Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas everyone. Dinner went off last night without a hitch and we all had a great time. T came over with D & V they were a suprise addition which was so great. I think next time I will shoot for 145 degrees instead of 150 degrees, I knew about the 'continued cooking' after you remove it but like my prime rib a little more rare. It was super good though. So I will catch up on some pictures. As promised the cranial band pics. I think her head is already getting rounder.. .. wishful thinking? I dont know. We have an appointment Tuesday for a checkup and measurements so we will see. It feels a little rounder. We went shopping today and got a bunch of stuff for next year. I dont know if Christmas with the V's II will occur in 2011 or in 2012 but we will be ready. This year we had little stockings for silverware holders, next year, (or whenever) real napkins --smokin deal on those, and a red berry theme with new table cloths and a runner.. I might have to have a Christmas in July party or something. lol. Maddie enjoyed her first Christmas and was the life of the party!!

A couple of things

Well, first up, the Christmas dinner planning is coming along nicely. I have delegated some of the items but sill have alot to do. The menu so far is: Prime rib, Red Potatoes with Rosemary, Sweet potato casserole, Apple Salad, Corn, broccoli cheese casserole, lettuce salad, rolls, fruit pizzas, cream cheese with raspberry chipotle sauce, crackers and pineapple salsa dip, caramel chocolate cheesecake, strawberry rubarb pie, lemon supreme pie and wine. Whew! lots of food. Should be fun though, I am excited to share the holidays with friends againg this year.

The other thing? Punkin runkin is now the new owner of a Hanger Orthotic cranial band. At 4 months the peditrician didnt like the flat spot and told us to work on tummy time.. we did the best we could but she just wouldn't stay on her tummy so at 6 months we went to see the orthotics people. We saw two and decided to go with Hanger, the people there were so nice and they were able to scan her head instead of using plaster to cast it. I will post some pics soon.

1st Christmas

Christmas has come up so fast!.. I know I should know by now that its December 25th but still, with everything new that has happened this year I am just suprised it came so fast and I am so unprepared. In January it was "What am I going to do", February "Will she pick me" March "She picked me!" April, "I wonder if its a boy or girl" and then "Its a girl" May "OMG she's here" June "She's really here" July "Man its Hot here (LOL)" August "She's 3 months old" September "Its still HOT" October "what will we be for Halloween" November "Finalization Woo hoo, I have so much to be thankful for" and December.. Christmas? when did that get here?

We are having friends (who feel like family) here at the house this year. Punkin Runkin's first Christmas wow. The tree is up and we are working on decorating the house. The baby swing replaced the armchair that was in the living room and now we dont know where to put it because now there is a Christmas tree there.. And we will accomodate for a group of 12 in our little house. I am not worried though, we got 15 in my little 2 bedroom duplex a few years ago.

I wish all of you a joyous holiday season, whatever your flavor, and new year filled with hope and joy unending. Who knows when I will have time to write again.. One of my new years resolutions is to keep this up for P.R. so she can see what led me to her and what happend after.

*Hugs*

Online Scrapping

Well I am trying my hand at online scrapbooking. When Maddie was born I wanted to scrapbook our journey and milestones. So I bought the cutest book and some scrapbooking supplies at the store and sat down to get started..well, it didnt work out so well for me. What I like about it..using creativity to place and truly make them personal. What I dont like about it.. I kept changing my mind on how I wanted the pages to look. Of course I wanted them to be great right away and as I started working with the cut out papers, and embellishments I had trouble making the adjustments.... I couldnt commit to anything! arrgh .. so of course I took a break and started exploring the digital version of scrapbooking. I got some great suggestions and finally made my first TWO pages. I used cropmom.com and its free to play around and create and save to the layout to you website account. I like that they have some templates already created that you can just add pictures to. I created a couple then when I went back to my account I tweaked them and made some new ones. To 'get them' buy 'credits' for $1.99 each. Each page is 1 credit. You download the page in a .jpg that you can send to an online photo printing service. I am using Costco since I am a member and I can go pick them up. I am definitely an 'immediate gratification' type person so I didnt want to wait for the pages to be mailed to me, so having the option to pick them up is great. So .. here they are. Let me know what you think. If you have had experience doing online scrapping let me know how it went.

its FINAL

We are back from San Antonio, which is my new favorite city btw. Why is San Antonio my new favorite city you ask? Well because for one, my daughter was born there, and two on Friday November 12th at 1:30pm Madelyn Grace Michelle Vermeer was decreed, irrevocably my daughter! We had finalization and of course she had a couple of things to say lol. When the Judge asked if she agreed she smiled and started talking, it was so funny. He said 'Well I guess she agrees'.

It was a bit surreal, whole court thing. I guess I was expecting a private session with the Judge, but thats not how it works in Bexar County Texas. We were in the courtroom with a bunch of people and he went through the docket fairly quickly. So in front of an audience (which Mads absolutely loves) we were called up and the attorney asked me a few questions and then he said he read the paperwork and wholeheartedly approves and signed the paper. We got a picture with the Judge, he was a bit shorter than me in my 3 inch heels so I squatted a little. lol

And now we are over the moon happy and enjoying this little miracle every day.

Holy Moly I have been gone long

Wow. Its been a few months since I posted last and things have been moving along nicely with M. She is rolling and eating cereal hates peaches but loves everything else. So Far. I learned something while M, Nana and I were on vacation visiting family in N.H. the beginning of October. Did you know that when you start babies on food you are supposed to do the vegetables first? I didn't. Not for any critical health reason, like veggies are less likely to trigger allergies or they are easier to digest or anything like that. But for a reason that totally makes 100% sense. If the baby starts out with fruit they get a taste for sweet and then wont eat the veggies (which are a little tart btw). Hmmm, of course noone TOLD me this but when I mention it everyone already KNOWS. Ah the joys of being oblivious to the obvious. M also has a bit of a flat spot, this girl will not stay on her tummy for anything, she rolls over almost immediately. It takes her longer when we have the towel under her but she still gets over. She is pushing up but, that pesky flatspot isnt going away fast enough for me.
On another note I just got done with the worst class so far with school. Mind you there have been some doozy weeks in there since I started in January but this entire 6 weeks was pure--icky. It was Business Statistics and frankly I don't see how some of this stuff is relevant to every day business. I found some things of value but for the path I am on the majority of it was just brain scramble on toast. I am soooo glad its over. Now .... on to Macroeconomics- doesnt that sound like fun. *sigh*

Pictures are in!!

So we had pictures taken last weekend and we got them today. I scanned some and they are uploaded. It was HOT in the room and I was crawling all over keeping her looking at the camera.. she is having some camera shyness issue lately. She got all excited when whe was half naked.. go figure. Those are the ones with the smiles. She is doing awesome.

Pictures tomorrow

Nana told me the other day that 'she's growing up too fast'... 'she's only 3 months old' I said. We have pictures tomorrow. Now I am not thrilled..I never have been thrilled about pictures. But I was excited that we would get some pics of Punkin runkin.

3 months old today

Punkin Runkin is 3 months old today. On one hand, time seems to have flown cause she is so little 11 pounds now, the other she has grown so much and is hitting milestones. I am so blessed to have her in my life. She is now the age when I first met Ben. I think often of him and hope that he is doing well in Kyrgyztan with his family. His picture is with hers on the shelf in her room. She will know about him when she gets older.
We are getting some work done on the kitchen. A month or so ago we had the 1980's sliding glass door taken out and a pair of brand spakin new french doors put in. My first house had french doors. Anyway, Mom and I decided that we needed some more cupboard space. So we called our 'guy' and had him get started. Its looking really good. We thought it would look a little wierd since we are adding cabinets and a new countertop but its not. The kitchen is an absolute disaster but we are almost there. I will post pics when its done.

A MONTH!

Jeez, its been a month since i posted last... bad blogger. Things have been busy and I am so grateful for every gift I have been given. Maddie is almost 3 months old (Aug 7) and she has had her first airplane ride. Mom and I drove to San Antonio when she was born so this was her first trip in the air and we werent sure what was going to happen. She did awesome.. she cried a little and with the bottle went right to sleep.. I had visions (thanks to my co-business traveler friend Mark) of being 'THAT' person, you know, the one with the screaming baby for the entire trip, the one who prompts hearing loss by those who crank up the ipod to max to drown out the noise. But, as usual she amazed me and didnt have an issue with the pressure. She slept through 2 landings (to the pilot's credit they werent bad) and everyone who walked by said what a good baby she was.

We were in South Dakota (me for work and Maddie and Nana for social visits) for 2 weeks. Living in a hotel (flashbacks to San Antonio) wasnt bad this time, maybe since we know Sioux Falls and had other things to do.

Things are going great with her. I havent had any issues with people looking at her then at me and wondering.. hmm how'd that happen. Its kinda funny to wonder how people's minds work. I was in Walmart the other day and the sales girl asked me how long I was in labor with her.. I said '19 hours' since thats how long it took to get to San Antonio!!!

So.. lets catch up on some pictures shall we??? There are some random ones, some pictures of her room and her insanely full closet.. (again with my shopping problem) and some of friends in South Dakota. Mom mentions every day how she is growing.. and growing.. I know she has to and I am glad she is but still.. I am trying out Smilebox.. hopefully this works.

This free slideshow personalized with Smilebox

I have GOT to quit spending money

The Chair!

I bought a new camera! Its a Nikon Coolpix P100 and very cool. In a previous post I mentioned my camera envy and my little 4 year old Canon was ok for taking general pics but when you have a moving squirming baby that youre trying to catch that smile, it just wasnt cutting it. So I invested in a camera that does movies, can take consecutive pics quickly and can zoom to the next block. lol.. And here are some pics from it. Punkin Runkin has been the focus of many a picture as I am working throught the adjustment.

Shopping Take 2

Sheesh, I know I JUST went shopping but when an opportunity presents itself you have to jump on it. Pamela and Emmi were in town Monday. So, of course off to Anthem to the outlets we go.. our destination- Carters, OshKosh, Stride Rite and A childrens place. It was sooo fun meeting Pamela and Emmi in person. We have known each other 'virtually' for almost 2 years and have finally met.

First stop, lunch.. we were having a great time, Emmi wiggling in her Mommy's arms and Pamela, un-fazed, eating her salad and chatting. I on the other hand was holding Maddie, not so gracefully, on my left shoulder and trying to eat my salad. (for those of you who dont know I am LEFT handed) so I was holding on to Maddie with my right hand, over my left shoulder and trying to eat around her..picture that and THEN she PEED on me.! Yep came right out of the diaper, ran down her little leg and fell off her knee onto my shirt. Hmm. Thanks baby. We are definitely going back to the gDiapers! So off to the bathroom we go, Maddie gets a wardrobe change and Mommy gets a wet wipe blotting--all the while thinking I hope I dont smell like pee all day, that will suck. Well, a little trivia for you all.. baby pee doesnt smell. Yay. So back to the table we go, finish lunch then off to the outlets.

I was armed with my trusty coupons (20% off at Carters and OshKosh) that I had printed out for each of us (Me, Mom and Pamela) and the 20% off one I got from the Carters outlet in El Paso, we started out. We sort of did a divide an conquer and scoped out the store and loaded up the strollers with all the goods. I restrained myself quite well I think, I spent under 100. Now Pamela on the other hand.. that girl can shop. Good thing we had the coupons. While we were there I saw another gal getting a bunch of stuff and I offered her one of the extra coupons that I had, she had the cutest little girl who wanted to 'see the baby'. Unbeknownst to both of us we had emailed a couple of years ago when she had questions about my agency. The little girl is from Kaz and is absolutely beautiful. So we finished up in Carters and then were off to the food court for a break.. shopping is hard work and if you dont think so then you are doing it wrong! *lol* We finally had a chance to get some pics and I have camera envy now, thanks Pamela. One more wardrobe change.. this time because it was so HOT and we were off again. Found a cute store with some really unique stuff Naartjie and shopped there a while. It was getting late so just one quick run through Childrens Place and we were out of there. Babies tired and sleeping in the carseat. It was soooooo wonderful to spend time with them finally. It was a GREAT day.

Shopping!

I remember the days when 'Shopping' was a spur of the moment, what can I buy (for myself), shop til I drop sort of excursion. Well, the times have changed. It takes a bit to get Punkin runkin's --'stuff' ready and then I usually dont time it right (I take too long) so the minute we get her in the carseat its time for her to eat again. Well that was the story this afternoon. We were going to Babies R us to redeem the giftcards and use the 20% off coupon (Thanks Becky) for THE CHAIR and ottoman. Woo Hoo. We werent too sure the coupon would fly since the chair had to be ordered, and usually the coupons there are no good for diapers, formula, and some of the big ticket name brand items that people really want a deal, the list of things you can't buy with it takes up half the coupon. Whats the point of giving out coupons if they wont save you significantly. But, I digress....so... imagine my suprise when the guy putting the order in says Yes you can use the coupon, OMG really! Sure and if you 'apply for this card' you get another 10%.. and its no interest no payment for 6 months... hmmmm 30% ... just what I need one more credit card. Historically I am a big fan of the 6 months no interest gimmick, I think of it as layaway that I get to bring home. lol...So I walked away with 30% off my rocker and 10% off the ottoman (the 20% was for ONE item). Two gift cards later and I am forking over a whopping 72.00 for this chair an ottoman. Did I mention how much my friends ROCK!!! I get it in a week... but thats not all.. mom and I had been talking about getting a bouncy seat for P. R. since she slides down on the (borrowed) swing that we love. She's just too tiny for it. They had a deal going on with buy this swing (or highchair) and get the bouncy free.

How cool is that. This swing goes 3 different ways- side to side, or it turns left, or turns right. Well since I had a second 20% off coupon that brought the cost down for that too.. AND on top of that since I am signed up at Strongmoms I got coupons for Similac Advance formula for $5 off and a free 8 pack of 2oz ready to feed bottles.

I think today was better than the day I found the cool Coach Diaper bag at the outlet (in El Paso Tx) for 70% off.

I Do love shopping!!!

Meet and greet

Wow do I have some great friends. Remember 'the chair' I mentioned a few posts ago? Well the giftcard total is almost enough to get it. I am soooo blessed to have these people in my life. So a BIG thank you to Becky, Tari, Joe, Mark, Emily, Jane & Michelle for a wonderful day and the very generous gift. I am sure M and I will have lots of times rocking the night away! Nana is excited too. She cant wait til we get it. For now here are some pics of the day!

the video yesterday and pics today

Here are some more pics. Not much going on today just hanging with Lil-bit and Mom. So I thought I would post some pics. We have a big day tomorrow M's Meet and Greet and are excited about that. She is so awesome and I am so blessed to be her Mommy.