Eight years ago...

A Cool Chevelle…and an Even Cooler Wife!

Enjoy the link, and relive our wedding day from the Chevelle's point of view.

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Memorial Day Weekend

Waiting for the parade...

In the cemetery remembering the fallen hero's

I think this is the Hogback bridge, we visited Madison County on Sunday. We hit four bridges, one park and Subway. It was a really nice day trip and the weather was gorgeous.

Dallas has another ear infection, same ear (the right side), more wheezing, and tons of snot! I am thankful that we can go to the Dr. on a Sat. morning, and that I am getting good at recognizing the symptoms. He is on a stronger antibiotic and more Neb time for his cough and tight chest. In the last two days he has become very active. He rolls, he turns on his crib toy, not sure if he is hitting the button with a hand or head butting it, and he has discovered his feet, he loves to grab his toes!

breaking news....

It is official, he rolled from back to stomach while swaddled! He has been rolling from stomach to back for a month or so now. Yesterday he treated me to two performances of the harder roll (back to stomach), Robert even caught the second one.

Notice in this picture:

1. I layed him down with the length of the crib, so he turned him self at least 90 degrees, or perhaps he went around the long way

2. I layed him down on his back, swaddled (not the arms)

3. His pacifier is in upside down, which he seems to like, I am sure that will be good for orthodontia!

(sorry about the dark photo, I didn't want the flash to wake him)

I have been going back and forth about dropping the swaddle, I haven't wrapped him on the hot days, he doesn't seem to nap longer with it, but I do think it signals nap time. Our new AC will be installed Tuesday so hopefully we won't get to see how hot it can get in the nursery!

What's wrong with this picture?

Every now and then I have to post a picture of the kiddo's not being cute and innocent. After all this is a journal of "life from the heart", you get all kinds of life around here!

Emily was stalling, she didn't want to go to bed, she was not listening. This scene ensued after I said we were not going to have time for a book since she was not listening to me and putting jammies on, getting teeth brushed and so on... She pulled the bottom shelf of her books off. Notice she still does not have clothes on. She refused to put the books back or help, so the books have taken a haitias from her room. What a consequence for a girl who loves books!

My other birthday picture, it's hard to believe I am 31 and have two beautiful kiddo's, and one amazing husband!

the sweetest thing

Primer: If you can't tell what is going on. I was cooking dinner, Emily came into the kitchen to entertain Dallas. She took her artwork from church off of the fridge and began to sing, a lovely combination of "Jesus loves the little children" (that song is written on the paper) , and a rendediton of "Jesus Loves me".

Celebrating with Jr's race car

I went to the Iowa Speedway yesterday to celebrate the fact that I am still younger that Dale Jr. He even let me pose in front of his car, nice guy.

It was a great way to spend my birthday, besides the fact that it felt more like a wet ISU football game in November, than what it could have been... a warm, sunny race day in May.

I loved watching the people, the race and the fanfare. Thanks to my husband for taking me!

my Mothers Day

After chuch Robert took us to Reimen Gardens, mom's got in free!

Emily posing in front of the Tulip Garden

It was a wonderful Day!

Rice cereal for Dallas

Yum, my first bite!

Hmmm, I think I like it

Happy Mother's Day

For my mom, a blast from the past. Your glasses are much cuter 30 years later, but strangely that outfit would be still in style. Love you!

Vacuum, Part 4

My sights have ventured off the Dyson. Overall I have been happy with the performance, but not $400 happy, know what I mean?
I happened to have a carpet expert in my house yesterday, to help me with a different project. The owner of Craftsman Carpet Care, which I personally recommend to all who live in the area. I picked his brain about vacuums. Seems he gets this a lot and stopped me before my question was even finished, Russ said "You don't need to buy a Dyson." He said they are great, but mostly have a great marketing campaign. He has personally picked up a load of hair-fur-dirt in his own vacuum after a customer has used their Dyson before his arrival. He uses a commercial version of a Eureka.

Update in the general sort of way

Here is a little catch-me-up...
Dallas is feeling much better, he doesn't mind the nebulizer much but he despises the amoxicillin. I have to put it 1/4 Teaspoon at a time at the back of his mouth, hold it shut, and wait for him to spit out half of it, needless to say it takes a while to get 3/4 Teaspoon in there 2x day. He can roll over from tummy to back, (he did it for the first time 4/20) He can sit up unassisted for about 5 seconds before he topples over. He has big grins for all of us, and occasionally gives us a breathy laugh. His favorite things are screaming (joyfully) and he has just started really watching Bo, he just stares and tries to grab for him.

Dallas at 5 months, Emily at 33 months (don't my kids look sweaty!)

Emily has been a delight lately. Today she requested to nap without a diaper (we'll see how that goes). She loves to find little holes and corners to wedge her body in to read or put on her underwear or play. I would still say reading is her favorite activity, but she really likes being outdoors with me too. She helps me dig dirt (she is sad that Bo ate the handle off our little trowel) and plays with Bo and her bubbles and chalk. She also is showing interest in riding her little plastic trike. She will take it down to the neighbors drive and back all by herself.

Dallas breathing his medicine through a fishy mask

the sick house

Dallas has not been sleeping well, worse than normal (he is not a good sleeper anyway). Which leads me to this: Em and Dallas have been sick most of the month of April, passing colds back and forth, the occasional fever, but I didn't think much of it, kids get colds.

Which lead to a parent meeting of the minds and we decided we were going to try CIO to see if Dallas could learn to soothe himself to sleep. I thought last minute I would take him into the Dr. just to see if he could possibly have an Ear infection before we start the CIO.

Monday morning calling the Peds. office to get an appointment = 2 hours of trying to get through on the line
Appointment scheduled for 11:00 am, check in at 10:52 = see doctor at 12:11 pm
Number of times used hand sanitizer in waiting room = 6
Number of people who sat by us and then moved after witnessing Dallas cough constantly = 4
Learn about ear infection and bronchitis
Learn how to use a nebulizer
Drive to HyVee Drug Town, get scripts = 15 minutes
Let Emily push the kiddo cart around the store, buy battery for smoke detector
Home = 12:46 pm

Oh yeah, Dallas at almost 5 months weighs what Emily did at 12 months, how can that be?

Now I wonder if Emily has the same thing, I should have had her checked as well!

Emily under our crab apple tree

Vacuum review, Part 3

Dyson Day 4 (I brushed Bo inside and vacuumed directly after)

Dyson Day 5 and 6 (I didn't empty between, also ran the vacuum twice on Sat)
Dyson Day 8 (took Sunday off)

By looking back at the first couple of pictures to now, I am pretty sure there was some baseline cleaning that my current Bissel was not getting. There is satisfaction seeing the baggless container full of stuff. The Dyson was on sale at Walmart last week, $399 + a $80 gift card. I wasn't ready to make my decision. I need to find a newer Bissel or the Bissel animal to borrow...

A couple of my friends have e-mailed me their love for the Dyson.

Dyson Part 2

This is what I have determined so far

Pro
-Hepa filter
-Lots of suction
-Loved the attachment for upholstery, picked up hair off of the furniture really well
-Loved the attachment for doing crevices
-Bagless
-Long cord
-Comes in colors :)
-Quiet, oh so quiet

Cons
$$$
-Doesn't get up to the edge of the wall or furniture
-Using the attachments was difficult, it seems like there is almost to much suction, it is hard to keep the attachment hose stretched because it is being sucked in.
-I have to use the attachments on the stairs, my bissel is small enough I can vacuum the stairs
-Head of the vacuum is to tall to fit under much of my furniture, my bissel could scoot under