Update on My Little Man

After Cameron's appointment on Monday they prescribed Zithromax for him. Well, he is improving however he is still rattling a little bit on the chest so I got him back into the doctors this evening. The doctor said that his lungs still did not sound good so they prescribed yet another antibiotic and prednisone (steroid) to help strengthen his lungs and get them back to normal. After I heard him say this..... I thought instantly that he is probably going to be like me when he gets sick. If I get a sinus infection or a cold then it normally goes DIRECTLY to my chest and I get bronchitis and therefore it doesn't help matters at all with my asthma. I hope that I am wrong with my assumption, but it is scary to say the least. I am hoping that by Monday he is feeling better or at least that is what his doctor said. If you all could say a little prayer for him I would appreciate it. He just isn't himself lately and it worries me so much. I guess that is one of those things about being a Mom - you just tend to worry about your little ones especially more so when they are sick and not feeling well.

Well, I am off to do a few things around the house and take some aspirin. I don't know about some of you ladies, but anymore when I ovulate...... I can tell it. Oh, these ovaries must be working overtime!! My DH says we should take advantage of it and all I can think of is the pain that I am experiencing. OMGosh - it is awful tonight. Well, I am heading out of town to visit Shawn's cousin and her husband this weekend. We are quite excited about our trip and I will post more when I return. Have a blessed weekend everyone!!

Getting Better Every Day

Yesterday was a sad, but busy day. I tried my best to stay busy and keep my mind off what happened 5 years ago, but it is still was so fresh in my mind. I took some quiet moments to pray and send some extra love up to our child that we lost.

It was 50 degrees here in Ohio yesterday and definitely a beautiful day full of sunshine. Perhaps God knew that I needed some sunshine to brighten such a dreary day in my mind. I always try to read into things and often think that the sunshine was our child smiling down on us and reassuring us that he/she is ok and happy up in heaven. I took advantage of the warmer weather and did a few things in the garage, cleaned up some trash that had blown into our backyard and cut back a few of my plants and flowers that never got trimmed back in the fall. I am so hoping that spring is right around the corner. It is going to be in the 50's again today however starting tomorrow it is suppose to go back down to the 30's. Yep, that is a perfect example of Ohio weather!! That is probably why everyone is sick. Speaking of sick...... Cameron is getting better every day, but he is cranky as all get out. Oh - he has just been a bear lately. He has been throwing fits and just so moody and cranky. I know that some of it has to do with him not feeling so great, but could it all be from that or could he be experiencing his Terrible Two's Stage!?! Hmmm, whatever it is..... I am hoping it goes away REAL SOON.

Not much else to report here. Watched one of my favorite shows last night - Criminal Minds. Oh, I just love that show and I am SO anxious for next Monday to watch the Bachelor. I am hoping that Jason picks Melissa because I just don't care that much for Molly. I really wanted Jillian to win, but if I had to pick between Melissa and Molly.....definitely Melissa. I have been watching previews and I am so curious to see what happens. I read somewhere about a spoiler so if you are not into hearing the spoiler then you better stop reading now. Ok, the spoiler said that Jason picks Melissa, but then he later changes his mind and picks Molly. WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Oh - he better not even do that or he would go down in history as being a big time jerk that doesn't know what in the world he is doing or what he wants!! I guess we will see next week. So, who are you all wanting him to choose and why?

Remembering You Today & Always

Five years ago today, I experienced a great loss. The loss of a child, a child that was taken way too soon. I often think about what life would be like with 2 children. Would he or she be caring and loving towards Cameron? Would they get along? What would their likes and dislikes be? Would they look like me or my hubby? Oh yes, I think about all of the things that could have been with this sweet child of ours. I remember the day like it was yesterday and never have our sweet baby far from my mind. I imagine that this little baby that was taken from us would and was definitely be a sweet and beautiful blessing from God and I try my best to imagine what he or she would have looked like. What would his or her personality have been like and would they make me laugh just like Cameron does?!? I think quite frequently about our sweet child. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't wonder something about what could have been. I sometimes hate how my mind plays tricks on me, but it does. I try my best to shut my mind down at times, but it is always racing and thinking about something.

To My Sweet Child - Even though I never got to hold you or see you, I know that you are safe in God's arms. It is reassuring to me to know that you are up in heaven and with the one person that can always keep you safe from harm. I will one day see you and hold you in my arms, kiss your sweet forehead and smell your precious skin, but until then God will keep you safe and heaven will hold you. I love you my sweet baby and I miss you more then you will ever know. Hugs & Kisses to you my sweetheart!!

2/25/04

Gone, but never Forgotten

Love, Mommy

Two Doctor Appts in One Day

Cameron had a follow up appointment today to check his tubes in his ears. The doctor said that his ears looked great however one tube has fallen out and it just laying in his ear while the other is working on coming out. I thought to myself...... Oh great, that is all we need to deal with. The doctor basically informed us to keep a watch out for repeated ear infections, lack of listening or lack of talking. Hopefully Cameron has grown out of all of the ear infections and we won't have to worry about it, but we will see. The good news is that he is sick and the sickness hasn't gone to his ears HOWEVER it has hit everything else which isn't good. After his appointment for his ears..... I called his pediatrician to see if they could get him in because he was still sick, but now experiencing a cough and let me just say that the cough sounds horrible. They got us in at noon today and basically said that his lungs sound full and that the doctor was thinking that he probably got a cold which then turned into bronchitis which then caused a sinus infection. They prescribed some good old Zithromax which always works for me and told us to continue to give him plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. My sweet hubby was off with us today so he is getting the prescription filled and Cameron is taking a nap. Hopefully he will start feeling better soon because right now you can just tell he feels awful. Runny nose, bad cough, fever the past 2 days previous to today, runny eyes and well my little man is miserable. Anyway, I am tired myself so I am going to lay down and try to catch a cat nap before little man gets up.

Five Years Ago Today.....

You know something...... there is nothing more wonderful then finding out that you are pregnant. To take that HPT and see a positive!! Yep, 5 years ago today my DH and I were celebrating the fact that we were expecting. Oh, we were delighted to know that we were expecting our first child. I couldn't be happier and we rejoiced with one another knowing that within 9 months we would be holding the child that both were so excited to be pregnant with. We debated on whether or not to tell our parents, but I told my DH that I couldn't wait so we of course shared the news. I mean what else is more exciting to hear then us being pregnant!?! We had been married for only 4 short months, but it was still so exciting to find out that we were pregnant. I was scheduled to go in for my yearly pap smear and just had a feeling that I should take a HPT. We went to the store after church, grabbed a HPT and I went home right away and tested. I don't know why I felt the need to test, but something inside me made me want to do it. I wasn't late for AF and as a matter a fact, I was just spotting, but something just felt different. So, shortly after I tested..... I saw that it was positive and I was BEYOND THRILLED. Shawn and I just hugged each other and couldn't get over the initial shock, but we were so anxious to share the news with our parents. My parents were in Mexico on vacation, but I called them anyway and Shawn called his parents as well. Yep, they were both thrilled. I was happy, but to be honest a part of me was concerned and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I was excited, but definitely cautiously optimistic. I tried to relax, but I couldn't and on Monday I contacted the doctors office. Little did I know that this all would be the beginning of a horrible nightmare. I had no clue, I mean no idea that I was as far along as I was with my pregnancy. I was a little over 2 months pregnant and didn't even know it. I remember it all like it was yesterday........ I went in for my appointment and was so excited to see our baby. They weighed me, had me pee in a cup, took my blood pressure and off to the u/s room we went. I undressed from the waist down and waited anxiously for my doctor to come in. Oh - a knock at the door and in walked my doctor. There is something about my doctor..... he has always been such a kind and caring doctor and I had been going to him for many years by this time. I just felt calm around him. Anyway, we talked for a short bit and then he proceeded to do my ultrasound. He wasn't really saying much, but looking around like crazy. He hit one spot and I felt some slight pain. Nothing that sent me through the roof, but enough to get my attention. My doctor asked me if I took a hpt and I said "yes" and he said that perhaps I wasn't that far along to see anything yet. I was concerned because he kept going around a certain area and every single time he would go around that area..... I would say "Is that our baby". Little did I know that the little spot that he kept maneuvering around was indeed our baby. I was sent off for blood work to check for my pregnancy hormone and was told that he would call me when the results came back. A couple days went by and I got up for work. I used the restroom, but was experiencing some excruciating pain. At this time I noticed blood on the toilet paper and I instantly started to freak out!! I woke my hubby up and he said to give it some time. I called off from work due to me not feeling so great and laid back down in bed. I tried my best to go back to sleep and I couldn't. The pain was worsening and my hubby had called the doctors office. At this time, the blood flow was increasing and I was experiencing horrific pain. I couldn't take the pain and my doctor told me to come right in. The good thing is that his office was just right across the street from our neighborhood. I checked in and went right back to the examining room. I remember laying there and praying that everything would be ok with our baby. The tears were falling, my blood pressure was out the roof and my pain was something I don't ever want to deal with again. My doctor walked in, did an ultrasound and went right to the same spot that he kept going around previously. He said that with the blood test results and the ultrasound that his thoughts were correct. He told me that I was indeed pregnant, but it was an ectopic pregnancy. Our baby was growing in my right fallopian tube and had to come out. I had never heard of an ectopic pregnancy before and I asked him if there was a way to save our baby and he said unfortunately no. He told me to get into our car and drive straight to the hospital. He said that I needed to get in for emergency surgery or I could quite simply lose my life. Our town that we live in is real small so everything is real close thankfully. We got into our car and I remember Casting Crowns playing on the CD player. My tears wouldn't stop falling..... I couldn't stop thinking about how excited we were just a few days ago and now it was all being taken away from us. My husband was being so strong for me and I was a mess. I was wheeled into the hospital and gave them my insurance information. The nurse came to get me while my husband finished up. I had never been in the hospital myself, let alone having surgery and I was so scared!!!! They took me to a room where they helped me get dressed in a hospital gown, started an IV and I was wheeled back to the OR all in about 20 minutes. WOW, I had no idea that I was going in for EMERGENCY SURGERY and all I could think of was....... I am losing our baby and my parents are in Mexico. Shawn told me that everything would be ok, he wiped my tears and kissed me good-bye as they wheeled me to the operating room. The last thing I remember was telling everyone in the operating room that I was sorry for crying so much. I wanted to tell them to be gentle with our baby, but by the time I could get it out - I was asleep. Talk about a nightmare and a whirlwind of emotions. I woke up from my surgery and recall being so sick. I puked all over myself and my MIL and she was so sweet to stand by the bed and wipe my forehead with a cold damp washcloth. I remember it all like yesterday. I remember feeling so much pain physically, mentally and emotionally. I had no idea that this whole thing would send me tail spinning into the world of INFERTILITY.

Five years ago today, I found out we were expecting and 5 years ago come the 25th was when our child was taken from us way too soon. I think about what could have been and even though we were never able to hold our child or see our child...... it still hurts. I can't believe that he or she would probably be in pre-school and we would be preparing them for kindergarten. Would Cameron have a BIG brother or sister? Would they get along? Would he or she look like Mommy or Daddy? Oh - there are so many things I wonder about and so very little that I know about. The only thing that I am certain about is that I love that child as much today as I did when I found out that I was pregnant. I know that he/she is up in heaven and safe in God's arms and when I think about that..... I feel a sense of calmness. What more could you ask for then to know that your child is safe with God!?! One day we will meet our child for the first time and until then we will continue to remember our child. A child that is loved and cherished every minute of every day. We love you our sweet precious one and we miss you and think about you often!!

Feeling Better

Cameron woke up this morning and he was feeling alot better. I am pretty sure his fever broke and we are done with checking his temperature and giving him Motrin/Tylenol every 3 hours. He hasn't had a fever all day long so I am so thankful for that. You can tell he feels better because he is playing alot more and seems to be back to his happy self. DH had to work today so we are home alone and waiting for him to come home for dinner during his break. I am going to get ready here shortly to fix a nice supper for him and have that completed by the time he has his break around 6:00. I am going to fix chicken and probably more then likely macaroni & cheese per Cameron's request. I will also be fixing a vegetable, but just not sure what kind quite yet. It will be a toss up between corn and carrots, but I guess we will have to just wait and see. I am sure that Cameron will have a say in it.

So, did I mention that I am pretty sure that we are all done with the mice coming to visit? Yep, we caught that one and there hasn't been one since which is a VERY GOOD THING!! Oh, I just hate those little things. We still have all the traps set and I still having my DH check them frequently, but I am starting to relax a little bit when it comes to that so hopefully we are done with them and I can relax. I will keep you posted!! The only good thing about that mouse coming for a visit was that it allowed me to get my spring cleaning done. Yep, I am done with that so when spring finally arrives here in Ohio..... I can start puttering in my flower gardens and get them prepared for the summer. Oh, I can't wait til it warms up. I am definitely 100% ready for spring time. So, if we can just keep the mice out and get the weather to warm up then we would be in great shape. In the meantime, I will keep the NO VACANCY sign up for the little gray mice and their family members!

I have laundry to do so I better run for now, but I will be sure to check in later. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Fever Fever Fever

Last night was uneventful which was definitely nice. We put Cameron to bed late because I wanted to get 1 dose of Motrin in him after I gave him Tylenol earlier. So, I put him to bed around 11:00. He had fallen asleep on me earlier so I knew he wasn't into going to bed earlier plus he was wanting to snuggle and I of course had no problems with that. Those moments come very rarely anymore so when I have the chance to snuggle..... I soak it all up and enjoy it!!

I called the doctors this morning to ask their opinion on what is going on and they recommended that I just keep an eye on him and keep him full of liquids along with Tylenol and Motrin. The good thing is that he still has his appetite, he is still drinking his juice, and he will play every now and again. His fever was high again this morning and the doctor said that if he has no more symptoms other then a fever then to just keep him home. He has tubes in his ears so if there is no drainage, no cough and he still is eating and drinking then we should be ok. So, I am just keeping him in and out of the cold and snuggling with my little man. He is sound asleep on the floor right now so I am going to see if I can pick him up and perhaps lay him on the couch. We will see. Keep my little man in your prayers if you would please. I feel so bad for him and he definitely isn't himself. Here is a picture of him sound asleep on the floor with his cute little tushie in the air and one of him just laying around on the floor. My poor little sick boy!!

Sick Little Boy

My little boy has been sick this evening with a fever. I have no idea where it came from because everyone around here has been healthy. He hasn't been around anyone that has been sick so I found it strange when I noticed that he felt real warm this evening. He wasn't acting sick or feeling warm at all today and then this evening it must have hit him. I was checking e-mail and he came over and laid his head on my lap and asked me to hold him. I shut down my e-mail and held him and noticed him being real hot to the touch. I checked his temperature and indeed he had a fever of 101.4 and he wasn't into moving or acting like his good ole chipper self. That smile was no longer on his face which concerned me. I gave him some Tylenol until Shawn got home from work with some Motrin and will give that too him soon before bed. I had to fight him to get the Tylenol in, but finally I was successful. Here is is laying down shortly after he had his medicine and shortly before he totally zonked out. Luckily his fever broke and he is now watching Blue's Clues so hopefully his temperature stays down. I just hope we aren't in for a rough night. Anyway, here is a picture of my not so happy little boy. Oh - I just hate it when he feels yucky. It worries me so and I just miss that beautiful smile that I was talking about earlier today. So, here is to hopefully a restful and peaceful night and a little boy that feels better in the morning.

My Happy Boy

I have always known that Cameron was a happy boy, but I must say that after watching many kids and taking care of some during the day..... I realize that I am more blessed then ever to have such a happy boy!! Here are some pictures of my HAPPY BOY that I am blessed to have in my life every single day. He is always content, very rarely in a bad mood, so loving and pretty much ALWAYS happy!! I love you my sweet boy more then you will ever know.

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Cameron LOVES bananas. Totally obsessed with him and here is is enjoying a banana in the morning. He was so happy that I gave him a banana!!

Here he is playing with his blankie before bed. Once again....look at that beautiful smile!!

Being silly with blankie right before bed.......still smiling!

Oh - I can't get enough of that beautiful smile. It just melts my heart!!

Cameron sitting in his thinking chair and watching Blue's Clues.

BEFORE & AFTER GOATEE PICTURES

Well, my husband surprised me with the shock of my life. Ok, not of my life, but of my most recent days!! Yep, he shaved off his goatee and well I was literally speechless!! LITERALLY SPEECHLESS I TELL YA!! I have never seen him without one and I met him with his goatee so I guess you could say that I prefer him to have his goatee then to not. Let's hear what you all think. His teaching job...... everyone actually likes it and his second job......mixed emotions. My parents like him with it and so do his parents, but let's hear what you all think. Do you like him with it or without. Can't wait to see what you all think.

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BEFORE

AFTER

Nights in Rodanthe Review

Well, alot of you wanted to know if Nights in Rodanthe was worth buying and my husband and I think NOT. It was a good movie, but very slow until halfway through or more then halfway through the movie. Yep, you will need tissues, but that is towards the end of the movie. I guess I was just comparing it to The Notebook and to be honest with you...... there is NO comparison!! I thought it was going to be excellent from the beginning and well it was lacking alot. Just very slow for both my husband and I which we were kinda bummed out about. If I were to rate it then I would probably give it a 6 out of a 10, but the end is what got me to give it a 6. Did any of you watch this movie? What were your thoughts on it? Were you as disappointed in it as me? Go ahead and leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Mouse in the House No More

Well, we came home from a visit with my parents this past weekend and I noticed my plant was missing out of the pot. Well, I automatically came to the conclusion that my husband accidentally pulled it out and he admitted that it could be a possibility until I noticed the half eaten plant in the burner of our stove. I automatically started freaking out!! I was definitely in panic mode!! I sent my husband to the store to get some traps and I stood on the chair while he was gone. Yep, the whole time and my son was even playing in the family room and all I could do was stare at the stove where I saw the mouse scurrying across the floor. Shawn asked me why I wasn't concerned about Cameron and it wasn't that I wasn't concerned about him, but it was just simply me freaking out and not thinking about him. I know that sounds mean, but when you are so terrified over something.....well, your mind tends to go elsewhere. The funny thing about the whole thing, if you want to call it funny is that Shawn is DEATHLY afraid of mice too. Uh yeah, we had to scaredy cats trying to catch a mouse, set traps and freaking out in the meantime. Well, it was literally like a cartoon..... I was standing on the chair, Shawn and I were trying our best to set the traps and well we couldn't set a trap for anything. Everytime we would get it set and place it on the floor - it would snap and scare the crap out of us. I was hiding behind Shawn and he was screaming at me and well it was literally a mess!! After 10 minutes of setting a trap and putting it behind the stove......we caught the little pesky gray mouse. Oh, I definitely did not have any sympathy for him. Sorry to say that, but I am not a mouse lover!! I love animals, but certain ones I can do without ESPECIALLY when they are in my home when they belong outside!!!!

We have no idea how they got into our home, but we have traps set everywhere in our home. Not the plain old wooden traps because neither Shawn or myself can set them so we paid the bigger bucks for the ones that look like big chip clips. I just hope they work (lol). Anyway, yesterday was a day of cleaning, disinfecting, cleaning and disinfecting some more. I was on my feet ALL DAY LONG and was exhausted when the alarm woke me this morning. I told Shawn in a joking manner this morning that if I see another mouse then I will blow it up (hahahaha). It is probably a good thing I DON'T have any explosives or guns (lol). Anyway, hopefully with this being Day 2 of no little gray mice in our traps then that is a good sign. I am hoping it stays that way because I wasn't really up to doing my spring cleaning yet, but I guess I had to do it early anyway. I just don't want to have to do it again and well quite frankly I am not sure my heart can take anymore.

Not Me Monday!!

If you have not joined in on the carnival of fun then you better check out MckMama's site to hear what it is all about. Here are my many things that I DID NOT DO this past week.
1) I DID NOT eat 2 peanut butter eggs and a bag of combos while watching Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. Nope, I know better then to eat all that junk food for the 2nd week in a row.
2) I WAS NOT cleaning the kitchen and notice that my plant had disappeared out of my planter.
3) I DID NOT instantly go to the conclusion that my husband had accidentally pulled it on without paying attention.
4) I DID NOT continue to clean the kitchen and then notice the half eaten plant in the burner of my stove.
5) I DID NOT instantly freak out thinking it was a mouse. I would never draw conclusions like that. Nope, not me!!
6) I DID NOT have my husband pull out the stove to see what was under it and notice a mouse scurrying across the floor. Oh NO that would NEVER happen in our home. NEVER NEVER, that couldn't have been a mouse.
7) I DID NOT have my husband run to the store right away to get numerous mouse traps in order to catch a mouse that I thought I saw.
8) I DID NOT stand on the chair waiting for my husband to return back from the store while my son played happily in the family room. Knowing totally that we DID NOT have a mouse. Nope, not me!!
9) I DID NOT set all the mouse traps and sit in the family room waiting anxiously for the mouse to be killed. Nope, not me!!
10) I DID NOT scream bloody murder when I heard the mouse trap snap down and hurry and lift my feet up off the ground. Oh NO - I am much braver then that!
11) I DID NOT follow my husband into the kitchen and hurry up and climb up onto the chair to look at the dead mouse behind the stove. What in the world was I thinking? Did I actually think it was going to be dead and then get up and walk away? Ah, HECK YEAH!!
12) I DID NOT have my husband grab my camera while I stood on the chair so I could take a picture of our one and only dead mouse that was NOT in our house. Nope, not me!!
13) I AM NOT posting a picture of our dead mouse that was NOT our house and smiling, but still TOTALLY freaking out about it NOT being in OUR home!!
14) I AM NOT totally disinfecting my home, cleaning out cupboards, drawers and anything else that needs to be cleaned in order to get rid of ANY and ALL GERMS. I am totally NOT a germaphobe!! Nope, NOT ME!!

So, was your week just as interesting as mine and if it was then I would love to hear about it so be sure to leave me a comment!! I am off to do some more cleaning!!

Pay It Forward Contest is Over & And The Winner Is.......

My Pay It Forward Contest has ended and the winner is......... Amy @ Our Daily Blessing......Life.
I didn't have too many people that wanted to participate so your chances were greater in winning. Amy is the lucky winner.....can you please send me your address through e-mail? Once I receive your address then I will be sending out your goodie box. Thank you to everyone that participated. Here is how it all started and my Mom was happy to pick THE WINNER!!

~ CONGRATULATIONS TO AMY ~

Last Chance

Good Afternoon All. Hope you all are ready for the weekend. We are heading to visit my parents this weekend and of course I am off to Amish Country again (YAY). I can never get enough of that place!! Oh, my dear sweet hubby bought me Nights in Rodanthe today for a Valentine's Day gift. I was so excited and it is something I have been wanting so I was pretty happy. Just wanted to remind you all if you haven't made a comment regarding my Pay It Forward Giveaway then today and this evening is your last chance. I think right now I have Stacy, Amy and Stacey. If I am missing anyone please let me know here or on the giveaway post. The winner will be drawn sometime this weekend so stay tuned later this weekend for the winner!! So, come on everyone please take a moment to sign up!!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow & A Pot of Gold

Yesterday and last night was an interesting time for weather here in Ohio. We had some major downpours of rain, some bad storms and the winds were AWFUL. Did I mention that the winds were HORRIBLE? We were sitting in our family room, the winds were shaking our windows, the blinds on the windows were moving and the house was creaking and screeching. It was horrible!! I literally thought that I was going to be blown away and land up on the other side of the world. Luckily, our home sits in between two larger homes so we didn't have any damage, but the one house beside us had half of their siding off this morning and more was still flying and the other house had siding off as well, but it was minimal compared to the other side. Thank you Lord for protecting us and our home!!

Shortly after is started pouring down the rain, the sunshine came out and look what it brought to our area. Yep, it brought a BEAUTIFUL double rainbow and let me tell you that it was gorgeous and so bright. I thought for a second that I was in some wonderland and I was definitely getting ready to go search for the pot of gold. Speaking of pots of gold..... don't forget to comment about joining in on the fun of my Pay It Forward Contest. You can sign up on my previous post and the directions are so simple. So, if you are interested in winning that pot of gold......ok, maybe not a pot of gold, but a couple free gifts then you better sign up before Friday at midnight. Yep, the contest is over on Friday at midnight and the winner will be drawn this weekend. Good Luck and until next time......hopefully you all can find a bright rainbow in your day!!

Pay It Forward Giveaway - Join Here

It is that time everyone!! Time to join in on the fun of a Pay It Forward Giveaway. I just recently won a Pay It Forward Contest over at Kelly's site Close to Home and I received my goodies yesterday. So, I thought that today would be the perfect opportunity for me to post my giveaway and have you all join in on the fun. Here are the rules...... if you decide to play then you agree that once you receive your goodie box then you in return have to host a Pay It Forward Giveaway on your blog. You don't have to spend millions of dollars on a gift, but if you decide to go that route then let me know and I will join in on your giveaway (lol). Seriously, if you want to participate then please leave me a comment for 1 entry. If you want to have 2 entries and increase your chances of winning then grab MY button for YOUR blog or mention this contest on your blog. Pretty simple - don't you think? So, go ahead and get started. Start leaving me a comment and grab my button/mention this on your blog and you are all set for the giveaway. The contest ends Friday (Feb 13th) at midnight. The winner will be drawn sometime this weekend so Stay Tuned & Good Luck!!

Walk A Day In My Shoes

I was checking out a fellow bloggers site tonight. I have been following her for a little while now, but when I found her blog..... I instantly had a soft spot for her. You see, she is currently dealing with a life with infertility and is getting ready to move forward with IVF. I was leaving her a comment after reading her latest post and was shocked that someone would leave a negative or a not so nice comment about her working towards making her dreams come true!! Kami is dealing with infertility like many other men and women in this world. It pains me to think that someone disagrees with the idea of working towards making your dreams come true. Evidently someone anonymously left her a comment and they were not supportive of her moving forward with IVF. I don't really know what all the comment had to say, but it must have been enough to shake her up a little bit.

My concern is this...... If you have NEVER walked a day in the shoes of someone that has dealt with INFERTILITY and you don't have anything nice to say..... then perhaps you shouldn't say anything at all. I dealt with alot of low blows like this when I was going through IVF and it hurts to know that there are so many women out there that can get pregnant at the drop of the hat and then they turn around and they are the first ones to judge someone when they are trying to get pregnant using a little bit of science. I will tell everyone here and now that I am a Christian. I believe that there is no other higher power then our Jesus, but I also can tell you that I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. God has a plan for all of us and I believe that God's plan is put into place way before time. There are so many men and women out there that would do anything to be parents. They could probably give a better home then some other men and women out there, but I am not one to judge and either are you - if you are the one judging us women that have to go through fertility treatments in order to have our family that we have always dreamt of. One day we will all stand at the feet of Jesus and we will be judged. Until then please DO NOT judge us women that have gone or are currently going through fertility treatments in order to have a baby.

Pay It Forward Winnings

Kelly @ Close to Home just finished her Pay it Forward Contest and I was one of the lucky winners. I was so excited when I went out to the mailbox today and found my box of goodies. A picture below shows my winnings. I received a pair of Valentine's Day socks, a pad of paper that will go on the side of my refrigerator, a manicure/pedicure set, vanilla lotion and some roll on lip gloss. Yep, nothing like looking good, feeling good and smelling good after you deck yourself up with all of these goodies. Thanks Kelly - I love everything!!

Stay Tuned for my Pay It Forward Contest which will be just around the corner!!

Not Me! Monday's

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


You guessed it correctly. It is that time again to join in on the carnival of fun that was created by none other then MckMama herself. If you haven't checked out what all of the fun is all about then you better head on over to My Charming Kids and take a look for yourself. It has been a little while since I have participated, but thought I could get back into the groove this week.

1) I did not drive all over the town of Columbus looking for fake fruit just so I could have a craft to do and a new decoration for my house. Nope, not me!
2) I did not get pooped on last week by a little 8 week old boy that I am taking care of. Nope Not Me! I know that you have to move fast when changing diapers.
3) I was not cleaning out the dishwasher a couple days ago and notice that my 9 x 13 pan was still dirty and just keep it in the dishwasher for 2 more runs in order for it to get cleaned just so I wouldn't have to wash it up in the sink. Nope, Not Me. I would never do anything like that.
4) I did not have 3 donuts yesterday for breakfast and then eat 2 more late last night. Nope, that definitely was not me. It must have been my imaginary twin!
5) I did not watch Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice last week and eat a whole bag of pizza flavored combo's and 2 peanut butter egg's. I know better then to eat too much junk food!!!!

Ok, it looks like it is your turn now. So, go ahead and let everyone know what you DID NOT DO.

Our Day Out & About

It has indeed been a fun and interesting weekend to say the least. Our van has a dead battery so it was "dead in the water" so to speak and my hubby and FIL worked on that today for a little bit. Hopefully we will get a new battery tomorrow and see if we can get the van back in working order. Nothing like having a vehicle that isn't working. We also got the Christmas decorations taken down since the weather was a bit warmer and I must say that it is nice to see all of that down and put away until next year. I am just so anxious for spring so I guess if I have all the Christmas decorations down and out of the front yard and off the house then we are one step closer to warmer weather and SPRING TIME!! YAHOO.

I have been on a kick lately of making new prim items for my home so we went on a search for pears that I could prim up and would you think I could find any...... ah, NO that would be a negative! We went to Flower Factory, Garden Ridge and finally to Joann Fabrics. Garden Ridge had some, but I wasn't about ready to pay a couple dollars more when I could get them way cheap at Wal-Mart if they would just have more then the 2 that I already purchased. So, my day of shopping for fake fruit was a waste of time. To see what I have done with my pears.....check out my Prims from Above site. If you like decorating with primitives then this is definitely a great and fun craft.....if you can just find the pears (lol). I did find some apples so I will just have to change my ideas up a little bit and see what I can come up with. So, we will see.

Cameron received a gift at Christmas time that he literally loves. Well, today it broke and I personally think it is just from so much use. This Doodle Pro has been something that he has to take anywhere and everywhere he goes. It was definitely a great gift that he received from Scott and Stacey and well now we are getting ready for a burial. Yep, it broke down this morning and Cameron was SO upset. He loves this toy!!!! He calls it his "notebook" like what Joe and Steve have on Blue's Clue's..... it is just a larger version (lol). Anyway, we had to make an emergency stop at Wal-Mart this evening to get another one because he was so upset over it. Well, we didn't have the money to get one at all, but we got the cheaper version to hold him over until we can get the more expensive one. Uh yeah, he isn't too fond of it, but hopefully it will due til we get paid next week. I guess time will only tell. In the meantime we will have a funeral for Mr. Doodle Pro Tuesday when the trash comes. We had to cut the "crayon" off the old Doodle Pro because he likes that crayon alot better then the new one. Hmmm, perhaps it was just a waste of our money buying the new one.

We received our zoo membership passes a couple days and now we are just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit. I can hardly wait to take Cameron and start taking advantage of our year long zoo membership that my parents purchased for us. It should be a cheap and fun thing to do throughout the year and when the weather warms up and it is summer time then we can go to Zoombezi Bay which is the waterpark. FUN FUN!!

For now I need to think if I had anything to post for my Not Me Monday's...... it has been a few weeks since I have participated, but when you don't really have anything to share, well then you can't really take part in it. So, I better go see if I have anything and perhaps ask my DH what he thinks. He never tells me the truth....Nope, not him!!

A Date With Cameron & A Heatwave in Ohio

We had a heatwave here in Ohio today so what better way to celebrate then a date out with Cameron. Yep, we hit the mid 40's today and the snow and ice is melting which is a great thing. I am so tired of seeing the ice and snow!! The grass is brown, but at least it isn't that dirty snow laying around everywhere. Shawn had to work today so we went out this morning with him before he headed to work at 1:00 and then Cameron and I went out. We ran errands for the most part, but then I treated him to a lunch out at Chick-fil-A. They have an indoor play area with tunnels and plastic balls, but when we got there I noticed that they were having a birthday party. The play area was full of 7 and 8 year olds and I was thinking Cameron would get trampled on so we kept our distance from that area. I guess that was my main reason for taking him there, but perhaps we can do it another time. We went to the grocery store, went to Michael's and had lunch out. I promised Shawn that I would stop and get him a burrito at Chipotle and bring it to him so we did that too. We had a great time out. Cameron helped me pick some stuff out today for my Pay It Forward Contest that will be taking place soon and we bought a few other things too. All and all it was a great day and it was warmer so that was real nice. We also took the CRV for a "bubble bath" which is what Cameron called it. We went through and had to tell him the process of everything. It was pretty funny when he said that the car was getting a bubble bath. Kids do say the cutest things. Anyway, I posted a few pictures of Cameron and I before our date out. I thought they were very good so I had to share them. Hope you all had a great Saturday!! Stay tuned for the Pay It Forward Contest coming soon.

Constant Happiness

There are so many things in life that bring me happiness. I love chocolate, sleeping in, bubble baths, flowers, my husbands big warm sweatshirt, a warm cappuccino, snow tubing, snacks, my camera and well the list goes on. There is one thing that is CONSTANT and that is the smile and love that I receive from my little boy. That constant smile, his laughter, his love, his touch, his hugs, his kisses and the time we spend snuggling is constant and those are the many things that bring me happiness!! I never imagined the love of a child, the love that I would have for him, but it is truly the best happiness that I have ever had. Cameron has brought so much happiness into so many lives. He brings joy that is never ending and he is such a caring little boy. I knew that when I was pregnant that I would love my son with all that I have, but I really had no idea until he arrived and was put into my arms for the very first time. Seriously, do you ever stop and think about how much love you have for your child? My son is my whole world. I just cherish him so much and I can't imagine what my world would be like without him. Shawn and I were so blessed when we were give the opportunity to move forward with IVF. It was our last chance at having a child and we were thrilled. We were excited and time and time again we knew that we would be a step closer to being parents. It was our thrill of a lifetime and it still is today. I was sitting in my recliner the other night and Cameron was sitting on my lap. He started rubbing my cheek and then leaned in to kiss my cheek. He stopped and I was doing my best to ignore him just to see what he would do next and that is when he leaned in to kiss my other cheek. My heart melted. He instantly made my heart melt and to be quite honest.... I am not sure how many times he kissed each cheek, but I must have known that I was having a bad day and he was doing anything and everything to cheer me up. Yep, it worked!! He brightened the rest of my evening and made me realize that things are never as bad as they seem. This 2 year old little boy is truly just the sweetest boy that I know and as much as I don't want to say it..... he will make a great husband and father someday. There will be one very lucky gal out there that will be blessed to have my son for her husband and I know that he will make her and their family very happy. Ok, what in the world am I doing talking about that?!? Anyway, I just wanted to take a minute and talk about my precious boy. He is my CONSTANT sunshine and we all know that "Sunshine Brings Happiness". I love you my sweet boy.... to the moon and back again!!

Making the World a Better Place

I think Cameron's shirt says it all....

If you can't read his shirt.... it says "I Can Make the World a Better Place." If you think about it, kids do make the world a better place, but they have to rely on their parents in order to guide them along and if they don't have the guidance, love and support to help them along well then the shirt doesn't apply. It is sad when you see so many children getting into trouble and not going along life's road the way that they should be and unfortunately it all has to do with their environment and their parents. I have seen this first hand in my family. My sister's kids are going the wrong direction and at this point, all I can do is keep them in my prayers and that is hard for me. Hard that I am not able to do anything more!! My sister asks me all the time why my son is so loving and such a happy baby and all I can say is "Well, he is around happy and loving people that love him, enjoy life and support one another." I think it is often hard for her to understand that, hard for her to grasp it and she blames herself. My husband and I are always hugging each other, loving on one another, we have fun, we enjoy being married and we most importantly enjoy being parents and that reflects deeply on Cameron. I feel for my sister and her children, but I also know that I have tried helping time and time again, but things don't get any better. They need a firm foundation and they have never had that and it is sad. Sad for me to see. Please keep them in your prayers!!