Oh Dear Abilene

Little family of threeThis last weekend all three of us went to Abilene for my (ex) roomie's baby shower... JoDee's having a baby in a month! They grow up so quickly. It was the first time the 6 of us girls had been together since Kara's wedding in 2005 I think? I do love my girls! And miss them when we're apart... and so proud of the guys they've married and the babies here and on the way... (and the guy that one of them is gonna marry someday :) ) They say it takes a village to raise a kid - you guys are my village! And I can honestly say, I wanted to get out of Abilene for so long... But once you leave and go to the "big city", only then can you really appreciate how nice it is to live in a small, safe, happy little (albeit HICK) town.

Daddy-to-be and uncle to Branson Melissa and baby
JS, JoDee's momma lovin my baby - gma to be!
Got you two crazy photogs on cameraThe roomiesSleeping through Rock Band - super fun!

Rock band rockersHappy little momma-to-be
Meghan's little boyfriend, Kara's boy Branson

Baby Hog and roomie - thanks for giving us a home!
The bump

Life Update

So, this pic has nothing to do with anything, but my MIL pretty much told me she demanded a pic anytime I write anything... Here's a pic from last week. Greg likes to sing the Rocky theme song when he puts on her bunny robe after a bath - which she loves these days! And having conversations with you. And is actually reaching up and whacking her toy bar on her car seat. Still not liking really sitting in the back of the car alone though! Rolling over and scooting all over her crib, finds her fist enough to suck on it in the crib, and took 2 bottles from Me yesterday! Woohoo!!!

On to the important stuff... :)

Had my interview today. Had a phone one last week for a pain clinic and nipped that idea in the butt pretty quickly. Today was the job that I pretty much knew I wanted when they came and talked to us about it in class back in August or something. And today it was mine - I think. They are so desperate that I think they would take anyone as long as they could see patients... What I really mean is that I'm the awesomest bestest candidate out there and they have a huge line out the door of qualified people - oh, and they picked me over a Dr. :)

No really... It's a state run family clinic in Texas City and Galveston (aka "the 4 Cs") for people without insurance/Medicare/caid, sliding scale payment kind of place. It only took me 20 minutes to get there this morning - going the direction away from the traffic. A couple of mornings a week would be in Galveston probably - which I did for years so no biggie there. So I get some kind of salary, full medical and dental, retirement plan, 3 weeks paid vacation, one week sick... and I get to see all ages of patients including kids (which a lot of FP clinics don't have). Lots of lower income families which means I'll be using all that Spanish I pretend to know. And it's a really laid back atmostphere with really nice people. Will probably work until 8PM one night but go in that afternoon at 12 - good to have a morning for baby Dr appts and such. But for the most part a typical 8 to 5 job!

Really, everything I want. They haven't really made an official offer yet, but it's there. I have some paperwork to fill out and am going back next week to shadow the Dr for at least part of the day - just to make sure...

So part of me feels like I have to have more than one interview cause that's what's done... but don't you just know sometimes and not need to bother with it all?

And we went and signed up with the day care we really like too!

See, how it all just plays out perfectly... Don't stress about it, pray about it, and wait for everything to happen like it's supposed to... Seems to work for us at least...

Starting a job in June maybe?

Yea!!!

12 weeks old!

Three months old - twelve weeks anyways... I've been putting her down on a blanket more and encouraging her to entertain herself at least for a little while. She's more willing to hang out on her belly and even roll over a couple of times - definitely easier when the fan is on overhead to watch. And putting (or trying to) everything in her mouth, less content to lay down in the car seat wanting to sit up, and trying ever harder to suck on her fists/finger/hand... note the drool below. Gets any worse and we'll have to wear a bib all the time. And grinning lots... She makes this little laugh sound that isn't really a laugh but kinda a little start of one. Still a big charmer. Not liking the car seat going out so I've taken to carrying her or strapping her in the belly pack - she faced out for a walk today for the first time and really enjoyed looking around. And swatting things in front of her, trying to hold them... sorry, I really take too many pics... It's just that now I have something to play camera-girl with and she can't complain - yet...

Drool drool...
Sleeping on Daddy...

Happy when Daddy's being silly

How many more pics, Mom?
Mr. Elephant - aka drool center #1
Girls in their PJs
First little Doll - aka Drool #2
Nice hair, kid! Trying to stick it down at times but sometimes, just wants to be free!

Nice Little Niece

Aubrey Lynn made her entrance into the world yesterday, April 18th at approx 11 AM weighing 6lb 9oz, 18 1/2 inches. All are well, Samantha seems to be doing great, and hopefully, they will be going home tomorrow... Seems Nate was a little intimated by all the wires and stuff until he found them more exciting than his little sister! :) Slowly warming to her and "held" her today I believe. The next week will be interesting I'm sure... Congrats guys! Meghan is excited about her new cousin and best friend!!!

Movies to Rent...

It's a sad day in our household today... they took the TV! Man, that could be exciting if it were repo-ed in the middle of the night or something - but only taken for repair. They said 5 to 7 working days... What are we going to do! I've always said I would love to be one of those people who don't live with the TV on... would love to be, not that I am. I pretty much have it on all the time, especially staying home with her, just so we aren't sitting in silence. Now, for a week! I might have to go on minivacation elsewhere in Houston... or get off my butt and leave the house huh?
Greg rented two movies last night - only to realize we weren't going to have a TV hooked up to a DVD player... DOH! Don't worry though, still have the other one in the office for when I'm really desparate.
For those who value my opinion, here's my list of movies I've seen lately that I think you might like - cause I did... Granted, haven't seen many lately so those few are memorable...

1) Juno - rented it last night... would definitely recommend it. Funny, quirky... like my sarcasm to the max but funny and way more confident to say off-the-wall things than I. And really relatively clean despite it's pregnant teen premise. Kinda like Napoleon Dynamite but with a plot and purpose :)
2) Atonement - really liked it more the second time. It's different, artsy, independent - really interesting way the story turns around and is filmed and such. And really fun score with the typewriter as an instrument. Possibly slow but I seem to like that kind of thing.
3) Sweeney Todd - for my musically inclined friends who also appreciate the cute and quirkiness of big Johnny Depp, especially when he's singing. Enjoyable!
4) Across the Universe - for my Moulin Rouge friends... those who appreciate the Beatles and those who abhor them (you know who you are family!!) - with definite LSD trip moments. But fun!
5) dang it - little Greg... August Rush! That's it... we saw this movie at the end of pregnancy just knowing that if we planned something and actually did something, labor would happen... Which, of course, it didn't but still a fun movie. A la Mr. Holland - with the added bonus of little Greg - go look up Freddie Highmore, and it's a flashback to Greg's childhood. Make you feel warm and cozy inside.

Child crying... but lastly a warning.... don't go see Superbad! 2 hours of my life I will never get back - not to mention braincells... Stupid and vulgar!
Wish me luck on my no-TV life... this is really pathetic I think...

Time is Flying!!!

My baby is becoming a big baby way too quickly!!!Today, I (really Greg while I helped) pulled up the always dead looking but really "alive" plants in my front yard. I put the baby on a blanket under the trees - figured it would work since she likes to look up at them... She had a mild fever and red cheeks afterward - is it really possible for a kid to get sunburned in the shade??? Well, I feel guilty nevertheless...

Also, this morning was our first time to stay in the nursery - they said she did a good job. I did feel kinda wierd like she was missing - but it was the first time I'd managed to stay all the way through a sermon since she's been around. Of course, I think they held her the whole time.. She's in for a rude awakening at preschool when she has to play by herself!

Additionally, she has successfully spent 3 nights in her crib. I've decided I have a really good pediatrician who likes to help raise the kid the right way and not just give medical advice. She said that if we are going to easily move her into a crib and out of her room, it is important to do it before next month when her vision would be like an adults - at which point she decides that her room is my room. Also, that I need to prepare her in this time for how it's going to be for the next two years - my schedule not hers because she was fixing to set her own if I didn't do it for her... Never done it another way, but the transition to her crib sure was a lot easier than the horror stories I have heard from others. She's also started putting herself to sleep - the first time I thought it was because her shots made her not feel well, but she's done it like 2 times since! All you gotta do is flip her on her belly in her crib, and she's out! Just don't tell the SIDS police or my PA school teachers - they would tell me how I'm gonna kill my kid... But if you could see this kid move her neck around, you would understand!

Birthday Bash

Saturday was nephew Nate's 3rd birthday so we headed to north Houston for a couple of hours... Future note: bring tic-tacs.... He didn't care about any presents he opened. Just wanted to get back to the tic-tacs he had gotten earlier. Bubbles, waterslides, and dirt - what more could a little boy ask for... Other than a little sister on Friday - last pics with preggo Sam! And Meghan's last time to not have to compete for baby attention and love with Aubrey. Can't wait to meet my niece!
Nanny and Pa with baby

Dog Gone Hideous!

So here's a laugh.... For those of you who thought Tobey looked ridiculous in his free-form anti-Schnauzer haircut...This (below) is what happens when you have fleas, and your husband uses this excuse to shave him down to utter humiliation. My semi-grayhound, semi-rat, semi-ugliest dog on the planet!
I heard yelling, flopping, and yelps coming from the bathroom for about an hour - blood was drawn in the process... and the infestation is going down!

11 Weeks

A little late for our two month checkup today but I guess it still counts...
The stats for my huge child: 23 3/4" (75% i think), 12lb 4 oz (95%)... Maybe I'll have one of those giant Baggett kids :)... I was looking at a tiny baby in the waiting room and they said she was 2 months old - my kid could eat that kid! :)
All here is good. My quest of the week was looking at daycares since they all have a crazy wait list. I looked here in Dickinson and wanted to cry... so I expanded my area and found some I liked. Of course, they all wanted to know when I wanted to start. And of course, the one I really liked has an opening right now - ug! My plan is at least to have some in mind that I can just call when I am ready so I don't have to go around and look again... someone doesn't like getting in and out of the car though so it's kinda frustrating for both of us. I hear my mother in law just wants us to move in so she can watch the kid!! --- a little extreme Shelly but we'll see :)...
These are pics of the week... I propped her up on a pillow hoping that would encourage her to like being on her belly - and decided it was a cute pose too! And these others are from a church gathering at the park on Sunday - she was enamored with tall trees and just gazed around for most of the 2 hours. So everyone asks how the dogs are doing with Meghan... This day Maggie just came up and sat down next to the baby like she was one of us... and then walked all around her and between her legs and such... Tobey of course just wanted to sniff and check all of her out... Granted, all of this the afternoon before Greg came and said he found a lot more fleas! So you know what we've been doing these past several days...

Did you see the butterfly on my kids butt?
The pediatrician said I need to establish which room is her room soon before her vision improves and she thinks my room is hers... so we'll be trying to adjust to the move soon...wish us luck!