Toddle Along Tuesdays-Parties

This week's topic is Parties. I decided to talk a little more about Clara's First Birthday party...or parties in her case.

When planning her party I was having a rough time. I wanted it to be really awesome, but I kept warring with the idea that she'll never really get it anyway. Do I spend the money anyway and give her a super awesome party, or do I save it? Seeing all the other moms I know planning big extravagant first birthday parties for their kids was really giving me serious mommy guilt because, quite frankly, we just don't have the money-especially with baby #2 on the way.

In the end, I just decided that it was more important for people who love her to be there and not really what the actual party was like.

I ended up doing 2 different parties....when in hindsight, I could have combined them. Our house is TINY and there was no way we could have her party there with all of my family plus all of Adam's. So the original plan was to have 2 parties-one for his family and one for mine. So I set up a date and time with his parents and we were all set on that end. On my family's end, I just didn't have time to worry about cleaning my house, etc. so I looked into renting a room at our city's Community House. It was an inexpensive option and the best part was that I didn't have to clean! We got food from Subway and I made cupcakes. We even had a TV we could set up so no one had to miss the Packers game. What I didn't realize until after the parties were planned and invitations were sent out, was that I could have just had one party at the Community House and saved a whole day. No harm no foul, really, but at least I learned. :)

The bottom line is that Clara had a good time and the people who love her most were able to share in her special day with her. Going forward I'll probably just have one big party for her in a rented space so that no body has to worry about how clean their house is, or if their house is big enough.

I think one of the hardest things about being a parent is competeing with other parents. I know most of us say that we won't do it, but sometimes it can't be helped. I about had a nervous breakdown when my girl was little because I had to work so many hours. I had to be away from her. I couldn't do things the other mamas were doing like cloth-diapering and making my own "organic" baby food. I fed my kid from a jar and put disposable diapers on her. I felt like a bad mom. But what matters most, is what works out best for your baby and your family. Clara is healthy and h appy and growing like a weed. It doesn't matter what kind of diapers I used or that I had to work long hours to provide for my family. In the end, all that matters is happiness.

And who isn't happy about cupcakes? :)

Cupcake coma....

Here, Mommy, have some cupcake. :)

And I thought 2011 was an interesting year!

I can't wait to see what 2012 is going to bring!

This last year has brought me so many different feelings: joy, sadness, stress, excitement. I've learned so much! I've watched my daughter grow from a helpless little newborn to a rambunctious toddler in what seems like the blink of an eye!

I honestly can't believe how much she has learned in the last year. She has learned how to roll over, how to sit up, how to eat "real people" food, how to crawl, how to clap and laugh, and even how to walk and run! I swear her vocabulary grows by leaps and bounds every day! I love to watch her crinkle her whole face up in a grin when I come home from work or we visit her at Mimi's. She's such a sweet and tender and funny little girl and my heart swells with joy and pride whenever she's around. That's not to say that there haven't been stressful times with her. I remember the early days of her not sleeping because of her reflux. But once we got that under control it seemed fine...until she started teething. Since then it's been off and on, good days and bad days, but in the end, there's nothing I would change about any of it. I can't stomach being away from her for more than a day or so. I start feeling at a loss for what to do with myself. It's not that I'm bored, it's just that I'm lonely and miss her.

I also can't believe how much I have learned about myself in the last year. Becoming a parent teaches you lots of things about yourself and how you interact with the world around you. Things that you never would have thought possible you somehow find the ability to do. Situations that seem impossible seem to somehow work out-though not always the way you expected. You also learn to love beyond what you would even think possible. And you learn different kinds of love. The kind of love you have for your spouse even changes....ok, maybe not changes, but takes on another dimension. There's the love that you have for them when you get married and fall in love, but when you see your spouse interacting with the child that you made together, it's a different thing entirely. I am truly blessed to have found this wonderful man and even though we haven't had the easiest life starting out together, we are mature and have been able to deal with whatever that crazy life has thrown at us.

In the next year I look forward to MANY things! I look forward to the new chapters we'll be opening in the New Year.

In just a few short weeks Adam will be starting nursing school. It's a big chapter and really, the final one in what we hope to be a great and rewarding career move that not only allows him to further his education, but get a well-paying and rewarding job. Hopefully it also allows me to stop working full-time to concentrate on finishing my own degree and spending more time with our children.

I also look forward to seeing what the end result of his latest surgery will be. His time on crutches should be over by the end of January and as his rehab continues, we're optimistic that he can get back some of the quality of life that he had before this all began.

The new year will also bring us a new son! There are so many things I look forward to about this! I can't wait to see all his firsts all over again. I can't wait to see who he looks like and what his personality will be like. Will he be laid back or will he be just as rambunctious as his sister? How will he and his sister get along? How will I, as a mother, deal with 2 children so close in age without losing my mind?

I'm not one who typically makes New Year's resolutions, but I think this year I'm going to make a couple that I think are reasonable and that I can stick with.

1. I want to be more organized. I've been starting some organization in different parts of the house, but I'd really like to make a bigger effort at it. Reducing the clutter in my house will hopefully mean that my life, in general, will be less stressful. I plan to make a list of how to organize each room and then slowly work at it when I have the opportunity.
2. After Samuel is born I want to get back into shape. I didn't have a lot of trouble losing all the baby weight from Clara, but I wasn't even close to being in shape. I want to (as much as I can) get back the body I had before I got pregnant at all. I've done a good job of watching my weight and what I eat while I'm pregnant with Samuel so I know the weight loss after he's born will be easier, but it's the rest that I worry about.
3. I would like to reduce our debt load. We already have somewhat of a plan in place for that, we just have to be really good about sticking to it and do a better job of managing our money.
4. I am going to try to be a more positive person. I did a better job of it over 2011, but I really want to try harder.
5. I am going to try to take more time for myself. Time to myself does not include things like: grocery shopping, doing laundry, cleaning, or any other housework. Time for myself will be things like: getting manicures/pedicures, hanging out with friends, working on scrapbook or other DIY projects, gardening, or relaxing while watching TV or playing video games. It's a matter of being more efficient with my time and reworking my priorities a little. I think if I can get better organized it'll be easier to take time for myself.

I hope everyone reading this has had an awesome 2011 and can have an even better 2012. I look forward to growing as a human being, a wife, and a mother and I look forward to sharing all of these experiences with everyone.

Holiday Hiatus

As you may have noticed, What's On Your Mind has been missing from my weekly posts. Well, it's been a little nuts with the holidays. Ususally I do my blog posts at work but I've been off of work the last couple Fridays so it hasn't gotten done and any time I may have had at home, I've been busy getting things ready for the holiday festivities.

So I'm happy to report that since I'll be working Friday (and because the holidays are over with and Clara is at Mimi & Papa's all week...sadly) WOYM will return to it's regularly scheduled time.

I also realize that I missed my weekly pregnancy survey. Well I'm working on that as we speak as well as Clara's 13-month survey. I have a bunch of pictures I need to get uploaded for that one, as well as getting a weight and measurement for her.

Speaking of work-my schedule is going to be a little nuts for a while. This week I had Monday off due to the Christmas holiday so I work Tuesday through Friday 5:45-1:45. Next week I have off Monday for New Years and then I'm working 5:45-1:45 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and Thursday I work 5:45 til Noon because Adam and I both have appointments all afternoon. The following week I may be taking a day of vacation to take Adam to his orientation for school...depending on how he feels about driving and being out by himself all day.

So it looks like I may not be working a full week until almost the end of January! It's nice to have some extra time off, but it makes it really hard to come back to work! Before I know it, I'll be off work for an extended time so we can welcome our little boy!

What's on your mind?

A local radio station does this every Friday: Tell us what's on your mind. So I will! I've been feeling very bloggy lately, anyway. :)

• I just finished watching Eric's new blog post from his website. This is Stem Cell Transplant #3, Day +14 and it sounds as if everything is going well! The post itself was from Wednesday. As of then, he still had no white cells, but his platelets were coming up, which means it looks like the new stem cells have grafted! With any luck his white cells will come up soon and he'll be able to FINALLY get out of the hospital and into his new house! Such amazing news!
• Another young lady whom I have been following, Miss Scarlett, just had her every-three-month MRI to check for regrowth of her brain tumor. The scan went well and she is still IN THE CLEAR! More amazing news! For those who don't know Scarlett's story, check out the blog roll on the right. You can read all about her and her amazing parents.
• For those who don't know, my husband is a published author. I, personally, can't read much of what he writes because I'm a big fraidy cat and he writes horror. His latest accomplishment? He got published in a book of short stories! A BOOK! It's even on Amazon! OMG, I am a proud wife! He also has a blog where he has his other published works listed. You should check them out sometime.
• Another note about my husband, he is a USMC veteran with a bum knee. It's why he's currently in nursing school and not still working with me. Well, said bum knee has been operated on God knows how many times and is still not any better. So, we're going for another round of surgery on the 14th. I'm nervous as hell, not for the surgery, but for the recovery process. This is not a small surgery. Not to mention we have a 13-month old at home to take care of and I'm rather pregnant and I still have to go to work during the day. While he's on crutches it's going to be hard for him to take care of her so she'll be spending a lot of time with the grandparents which makes me really sad. I don't like when she spends tons of time away from home. I miss her too much. But at least he'll be off the crutches and mostly recovered by the time our son comes (hopefully!!). With any luck, he'll finally be healthy enough for everyday life! It's been a long struggle and we're really hoping that this is it.
• I can't wait to start really getting down to organizing the kids' room. There's a lot of Clara's things that need to get packed away, like the bumpers from her crib and some of the toys she doesn't play with anymore. I know I can keep some of the toys out for the little guy, but there are others that can get packed away for now-especially with Christmas coming up! I need to get the shelving system and bins that I want so I can get organized. I feel an overwhelming urge to be really neat and organized lately. Maybe that's why I put a label maker on my Christmas list (I'm such a nerd)!
• Speaking of Christmas: I have got to get some Christmas shopping done! I have a couple things for people, but am nowhere near finished! AND we'll be celebrating Christmas with my parents and my brother and his wife NEXT WEEKEND! I think we're getting our tree either this weekend or next. I can't wait to get that up and decorated! And my mother and I are going to a Christmas concert tonight.

Anyway, that's about it for now. It's Friday and work is slow, but I've got other things I can do like read a book. :)

Toddle Along Tuesday-Thankfulness

First off, I want to say that I’m really happy Mama G is back with Toddle Along Tuesdays! I always enjoy reading all the posts that link up with her and seeing the diversity of the other mama bloggers out there!

 

 

 

The topic of this week’s post is “Things You’re Thankful For,” rather fitting since this week brings us to Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays :)).

 

In years past I never really took time out to think about all the things I’m thankful for. We just plunked ourselves down at the dining table and proceeded to shovel food. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of that. Actually, there’s even more since I now have in-laws and get to have TWO Thanksgiving feasts! So this year, thanks to the prodding of Toddle Along Tuesdays (Thanks again Mama G!!), I’m going to make a list of all the things (or at least as many as them as I can think of) that I’m thankful for.

 

• My health (even though I’ve got a nasty cold!!) and this healthy pregnancy. 

• The love and support of my awesome rock star husband who is working his butt off and then some in order to give us the best life he can. 
• My beautiful and funny little girl, Clara, who always has me in stitches. She’s the light of my life and I’m so thankful that she’s mine!! 

• My family who is always there to bail me out. Clara says she’s thankful, too, because she can spend the day with Grandma rather than go to daycare! 
• The November mommies on Facebook! They’re seriously some of my best friends. I haven’t met any of these ladies in person (at least not yet!) but they’ve got some of the biggest hearts around. Not to mention, it’s very handy to have kids the same age so that we can compare notes and strategize against the kiddos (especially when we think they sometimes Skype with each other and plot ways to drive us insane!). 
• The very few friends that I have in real life. You guys are amazing and I’m glad to have each one of you. 
• And last, but certainly not least, the men and women who serve and have served our country to protect the awesome land that we live in. Without their sacrifice we would not be able to even have the ability to post blogs like this, let alone much else! Our freedoms and our way of life would not be possible without these brave men and women and for that I am truly thankful.

 

I hope that during the upcoming holiday season, with its hustle and bustle and general busy-ness, that everyone can take a few minutes to remember what this time of year is all about: spending time with friends and family. It’s not about giving gifts or eating delicious food. It’s about appreciating what we do have.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Be safe!

 

 

 

Forgive me!!

It's Thursday and I've forgotten to post again!!

Yesterday was Wednesday-weigh in day. I'm happy to report I've neither gained nor lost this week! Holding steady. Things are REALLY insane around our house right now.

Adam's finished with school for the semester. He's going back in the Fall-4 classes. Should be interesting, to say the least. I, on the other hand, have decided to skip the fall semester and be finished with school for the time being. It's going to be difficult enough to watch Clara on my days off and work around babysitting needs while Adam's at Bellin full-time without having to worry about school on top of everything else.

We're also working on a big project that I'll talk more about in the coming weeks.

What else are we up to this month? This coming Monday I'll be getting my implant finished. Yay!! I can't wait! It's been a long road, and I'm pretty sure I'm not done fighting with the insurance company just yet, either. I've also got my friend Melissa's bridal shower coming up towards the end of the month. I'm excited to see her again! I haven't seen her in quite some time as she's been busy finishing up her schooling and moving into her brand new house!

Next month is our 2nd annual Labor Day picnic at our house. I think we'd better get working on the organization of this, PRONTO!  Also, it's Adam's, Jessi's and Steff's birthdays! Adam and I are talking about taking the Badger over to Michigan for his birthday weekend, but we shall see how finances work out. I think it'll be the first trip for all 3 of us!

Anyway, stay tuned for more exciting adventures!

Weight Watchers Wednesday....and other stuff.

Ok, well I'm sad to say I'm up around a pound, but that's pretty good considering I wasn't tracking any of my foods over our vacation weekend.

Speaking of our vacation weekend, we left for parts of southern Wisconsin on Friday morning...around an hour later than we wanted, but it was fine. It was our first long trip on the motorcycle. At the end of the weekend we realized we needed more butt training!! We were sore! But the weather was gorgeous, and the scenery was gorgeous and it was really nice to be alone with just my husband for a day or two. :) We found a couple towns that we'd like to further explore, too! I'm glad that we have a lot of time before we need to seriously think about moving so we can explore some more. :)

We got back Saturday afternoon and then on Sunday evening we packed up and went to our friends The Simons' for our annual 3rd of July picnic. The food was great, the company was great, but we opted to skip the fireworks this year. It would have been really late for Clara to stay up to see them and she probably wouldn't like them anyway. Maybe next year. :)

Anyway, Clara's screaming from her crib so I've got to cut this short this week. For anyone interested, you can now follow me on twitter! You can find me under @angiemueller81

Weight Watchers Wednesday

Yep, it's already Wednesday again. I've been so busy lately that it seems the only posts I have are about my weight loss! 

I jumped on the scale this morning and it told me I lost again this week! My total weight loss so far is now -6.8lbs. I'm this |<-->| close to my goal!!

It's not great, but I've been so busy that I haven't been very snacky or haven't had much time to eat much of a meal, so that's helped some. Plus I've been parking at the very end of  our parking lot at work and I've been toting around a ton of school books (around, up a thousand flights of stairs, etc).

Let me know if you are a WeightWatchers online participant and if you would like to follow me. I'll give you my information so you can find me! :)

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In other news, the holiday weekend is coming up. Adam and I are going away for the weekend on the motorcycle. We're heading down towards Madison to visit some small towns since we'll likely be moving down there in a few years. We're staying at the Naeset-Roe Inn Bed & Breakfast in Stoughton, WI. We'll also be visiting other towns such as: Oregon, Lake Mills, Cambridge, Deerfield, and possibly Sun Prairie. We're leaving Friday morning and coming back sometime Saturday afternoon. It'll be a lot of fun! The munchkin will be staying with Grammy while we're gone.

On Sunday evening we'll be making our way to Kellnersville, WI for our annual July 4th picnic at Simons' house. It's always a good time with good people and good food. This year we'll be skipping the fireworks as I'm pretty sure Clara won't enjoy them and it'll be way past her bedtime anyway. Adam doesn't particularly care for fireworks, either. Not a big deal. :)

I'm working Monday, which is great news since it'll be triple-time and I'll be making like $60/hour. Not too bad considering it'll be pretty dead quiet around here. :)

Other things coming up: Clara's 8-month birthday, my mid-terms for my 2 classes, my final appointment with the oral surgeon for my implant, and our first wedding anniversary!! That'll round out July! Not too busy of a summer, but certainly busy enough!

Mother's Day 2011...The NEW Zoo!

May 8, 2011 was my very first "official" Mother's Day. We celebrated a little bit last year. We took my mom out for sushi. It was also the start of my 2nd trimester. One year later, we have an outside baby! I heard that the NEW Zoo was having free admission for all moms so I wanted to take advantage, especially if the weather was going to be nice...which it was! Clara had spent Saturday night by Adam's mom so we had to go pick her up-not a big deal since they're sort of on the way to the zoo anyway. So we picked her up and I changed her into a really cute dress that Grandma Anita got her for Easter. I'm so glad it was warm enough for her to wear it without a sweatshirt! We loaded up the car and off to the zoo we went!

It was a gorgeous day! We saw lots of animals...and lots of people! I'm not sure which she enjoyed watching more. Daddy was having a field day showing her all the animals. He even took her through the petting zoo barn. I opted to stay outside because my allergies were giving me fits, which isn't fun on top of a cold. We even got to see a giraffe up close! Clara tried to eat him. :)

We spent most of the afternoon there. I have to say this is the best Mother's Day so far. :) On our way out, I wanted to get a picture of me and the munchkin because, quite frankly, I don't have many of just her and I. I'm usually the one taking the picture! So I found a good spot right by the entrance that had lots of pretty flowers for a back drop. Daddy did a good job. :)

And a trip to the zoo, especially someone's first trip to the zoo, requires a trip through the gift shop. We had to get her something to commemorate. :) We found this cute pink hat that has animals on it. She seems to like it.

"I give this hat 1 thumb up!"

Hi ho, hi ho...

...it's back to work I go. Last week Thursday I returned to the workforce. This past Monday was my first FULL day back. It wasn't nearly as hard as I was expecting it to be, but I sure did miss my baby!! Luckily, the day went by quickly and I could get back home to smother her in hugs and kisses. She repayed me by being in a good mood and being full of smiles. It's easy to go back to work when I know that her Daddy is taking good care of her while I'm gone.

Clara celebrated her first Christmas this year. It was a very busy weekend! Friday night we all went to church for Christmas Eve service. After that, as per tradition, we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. We met my parents at our house for dinner and finally got to bed around 10. Saturday morning started EARLY! Clara woke up at 5:30 and no one really wanted to go back to sleep. The 3 of us laid in bed together for quite a while. It was so nice. :) But, we decided we were just going to get up. Adam, Clara and I all opened presents together. Scooter even got some new things in his stocking: an awesome new collar and a new dinosaur chew toy. Around noon we packed up the car and headed for my extended family get-together in Neenah. Much fun was had by all...and Clara made out better than anybody. :) She got some really great toys that she's going to have a lot of fun with when she's a little older. After lunch and presents, it was once again time to hit the road...this time for Luxemburg for the Mueller family Christmas. We got there around 5:30 for a delicious turkey and gravey dinner with all the fixins. After dinner we opened presents. Once again, Clara made out really well with some cute outfits, some books, and some toys. Auntie Steff even got her some Dr. Seuss books that are written in Spanish! Daddy will have to read her those. :) We all stayed the night and on Sunday Clara got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Mueller while Adam and I went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Milwaukee. It was AWESOME as usual, but we've decided that if they're not going to have a show in Green Bay next year, we might not go. It's a lot of traveling...either that or we'll go, but not if it's going to be the day after Christmas.

So other than my returning to work, things are pretty quiet after the chaotic Christmas holiday. I'm looking into dental implant surgery and have been going to appointments for the past couple of weeks. I've got 2 appointments this week and one next week. I'm going to be really sick of the dentist by the time this is all said and done!

I think one of the things I most look forward to in the next month is the Eli Mattson concert in January in Greenville, WI. We haven't seen Eli since September! It would have been nice if his lady could have made the trip, too, but she's awfully pregnant right now, and travelling would SUCK! I'm excited for their baby's arrival, though...sometime in February. I SO wish we lived closer because our kids would be really close in age and it would be nice to have another mommy to hang out with.

I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. I took the day off to go to an appointment for my oral surgery. Even though I've only been back to work for 2 whole days, it'll be nice to spend some quality time with my little girl. :) In just a few days she'll be exactly 2 months old! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. Before we know it, she'll be eating solid foods and walking! Slow down, little girl! You're growing too fast!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to write a quick post today. I have so much to be thankful for this year. Besides my loving family and the great friends that I have, I've also got a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, and some pretty great pets. We all (well, except for the pets) had a great time at my grandma's house today for Thanksgiving dinner. It's one of the few times when the entire family gets together so it was really nice that we made it. We even got to take a 4-generation picture together: Here is me, my Dad, my Grandma Ruby, and Clara.

I thought this would also be an appropriate time to do Clara's 3-week update. Here she is, wearing her my first Thanksgiving outfit.

It's really cute, but a little bit big! I had socks on her when we left the house this morning, but by the time we got to Grandma's house, they were both off. :) She's doing really well. I've stopped setting the alarm for her feedings. She pretty much gets me up at night when she's hungry. Adam and I have been taking turns and helping each other out during the night, too. When he wakes up for a feeding he'll change her diaper and then bring her to me so I can feed her and then when I'm done he'll get her all swaddled up and tucked back into bed. He's way better at swaddling than I am. It's something I just never got the hang of. She did really well last night. She usually sleeps anywhere between 2 and 4 hours in between feedings at night. She's also been a lot more awake during the days lately. She's learning to pick her head up and has been using her feet to push off of things. I'm just happy that she's doing so well and we've all pretty well adjusted to life as a fa

mily of 3. Our next big event will be Jessie's "Nutcracker" recital. I found a really cute dress for Clara to wear, because if you didn't know, one of the main characters in the Nutcracker is Clara. That's also the same weekend as Grandpa Mueller's birthday celebration. It should be a fun time! I'd love to write more, but it seems someone is deciding to be fussy, so I'll end this for now. I can't get over how fast the last 3 weeks have gone. I look forward to seeing how much more she changes in the next days and weeks. :)

Another great weekend.

This weekend was super! It was a 4-day weekend for me. It was my Friday off and I was off Monday for Labor Day. :)

Friday we did our big baby-shopping spree (see previous posts) and got a lot accomplished!

Saturday we started cleaning the house, as we were having people over on Sunday. I WAY over-did it and my back was killing me. I managed to get a little snuggle time in with Adam in the early evening before leaving for Elkhart Lake for Jessi's birthday party. It was fun, but a little chilly outside! We got home around midnight.

Sunday morning we all slept in. Then it was time to get up and finish getting things ready for the barbeque. I finished up cleaning and laundry while Adam ran to the store and then started mowing the lawn. We got things finished up before the first guests arrived. :) It was a pretty good time! My parents, my grandmother, my brother and his wife, Adam's mom & dad and brother & sister all came over to our house. Everyone got to check out the nursery and some of our new stuff that we bought on Friday. The only bad thing? My dad got stung in the lip by a yellow jacket. OMG! I've never seen a lip that big! We had to run out to Walgreens really quick and get him some Benedryl, but after that, he was doing better. After everyone left, it was finally time to RELAX!! Adam and I snuggled up on the couch and watched some Ninja Warrior (well he watched mostly...I read the paper).

Monday we planned to go to Green Bay to look at a new dining room set (his parents gave us money for a wedding present in order to buy something along these lines). We ended up finding one we really liked at Oak Express and should be getting it in a couple of weeks. We also met up with his Mom and Dad and his mom helped me pick out the fabric for the curtains in Clara's room.

All in all it was a good weekend. :) Busier than expected, but still nice. It's going to be a busy week ahead, but at least it's only a 4-day work week!

Happy 4th of July!

First of all, a big Thank You to all the veterans and service personnel for us even being able to celebrate this day and secondly, happy 4th of July to everyone. I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday.

Yesterday Adam finished up demo in the nursery.

The floor is scraped and most of the trim is down. We got some holes patched, too. After that we ran out to Menards to get some paint. We ended up finding a really nice ceiling fan as a bonus! And at Fleet Farm we got all new outlets and plate covers. Plugs were always falling out of the outlets that we had so I opted to change them. It was a cheap and easy fix, anyway. :) Today his family is coming over to start painting! I can't wait to see what it's going to look like by the end of the day! We still have to get the flooring, which I hope we'll be doing soon. We're putting bamboo flooring in. All the trim will be painted white and the walls will be a bright yellow/green. Instead of closet doors, I'll be putting up some white floor-length tab-top curtains. If we end up getting the tall chest of drawers we registered for, then that will be going in the closet as well for more storage.

Last night we went to Ken & Karen's house in Kellnersville for a cookout and to watch the fireworks. It was a great time. :) We're already looking forward to next year, so Clara can see them too! We had been sitting around waiting for the fireworks to start and music was playing over a loudspeaker. Our little girl had a pretty quiet day yesterday, but when Johnny Cash came on, she was kicking so hard everyone could see my stomach move! It was really funny. We'll have to experiment with this. :)

Not much on the agenda for this coming week. I have Monday off. And Wednesday I have a chiropractor appointment and our next Baby Boot Camp class. Other than that, we're just counting down the days until we leave for our next camping trip (7/9) at Potawattomi in Sturgeon Bay. So far the weather looks fantastic!