So this is what Mr. Cricut did for Wyatt's birthday. I made the sign and all the character heads. I also noticed that this is one of those photos that you look back at when your older and see how you really lived. You know, clothes hanging outside, messy end table, dad's patchwork blanket made by grandmom Ross.
Now on to the party.
If I would have known how animated Wyatt was going to get I would have had the video camera going also. Case in point: he opens up the card from Uncle Chuck and Aunt JoAnn, he spys the $20 and starts yelling "Oh my goodness, Money, yeah!!" Waving his arm around madly. He tore into his gifts with gusto and was so excited about everything but the clothes(typical). He danced and jumped up and down. Wyatt had us all laughing at his antics.

He was very happy with his gifts and I think all the kids had a good time .
Still trying to get his 4yr pictures done but the opportunity hasn't presented itself yet.
Also with turning 4 we had to have our yearly check up from the doctor.
Now I was dreading this because even up till recently getting Wyatt to do some things was like trying to herd a mule. Thankfully the nurse was fantastic and turned it into a game. Wyatt did everything he was asked to do; he peed in a cup, did the hearing test, got weighed and measured, and did the eye exam and got his blood pressure taken.
What Wyatt wasn't aware of is the fact that he was about to get 5 shots. I had it previously arranged for Rob to be there because I knew that I alone would not be able to hold Wyatt still to get his shots. Even with the two of us it was very hard. Afterward he kept saying in the sweetest tear filled voice, "That hurt" When we were walking out he followed his nurse that gave the shots and kept telling her, "that hurt, that really hurt". For his pain he received two suckers, and a hug from the nurse, when he came home he got to watch a movie of his choice and we are going to have pepperoni pizza for lunch. On the way home he informed me that he doesn't like going to the doctor.
Now Chelsea also had an appointment this morning and was checked over but she won't be getting shots until next month. Chelsea is doing very well but is still very gassy and like to fluff her diaper on a constant basis. She is still very much a noise maker and is content to sleep on my chest. Burping her seems to take forever and by this photo you can tell she is tired of waiting for it to happen also.

I am also still trying to get her one month photo. I worked on it yesterday but didn't like the results so I might try this afternoon and use the northern light from Wyatt and Chelsea bedroom. This room give good catchlights and is nice and bright.
Since I've talked about my youngest two can't forget my oldest.
Kelly is still living. (that was a joke) Still as grouchy and bratty as she has been. We are still working on attitude and getting ready for back to school. Hopefully we will be seeing a more positive change in her soon. I would love to see a happier and nicer Kelly again. She just needs to learn that she can't always have her way and that she is not always in charge.


What, that's the end??
Say it ain't so?

Yep for today. Pizza just got here.
LOve,
Carrie

Happy Birthday Wyatt

My Little man turned 4 today. Since his party is on Saturday we had cupcakes today with just us. We sang Happy birthday and he blew out his candle. I had a hard time finding a Mickey cake topper but Fry's already had these guys all done up. Perfect for our Mikey Clubhouse theme party. I made the Happy Birthday banner and the Disney character silhouettes. Which you will see on Saturday when I take pictures of them, hehehe.

Hopefully weather and mommy premitting we will head to the park and try to get his 4 yr picture done. I think this is much better than struggling with Sears. We shall see how it goes.

On the parenting front. I have started reading Dr. Kevin Lemans book, Making children mind without losing yours. I have already started implementing some of the discipline and teaching techniques.

Dear God,
Please don't let Rob get mad about the 5 different orders for scrapping supplies that are coming in this week. I would love to see my children grow up and get married.
Thanks carrie


Someone has a birthday tomorrow and a party on Saturday. I think it's my lucky day because he asked me to take pictures of him this morning.

Included in my scrappy goodness is Scenic Routes- Appleton, Autumn Leaves- Cuteworld boy and girl, Oriental trading- polka dot and glitter buttons, Wausau Paper- paper for mike and amanda wedding album, Maya Road- sheer ribbons, and I got in last night the clear snap memories essentials clear stamp roller(seen in magazines) gotta try that later.
This is why I have a prayer in to God, I gotta lotta scrap crap coming in this week.

Oh, and for all of you in Tucson- Yes I am loving todays rainy, cloudy day. wish it could last for a few more days but I know it won't.

kelly's bossiness

This morning I told the kids that I wouldn't make them lunch until they clean up their mess from playing this morning.
While they were cleaning Chelsea started fussing to be fed. I had just finished burping her when Kelly walked up to me pointed at Chelsea and then pointed to the baby chair, then pointed at me and then pointed to the kitchen.
Giving her the mean mommy look I said '"excuse me?"
Kelly says;" put Chelsea in the chair and go fix me dinosaur chicken nuggets for lunch."
Where do kids get this crap. She sounded straight out of some tv show where the man barks at his wife to fix him dinner.
I was trying hard not to laugh and said I was going to call Rob and tell him what Kelly had just said.
Kelly responds,"what's his number and I'll call and tell him.
Seriously, who is this kid and where can I exchange her?? ;)

Chelsea @ 2 weeks

Taken today

tomorrow we go to build a bear to pick out a buddy for each of the kids.

saying goodbye to a faithful friend

My beloved Chester past away today at the age of 11.

Chester was one of the puppies from our dog Lady Grey and at first I was suppose to give him a good home, but when the person who expressed interest in him fell through and I had to keep him for a couple of days I fell in love. This was the winter of 1996, Rob and I were engaged and living together at Columbus Village apartments. I begged Rob could I keep him and Rob kept telling me no. I came home from work one night and Chester had on a red collar with mathcing leash and a red plaid dog bed. Rob told me Merry Christmas. One of the sweetest christmas gifts ever given.
My fuzzy buddy or fuzzy butt and the best dog I have ever owned. He was the cutest furball as a pup and so good and smart. We would take him around our neices so that he could get used to kids and to see how Chester handled little hands groping him. We have a neice Jessica who has special needs and whenever she headed in a direction she wasn't suppose to go Chester would steer her in another direction and let Jessie lay all over him.
Once our own children came along Chessie had no problems letting them hang around and had never once nipped or growled at any kids.
This last few years we kept remarking how we didn't feel that Chester would make it through the winter with his arthritis getting bad in his back legs, but each year with glucosamine and chondroitin he managed. Lately getting him to go back into the dog area prompted us to use food as a bribe. We would have let him roam the whole yard but then his buddy Braxton would have gone crazy whining and barking.
I believe Braxton kept Chester young these last couple of years. They would at times wrestle or run around the yard and Chester would feel the pain later. Chester never whimpered in pain and the only way you knew he might be hurting is he would get up very slowly. Now Chester is no longer in pain. He is free and though I will miss him very much I know he is in a much better place.

Having a baby changes everything

It's amazing how in twelve hours your whole life changes. This is me Friday June 27th at about 8:30am. i had just gotten home from having a non stress test. I had a feeling that I needed to get this photo of what I looked like pregnant. I was 35 weeks and 3 days. On bedrest (supposedly), I was taking it very easy. Rob had taken the day off work to just chill out and do whatever little errands that had been bugging me because I could not do them.
Fast forward to early evening around 4ish, I had just gotten into my comfy clothes and me and the kids were hanging in the living room watching Cars. Rob was starting to get dinner ready. All of a sudden it felt like someone had unpopped a cork and my water broke.
After rushing into the bathroom I had a huge smile on my face because my pregnancy was finally over, and all the misery it entailed, and I was finally going to see my baby and find out what it was.

Rob's mom came over to get the kids as we grabbed all the last minute things we needed to throw into the hospital bag.

Get to TMC and my water is still leaking, gross I know, and there is a line for Labor and Delivery. I ask politely if everyone is just visiting and one lady said no but looked at me funny. By this time I'm starting to leak on the floor and I'm embarassed because all these people are looking at me. So I say sheepishly that my water broke. The one lady who had said that she was not visiting, whom was actually in labor herself, looked at the security guard who was the only one working and said to get this woman a wheelchair and get her back there. So I was wheeled to the back.
Once they got me back there, they had no rooms so I was put in a little cubbie until they could get me a room. So about 15 minutes or so I was wheeled back up near the front in their traige area. This is where I chilled out until surgery. I must say we had the best nurses that night. We were cracking jokes and just going with the flow. Once I was wheeled into the surgery room I was given a spinal, took him what seemed like forever, and then as I became numb I started to giggle because everything tingled and my lower extremities were now useless. I could feel them rubbing the betadine over my stomach and I just kept giggling because it tickled. Let's just say they liked my in that room because I was so cool about the whole thing.
So I feel a bit of tuggging and then I hear a cry. The doctor brought the baby around so that we could see and they informed us that we had a baby girl. Of course I am now abandoned by Rob so that he must do his duty of getting plenty of pictures.
Welcome to our family, Chelsea Yvonne Ross- 8 pounds, 1 ounce and 18 inches
They asked Rob if he wanted to see my tubal ligation but he opted to go back to the room with our new baby girl. What was interesting to us is that Rob was allowed to carry the baby from the surgery room all the way back to our triage room where my mom was waiting. She wasn't put in a bassinet and pushed like we had at St. Joes.
So after they finished with me I was also wheeled back to our triage room for my recovery. This was the first time Rob got to see me "come down" from the surgery. As I lay there shaking like a chihuahua everyone else was checking out my new bundle of joy. I refused to hold the baby until most of the shaking subsided cause I was nervous about her slipping out of my arms or freaking her out. After about two hours of recovery we were taken to our new room where we would stay until we left Sunday night around 6:30pm. We had plenty of visitors on Saturday and poor me had only gotten about an hour of sleep because the nurses had to keep checking on me, so I was running on pure exhaustion.
So now I'm pretty much recovered and can now sit at the computer more comfortably so I will continue to fill you all in on how things are going. More tomorrow................... pictures coming, blogger is having problems