Bubby: The Bald and the Beautiful!

Remember that one time when I thought I had to go to the bathroom really bad? Yes, it was 8 months ago today that Clancy and Shell each grabbed a leg and the games began. They played the role as my ultimate and most trusted friends. Our little creepy scootching ninja is 8 months old today! Happy Birthday Bubby!

She is just about the cutest, smiliest little thing you would ever want to see! She is still quite long in length but now has some serious cheeks and chubby legs! She has one little tooth poking through on the bottom. She demands attention and is quite particular about who she will spend her time with and who may have the honorable pleasure of her attention.

She's stealthy and is already she is a girl with a plan! She rolls her way quickly (very literally) into the hearts of those around her and will throw her arms out when she wants you to take her. She is very much a girl who knows what she wants and will let you know when she is not happy with her fake little cry.

She does the infamous 'gorilla stomp' in her bed when she is awake. This is the act of her bringing both of her legs up and strategically dropping them both down as hard as she can thus pummeling her little mattress! It is loud and meant to summon anyone in ear shot!

She has the cheesiest grin and will accompany it with squinted closed eyes while she throws her round and peach fuzz filled head back. It makes for quite the show and yes, she busts it out at all the right moments!

She's all about her fruits and veggies...except for anything green. I can't be sure if she discriminates based on color or if she really realizes that those taste worse! Either way I can't blame the girl and am just thankful that she is off the pricey Nutramigen!

She's had her fair share of ear infections and pulls through like a champ. Mark has manned up big time by taking her to all of her doctor's appointments. I can't bear it and so he plays the role of brave comforter. Holding her while they stick her shots doesn't really work for me.

And I shall not forget that our little Adalie is a tongue clicker! She will click her tongue, wait for you to do it back and then she graciously takes her turn again. She loves being able to communicate and gets so excited! She will also do this with her fake cough, silly girl.

Besides rolling everywhere she can also scootch backward and spin on her tummy with her strong little arms. She still does her sit ups when on her back, which still makes us laugh! She insists on sitting up but never stays still for long. We've got a mover and a shaker on our hands and I can't wait to see what she does in this world!

On the B Side: We are so happy to have her in our lives! She is the perfect compliment to our little family and is loved by all! She glows when her siblings give her their undivided attention. She brings us all together and I can't imagine our lives without her. She is an amazing blessing and we love her so much! Happy Birthday Adalie Elizabeth!

'Cause I Want to be a Dentist!

Not really but that song from, 'Little Shop of Horrors' is stuck in my head. I did decide to give my blog a face lift in anticipation of an upcoming writing assignment/contest I will shortly be entering.

I opted for 2 columns rather than 3 as to optimize the space for writing and take away from of the business of it all. I'm curious to see how others feel about the 2 vs. 3 column layout. Hit me!

On the B side: It's Thursday and whatever bug it was that griped me seems to be clearing up! Just in time too.

Spinning Right Round, Baby

Yes, like a record (for all you 80's music gurus). That's a little bit what life feels like right now. My PMLG CMP BC for my PMI cert (way too many acronyms) rocked my world hard core. It was 16-18 hours a day and I'm not talking about just being awake those hours. Working that many hours for 6 days straight was an experience. I loved the 'learn' part but did find it far from the vay-cay I thought it would be (relatively speaking, of course!)

So um, I'll take being wife and mother of 4 while also playing the role of career woman any time over that rigorous schedule! Yes, my world still feels like it is spinning!

Here are some of the highlights from last week;
-Learning is my passion. This being said, last week was extremely passionate for me!
-I met 9 really great people and thus was able to set up an incredible network in my Project Mgmt world.
-Krystal (from SLC) flew into Philly and I got to hang with Cortney (from PA) and co Friday night.
-Saturday took me to spend some time with the Sorensen crew in Bethlehem. It was a blast!
-Flight home was direct & Dramamine served me well (carried my own barf bag just in case!)

During the week I watched out for Angels and Pests. The angel award definitely goes to the fellas in SLC airport that walked right up to the US Soldiers and shook their hands. They did not know them but merely and so simply expressed appreciation and said, 'thank you'. It literally brought tears to my eyes. The pest award definitely goes to the crazy Philly drivers and particularly the truck driver that changed lanes in the middle of a downtown intersection and nearly killed us.

My Dad was a total rock star and flew into SLC to help Mark with the kids and such while I was away. The two of them busted out the week without flaw and made me realize that my family can exist and flourish without me! Apparently they are far more resilient than myself!! I will sheepishly admit that the first two days I was gone just about killed me simply because I missed my fam so much. Once my time was occupied I got on with my bad self and learned to suck it up. Needless to say, I was happy to get home!

Here are some of the funny things that kids said to me during the phone calls I literally had to squeeze into the crazy schedule I was living!
-Dayton: 'Can you just ask your boss if you can come home early?'
-Ellie: 'I am going to have a stomach ache the whole time you are gone.'
-Dayton: 'Can you just get something, put it in a box and send it to me in the United States of America.'
-Ellie: 'I waaaant you. You are the goodest Mommy I ever had.'

It did make me sad that Ellie would cry at bed time. One night Grandpa John was comforting her when Dayton leaned over the top bunk and said, 'She thinks that Mom is going to die.' That was hard to hear but I did giggle when my Dad said that the kids would go to bed and then ask him a few minutes later if he was still watching them (he slept in their room with them).

My Dad made it home safely and even left dinner for me to pop in the oven for the day I arrived home along with some frozen things in the freezer for another day. Mark let me relax and enjoy the fam Sunday before our week started all over again together (this being the key and very important word!) Monday.

On the B Side: If you ever want to learn a lot about yourself, separate yourself from whatever reality you are living, throw yourself into something else and then spend some quiet time mauling it all over in your head! I am back to the races that make up the busy little life that we live together at home. The operative words here are together and home!