Picture Perfect POTD

11-19-10

2010-11-19T11:44:00.001-08:00

Well, my 6 month braces got done before 6 months was up. How awesome is that?

Here is the official after photo. They came off on Wednesday, 2 days ago. The difference is pretty amazing, and the speed in which it happened is also pretty amazing.

I chose to get the clear retainer that fits over your teeth. I would highly suggest that anyone considering this thinks otherwise. It is awful. It moves around quite a bit, and digs into my gums quite a bit, and- this is the worst part- gets all full of saliva, so you basically have this spit filled plastic sleeve over your teeth. Hang on. I just threw up a little, in my mouth.

Anyway, I have a call in to my dentist to talk about switching over to the classic metal retainer. Since I have to wear it constantly, other than while eating for a couple months and then at night.... FOREVER... I need something more tolerable than the spit container.

10-6-10

2010-10-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

A quick update on my 6 month braces. I had my second adjustment today, and got the great news that my dentist thinks my braces may be ready to come off in a month. He says the 6 month thing is not definite, and that when they are done doing what they are going to do, they can come off. The difference in my teeth is pretty remarkable, and noticeable.

I'm psyched.

That being said, I'll go there and mention that I still find them to be very annoying. I can eat much better, and I guess I would say I have grown accustomed to them. But they are annoying. Food still gets stuck in them. I lisp when I say words with a lot of S sounds. I still spit sometimes. Which is hot. It was definitely all worth it though. I'd do it again, for sure!

I'll see about getting a photo up one of these days...

8-25-10

2010-08-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are a little over a month into the 6 Month Smiles adventure. I still hate them. :-) I had my first adjustment today. This photo was taken this morning before I went to the appointment.

They are still annoying as heck. It's hard to eat. Sometimes I spit at people when I talk. (So, stand back kids. My space, your space. LOL) But I am used to them, I guess.

This appointment wasn't nearly as bad as the first one. The dentist (and his assistant, who is just learning how to do this stuff) removed the rubber bands that hold the wire in place. (Hmmmm.... I didn't realize there were rubber bands there!) Then they removed the wire. The dentist then ground between my teeth again with that metal nail file torture inducer, but it wasn't nearly as bad this time. He also ground the sticking out one down some so that is matches my other tooth. This, in itself, makes my teeth look a little better, but they definitely still have some moving to do. Then, they placed the new wire and put more bands on to hold it in place. The whole appointment took just over an hour. The dentist likes to sing along to the classic rock that plays in his office in this falsetto voice while he works. Funny. "Ameeeericaaaan Woman!"

The dentist is very pleased with my progress so far. He says my teeth have moved a lot, even if it isn't totally obvious yet.

1 month down, 5 to go. Can't wait!

8-3-10

2010-08-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

I still hate my 6 Month Braces. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got them, and I'll be happy when they fix my tooth, but I seriously hate them, and I intend to whine about them A LOT until they are off. LOL

The pressure is still evident on my teeth, but not especially painful anymore, unless I accidentally bang into my teeth or something. I am having such a hard time eating. i don't know how anyone eats with braces!!

The "tooth colored wires" are starting to be silver, because I have to brush my teeth litteraly any time I eat anything. I think I'm scrubbing them down to the silver part.

I can not notice any discernible tooth movement so far. I tried smiling with teeth at my cousin's wedding this past weekend, just to start to practice. Still have the sticking out one. But... this is what I look like now. Only a lot nicer (hair and makeup wise) than usual... I was dressed up.

7-28-10

2010-07-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Quick update on the 6 month braces.

The pressure has let up a lot. It's still there, but totally tolerable now.

The brackets still hurt my mouth, and now, the wires are sticking out at the back of the braces and poking into my mouth. It's uncomfortable. Especially to talk or laugh.

Eating is still very difficult. It's hard to chew. The food gets stuck all over my teeth. And my jaw gets tired from working to chew. My intake has definitely lessened, which is probably a good thing... I have put a toothbrush and toothpaste in my purse, because there is no way I can even think about eating anything if I can't brush my teeth right after. I could feed a small African village with the food that is stuck in my teeth after I eat.

7-24-10

2010-07-24T03:13:00.001-07:00

Day 5

Still waiting to be able to chew. Pressure is about the same as yesterday. Constant and annoying but tolerable.

Mushy food diet bites.

7-23-10

2010-07-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Day 4 with the braces. The pressure is still there, but it is letting up. It's stronger on the front teeth at this point, but more tolerable. I'm starving. I want some real food. But I still don't think I can chew anything really substantial. It's still very sensitive to touch my teeth together. I think it should be SOP to give something for the discomfort for the first few days. Days 1-3 were definitely the worst- especially trying to sleep. I suppose all the damn drug seekers ruin it for everyone. LOL

But, we're on the upswing now. :-)

7.22-10

2010-07-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

Day 3 with the 6 month braces. Still not a happy camper. Still quite a bit of pressure. Still can't chew or talk properly. Still with the occasional drool that gets away from me. LOL I'm still not mad that I did it. It will be worth it. But I wish I would have done it 6 months ago, so I'd be done now.

I feel bad for my boys a little. It hurts to talk, and it's hard to work to talk for a long time, so my patience with them is a little less than normal. I don't want to have to repeat myself four times to get them to stop assaulting each other, you know?

So, the moral of today's post is- if you're thinking of doing this some time in the next year, for God's sake, do it now, so it'll be over with sooner. And if you are in my local area, and you want a referral card that will give you a 25 dollar credit on your bill, let me know. I know, 25 dollars. Big deal. But $25 is $25.

7-21-10

2010-07-21T10:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, Day 2 and I have some super hot photos for ya. This is what we look like after working night shift and not really getting a chance to sleep. It's not pretty. ;-)

So, today, the pressure is still uncomfortable but it's better than it was yesterday. My teeth are still too sensitive to chew. I've been doing mostly soup and oatmeal. I still can't talk properly.

My lips don't come together like they used to. It makes my face look a little different, I think.

And here is what the actual braces look like.
Damn, I need a brow wax.

7-20-10 Six Month Braces

2010-07-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

I figured I would use my terribly neglected blog to sort of journal about my experience with the Six Month Smiles braces. I was looking for some detailed commentary from someone who had had them when I was researching them, and was on;y able to find a few videos on Youtube that were basically just before and after photos.

So anyway... here we go. Here is my little before photo montage. My main problem is the protruding front tooth on the right side, AKA my sticking out tooth. I hate that little effer. The first three photos are all the little defense mechanisms I use to hide it.

So, yesterday, I was scheduled at 3:30 for a 30 minute appointment to have my 6 month braces installed. Being that it was supposed to be a 30 minute appointment, I figured it was going to be so easy. Like wham bam thank you ma'am. Stick the little brackets on, sort of like scrapbooking, and attach the wires, and I'd be on my way. I had made a pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs earlier in the day so dinner would be all ready. I stopped on my way to the dentist and grabbed a loaf of crusty delicious Italian bread to go with it.

Now, I do have to mention briefly that I am kind of not the hugest fan of the dentist. I know. No one is. But previous to the trips i have made because I decided I wanted to fix my sticking out tooth, I had not been for at least 5 or 6 years. I do take care of my teeth. I just have a problem with dragging myself to the dentist. I hate the fingers in my mouth, the being laid back in a char, essentially restrained against my will (LOL), their instruments, the noises, the grinding, the high pitched circular saw noises, and most of all, that little ZING you get when they are cleaning your teeth. Really hate it. And my control issues are probably a huge part of it. I just feel like I have no control. I mean, they have to suck my spit out for me!

So, I get there, I'm sitting in the chair, experiencing my normal tachycardia, even though,as mentioned above, I was pretty sure this was going to be easier than scrapbooking! So , the Six Month Smiles company has sent this whole little case, with my name on it, that has all of my stuff for my 6 month braces.

The first thing the dentist tells me is that he has never used this particular mouth retractor thing that helps to keep your mouth open and lips out of the way for the application of the braces. I kid you not He produces this piece of white plastic tubing. It is as big around as a sour cream lid. Seriously. It is. I am not exaggerating. (Which I sometimes do. But not this time. It was huge!) He then begins to attempt to put it into my mouth. My lips are stretching so hard I thought they were going to crack. I began kicking myself for not bringing my chapstick. I have a minor chapstick addiction. So, after a few minutes of trying to get this thing into my mouth, he gives up. I could have told him right from the get go, that it wasn't going to work. The thing was huge. I don't think Mick Jagger could have gotten that thing in.

So, they get some other kind of hard plastic butterfly looking retractor thingie and put that in. it fit fine, but I have to say that there was a hard piece at the top of it that dug into my gums the whole time, and caused quite a bit of discomfort. it would bring tears to my eyes if he put any pressure on it, which he did from time to time. Not intentionally, i don't think, but if his hand inadvertently leaned on it, he was very painful. Anyway, probably about 2/3 of the way through the process, he asked me if it was still bothering me, i sid yes, and he took it out.

So, after the retractor thing is in, he begins grinding in between my teeth. Let the torture commence. he has this piece of like flexible metal emery board that he tries to get between my teeth and jam back and forth to make space between my teeth for them to shift and come into alignment from the braces. Oh god. Commence toe curling, muscle tightening, Calgon Take Me To My Happy Place, why don't they do this stuff under general anesthesia? The sound is horrific. And the feeling is like fingernails on a chalkboard... in your mouth. the dentist asked if I had trouble getting floss between my teeth, leading me to believe they were snugger together than most of the people he inflicts this upon. I don't have trouble getting floss between my teeth, but that is neither here nor there. So after the metal emery board, he goes over the spaces with a little electronic circular sander thingie. Also, super fun.

During the sanding/grinding process, I kept telling myself that surely this couldn't go on much longer because it was only a 30 minute appointment! I didn't have a clock to look at , but I would estimate that I had already been there for at least 45 minutes. So, surely, we'd start the easy peasy, scrapbooky stick ons soon, and then I'd be on my way.

After the grinding, they got ready to apply the brackets. Yay scrapbooking! They do them in quadrants. Basically they put some kind of etching material on first. It makes a scratchy nails on chalkboard feeling, but it's not as bad as the grinding. They let that dry, rinse it off, then apply the glue, I think. Then they apply a tray that contains the brackets. The dentist holds in tightly in place and his assistant puts some kind of UV light onto each bracket, I assume to set the glue. She applied the light to the glue before they applied that brackets as well. Then they move on to the next quadrant.

After all the quadrants were done, they removed the trays. Then, he used his little picky thing to get some kind of extra material off my teeth. Al of my description of the bracket application is just based upon what I felt, or could surmise from listening to the dentist and his assistant talking. I kind of wish there was a mirror so I could see what they were doing.

After that, he had me close and open my mouth a few times, and determined that my brackets were bumping, whatever that is supposed to mean. So, he applied some kind of amalgam or something inside a tooth on either side of my mouth to prevent me from really being able to put my teeth together. I'll tell you what. That is super fun. the not being able to put my teeth together. Feels really weird.

So, after the brackets were on, he placed the wires. That wasn't bad. But I get so nervous any time they have to do something with a tool and force in my mouth that they are going to slip and jam something into my gums or my tongue. Then they clipped the excess wire off at the back of my teeth.

After that, I was done. It was almost 5:00. My 30 minute appointment took 90 minutes. LOL I mean, I guess that's not bad considering what they had to do. I just had a super unrealistic expectation of everything based upon the fact that I was told I had a 30 minute appointment. Now, also, my dentist has not come out and told me so, but I have overheard his staff talking, so I know that I am the first person in their practice to have the Six Month Smiles done, so maybe he'll get quicker as he does more of them, and it will be a 30 minute appointment.

Before I left, I began to notice my tongue catching on something on the backs of my teeth. It felt jagged and sharp. The dentist looked at it for me, and it was adhesive that had somehow gotten back there. He chipped it off for me. I had to pick at a few more spots on the way home, but most of it is gone now, I think.

So, I got in my car and headed home. My dear hubby had boiled the spagheti and dinner was all set on the table. I took some spaghetti, a meatball and a piece of bread. Oh, how I love carbohydrates. I skipped the salad, because i didn't think I'd be able to chew it.

I took one bite of spaghetti and tried to chew it. Totally unable. I couldn't control it in my mouth. It was going everywhere, and sticking on the brackets. I had to go spit in out. Tried a bite of the inside of the bread. Couldn't chew it either. I was able to mash a meatball against the roof of my mouth. Couldn't chew anything though. perhaps a secondary gain will be some loss (you know, of a few pounds off my a$$? LOL). I had made some mini banana cream pies for dessert. I figured I'd be able to do that, but I was only able to do half of one. It just really was uncomfortable to put any food in my mouth, even soft food.

As the night went on, I found the brackets to become more uncomfortable. They feel huge. My mouth feels so weird. I can't talk properly. (And we know how I like things done properly). They feel very sharp. I'm scared I'm going to cut my tongue on them. I'm waiting, with dreadful anticipation for the inside of my mouth to become raw from them, which I was warned about. I have such low tolerance for mouth pain.

The pressure from the teeth aligning became somewhat evident as the night progressed, but it wasn't as bothersome as the sensation of the brackets, not being able to talk properly, occasionally drooling and feeling the sharp brackets.

I took a whole Ambien instead of a half (which is my normal dose), and still didn't sleep well. I had weird dreams (and I usually never dream if I take Ambien- or at least I don't remember them). Tossed and turned a lot. My lips feel really dry, and I can't seem to get them caught up with my chap stick use.

And here we are this morning... the brackets still feel very sharp. My mouth isn't raw yet. The pressure from the teeth alignment is much more apparent. It's pretty uncomfortable. If I even touch my teeth lightly together (hitting into that weird filling in they did) it's like a zing of discomfort. I haven't tried eating anything yet. I'm going to try oatmeal. I did have coffee. I can't drink properly either. I feel like the coffee goes all over my teeth. Which is gross. I think I need to get some straws. And make some soup.

I have to work tonight. And I look like Napolean Dynamite. Which is awesome. In a not that awesome way.

So stay tuned, if you're thinking of getting the Six Month Smiles 6 month braces. I'll be back with updates, and I promise to tell it like it is. I'll take a photo of the braces soon too. They feel huge to me, but they are tooth colored and not THAT noticeable.

I better look HOT in 6 months. LOL

3-1-10

2010-03-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

I don't have a grocery tally for this week because we did a combo of shopping at WalMart and the grocery store, and i wasn't with Mark when he checked out at WalMart. Plus, we didn't buy only groceries at WalMart. Our menu for this week is:

Sunday (last night)- Spaghetti, meatballs, salad, garlic bread

Monday- chicken paninis with cheddar cheese, honey mustard and bacon

Tuesday- chicken veggie pizza

Wednesday- Tortellini soup

Thursday- kielbasa and potatoes with cabbage

The kielbasa is in the fridge and needs to be used. It's not organic. lol Neither is the bacon. I baked a whole chicken (all natural, etc) for the paninis, the soup and the pizza. The stock is on the stove as we speak.

As for health status. I'm so irritated I don't even want to talk about it. True to our schedule of being sick for 2 weeks, well for a week and then sick again... we're sick again. It's so frustrating, and I'm so SICK of it.

Anyway, it's March now, which means that spring will come to this god forsaken crapland in which we live in another 2 months or so, so maybe we'll have some good health then.

2-22-10

2010-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

My first time doing the organic shopping thing. I spent 107 at the grocery store, and 11 at the health food store. I did the best I could as far as organic stuff. The selection here just isn't optimal.

Our menu for the week is as follows:

Mon- grilled cheese made with provolone, artichoke hearts, guacamole and tomatoes, sweet potato fries

Tues- grilled chicken, winter fruit salad with poppy seed dressing

Weds- Pasta Fagioli

Thursday- leftovers or something easy like sandwiches, since I'm working weds night

Friday- grilled chicken, roated veggies, brown rice

Saturday- going to friends for dinner

2-19-10

2010-02-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

I went to the health food store today. I always get a little nervous when I go there. Like they can tell I'm not legit. lol The girls who work there are so wholesome and fresh and natural looking, and in I trudge with my shiny black purse and a little too much eye makeup.

But anyway. I went. It's much less convenient that the normal grocery store, especially with Tristan in tow and Luke in his carseat.

I didn't full on grocery shop. I just wanted to get a few things. I got all organic bulk supplies to make homemade granola cereal, organic milk, organic yogurt, some Annie's crackers for the kids to snack on, some natural, organic yogurt covered raisins, and a thing of natural, organic ranch dressing. I spent $36.36.

I froze the yogurt in cubes to make smoothies out of. I made the cereal. See below for pics and recipe.

Here's a random picture of a project Nicholas did at school. I think it's hilarious. I wanna be a cowboy, baby.

Here is my homemade, organic, all natural, sugar free cereal. It actually tastes pretty good.

Here's the recipe:

Granola Recipe:

3 cups (300 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

3/4 cup (75 grams) sliced or slivered almonds

1/2 cup (45 grams) raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup (45 grams) raw pumpkin seeds

½ cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup wheat bran

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup honey

1 cup dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, figs, and/or raisins) (optional)

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add honey, cinnamon and salt. Heat on low and mix until combined. Combine remaining dry ingredients. Pour honey mixture over and mix well. Spread on 2 cookie sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes at 325, or until lightly browned. Break apart as soon as you remove from oven. It will be a little soft as soon as you take it out of the oven, but it crisps up as it cools. Once cool. add dried fruit of your choosing (I used chopped dried apples), and store in airtight container.

2-18-10

2010-02-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

Slacking a little on the blogging. This week's groceries were $70 something. I got stuff to make:

- Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, peas

- white chicken veggie pizza

- ziti

- shephards pie

I have decided that next grocery run will be the time to switch to the new plan. I need to do a little work and think up what i'm going to be making for meals and snacks. i figured, what's the sense in waiting another month.

2-7-10

2010-02-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

OK, so this week's groceries were $131.

The menu is as follows:

Sunday- Haystacks

Monday- Sloppy Joes

Tuesday- Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Wednesday- Pulled pork Sandwiches and Coleslaw (Sorry, Mom, if you're reading this. I'm sure you just threw up a little in your mouth)

Thursday- Chicken Cacciatore, pasta, bread

Friday- Burritos, rice

The pulled pork and the chicken cacciatore will make enough for more than one night's meal.

Health status of the family is much improved. Tristan is finishing up his antibiotics. My nose is still stuffed and I'm still coughing, but not as much as I was. Luke is much improved, and Nicholas is pretty much back to normal.

2-4-09

2010-02-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well, now Tristan is on antibiotics. He woke up crying in the night that his head and ear hurt, and this morning at breakfast, he said that his ear was making a weird noise like it had the hiccups. hehe I think that's a pretty good description of what it sounds like when you have an ear infection. Poor buddy.

And, now, at lunchtime, he's asleep on my bed. I think it's the sweetest thing when they put their hands under their faces when they sleep. Nicholas does it too.

So, health status continues to be sucktastic.

February 2, 2010

2010-02-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

Thinking about a change.

I've recently watched Food Inc. I've been reading up on clean eating, a little and looking at some of Michael Pollen's thoughts on the subject of food. As my boys and I ride out what seems like our 15th illness of the winter season, I feel like it might be worth trying a change.

It seems like we're sick for 2 weeks, we have one week of relative good health and then we start in with another sickness. I can NOT avoid getting sick when any of the boys are sick. They are all over me, licking me, drooling on me, snotting on me, etc. They fall asleep at night like a little pile of puppies all around me. Being a mommy is so glamorous.

I'm the kind of person who needs to have concrete evidence that something is working though, so I thought I'd use my (terribly neglected) blog to keep track of the process. I'm going to keep doing things like I normally do them for the next couple months, and keep track of our general health status, menus and our grocery bill, and then implement the changes, and continue to keep track of our health status, menus and grocery bills. If I see a positive change in our health status, most of all, after 2 months, I think it will show me that it is a good change to continue.

I'm not planning to be rabid about this. I mean, I need a Starbucks now and then. And if we want to go out to dinner, I'm not going to make it a big ordeal.

These are the things I hope to implement:

Reducing our meat consumption, and switching to grass fed beef and real cage free chicken (not cage free in the term of just keeping a door open in the house of chicken torture)
switching to organic produce
eliminating high fructose corn syrup and drastically reducing our consumption of refined grains
making all of my bread- I currently bake bread a lot for eating enjoyment, but I still buy packaged bread for sandwiches and stuff
cut out soda at home (Mark and I are the only ones who drink soda. I guess I can't force him to stop it, but I will)

I like Michael Pollen's idea that nothing really has to be off limits, but if you want something "junk foody", you have to make it yourself. I can do that.

Some of the things that concern me are:

Being able to find the meat products I want to change to. I haven't really looked into it yet, but I don't *think* they will be available at the local (backwoods) grocery store.
Dealing with my kids' constant snacking. It's so convenient to just hand them a granola bar from a package.
Whether my hubby will go along with me on this. I'm pretty sure he will. He's generally pretty easy to work with.
Whether the cost of our food will really escalate. I know I don't really ever worry that much about money. My theory is that Mark will tell me if I have to stop spending it. ;-) But I don't think he'll be a huge fan of our grocery bill quadrupling. And there will go my hopes of ever getting those tall black Uggs I want.
I cook a lot for the fun of it. I like to try new recipes, and bake yummy treats. I worry that our diet will become very boring.

So, for week 1 of the first phase of my plan, I spent $112 at the grocery store. Our menu for the week is:

Monday- Deep Dish Chicken and Veggie Pizza

Tuesday- Pasta Fagioli

Wednesday- Lentil and Kielbasa Soup with homemade bread

Thursday- Chicken Phillies

Friday- Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas

Some of the $112 was for incidental purchases though. Like a bottle of generic Mucinex for my horrendous cough. I feel like if I could just hack up a glob of crap the size of a golf ball, I might start to feel better. Are you happy I shared that? If you're lucky, I won't take a picture if I'm able to produce it. hehe Also a big bag of mini Reese's cups to make Peanut Butter Brownies with. Pretty sure those will be on the "Don't" list of the new plan...

General health assessment is: Crapola. Nicholas is finishing up a course of antibiotics. He, Tristan, Luke and I are all coughing like tuberculosis patients, congested and intermittently feverish. Mark has been taking Tylenol and Motrin too, but he complains less than I do, so I don't have a detailed list of his symptoms. hehe Kaitlin was coughing a little yesterday, after school, but it's hard to include her in my (very scientific) research, due to the amount of time she spends at her dad's, where they will not be utilizing my plan.

So, there are my thoughts. We'll see how it goes.

Neglectful blogger

2009-12-01T06:04:00.001-08:00

My blog is so neglected. It just seems redundant after I post things on Facebook.

So, that's my excuse.

10-13-09

2009-10-13T13:12:00.001-07:00

I made some yummy pumpkin bars today. Nicholas had gotten a little pumpkin when his class went to the orchard, and it was going to go to waste. So I roasted it and made my own pumpkin puree. How domestic, right? And me, still recovering from my self diagnosed H1N1. lol (Seriously, I am) Anyway, it really knocked me for a loop. (Well, them and the rest of the stuff I cooked today- homemade rolls, chicken and stuffing casserole, and baked butternut squash). But they are pretty good.
Here is the recipe. I'm claiming it as my own. I started with a recipe of someone else's, but by the time I substituted for stuff I had on hand and changed and eliminated things I didn't like, I figured I'd be like one of those people on Allrecipes who changes a bunch of stuff in a recipe and then bitches about how it turned out crappy. (Except, I am such a skilled cook that my stuff doesn't come out crappy. hehe)

Anyway, without further ado...

Vanilla Pumpkin Bars

1 vanilla cake mix
¼ c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1-16 oz can solid-pack pumpkin or equivalent amount of fresh pumpkin puree
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 (325 for glass). Reserve ½ cup cake mix. In large bowl, combine remaining mix, oil, and 1 egg. Mix until crumbly. Press firmly into bottom of greased 13x9 baking pan.

Combine remaining ingredients – including the ½ cup reserved cake mix. Mix well, pour over prepared crust in pan. Bake 50 minutes or until set. Cool. Cut into bars.

10-9-09

2009-10-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Here's an all around "Fail". (Well, not all around. The baby's pretty cute!) But it's the pic I took, so here it is.

I knitted my Pom Pom Polar bear hat too long, so it's not looking it's cutest. My poor baby's ear is all folded over, and I didn't even notice.

Oh well... like I said, the baby's cute!

10-8-09

2009-10-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Little Delayney is 6 months old!

10-7-09

2009-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

I decided I'm sick of my long hair. (Again) I'm sick of picking 4 pounds of hair out of the shower drain every time I wash it, then 4 more pounds out of my comb after I comb it. Sick of finding ropes of it in my bed, and on my clothes, and all over Luke. I'm sick of the back of my head hurting where I clip it up or wear it in a ponytail, because it weighs a ton. Those who have worked with my hair (Darcey and rene?) will attest to the fact that i have enough hair for at least 3 people. It's a chore to rein it in every day...

So, my dear dear Darcey came over last night and touched up my ghetto fabulous looking roots and lopped a bunch of it off for me. We didn't bother drying or straightening it. Too late. But here's what we did.

It'll be back in a few months.

10-6-09

2009-10-08T11:33:00.001-07:00

We managed to dodge the raindrops and get a few autumn photos of the boys.

A rare moment of quiet from Tristan.

And, back to normal...

Finally... they get to just play in the leaves.

10-5-09

2009-10-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

4 month photos for my sweet baby.

He gives me the hugest, big old gummy grins, but I'm not fast enough to make him give me one and catch it with the camera. This is the tail end of one. If I could just bottle up this sweet chub and save it for when my kids all try to escape my Marie Barone clutches, I'd be a happy woman.

10-4-09

2009-10-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Another one bites the dust. Nicholas' front tooth has been really wiggly. I know I'm a nurse and everything, and I have a pretty high tolerance for gross stuff, but loose teeth give me the heebs.

Nicholas came into my room complaining that his tooth had turned around backward and he couldn't get it to turn back. As if he wanted me to assist. As if. Ew. I tried to control the violent shuddering that took over my body and told him to just go wiggle it some and maybe it would come out.

Sure enough, about 3 minutes later, in he came with the tooth in his hand. I can't believe he's big enough to be losing teeth.

Tristan wanted a photo too. I'd be kind of embarrassed about his dirty face, but those who know and love us know that he's constantly starving, so it's kind of hard to find a moment when he doesn't have food on his face

10-3-09

2009-10-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Seth and Sara's wedding

10-2-09

2009-10-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Favorite thing.

9-25-09

2009-09-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Kaitlin has her first middle school dance tonight. CRAZY!!!

I bought her outfit and accessories yesterday, and amazingly, got a major nod of approval. What??!!?? Maybe mom does know a thing or two...lol

I never was allowed to go to any dances when I was in school. If Mark didn't already have plans I would so be there chaperoning, but as it were, I had to drop her off with admonitions that she could dance with boys, but that they can't touch. lol Oh, and to have fun.

She's looking so grown up, and even if I say so myself, she's as cute as can be.

9-24-09

2009-09-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that my sense of humor is a little different than the average normal person's, but if this doesn't make you laugh there really might be something wrong with you.

He already has a costume for Halloween, but I couldn't say no when he asked for this.

I'll never roam alone. ;-)

9-23-09 (more)

2009-09-23T17:30:00.001-07:00

My chubby bubby in the tubby. Look at those rolls. :-)

9-23-09

2009-09-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

My dear doctor, Denise Ferrando, who I am lucky enough to get to work with as well as being her patient is going to come on into the 2000's and get herself a website. I dropped by today and grabbed some shots of the girls from the office for her website.

Dr. Ferrando
Kate

JoAnn

Sarah

The whole crew.

And if you're local and need a fabulous OB/GYN who really cares about her patients and goes the extra mile, give them a call and tell them I sent ya! (518 891-1733)

9-21-09

2009-09-21T07:26:00.001-07:00

Randomness today.

This bug clung to my windshield all the way home from dropping Tristan off at school.
I'm sorry, but it is just WRONG to have to wake up a sleeping baby to drop someone off at school. This is why we need household staff. Jeeves, be a dear and run Tristan to school. The baby is asleep.

Look how big my boy is now. Almost 10 pounds.

So much different from this little waif who came home with us in June.

And this was his first time in the carseat, at 5 pounds. (Same hat too. Look how he swam in it)

9-15-09

2009-09-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Tristan, wearing a Batman mask and some nifty homemade Batman wings, of his own creation.

9-14-09

2009-09-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

First apple pie of the autumn.

9-13-09

2009-09-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

A few from Sara's bridal shower.

addy holding Luke, who's flirting with Sharalon.
Sara opening presents.

Marcie made the cutest bee cookies. The shower theme was "Honey Do".

9-12-09

2009-09-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our little dinner at Louise's was fun (and delicious) as always.

Luke snuggling with Brandy. "Favorite Spot" on Brandy is way cushier than "Favorite Spot" on Mommy. ;-)
Sweet Casey Jane.

9-10-09

2009-09-12T03:39:00.000-07:00

3 months old!

Scrapbooking

2009-09-10T10:58:00.001-07:00

Did some scrapping yesterday.

I took out the page I have from when Tristan was a baby and compared his feet and handprints to Luke's. So funny. Tristan's look behemoth.

9-9-09

2009-09-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Evening at the playground. (more on facebook.)

9-6-09

2009-09-10T09:48:00.001-07:00

A few from the fireman's field day

Mom and Dad

2009-09-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do something to forever immemorialize the portraits of Mark and I that Nicholas made in pre-k. So, I made this to frame.

August

2009-09-10T09:17:00.001-07:00

My, have I been a terribly recalcitrant blogger. August got away from me. I'll try to get back on track.

And with that, allow me to present... August.

Began in WV.

Followed by a trip to Great Escape.

An Asian salad. Yum.

My sweet love, 2 months old.

Some Asiago rolls. Yum.

Harvesting "Peppy".

Puck, and other photos from a long evening walk.

Some Triple Tier Brownies. Yum.

8-3-09

2009-08-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

Nicholas and his new canteen.
Picturesque.

My mom's basil plant. I want it.

New prop.

8-2-09

2009-08-05T05:33:00.000-07:00

Blackberry picing on the farm.

Luke in his second favorite position.
Oh, and for all my photo friends who have been looking for the light? Found it. :-)

7-29-09

2009-08-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

Connor, Thomas and Zaidee

7-27-09

2009-08-05T04:41:00.000-07:00

A few from Brandy's photo shoot

7-26-09

2009-07-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

Missed focus on this photo, but I love it anyway. Can you say Mommy Goggles?

7-24-09

2009-07-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

Some snaps from our outing with the Dann's at the VIC.

Holy crap! She let me take her photo. Let's not talk about it, or even acknowledge it, ok? lol

Look at my blue eyed little man. Ok, so they're not fully blue yet, but I'm pretty sure I've managed to get my genetic imprint on another boy, against the odds of heredity.

Can I get an "AWWWWWW"?

The whole fam, courtesy of Marcie.

7-23-09

2009-07-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

I peeled this cool looking onion while I was cooking, so I grabbed a snap of it. It's a Siamese twin!

7-22-09

2009-07-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

The handsome Munn boys.

7-21-09

2009-07-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

A few favorites from Sam's photoshoot.

7-20-09

2009-07-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Did a little project with the boys today. Robots. They are robots, ok? (Rene, R as in... Robot. Hehe!)
Nicholas' is R2D2. Obviously...

Also tried a very yummy new recipe for Lemon Ricotta Muffins.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/nonnas-lemon-ricotta-biscuits-recipe/index.html

7-16-09

2009-07-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Playing around at Lake Colby

7-15-09

2009-07-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

A few of Miss Delayney.

7-14-09

2009-07-14T12:02:00.001-07:00

A few for my natural light study group.

7-12-09

2009-07-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

A few snaps from The Laramee family picnic.

My individual berry lime fruit pizzas.
A couple snaps of Tristan helping poppa blow out his candles. They were too fast for me to get any good shots. By the time I got there with my camera, it was practically over.

Poppa's new puppy, Brody. I think Corgis might be the cutest dogs ever. Not that I want one. I'm over pets. But I would love to see them and take pics of them if other people are still into them.

7-10-09

2009-07-14T11:36:00.001-07:00

My tiny 1 month old.

7-8-09

2009-07-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

A couple snaps of Tristan at soccer. He REALLY wants to be on the team.

7-7-09

2009-07-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

No photographic masterpiece, but just a quick snap of the flowers Mark brought me home for my birthday/ our anniversary. (My favorite kind and color!)

7-6-09

2009-07-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Just a few from soccer. Many more on Facebook

7-4-09

2009-07-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

A few from the 4th. More on Facebook

7-1-09

2009-07-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ice cream! One of the best parts of summer. (Soft ice cream, that is)

Last day of The Biggest Loser. Can you tell?

Hog. It's been a while, huh? ;-)

6-30-09

2009-06-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Just soem wildflowers in my yard.

If I had a little girl I'd put her in a white dress and take photos in front of all this Queen Anne's lace. I know, I have a big girl. But she won't play well with me and my photo ideas.

6-29-09

2009-06-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Nicholas is being such a good big brother.

I'd like to entitle this series, "Are You My Mother?" (Take a look at Luke's mouth... hehe)

6-27-09

2009-06-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Big boy carseat, finally!

Luke's Nursery

2009-06-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Luke's nursery isn't totally done, but it's getting there. Close enough for some photos. :-)

6-25-09

2009-06-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

One of the many reasons summer is my favorite. Play Doh and paint become outside toys!

And just a couple of Luke. There are many more on Facebook.

6-22-09

2009-06-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

I tried a new recipe tonight. I've been watching a LOT of Food Network while I sit around and recover and take care of baby Luke.

So this is Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chicken Enchiladas (or as Nicholas heard it Chicken and Chiladas). I made my own black bean recipe, and plain rice. You can get Tyler's recipes here. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-enchiladas-with-roasted-tomatillo-chile-salsa-recipe/index.html

6-22-09

2009-06-22T09:57:00.001-07:00

Some peonies from my garden. They smell amazing!

Some flowers from arrangements that we got when Luke was born.

And a little vintage style sleeping angel baby.

6-18-09

2009-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just a few from Nicholas' Pre K graduation. (Photos courtesy of Mark)

6-17-09

2009-06-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Luke wanted to play dress up in my Knifty Knitter knits today. We're just doing little mini photo shoots so nobody gets too stressed out. :-)

6-14-09

2009-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Our first day at home had to include some photos. I'm still too worried about Luke's temperature to undress him for anything other than quick diaper changes, but I did keep him out of his double swaddle for a few minutes for photos.

One of the girls who works in one of our OB doctor offices let me use this tiny little preemie outfit that she had from when her tiny twins were born. It's the thing that has come closest to fitting my little man.

The boys each had a quick chance to hold Luke. Pretty much no one but Mommy gets to hold him though. (And Daddy if Mommy has to go potty). I like to think of it as developmentally apppropriate care, since, technically, he should still be inside my body, not as baby hogging. :-)

6-13-09

2009-06-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to take the peanut home. He's too tiny for a normal newborn carseat, so he had to use a car bed made for preemies. (The hospital has a couple that we loan out if people need them.)

6-12-09

2009-06-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today's installment of Luke photos. Courtesy of Mark, manning the camera.

Here's one with Mama. I like to call this the glow of new motherhood... I mean the pallor of new motherhood. hehe

Trying to show just how teeeeeeny his feet are. He's just the tiniest, most perfect little thing I've ever seen

6-11-09

2009-06-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

My little teeny peanut, doing one of the 2 things he has been doing. (the other one is eating) :-)

6-10-09

2009-06-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Luke, staying warm in his little isolette

6-9-09

2009-06-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby Luke Hayden arrived safe and sound this morning after a week or so of worry and a night of lots of worry.

We are both doing well.

He weighs 4 pounds 11 ounces. He's 18 inches long. He arrived at 7:11 this morning, and as i said, he is doing very well, despite being about 5 weeks early. He has not required any intervention other than close monitoring, and he is already following in his big brothers' footsteps and nursing like a champ.

6-7-09

2009-06-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

Are words even necessary?

6-6-09

2009-06-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

Two more Knifty Knitter hats. I have been doing a lot of Knifty Knitting while trying to lay low for the baby. I bought some books to try and learn real knitting- or big girl knitting, as I like to call it, but I'm having a hard time motivating myself to do it, since I know I can use the KK and make cute little things like this.

6-5-09

2009-06-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

So, beach season has not exactly arrived to the Adirondacks by June 5th. But Nicholas' pre k class was having a beach day, and he was very excited. I am not too comfortable with my kids being around water without my direct supervision, so Tristan and I tagged along. I'm supposed to be resting, so I basically just sat in my chair and took photos.

Here are the boys, tentatively walking down to test the water temperature.

Verdict? C-c-c-cold. (I was wearing jeans, 2 shirts, a sweater and socks and shoes.)

I grabbed a couple snaps of Miss Brooke. Hopefully her mom was at home sleeping soundly.

Tristan got over the cold water issue and was working on maing some "Big Splashes!"

Some days those pink feet might be related to sun exposure. Not here. It's more likely pre-frostbite.

Brooke enjoying her popsicle.

And the boys rounding out the day with a healthy dose of red dye number 40.

And now back home to resting here.

6-3-09

2009-06-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

A little snap of Tristan today for an online photo exercise type thing I'm doing.
And a couple dandelion snaps.

5-30-09

2009-05-30T16:11:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Tristan! (Lots more photos on Facebook, if this isn't enough for ya.)

5-26-09- more

2009-05-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Grabbed a few of the boys swinging at the park.

5-26-09

2009-05-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Got a little scrappy during Tristan's naptime today.

I put this book together for the newbie. It will be all ready for me to just add some photos and a few more embellishments. The kit came from Michael's. If I was a good scrapper, I'd remember the manufacturer... Anyway, I augmented it with some extra cardstock pages, since it only came with 3 chipboard pages. The scalloped edges are on the cardstock pages I made.

This one is of Tristan at the beach last summer. It's hard to believe that at this time this summer, we'll either already have a new baby, or be VERY close to having one.

I had to scrap the funniest photo I've ever seen. I still laugh every time I look at this face. These chipboard letters came either from the Dollar Spot at Target, or the Dollar Tree. Not bad for a buck, right?

And this is Nicholas on the same beach day as the one with Tristan above.

5-25-09

2009-05-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Tried a new recipe tonight. Since I'm no longer a gestational diabetic, and in fact, never was. hehe

You can get the recipe here. Read my review first though. http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/big-crumb-coffee-cake/

This is Big Crumb Coffee Cake off of the Smitten Kitchen blog. I made a few changes. I didn't have rhubarb, so I substituted blueberries. I also omitted the ginger because I didn't have any.

A few things.

It took WAY longer than 55 minutes to bake. This is the case with another blueberry coffee cake recipe I have too, though. This one took a good 90 minutes, in an 8x8 pan. I had the oven at 325, like she said to for the first hour, but I cranked it up to 350 for the rest of the time.

I really liked the cake portion of this coffee cake. Really good. Moist and buttery.

Not a huge fan of the crumb topping in this recipe. I have a crumb topping recipe that I really like that I will probably combine with the cake portion of this recipe for next time. This recipe's topping is very loose. (Maybe I did something wrong?) It doesn't hold together at all, even after baking. If you tip the cake to the side, the topping just falls right off. It's a powdery consistency.

It was still quite edible though. :-)

5-22-09

2009-05-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just a very few from planting today. There are lots more on Facebook, with commentary. :-)

5-19-09

2009-05-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

2 new hats off my Knifty Knitter. :-)
This one's not 100% done. I think I'm going to put some black ribbon around the bottom where the green meets the white.

5-16-09

2009-05-16T17:45:00.001-07:00

Today is Mark's birthday, so we had a little cookout. Here are a few things I made.

I love this layered green and white salad. It's pretty simple. You layer iceberg lettuce, chopped green onions, thawed frozen peas, chopped celery, chopped cucumber (I take the seeds out), chopped broccoli, chopped cauliflower, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped bacon. I serve it with the Hidden Valley ranch dressing that you make from the packet (which tastes totally different- and way better- than the one in the bottle)
I also made a fruit pizza. Again, very simple. I use the Pillsbury ready made sugar cookie mix for the bottom. Just roll it out and bake it. Then mix together about a half cup of vanilla frosting with a container of raspberry yogurt and frost the cooled cookie with that. Then top with whatever fruit you have or whatever is in season. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

I also made a Mississippi Mud Pie, which is what Mark used to have on his birthday when he was a kid. I got this recipe from All Recipes. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mississippi-Mud-Pie-II/Detail.aspx I submitted my photo too. We'll see if they accept it. ;-)

Happy birthday Mark!!

5-15-09

2009-05-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Just a couple new projects off my Knifty Knitter.

5-11-09

2009-05-11T14:39:00.001-07:00

OK, I know they're mine and all, but sometimes I can't believe how cute these little guys are. Nicholas had a very special Mother's Day Tea with his Pre K class today. The boys got dressed up in their new sweater vests, and got hairdos. We grabbed a few photos on the porch before we left.

Someone at the tea grabbed a shot of Nicholas and I.

And now- Nicholas' artwork. This is me. (In case you weren't sure...)

This is also me. I would like to draw your attention to my luxuriant eyelashes (in case you somehow missed them).

And now, the piece de resistance. Apparently I was Pocahontas before Nicholas was born. And apparently I do little else but sleep and lounge around in bed.

5-9-09

2009-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

I shot a robin today. With my Canon.

5-9-09

2009-05-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

There is a fun girly clothing giveaway on this blog, if anyone wants to check it out. Matilda Jane clothes are very fun and whimsical.

If you win, you must let me take photos of your little girly girl wearing her new clothes. ;-)

5-8-09

2009-05-08T12:36:00.001-07:00

Just grabbed a few snaps outside today.

My handsome little boy.
Some forget me nots. I think they are quite possibly the prettiest flower.

A little purple violet or something.

And I know they're weeds and everything, but I still think they're pretty. And they signify that it's warm enough for something actually grow, so I love them for that.

5-7-09

2009-05-07T07:12:00.001-07:00

Just another baby hat.

5-4-09

2009-05-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Boy, have I been a delinquent blog poster. Loser loser loser...

Anyway, I have been playing on my Knifty Knitter a lot. I learned a couple new stitches, so I tried them out on some baby hats.

This one is the knit stitch, in a little flat top hat with two pom poms.

Here's just a stitch detail.

This is the knit stitch alternated with the purl stitch, every other stitch, in a little traditional hat with a pom pom.

And a closer up photo of the stitch.The yarn on the above hats is Felting Natural Wool by Bernat. I loved the thick texture and soft feel. I got it at AC Moore.

And now I am rather proud of myself. I woke up in the middle of the night last week with this idea in my head, and I was actually able to bring it to fruition. It's a little loom knit diaper cover- probably mostly able to be used by us photo freaks who like to take photos of newborns and not have ugly old Huggies showing.

This is just a detail shot of the little button on the tab, because I think it's cute.

Here is the cover itself.

And, lookie here, I found a model who sits still and even smiles. So what if he has a little hirsutism? hehe

Here is the pattern for the diaper cover. Please pardon any lingo gaffes. I don't know how to read or create patterns, but that doesn't stop me from doing it anyway!

Knifty Knitter Diaper Cover

Difficulty level: I'm going with ridiculously easy.

Supplies needed:

I skein of Sensations yarn in Angel Hair Stripes, color # 110

Red Knifty Knitter loom

Loom tool

Yarn needle

2 buttons and a little thread or embroidery floss for attaching

Cast onto 2o pegs, using the red loom. You will use the knit stitch for this entire project. (Please note that the knit stitch is different from the e-loop stitch. It creates a more traditional knitted stitch that is much tighter than the e-loop stitch. You can find a tutorial for doing the knit and purl stitches as well as how to remove a flat panel from the loom on this Youtube video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pclJ7gUvEAY)

Knit 16 rows on the 20 pegs.

Decrease 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 16 pegs for 2 rows.

Decrease 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 12 pegs for 2 rows.

Decrease 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 8 pegs for 16 rows.

Increase 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 12 pegs for 2 rows.

Increase 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 16 pegs for 2 rows.

Increase 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 20 pegs for 13 rows.

Increase 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 24 pegs for 2 rows.

Increase 2 pegs on each end and knit stitch on 28 pegs for 7 rows.

Use the flat panel removal method to remove the diaper cover from the loom.

Turn so right sides are together and match leg openings. Using a length of yarn and the yarn needle, sew the side seams together. Turn right side out. Using the yarn needle and lengths of yarn, tack the tabs down at the sides.

Attach buttons using thread or embroidery floss. They are decorative only, for this project.

Note: to decrease stitches, I take the loop on the very end peg and move it to the next peg in, then knit over. repeat for the second decreased stitch, then continue on using the knit stitch.

To increase stitches, I wrap 2 additional pegs at each end, when I get to that end, and continue knitting using the knit stitch.

4-25-09

2009-04-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

We took a little shopping roadtrip, and one of our purchases was some tennis gear for the boys. So, we took advantage of the beautiful evening to go and put the tennis stuff to use.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- I'm pretty sure this one gets his sporty abilities from me. hehe Check out that stance.

Tristan decided to bag the tennis and hit the playground.

There are lots more on Facebook, if you wanna see them.

4-24-09

2009-04-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Just a little preview of Miss Gwen, who is all 1 year old now.

Jess, I'll get them all to you tomorrow or Sunday. :-)

4-22-09

2009-04-23T00:52:00.001-07:00

I've gotten some happy mail recently.

First of all, a camera strap from RosieO's boutique on Etsy. Custom camera straps are so much fun, and they make a perfect gift if you have any photo freaks in your life. Rosie was nice enough to gift this one to me! Here's a link to her Etsy, if you want to check her out. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5802729
Secondly, another online buddy sent me this adorable little family of owls that she made. They are going to go in my new baby's nursery.

And speaking of new babies, here is the little guy. So far he has been compared to a kitty by my sister Rene, a puppy by my daughter Kaitlin, a monchichi by me, and a lion by my BFF Brandy. Whatever he is, I think he's pretty cute. And he smiled at me on the sonogram. Unmistakeably.

4-21-09

2009-04-23T00:48:00.000-07:00

5 faves of baby Delaney. Holy crap, is she cute! And she was so good for her photos. Just a little doll. (There are more on Facebook, if you need a bigger baby fix)

4-19-09

2009-04-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I made this blog to post my photos on, but these are too good not to share. My godmother Linda, with whom I recently reconnected on Facebook just sent me a little assortment of photos from way back in the day.

This is me and my dad. I can't believe how much my brother Frank looks like my dad at this age.
This one? Holy crap. I LOL'ed. My dad was a rock star. Check out those shoes. I see my brother Phil in this pic. It's the expression or something.

This is my mom with my sister Rene. I really dig those tinted glasses, and the wallpaper. :-)

This is my dad rocking out at his drum set. This was Halloween. I could be wrong, but I don't think he did the guyliner on a regular basis. lol

Here are both of my parents on that same Halloween. Spooky. Which way's the beach, Dad?

These last 2 are my mom and I on my 1st birthday. See! I am a natural blond!