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Memories As A Mom (first known as Writer Mom, then No Time For A Haircut), 7/8/08 - 12/31/10 .

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Andrea, Joe, and Logan
P.S. But I've decided to continue to do sponsored posts a few times a month.

I finally have a chance to wrap up this blog with our final update! Our last family update was written on October 21st. . .

Around that time I was putting our home movies on DVDs and Logan saw a clip from his first night home from the hospital (he'd been 3 days old). In the video he is crying that pitiful newborn cry. Joe and I looked at our current Logan who was watching himself as a baby -- and his lower lip began quivering and he burst into tears! We immediately stopped the tape and gave him a hug! We asked what was wrong but he didn't really answer so we don't know whether he was empathizing or if he was confused and scared by seeing himself as a newborn. . .I don't know, but it was sad! :p

During that time he also became worried about his stroller blowing away! Whenever we'd get it out like at Vala's Pumpkin Patch, he'd tell me to hold on to it and if I didn't (but would tell him it was fine) he'd get nervous and insist that it was going to blow away! Now that it's winter we haven't really been using the stroller so it'll be interesting to see if he has forgotten by the spring (I hope so)!

He still gets bad dreams sometimes, and has started showing fear to things in his room. For example, he'll make Joe and I turn around toys that he feels are "looking" at him. We're about to permanently move his riding horse out of his room because sometimes the music starts playing in the middle of the night -- it's kind of creepy to us, too! But we keep reassuring him that his room is his safe place and there's no need to be scared.

His nap as of October is at 2 pm (the latest of his life). But he still sometimes sleeps 3 hrs so I'm glad his nap doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon.

His entire life he has said "eye" instead of "yeah," although he recently has started saying "yes," but we joke that he is part pirate. It is kind of his unique thing that everyone notices, so I think he'll laugh about it when he grows up.

For awhile he was calling Joe and me "Dad-ee and Mom-ee" (putting emphasis on the ee). Until then he'd always referred to us as Dad/Dadda and Mom/Mama so it was cute, but he has since returned to the originals, even though I often refer to myself as Mommy and Joe as Daddy.

One day when Logan and I came home from Vala's Pumpkin Patch, Joe asked Logan what we had done there. Logan thought for a moment and then answered, "Mama went pee." We both cracked up. I mean, yeah I did, but that was not the main event that day! :p

It's funny what kids pick out to recall. That same week I asked Logan to tell me about his day at Babysitter's house and he said, "Ryder pushed Zay down and Zay cried and Ryder had to go to time out." Then he said, "I hit Mia in the eye but it was an accident so I didn't go to time out." Until then he'd always just told me what toys he played with or what he ate but now I'm hearing interesting stories!Also in October he began referring to himself as "Logan" and has ever since! (No more "Baby.") It's really cute to hear him say his name.

He's also aware on his own when nap time and bed time are. He'll be playing and then stop and say to me, "One more time until sleep?" I have to stifle a laugh because I usually haven't even thought of it yet but will then look at the clock and realize he must be getting tired and is telling himself "one more!" So I nod and say "yes" and then five-ten minutes later he goes down.

He's started telling the dogs and Joe & me when we're "good boys." He'll even pretend he's using a camera and will say "Say cheese! Good boy!" Joe's like, "Is that what you tell him?" I wasn't aware of that but maybe I do!

He also started saying "you're welcome" which is cute. From day one he's always been so polite and well-mannered, all on his own because he wants to be, I am a proud mama!

We're not sure how far back he can remember, but definitely June because one day in October Joe, Logan, and I were upstairs in the master bedroom and Logan walked over to the window and told Joe that he wanted to sit on the roof with him! (Those of you who read my blog this past summer might recall when Joe did that with him one time.) We quizzed Logan by asking him if he'd been eating something when they were out there and he said "Yes, string cheese, but it fell down." That was exactly the case! Still, we had to inform him that was a one-time thing. . .no more toddlers on the roof :p

On Friday, October 22nd our basement was finally fixed after three months of leaking water.

On Saturday, October 23rd my stepdad's parents came to visit us from Eastern Iowa so that was fun. We went out to lunch at The China Buffet, played some games, and ate supper at Red Robin. They left on Sunday, October 24th. Logan enjoyed entertaining his great grandparents and they enjoyed being entertained!On Monday, October 25 Logan and I went to Vala's with our friends Brooke & Kaelyn. That place was just too much fun!

My stepdad's birthday was Wednesday, October 27, Logan sent him the following 9-second video:("Happy Birthday, Papa! See you Soon, Papa! Bye, Papa!")

He also tried on last year's Halloween costume that night and it fit so he was a tiger again!We went back to Vala's with friends Lisa, Lexi & Riley on Thursday, October 28. It was cold that day so Logan wasn't as playful as he usually is. We'd been spoiled by having a warm fall until then so I think he was a bit caught off guard since I don't think he remembers last winter.

But it was warm again on Friday, October 29 so we played outside in our backyard and went over to our neighbor Jenn's house where Logan enjoyed jumping on their trampoline with her kids. (Jenn spoiled me twice this winter by baking cookies for me. I have the best neighbors in the world!)

That evening Joe & Logan watched the movie Annie for the first time and they both enjoyed it. Logan was so cute singing the songs the rest of the weekend! He also kept referring to Carol Burnett's character as "the bad mama" and his favorite character was "Sandy" the dog. I felt like my life had come full circle since that had been my favorite movie as a child!

We went to Vala's for the final time on Saturday, October 30. Joe got to go with us so we had a wonderful time, it was a great way to end the season. That night we carved jack-o-lanterns!Trick-or-treating was on Sunday, October 31st. Logan had a blast going from house-to-house and putting candy in his Mickey Mouse bucket. Although we couldn't get him to say "trick or treat" to strangers, he always said "thank you" on his own (everyone thought he was too adorable to care about the trick-or-treat, lol). Last year Joe had taken him to a few houses but this time the three of us went together all over the neighborhood for over 2 hours! I hadn't planned on passing out candy this year but at the last minute had decided to buy some just in case. Turns out I should have bought more because kids starting ringing our bell the second we walked in our door. The candy went quickly -- we had to turn off our light because we ran out! Usually I have a ton leftover.Logan got his second haircut on Wednesday, November 3rd. He did great again! Right before his appointment, I got mine trimmed by my friend Stacy for the first time and then after Logan was done she cut Joe's hair as well! He'd never been to a real salon before so I took pics of him, too, haha. (He said to Stacy, "What are you doing washing my hair?" He'd never had that done before in his life!) Afterward we went out to eat to a Mexican restaurant. . .and then the next day Thursday, November 4th I got pregnant! :p Of course I didn't know it at the time. . .the next two weeks I continued to live my life oblivious.

Logan and I went to The Children's Museum with Brooke & Kaelyn on Friday, November 5th. I remember being tired that day, but Logan was full of energy and enjoyed the museum. We'd only been one other time (last January) and it had been too crowded back then to really enjoy it, plus Logan was only 21 months old. This time it was a weekday so we had plenty of room to roam around and with Logan being almost 31 months old he could hold his own.Right after we finished eating lunch a boy threw up right in front of us so I remember thinking "I hope Logan doesn't get sick after playing here all day." He'd had one minor cold since his birthday in April and that'd been it. Well I'm not sure where he caught it since it was 9 days later when he came down with his first real non-colds of his life and what turned out to be his most serious and longest virus ever (more on that in a minute).

The night of the 5th, I met Brooke at the movie theater for our monthly "Mom's Night Out." We saw Hereafter which was okay.

On Saturday, November 6th we took Logan to play in the leaves like we did last year (This & That). It was a fun afternoon and we took a ton of pics.On Sunday, November 7th Logan began wearing underwear every day at home! The day before Joe was playing with Logan but stopped to use the bathroom and when Joe came out he asked me if I knew where Logan went. We found Logan in the other bathroom, sitting on the toilet going, poop! He didn't even tell us that he had to go, he just walked in there, took his pants and diaper off, and didn't even use his toddler seat! (He was on the big toilet) He had the door shut and told us that he wanted to be alone and so he instructed us to shut the door again until he was done! It was taking awhile so we peeked in on him and he told us to close the door. . .then he locked it! A few minutes later he told us he was done so we told him to unlock the door. . .there was poop all over the seat but we ignored that because he did a good job, haha. He has continued to go completely on his own (and still doesn't want Joe & me in there) every time that he has to poop or pee! (And isn't making a mess anymore.)

It wasn't until Christmas when he began going at other people's houses, though, or if we had other people over at our house. However, now he has started going sometimes even in those situations, so I'm going to start bringing the toilet seat in the car for when we're in public because pretty soon I think he'll be wearing underwear 100% of the time! (Except at night -- he still has never gotten out of his big boy bed/still calls for Joe & me when he wakes up, so I'm guessing it'll be another year before he's potty trained at night.)

On Monday, November 8th we met Brooke & Kaelyn at the zoo! I'm glad we had a chance to go one last time this year. It was fun as always.On Wednesday, November 10th I had a dentist appointment. We were supposed to do x-rays but I told them that I was trying to get pregnant so they held off in case I was. I really didn't think I was (it was our third try, just like with Logan). . .but I would find out in one more week!

On Thursday, November 11th Logan and I spent the morning and afternoon at our friends Andrea, Drew, and Ashton's house. Logan enjoyed playing with Drew (who is 9 months older) and I enjoyed chatting with Andrea and holding baby Ashton (who was born in June). We ordered pizza for lunch and can't wait to do it again.

My dad's birthday was on Friday, November 12th. That weekend I was looking forward to my friend Stacy's dinner party and her friend's Uppercase Living Party that I was invited to, but I began experiencing what I thought at the time was withdrawl from stopping the progesterone cream a month earlier (explained in my November post: Downside To Progesterone Cream: Acne). But maybe it was my body reacting to implantation instead? I don't know, except that I had a mirgraine and felt awful so I ended up staying home all weekend. Logan went to my parents' house on Saturday, November 13 to Sunday, November 14. When he returned I felt back to normal, so he helped me decorate our house for Christmas! :-)

I didn't have Logan go to Babysitter's the week of November 15 because I thought he had a cold. Aside from returning from my parents' place with eczema for the first time in a year (thankfully Aveeno lotion did the trick again, as I first wrote about with other tips on getting rid of eczema in last year's post Snow Day), he'd woken up a few hours after we put him to bed on Sunday night because his eyes were stuck shut with puss! They drained all day Monday and Tuesday, but otherwise he seemed fine so we went to Storytime at the library on Tues, November 16th! He enjoyed the singing and dancing and he made a turkey for their arts & crafts project. I also hit it off with one of the moms there (I never did see the mom again who I met exactly a year before) but we haven't been able to go since then because the next day, Wednesday, November 17 I took Logan to the doctor because his eye had developed a rash around it and was still producing serious amounts of mucous. Turned out he had pink eye -- and on top of that a double ear infection and bronchitis (his second ear infection of his life).

This turned out to be at the same time that I learned I was pregnant! After Storytime at the library on the 16th, we'd gone grocery shopping and bought a pregnancy test because the one I took that morning was inconclusive. It had actually said negative but I'd forgotten to throw it away and when I came back two-and-a-half hours later it looked like it could possibly pass as positive! Sure enough, test #2 was positive! So I called my doctor right away and asked to come in to make sure my hormones were okay since I'd just gone off the progesterone cream; she had me come in the following day and results were back on Thursday, November 18th. Everything was fantastic and so I didn't have to be on progesterone suppositories this time like I was with Logan! My pregnancy has continued to go well and much easier than with Logan. I've had some nausea but it hasn't been as bad as with Logan and it didn't start until week 8. So far things have been VERY different! I'm anxious to find out if it's a boy or girl :-)

On Saturday, November 20 Logan helped us put up our Christmas tree and lights, and we also made a mold of his hand and foot to keep forever :-)Logan finished his nebulizer on Monday, November 22nd so we thought he was recovered to go to Babysitter's house, but we would soon learn that wasn't the case. I should have known when Logan picked up a teddy bear I've had in my house as a decoration, hugged it, and said "my teddy bear" and didn't part with it until January 2nd (when I think he decided to move on from it). He'd never cared about any of the stuffed animals in his room, or really any comfort items before, but for several weeks he was obsessed with making sure that bear was always at his side -- it was sweet! Joe's mom came to our house that evening (we went out to eat to Johnny Sortino's Pizza) and we decorated the tree and hung stockings. She left the next morning to spend Thanksgiving in Colorado with her oldest daughter & family, while we left on the morning of Thursday, November 25th to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and stepdad & family in Iowa. That is where we announced the news of our pregnancy, with a cake we'd had designed with the words "We're Having A Baby! July 2011!"

On Friday, November 26th Joe and I saw the movie Due Date, partly funny but mostly dumb.

We went over to my dad's house on Saturday, November 27th and shared the news with him by bringing a balloon that said "Oh Baby!", before heading back to Omaha.

Joe's mom stopped by again on Sunday, November 28th on her way home from Colorado and that's when he told her the news! :-) We gave her a cupcake with a baby bottle and "July 2011."

On Monday, November 29th I took Logan back to the doctor because he had been coughing the previous few days. His pediatrician feared the worst -- pneumonia -- and so an x-ray was ordered. Sure enough, Logan had right lobe pneumonia which most often requires hospitalization for a two-and-a-half year old but he said that if I kept him at home and put him back on the nebulizer (he was also given a shot of antibiotics in his leg) then he could improve on his own. We had to bring him back on Tuesday, November 30th and he was put on a prescription which caused him diarrhea every hour (obviously he was back on diapers that week) and he screamed bloody murder every time we changed his diaper because he had the worst diaper rash of his life. It was awful to watch him go through that. . .thank goodness for 100% zinc oxide diaper rash cream and pedialite and pediasure! Also, his mood was good and he didn't "appear" as sick as he was. There was only one day he had a temperature (the second of his life) -- we called after hour's because it was 102 but before we had a chance to give him any Tylenol or Motrin, it went down on his own and never back up.

He also developed a scary rash on his legs on Saturday, December 4th. So we called the after hour's number again and found out that was normal when taking Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) and that unless it didn't go away or got worse we didn't need to bring him in. Sure enough, it was gone by the time he went to bed that night.Logan finished his prescription on Thursday, December 9th -- the same day that I had my first ultrasound! Everything was right on track with Baby, and Logan was able to be there, too, since we wanted to wait until he got the doctor's approval to return to his Babysitter's house.

That weekend, Saturday, December 11th, we went to our friends Matt, Stacy, Jaxson, and Olivia's house for our birthday celebration! Stacy's birthday is five days before mine (but was born a year later) and then our mutual friend Lisa and her husband Jeff and Stacy's friend Callie are all within the month so we all blew out candles together :-) Matt & Stacy had made two cakes and had chili, sandwiches, salad, and chips for supper. Jaxson and Logan (born six days apart) had fun playing as always, and I enjoyed holding Olivia (who was born in July). Stacy, Lisa, Callie, and I had the best time talking, we hated to leave!

Unfortunately, when Logan went to his doctor's appt. on Tuesday, December 14th we were told there was still some fluid in his lungs so we'd need to wait one more week and would do the second x-ray then. So he went back on the nebulizer and was pronounced 100% recovered on my birthday -- the following Tuesday, December 21st! (These days, at 32 Months Old, he is 32 LBS.)

Meanwhile, on Friday, December 17 Brooke and I went to see Burlesque for our Mom's Night Out, which I liked.

On Saturday, December 18th we took Logan to the mall to sit on Santa's lap! We had thought maybe we wouldn't do it this year since he'd been sick and also last year's pic was well. . .you can see for yourself on my post Santa 8 Mos Vs 19.5 Mos! But this year went a lot better :-) Logan chatted with Santa and even gave him a high five!I wrapped Christmas presents on Sunday, December 19 (I was glad I'd done all of my shopping in November since once I found out Logan was sick we had to stay inside all day, every day!)

For my birthday on Tuesday the 21st we went out to eat to Roja for Mexican food and then Joe gave me a blizzard cake from Dairy Queen. For presents I got two DVDs and a Smores ornament (which I've been collecting the past few years and LOVE)! The highlight was when Logan sang the entire "Happy Birthday" song to me all by himself for the very first time!

On Friday, December 24 -- Christmas Eve -- Joe had the day off, so Logan helped him shovel our driveway and then spent the day coloring with markers. In the evening we all watched It's A Wonderful Life and then tracked Santa and left him milk & cookies by the fireplace :-) (For those of you who read my post last year: Santa To Tell Or Not To Tell? I will still never lie and tell Logan there is a Santa Claus but that doesn't mean we can't have fun pretending!)On Christmas morning, Saturday, December 25, we opened presents just the three of us. . .Logan's favorite was the bounce-a-round that we bought him! (An indoor trampoline that holds up to 200 lbs). At noon we went to church (where Logan sang loudly the "Happy Birthday" song during every hymn - by the way he is finally at an age where he will sit still through the entire service!) and then for supper I made my first ham and it was very yummy!We left for Iowa on Sunday, December 26 and arrived to Joe's mom's house at around 1 pm. We picked up a pizza from Pizza Hut for lunch and I took a nap with Logan and we opened presents there! Joe's sister AnMarie visited from California and they all went sledding on Monday, December 27th which even Logan enjoyed (next year I won't be pregnant and can go, too)!Joe, Logan, and I drove to my mom & stepdad's house on Tuesday, December 28 where my bff Sarah came over, too, since she was visiting her family from Seattle. Joe, Sarah, and I went out to lunch at a Mexican restaurant there and then to see the movie Little Fockers which made us laugh.

Afterward, we sadly said goodbye to Sarah (but next year at this time hopefully she will be living in Chicago and we can spend much more time together!) and then Joe and I returned to my parents' house where we opened gifts!

We returned to Omaha on the evening of Wednesday, December 29th. On Thursday, December 30th I had my doctor's appointment where I heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time!!! It was 175 beats per minute which was much higher than Logan's ever was. . .so that makes me think it's a girl! But we won't know until the first week of March.

On Friday, December 31 we had a quiet New Year's Eve at home; Joe and I watched the ball fall as always.We celebrated our final Christmas on Saturday, January 1st with my dad and stepmom at my paternal grandmother's house in Missouri. My brother came from California (where he is an actor) and my aunt & uncle from Texas so it was an extra special time!

This year my brother joined a church outside of L.A. called North Park and has become very involved. He is now one of their paid staff members, as the Student Ministries Associate. He feels he may have found a new calling with counseling, so he plans to finish his under-grad this year and use his degree working in the church, as well as continue to act.

On another subject, I'd like to say thank you to my blog friend Jenny of His Grace Is Sufficient for the BEAUTIFUL 2010 angel snow globe. She sent this to me as the winner of her giveaway last month. It was my 2009 post, What Is Going On? that got us in touch when I published a link to her blog after I'd stumbled across it and asked for prayers because she'd lost a baby at 4 months premature and was in jeopardy of losing her next. Praise God her youngest son is now over a year old!As for Logan, other cute things he's done lately is that sometimes when we're not ready to get up in the morning and we let him come in our bed, I will awake to Logan sitting up and smiling lovingly at me! He'll lean over and kiss me and say in the sweetest voice, "I love you Mama." I swear, life doesn't get any better than that!

At night, too, sometimes I'll lay down next to his bed and I'll tell him how much I love him and how important he is to me, and he gets the cutest grin and says "yeah" then he'll reach over and rub my head. It is just too heart-melting!

One day I mumbled to myself on the couch "I'm cold" and the next thing I knew, Logan was bringing a blanket down the stairs! He said, "Here Mama," as he covered me up! Another day he was getting onrey and said, "You're making me mad, Mama." I felt this was such a good thing because it showed maturity! I immediately stopped whatever I was doing and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make you mad, thank you for telling me rather than hitting or kicking or spitting." Then we were both calm as the situation resolved itself.

Another day Joe asked Logan, "What does Daddy like?" Logan answered "Football!" Joe asked, "What does Logan like?" Logan said, "Football!" Joe asked, "What does Mommy like?" Logan said, "Pictures!" I laughed forever about that because it is so true. He has us figured out. . .in our spare time Joe watches football and I play with pictures :-)

After I picked Logan up on one occasion from Babysitter's, I asked him who had been at her house that day. He mentioned a little girl named Mia. Having not seen her myself, I said, "Did her mom pick her up?" Logan paused and then said, "No, she walked!" Too funny! (He thought I meant literally, rather than "pick up" as in her mom came to get her.)

And finally, another cute thing Logan did one day was when I opened the door to let Bella outside. It was at the beginning of winter so I think Bella was a bit taken aback because she just stood in the doorway and didn't move. Logan said seriously, "She's too cold, she needs a hat, coat, and gloves on." ! :-) Joe ended up getting TWO promotions during the month of December so we both hope that means the raise (or two) that he was hoping for in February, since obviously due to baby #2 we won't be moving this year. I've also decided to wait until late March/early April (rather than Feb) to start Logan in preschool. The reason being, when I was home with him 24/7 during his five weeks of sickness, I realized that I better get used to the feeling of "no break" because that's how it's going to be once baby #2 arrives. So then I started toying with the idea of getting a nanny one day a week, since I don't think I'll be ready for baby #2 to go to Logan's babysitter's house one day a week until he/she is over 6 months old. But nannies are more expensive for one day then two days of Babysitter's and preschool combined! So I wouldn't be able to afford for Logan to go to two days of preschool and a nanny one day a week for his sibling.

So part of me thought, maybe we'll wait until Logan is 4 to start him in preschool and he can just continue going to Babysitter's throughout the next year (since she's the cheapest) while Baby #2 has the nanny. Plus, with preschool you have to pay even when they don't attend for being sick (so that would have been a waste those 6 weeks when Logan couldn't go) whereas I pay Babysitter based on how many hours I use her.

But the other part of me still wants Logan to start preschool this year (with at least 3 months before baby #2 comes so he doesn't have double-the-adjustment). Maybe it won't be bad for baby #2 to go to Babysitter's for just an hour here & there when they're under 6 mos rather than get a nanny. Or maybe I won't need anyone at all, I never felt like I needed a break with Logan until he was 9-10 months old.

Needless to say, I need February to be when I make my final decision rather than if Logan started going to preschool that month as originally planned I'd have to make the final decision now -- but I HAVE chosen the preschool that I want Logan to attend whenever we are ready to sign him up! So it'll either be preschool & Babysitter's or Babysitter's & Nanny. But. . .this new chapter in our lives won't be written here. . .as 2011 is now upon is, this blogsite has come to an official conclusion! Joe, his mom, and Logan - 12/27/10

UPDATE 12/31/10: Also, I was not comfortable with Melaleuca not revealing their complete list of ingredients. Since I am pregnant, and my mom has allergies, we called and asked to know the ingredients that were not listed on the package or their website and were told that no one is allowed to know! I am glad that I never made Melalecua my business and was just a preferred customer for 7 months!
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I just received an email from Melaleuca, the company that I joined in June to purchase products from as a customer (where you can also become a seller) -- but I was told that I am not allowed to blog about them -- that I must remove my post from July!!! I had written a POSITIVE post about them and encouraged others to join (i.e. GIVING THEM BUSINESS)!!!!! I have complied, but since I have the freedom of speech in regards to my own opinion, I will also state that I am discontinuing my participation with Melaleuca. I have discovered it is NOT saving me any money as I had originally been told, in fact I have been spending more each month than I usually spend, since joining them. Another annoyance is that they advertised that they had holiday gift options which I had planned to purchase for family members, only to find out that they were never available all days that I looked in November & December! So it is fine that I removed that July post -- because I will not be recommending them anymore.

As I've mentioned, this blog will be coming to a final end at the end of this month. I thought I'd take advantage of these last days of my blog and see if maybe, just maybe, I can find four of the people who I've lost contact with over the years.

*When I was four & five years old I was friends with fraternal twins named Mindy and Missy. They lived in Ankeny, Iowa at the time and attended my same daycare, A Child's World. I was especially close with Mindy and so I hid with her on her last day when she cried and didn't want to be picked up because she was moving to Indianola, Iowa. Her mom was a single mother and I believe she was getting married or maybe just moving in with her boyfriend. Anyway, my mom and I were horrified that night to turn on the evening news and see/hear that Mindy's car had been in an accident during their move. Mindy's body was thrown through the window and was in a coma. I never heard whether she lived or died. I have never forgotten the twins despite it being 26 years. I wish that I had a last name. . .I even tried looking up the car accident when I worked at a TV station in 2002/2003 (from the 1985 archives) but was not successful. Mindy was a sweet girl; I pray that she made a full recovery and is happily living somewhere, maybe married with her own kids now. I may never know, but if anyone has any information please leave a comment or email me at MemoriesAsAMom@gmail.com

*In first grade (1986-1987) I was friends with a girl named Michelle Bradford. We had a lot of fun together at our school, Northwest Elementary in Mrs Doup's class. At the end of the year she moved away from Ankeny, Iowa to St. Louis. I have googled her name and found that there are many Michelle Bradfords in the world, but I have no idea which one she is. She would be my same age (born in 1979 or 1980), but it's possible she's gotten married and isn't using "Bradford" as her last name anymore. I think she had an older brother. As stated above, if anyone has any info please leave a comment or email at MemoriesAsAMom@gmail.com -- I do have some pictures of her:*In second grade (1987-1988) I was good friends with a girl named Nicole McElvogue who was a year older than me in school (so, born in 1978 or 1979). We attended the same daycare, Afternoon Connection in Ankeny, Iowa. She had red hair and we were both daughters of single mothers. I think she had two older brothers. We were inseparable, so when she moved away shortly before I did in 1988, we kept in touch. We were pen pals for the next few years but when I was in sixth grade we lost touch. We had usually written each other letters the minute that we received them in the mail, but that year several months went by and I remember that my letter to her came back to me because she had moved. Until then, she had lived in or near Springfield, Missouri. I think her mom had remarried but it also sounds familiar that they might have gotten divorced. I had hoped that maybe she would write me again since I lived in the same house until 1998, but I never heard from her again after 1991-ish. I have tried googling her, thinking that she should be easy to find with an uncommon last name -- but there is no record of her even on Intelius (which, whatever name you've ever had on your drivers license is in the system). I was sad to lose touch with her and pray that she is still alive and well. If anyone has any information, please leave a comment or email me at MemoriesAsAMom@gmail.com

*In junior high I was friends with a girl named Samantha Smith. But she has the most common name of all, so even though I remember the most about her compared to the other girls, she seems to be the hardest to find. We had so much fun together and my other friends all loved her, too. Last week (in my post titled Grown Up Christmas List) I mentioned that junior high was a difficult time in my life. Well, Samantha made it a lot better! She only lived in Marengo, IA for a short time -- a year-and-a-half, but left a strong mark on our lives. She had been through many rough times in her young life but had kept a fun, bubbly personality. She had such a good soul and was so full of life. She promised to keep in touch and she gave me a gift and her new address -- however, she had to leave abruptly before we were able to have a proper goodbye. I immediately sent a letter to her new address but it was returned as not available. I was devastated! I prayed that she was okay. . .and I still do. I know she had an older sister Stacy (among other siblings) and a stepdad named Richard/Rick. Even though she was in my class (that graduated in 1998), I remember that she was a year older (so born in 1978 or 1979). She left our school, Iowa Valley, in 1994. I would LOVE to see her again (pictured below). . .please leave a comment or email me at MemoriesAsAMom@gmail.comIt would be wonderful if my blog could reunite me with any of these old friends!!!!!

My friend Melissa is a nurse in Arizona. Three years ago she lived here in Omaha and used to talk to me about how hard it was to find good clothing to wear at work. I am happy now to pass along a great website for scrubs. In fact, it's a store with discounted scrubs! I browsed their selections and am very impressed -- their scrub sets contradict the stereotype that nurses have to look boring. Blue Sky Scrubs has designer scrubs for both nurses and doctors.

With it being the holiday season, Blue Sky Scrubs is a great place to get a gift certificate for the medical professional in your life. Blue Sky Scrubs not only sells scrubs, but scrub hats, jackets, shirts, medical coats, and accessories. If you decide to purchase items as a gift (or for yourself), enjoy free shipping on orders of $155 or more.

On the Blue Sky Scrubs website are links to frequently asked questions, returns and exchanges, and sizing charts -- among many other helpful information. Read customer testimonials and their authenticity statement. There's even a search box and an option to subscribe to their newsletter.

Visit BlueSkyScrubs.com for the finest and most fashionable medical scrubs and medical hats available.

I thought I'd participate in a Music Monday again. This is my favorite Christmas song. December 1992 was a very hard month for me. I was turning thirteen and, to make a long story short, when I listened to Amy Grant's Christmas album that was released that year, this song seemed to match perfectly what I was feeling and made me feel better. Those are the best types of songs!


LYRICS:

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee;
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies.

Well, I'm all grown-up now,
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child,
But my heart still can dream.

So here's my lifelong wish,
My grown-up Christmas list.
Not for myself,
But for a world in need.

No more lives torn apart,
That wars would never start,
And time would heal all hearts.
And everyone would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end.
This is my grown-up Christmas list.

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree.

Well heaven surely knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul.

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth.

When my husband and I moved into our house over three years ago, I only had one addition that I wanted to make -- a fireplace in our bedroom. But, five days after moving in we learned that we were expecting our first baby and so the idea was put on the back burner. But I haven't forgotten the plan -- I still hope to have a fireplace in our bedroom. It just seems so cozy. . .and romantic :-)

We would prefer a gas fireplace, especially since we could get gas logs from Hansen Wholesale -- with guaranteed lowest prices online for over 15 years! They are gas log experts and were the first dealer to display gas logs on the Internet back in 1994! Their brand of fireplace gas logs is R. H. Peterson Real Fyre Gas Logs. I like the Vented Gas Logs (for natural gas). There is a current special offer of $75 off as an additional discount, plus no sales tax and free shipping. (No sales tax applies to all gas logs. Free shipping applies to complete gas log sets under 36" in the continental USA.)

It sounds like we don't have an excuse to put off buying our fireplace any longer! For more information, check out Hasen Wholesale's Gas Logs FAQs.

Just a quick post to announce the news that Logan is going to have a brother or sister in July 2011!!!!!!

As I said in my Versatile Blogger Award post, I will no longer be doing updates or sponsored posts after this month (this blogsite will be coming to an official end) so I will explain more about pregnancy #2 in my final post/our winter update next chance I get! :-)

My husband has the day off from work today so he is helping me decorate our final room of the house that we moved into three-years-three-months ago! We have saved our bedroom for last because it requires five curtain rods. Thankfully, at BedBathStore, black Friday specials have already started -- including great savings on their curtain rods and other New Products By The Merchant Source. We like the Moderno Decorative Extendable Curtain Rods by Versailles, or for something fancier the Decorative Bronze Ribbed Wood Pole and Hardware Set, Decorative White Fluted Wood Pole and Hardware Set, Decorative Palatial Gold Smooth Wood Pole and Hardware Set, or Decorative Gold Leaf Fluted Wood Pole and Hardware Set. All would look great in our bedroom!

As of now, we don't need to replace our comforter, but if we did I would love New Bedding by Textrade. The Crystal Orbit Gold 7 piece comforter set includes a comforter with matching solid back, pieced flanged sham, solid tailored bedskirt, 1 decorative pillow, and 2 euro shams.

Or, the New Bedding by Egyptian Peddler -- the last two "print bed in a bag sets" match our current color scheme. Best of all, they are machine washable! Also, apart of the New Bedding by Egyptian Peddler is the Premium Visco Elastic Memory Foam Pillow. I am thinking about getting this for my husband for Christmas because he is often complaining of back pain and I have heard that a pillow can make all of the difference. This pillow molds naturally to your body and surrounds your head & neck for exceptional therapeutic cushioning. The 3 lb high density foam delivers support while relieving pressure point and is hypo-allergenic; the anti-microbial finish guards against bacterial odors, also resists mold, mildew and algae.

Finally, for clocks, RIVERCITY has some great selections. My mom and stepdad have one similar to the 9" Tall Radio Controlled Tambour Mantel Clock with Oak Finish that has lasted for many years. I like the Bosley Parchment Dial Indoor/Outdoor Wall Clock by Seth Thomas as well as the Luminous Black Thermometer Wall Clock by Seth Thomas, and the 9" Tall Beehive Style Clock with Thermometer and Hygrometer. All currently have special holiday pricing!

It's a great time of year to shop at the BedBathStore!

In October I wrote about the trip Joe & I took to Chicago, checking out the suburbs as a possible place to move. We also want to check out the Carolinas before we make a decision because both of us fell in love with that area on a vacation in 2005. I have been to a lot of places in my life, and the Carolinas are my favorite states! I don't think the scenery can get anymore beautiful.

Our plan is to fly to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and then after we soak up the sun, rent a car to drive the three-and-a-half hours to Raleigh, North Carolina where there are job possibilities for Joe.

I have been wanting to visit Myrtle Beach for several years. My husband is excited, too, because he loves to golf and there is a place that lets you book your tee times and accommodations at the same time: http://www.myrtlebeachgolf.net There are also Myrtle Beach golf packages. My husband hasn't been able to golf for a few months because it's too cold now in Nebraska, but this week temperatures are in the 70's in Myrtle Beach! It'd be a great day to check out the Myrtle Beach golf courses. . .I wish we were there right now!

When my husband and I first bought our patio furniture in 2004 we were very careful to bring it in before even the smallest rain drop, and we kept it very clean. Then in 2008 or 2009 we got lazy (or rather, the opposite -- we had a child!) and we began leaving it out through the seasons (except winter) and so it's not in as good of shape as it was 6 yrs ago. In a few years we'll probably be ready to buy some new furniture. I love the look of adirondack chairs! They come in all shapes, sizes, and styles!

I also like utility sinks, so it is possible we could replace our current white kitchen sink with a stainless steel sink like what we had in our previous house. It was very easy to keep clean and helped our kitchen look classy.

Finally, I would love a butcher block. Not only are they beautiful, but they provide storage and give you extra space! Whether it's a standing island, kitchen island and cart, butcher block table, or counter top -- I could use them all.

Are you in need of any of these?

My first post this month shared the tragic news of my mother-in-law's friend's nephew who was killed in a plane crash with three of his sons. The funeral service was last weekend.

Sadly, there are many families all over the world who have lost loved ones due to accidental death. In Australia, 14 males and 7 females die every day due to accidental death. The facts are startling, especially when you consider the families left behind, often without financial protection. If you're searching for Accident insurance Australia, your answer is Guardian Accident Insurance.

Apply online or call 1300 70 9560, and they will help give you the peace of mind of knowing that you have a measure of financial protection if you were to die or suffer a serious injury in an unfortunate accident.

We all hate to prepare for the unexpected, but it does need to be done.

Over the summer I wrote about the water that leaked into our basement. It took until last month before it was finally fixed! We kept having our builder's crew come out to try different things but it wasn't until they dug super far into the ground and sealed cracks in our foundation that it seems to be good now.

But what about the water stain on our floor? Water damage can happen to all of us, no matter where we live. If you are searching the term water damage to floor austin check out The Steam Team Of Texas! They will also help with water damage to walls austin, water damage wood furniture austin, water damaged basement austin, water damaged electronics austin, among many others.

I wish that we had The Steam Team in Nebraska! They are the number one choice for carpet cleaning in Austin and Dallas, Texas. They've had over two decades of experience in cleaning and maintaining commercial and residential flooring, upholstery, air ducting, tile, and much more. They've exceeded their customers' satisfaction. So for those of you in Texas, get a quick quote by phone or online at TheSteamTeam.com.

Heidi montag and Spencer pratt recently just announced a plan to resolve their divorce that filed previously. The couple are arranging to renew the wedding vows and plotting some kind of a second wedding. This action hopefully will give them more press exposure and finally a fat payday.

#Medigap protection is only available for you to Medicare recipients with both Part A as well as Part B protection.
#Medicare Supplement Insurance plan is not really automatic -- you have to enroll in a program and also pay the premiums out of pocket. Medicare does definitely not pay Medigap premiums.
#The 12 options (known as A-L) offer you consumers a spectrum of coverage, but not likely all carriers deliver all plans in every state.
#Spouses are not necessarily covered by Medigap policies. Each and every Medicare recipient must have his or her own policy.

Level vs. Decreasing Term Life Insurance cover

Disability and Critical Health problems

You'll find broadly two types of critical health issues policy, whole of life and also term include. As their names suggest whole of life lasts as long as you live whereas term is for a fixed period; frequently 10 or 25 years.

Types Of Joint Life Policies


Term or Whole Life Policy

* Whether you want a particular plan or one that also addresses your partner/spouse.
* Whether you have any medical conditions already that may influence the include you get.
* If you have any kind of life activities components (i.e. smoking) that may influence your policy costs.
* How much you need for you to protect yourself for for together elements of the policy.
* How long you want the policy in order to last for.

How in order to Get a Quotation.