the extra money. We did however spend all of our extra money that we had on Cameron and that is what it is all about. I have always told my husband that once Cameron was born that I didn't need anything from him and I am sticking to my words. I have all that I have ever wanted in this little boy and that is the honest truth. I did get some wonderful gifts from my in-laws and money and gift cards from my parents so it was a great Christmas had by all. Shawn's cousin Stacey and her husband Scott stopped by for a visit along with her sister Marci and her boyfriend and they brought lots of gifts for Cameron. Bless their sweet hearts.... they bought him a Baby V-Smile, 2 sets of cars to go with the Mickey Mouse Race Track that we bought for Cameron, a Mr. Potato Head and a Doodle Pro which is LOVES!! If you haven't checked out Stacey and her site please do so. She is honestly the sweetest person that you will ever meet and when I say sweet, I mean every bit of it. Anyway, thank you Stacey & Scott for those wonderful gifts!! Hopefully we can repay the favor when your little miracle baby comes along : )

Here is Cameron opening a gift from Scott & Stacey Here is Cameron in some of his new pajamas that he received from his Grammy and Grampy.

Mommy & Cameron playing with his new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - singing the all famous Hot Dog Dance.

Here is Daddy and Cameron performing their version of the Hot Dog Dance - Yippee!

Cool Mickey Mouse Race Track - all 3 of us love this toy!

Cameron received a Choo Choo Train from us as well - he loves it, but loves to sit in the middle of the circle and the train is always crashing head on to his foot. He laughs and then says "boomee". He is so funny!!

I love this precious smile on his face. He was so excited to get this toy. SIMPLY PRECIOUS!!

Here is Cameron enjoying his Doodle Pro. Yep, he is addicted to this toy and he had to take it with him when we left Christmas morning to go to my in-laws house. I received a new printer for my computer, photo paper, printer paper, a label maker (I love being organized), $100 cash, Speedway gas gift card, and 2 Olive Garden gift cards. Cameron received tons of Mickey Mouse stuff, undies (so we can work on potty training soon), socks, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mickey Mouse Race Track, Choo Choo Train, cars, cars and did I say cars, diapers, clothes, pajamas, a remote control car, barnyard bowling, books, Baby V-Smile, Doodle Pro and well the list goes on. So, all and all it was a wonderful Christmas and we are truly blessed to share yet another one with all of our loved ones! Hope you all had a blessed day with your family and friends and enjoyed the time celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Mr. Sneaky the Gift Shaker

After making Christmas cookies last night, I caught Cameron getting into the gifts. Yep, he thought he was being all sneaky trying to get into the gifts and shake them. Good thing he didn't shake two of his gifts or else he would have heard a choo choo train with one and a cow mooing with another. That little boy is getting WAY TO SMART for his own good. We have started spelling certain words and well that doesn't work either because as soon as we spell it, he says it. Yep, we got a genius on our hands!! ~ Enjoy the pictures ~ Merry Christmas!

M-E-R-R-Y C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S !!

My favorite part of Christmas time is baking. I love baking and giving to others, but something put a small damper on that this year. Unfortunately, with my surgery, I wasn't able to bake like I am use to, but I didn't give up on the tradition of doing cut-outs with Cameron. Shawn had the brilliant idea of getting gingerbread and sugar cookies that were already in a roll and then we just roll them out and cut them out with our cookie cutters. Well, let me tell you that I will NEVER do that again. The dough was just way too difficult to work with and by the time I cut the cookies out, they were so soft that you couldn't hardly move them from the counter to the cookie sheet. The gingerbread men and women got along alot better then the sugar cookies, but it was just such a hassle. Let me just say that I missed working with my own sugar cookie recipe this year. We will definitely get back to it next year!! Anyway, my parents are coming into town today and I will see them for a little bit tonight and then we are heading to my in-laws house to light luminaries for all of our loved ones that have passed away and then we will take them to the cemeteries(another family tradition). We will visit with them and then come home, unwrap gifts with Cameron in the early morning, off to my in-laws again and then back home in the afternoon to spend time with my parents. Did you catch all that? I know, it is kinda crazy, but I am hoping for a smooth plan for next year where we spend Christmas Eve with one side of the family and Christmas Day with the other side. It would make it easier on all of us (I think). I guess that is one drawback of being married (lol). Well, I took pictures of us making Christmas cookies last night and thought I would post a couple for you to see.

Here is to wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year!