So Far So Good

We survived our first two days with "the girls" and after all my worrying they were a lot of fun. Of course Tom was here and we split the work and he was even able to get work done and I was able to finish Jack's blanket. She LOVES the Princess cash register
BIG GIRL . She was 11 pounds 6 oz at 2 months, in the 75% and 23 inches, 85%

A slow flow nipple and a 10 minute break every 2 onces and she's an angel!

and the swing helps too

So tired after tummy time she fell asleep

I love "Memory" and being back with my Grams

onion rings YUMMY

No, it's not beer. She's serving snack at her" school" in our bar.

Good job Miss DeeDee Take a picture of me too!

Don't know who enjoys this more

Leg warmers are back, who knew?

Nothing like a nice tight swaddle to get a couple hour nap.

She Really DOES Smile

Our poor little Samantha is a very gassy girl. She's miserable, she screams and fusses and many think she is an unhappy baby and here is proof that she is not.

This Wednesday, August 26th, Natalie will return to work. That means I will be taking care of the gassy baby and her big sister. I can't say I'm not a little bit nervous. I really don't know her very well but I'm looking forward to getting to know her and seeing many more smiles!

Tom's Back and This and That

A picture of Tom's back after his last surgery. His latest test results show SIX of the eight screws they put in are loose. There's a question as to whether they were even put in correctly so he is scheduling a second opinion. He may need some corrective surgery before he can get the neurostimulator. At least he feels vindicated that he has a reason for the pain getting worse.Pops and The Boys, cousins Wyatt & Jack Grams and The Girls, sisters Samantha & Ella

We spent the weekend in Ohio visiting Wyatt & his parents. They moved into my father's house that we've been trying to sell since he died two years ago. They hosted my brother's & sisiters and their families and even a few relatives from Tom's side. Michele was a great sport about US inviting more than 30 people into her house. We wanted everyone to see it as a home again and that it is. The picture is most of the family with Cleveland Browns wear because rumor had it there may be a Pittsburg fan or *choke* a Ravens fan there and we just couldn't let that pass. There are plenty more pictures that I'll post but in the mean time my daughter has hers posted here.

and last my haircut and our Little Man

Going From 5 Grandchildren to 1

John Robert aka JACK 16 months Last week we went to Ohio with one of the last loads of furniture for Wyatt & his family. Thomas & his family met us there and we had a great time but . . . Thomas then took his family including our two granddaughters to Kentucky for TWO WEEKS. We then made plans to all meet up again in Ohio on August 15th. In one fell swoop we went from 5 grandchildren(including the 2 year old, Chloe, that Jennifer watches and who calls us Grams & Pops ) to only the cutie pie above because even Chloe was on vacation this week. It's been great to spend one on one time with Jen & Jack but I can't wait to have my chaos back. I've actually been having slight anxiety attacks with so much time on my hands. Not to fear I HAVE been busy.



Things we have gotten Ella while she was gone and look at that TINY pile next to my sewing machine. I even got some Christmas gifts made!

We got a new toddler bed to replace the day bed that we took to Charlie last week end. It came in a LOT of pieces and Brutus was no help.

This is the after, it only took Tom about an hour. Now I hope Ella will sleep in it and not think she's too big.

We also have the room set up for taking care of Samantha since her mother will be going back to work on the 26th. I will be using a combination of cloth and disposables.

Our stockpile

The grandkids clothes. It's always good to have some here. Did I ever mention I have a problem with over buying kids clothes?

The kitchen is ALMOST ready. We still need more bottles. Seems that the Playtex Ventaire wide mouth bottles are hard to find.

The living room is ready too.

I even had time to sand and paint the swing.




and of course there's Charlie's cat K.T. who has made her self right at home to keep Tom & I company.
Oh ya, I got my hair cut up to my shoulders. I'll post a picture when I can but I HATE getting my picture taken.

NEUROSTIMULATOR

This is what Tom lives with every day. Two 8 inch rods one 6 inch rod and six 2 inch screws hold his back together.He has dealt with pain for more than seven years now with two back surgeries, acupuncture, cortisone shots and numerous other procedures that "pain management" has put him through. He's just been dealing with the pain with percocet and fentynal patches. Recently I have noticed mood swings and anxiety that are waaay out of her personality. I finally convinced him to go back to the neurosurgeon where he was given the option of trying a fairly new procedure like this one called a neurostimulator. Yesterday he saw the doctor who does the procedure and she says he's a PERFECT candidate and we are thrilled. It can't come too soon since Jack is pushing 30 pounds and PaPa loves to carry him!

In other news I finally blew out my laptop for real and I had just downloaded the pictures from a GREAT week end in Ohio. We had it insured through Gateway so we shipped it back to them and hopefully they can get my pictures out and get us a new computer. We'll see. Anyway we went to Ohio and Ella & I went to an Indians game with my sister and her granddaughter. FUN, it went into extra innings even. Then Tom's dad took us all out to breakfast and we said good bye to all but one of the grandkids :( for two weeks. Tom and I then stopped in Pittsburgh on the way home for a romantic (I know Pittsburgh doesn't sound romantic but it was a really nice hotel!) 31st anniversary.

Suck It Up and Deal With It

I was raised with the be strong and don't let them see you cry mentality. There wasn't much to the discipline style but "the look". We knew that my mom would follow through if need be.
Because that was all I knew and I felt it worked that was also my discipline style. Charlie loves this commercial but I say I have a better "look". I added "go your room" (my kind of time out I guess) and "try that again", I had them do a lot of " do-overs". There was not an official time out or the as my dad called it the "Let's Make A Deal" where you talk it out, I didn't do it because I was the mom and you do it MY way.
Then there were the embarrassing episodes that made the look work for both my mom and myself. The times that we would explode because we sucked it up ourselves for so long that we would explode. Usually with some yelling & screaming, Something or someone usually got hit or thrown and it ended with us walking away knowing we had been sucking it up but not dealing with it very well.
I thought those days were past for me but this past week end I exploded and did some yelling at both my DIL's and my son. Nothing was thrown or hit but two small children were witness to it and for that I am horrified. For that I apologized to everyone.
In the end our kids to spite or because of what we did ended up pretty good and I think my brothers & sisters turned out good too. Now we turn it over to the next generation. Whether it's time out or "Let.s Make A Deal" (does anyone even remember that show any more?)
Now a days it's not so much about needing to be in charge. I just want the little ones never to be sad. I don.t worry so much about what kind of adult they will grow up to be, I just love them

Update: after discussing this with Jennifer she says she doesn't remember me ever loosing control so I asked her why the "look" worked and she said she just didn't want to disappoint me. Wow . . .