Katydidnt...but Matt did!

girls just wanna have fun

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Libby and Morgan are interacting more and more and it's pretty cute!

Sorry the video is a little dark. Morgan is the one doing all the laughing in the beginning. It's hard to tell if you aren't used to their voices.

Plurals

2009-09-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am continually amazed at what a sponge Casey is. This is especially true of language. He can already talk in complete sentences (when he chooses), name all the letters of the alphabet and identify what sound each letter makes. But Casey's most recent discovery is "plurals". He is struggling with this a little bit even though he is rather confident that he's not.

On my birthday we were in the car on the way out to dinner. All the sudden Casey starts saying, "flagus, flagus flagus." Matt and I were at a loss for what he was talking about. Finally we realized he was pointing to banners hanging from street lamps down the side of the road. We corrected him and told him they were "Flags" not "Flag-us". In fact, I've had a few arguments with him about it lately. He is adamant that there are a lot of Truck-us on the street. I tell him they are called Trucks and he says, "NO! Truck-us Mommy!"

Despite this little hiccup, I'm pretty impressed with his development!

Get a Move on

2009-09-02T12:40:00.003-04:00

Morgan has really mastered her low crawl. It's very similar to how Casey crawled. She can get around FAST now!

Around the House

2009-09-02T09:04:00.006-04:00

Some recent pics of the kids around the house. Just so you all know, Casey has reached the "I'm too busy/independent to get my picture taken" phase.

Morgan crawling away from Libby. Safe Haven under the music table!

Casey taking a rest on the ottoman with Morgan's Boppy!

Morgan crawling under the exersaucer...what a cutie!

Who's that girl?

Firefighter Casey to the rescue!

More Casey Quips

2009-08-13T11:17:00.004-04:00

I am due for a big blog post (just need to download some pictures) but in the interim here are some of the cute things Casey has been saying.

One of his favorite shows is Sid the Science Kid. I really enjoy the show because it is one of the few educational cartoons that don't focus on reading or vocabulary. Anyway, there are 3 kids that go to school with Sid: Mae, Gerald, and Gabriella.

AKA

Mae, Garold (with a G like Gary), and Gam-mella

Every day when Matt leaves for work, Casey now says, "See ya later!"
Some days when he returns from work, Caseys says, "where ya been?"

We are increasingly amazed at his ability to apply concepts that he has learned. He knows all his letters, can sing the alphabet, and 90% of the time can tell you the correct sound each letter makes. We did not know that he has also learned his shapes too. While eating chips from Chipotle a few nights ago, he says, "I'm eating Tri-nangles!"

Casey is really into assigning ownership to things. For instance, he walks around saying, "Daddy's shoes, Morgan's wattle, Libby's paci, Casey's car." But, his favorite is, "Mommy's wah-he, " and, "Daddy's beer!"

To sum it all up, I am so impressed with Casey's vocabulary. There isn't much that he says that I don't understand, and he rarely is at a loss for the right word when he wants something. He can even put full sentences together now consisting of 4 or 5 words. The kicker is that this time last year we were a little concerned about his lack of language skills. He probably only had 5 words at the time.

I guess the lesson is that kids have to develop at their own pace and intervention is not always necessary. Sometimes kids just need the chance to figure it out on their own.

Casey's new pal - M-cole

2009-07-24T21:49:00.005-04:00

Siamese Turtle

In the past two weeks, we have gone on two outings with our friend Nichole. She and Matt are in the same Army reserve unit and we have become good friends in the past year, since their return from Iraq. Nichole loves kids, and Casey loves Nichole.

Last week we went to a "water park" at Miami Whitewater Park. It's more like a water playground. They have a bunch of places where water shoots up out of the ground and two play ground slides that have a little water running down them. It's really fun, age appropriate, and only $2 for kids 2 and older. Casey had a blast. He is so tentative about things (I attribute it to him not going to daycare with other kids) but Nichole is really good about making him push through his fears. Morgan was not a huge fan of the water park so I never managed to take any pictures...sorry.

Today Nichole, Casey, Morgan, Libby and I went to the Cincinnati Zoo. I get anxiety even thinking about taking all 3 of the kids out, so this was a huge step. We put Libby in the big stroller, Casey in the umbrella stroller, and Morgan in the sling. It was a lot of fun. Casey saw the Rhinos, Giraffes, White Tiger, Tiger cubs, Monkeys, Gorillas, and Goats. He also went on his first Carousel ride and fed goats for the first time (again, with a little urging from Nichole). I'm posting some of the best pics from the day. I would have never been able to go without some help and really appreciate it. Everyone had a great time both Casey and Libby took a THREE hour nap this afternoon!

My Little Inchworm

2009-06-30T13:35:00.006-04:00

Morgan is pre-crawling. She has started inching around from place to place. Sometimes she can make it a few feet in a matter of minutes. She pulls with her arms and pushes with her little toes. As with all things "kid" related, when you try to video or take pictures the child will not preform. So, here is a video of Morgan sort of doing the inchworm...she really can move when she puts her mind to it, despite how it may look on this video.

Casey Quips

2009-06-29T10:51:00.002-04:00

Casey has quite the personality and the vocabulary to go along with it. Most of the time he is spot on but sometimes he has his own way of saying things.

The manmail comes each day to our house with letters and packages in the manmail truck

Make sure your bring your rainbrella if it looks stormy out

Daddy wears sandals but Mommy wears foo fahs (flip flops)

Some other funny incidents:

Last night a cloud in his book was raining snow

This morning I asked him if he had pooped and he said, "NO!" I said, are you telling the truth? And, he said, "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

The other day he asked me if he could call Nonny. I told him that she was at work. He asked me is Gran was at work too and I said, "no, she's retired." His response..."Gran's Tired!" (Gran got a kick out of this and confirmed that he is correct)

Kiddie Kandids

2009-06-06T11:28:00.000-04:00

Just some random cuteness! Enjoy!

Tummy Time

Jumping is Exhausting

Casey's new haircut (Daddy does backyard cuts now)

Siblings

Casey is a classic "bag lady"!

Pretending to be Shamu

She loves Mittens the Moose

Check out these girls...note Libby's sock is in her mouth

Thumb Sucker!

2009-06-05T10:43:00.004-04:00

Well, my little baby who won't take a bottle or pacifier has learned to self soothe! She's a thumb sucker! :o) BTW, it's always the left thumb.

5 Years

2009-06-01T09:00:00.003-04:00

Today is our five year anniversary! Hurray for us! Marriage definitely isn't easy but the good has always outweighed the bad. Here's to many more years! I love ya baby!

Pecking Order

2009-05-26T09:22:00.003-04:00

For those of you who are afraid Libby gets picked on by Casey...this video is for you! Libby has figured out the pecking order around here.

Big Grin!

2009-05-16T10:26:00.001-04:00

Me too!

Casey helping give MJ a bath!

Tummy Time!

Pajamas, Blanket, Sneakers and a Jacket!

Tricycle and Elmo Helmet!

Pretty Girl (Mother's Day)

Daddy's Bike

You sexy thing!

Doesn't he look like a model in a motorcycle pin-up?

Sleepy time!

Casey Hold Morgan! (that's how he says it)

Casey patting her head (like a dog)

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Casey's 2nd Birthday

2009-05-13T15:27:00.007-04:00

I know that I am a month late posting about this, but better late than never. We had a great time at his party. Art and Pam (Grammy and Papa), Dad and Candy (Pap and Mimi) and Gran were all able to attend along with a variety of other family members. Thanks again to everyone who chipped in for Casey's playset or sent a birthday wish to him. Here are some of the best pics from the day.

He was a little unsure of all the singing!

Gran feeding Casey his cake...it was so sweet!

Pap and Casey horsing around with the balloons!

Casey opening his play food

ELMO!!!!!!!!!!

Cookie Monster!!!!!!!!

The Great Outdoors..everyone watching Casey play!

Kevin and Pap (in front of Matt's truck he bought from Seth)

Casey sliding!

A stolen moment

Gran and Dad

(It felt wrong calling Dad "Pap" here becuase that is what my grandpa, Gran's husband, was called)

Also, Casey had his two year checkup this past Monday. He is 37 inches tall, and weighs about 35 pounds. He is as heavy as the average 3 year old and as tall as the average 4 year old. He's a big boy but proportional. He had to get a shot and it about killed both of us, but he shouldn't have to get another one until he is 4 or 5...whew!

Easter

2009-04-19T09:23:00.012-04:00

I have a few blog posts to do but they are going to be out of chronological order. I'm still trying to amass all the pics from Casey's birthday.

Here is an assortment from Easter!

Egg Dyeing

Mommy and Morgan (Don't I look tired)

Casey tasting his Bengals egg...with the shell on

Casey's really wanted to eat the eggs, so we let him

Daddy helping Casey with an egg

Casey putting the dye tabs in the fizzy vinegar!

The Easter Basket

Wow Bunny, look at my Easter Basket!

Sesame Street Coloring book and Stickers

Mmmm! Candy before breakfast!

The Chocolate Aftermath

We didn't do a basket for Morgan but she did get a new pack of Easter hairbows. Libby is rocking one in one of the pictures below!

Easter Egg Hunt

Egg Hunt

Got One!

Hey, there's a jelly bean in here!

Morgan enjoys the Easter sun!

Libby's Photo Shoot!

Morgan's Photo Shoot!

But I don't want to wear bunny ears!!

Family Time

Smiley

Uncle Kevin and the Cousins, sporting their matching outfits

Aunt Sarah with Morgan

Relaxin' after his egg hunt

Dad...mid-sentence

Art and Pam hosted us and Sarah and Kevin for dinner. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures of them. Thanks for having us though...we had a great time!

Morgan Smiling...sort of

2009-04-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

I finally got a little video of her smiling. She really has a much bigger smile, but she wouldn't grace me with it for this video.

Also, we had Morgan's 2 month well-baby visit on Monday. She is growing up so fast. She now weighs 11 lbs 7 ozs. At Casey's 2 months appointment, he weighed 15 lbs 2 ozs. I almost can't remember what a pain it was to haul him around. I'm glad Morgan is staying on the more petite side. Plus, so far she is pound for pound with Libby so we should stay on track for hand-me-down clothes. Woo Hoo!

Daycare with a Twist

2009-04-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

Most of you know I provide daycare for Libby, my niece, but what you might not know is that Casey provides a daily workout for her. He's the spinning instructor. Check out this video and you will see what I mean...

I promise that I stopped any additional torture as soon as I finished filming this!

Casey's new playset

2009-03-30T20:58:00.011-04:00

Well, it's been a while since anybody posted on our blog, so Katie told me to upload some pictures from Casey's playset build, and a video that we just took today. After over 22 man hours, a trip to Home Depot for missing hardware, and more cursing than a Tarantino movie...yesterday I finished the playset that Michael and I started last Sunday. Casey tried it out tonight, and couldn't be happier with it. Many thanks to all who chipped in to make Casey's birthday wish come true! (Even a little early)

Casey (Job Foreman)

The Three Amigo's

DADDY! I WANNA SLIDE!

All boy...two steps at a time!

Here's a good video of Casey enjoying the slide.

PBS Cartoons are educational

2009-03-10T20:11:00.002-04:00

I recently watched an episode of Sid the Science Kid with Casey where the show centered around measurement. The teacher was showing the kids how to develop non-standard units of measurement. For instance, the teacher used one of the kids to measure the length of the room. Also a shoe was used to measure a bookcase.

You might wonder where I am going with this. Today was Libby's first day back here, and I found myself using the kids as my non-standard measurement.

Morgan weighs approx 10 lbs

Libby weighs approx 15 lbs

Casey weighs approx 30 lbs

So,

1 Libby = 1.5 Morgans

2 Libbys = 1 Casey

1 Libby = .5 Caseys

3 Morgans = 1 Casey

I'll let you know if I have any other educational advancements from my PBS viewing.

What's for dinner...

2009-03-07T07:13:00.003-05:00

Lately dinner has been soup. We've all been under the weather with a cold but Casey is still managing to have fun.

Our last few weeks in pictures

2009-02-24T20:45:00.006-05:00

I haven't had much time to call and talk to people, write thank you notes, design/order/mail birth announcements, or even shave my legs :) But, we have taken a few pictures. I hope you enjoy them. Also, Morgan has colic, so there aren't any awake pics. Most of her awake time is spent crying. We are working through it and hopefully will get some happy pictures soon!

First Real Bath!

And, we can't forget Casey... (and Daddy)

Casey and Daddy at Morgan's Dr appointment

Posers

Aww!

Our Family is Complete

2009-02-13T10:18:00.006-05:00

I'm sorry it has taken me a while to post. Morgan is a sweet baby but she is a marathon nurser and has had her nights and days mixed up. I think we are rounding the corner though. We've put her on a strict daytime nursing routine (every 2 hours) in hopes of her "filling up" during the day and sleeping longer at night...we shall see. Matt goes back to work on Tuesday so something has to give before then or we may be sleeping in seperate rooms.

Speaking of which. Matt has been a godsend. He has taken care of everything Casey needs. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in all of this. It's so much harder with the second one than the first one (plus I had a c-section this time). I love you Daddy!

Also, I've had a hard time focusing on things for very long, including email, phone calls, etc. so this has kept me from being very communicative. I'm starting to feel better though. My dr confirmed that I have been having some big hormonal swings based on my symptoms so I don't feel as crazy now.

I've included some of my favorite pics from the last 2 weeks and some of the unedited proofs of professional pics we had taken yesterday.

(I love this picture of us)

(Casey holding Morgan for the 1st time...while he's wearing HER new hat)

Daddy time

2009-02-04T19:15:00.003-05:00

Since Katie has been doing a great job taking care of Morgan, I've been put in charge of making sure Casey's needs are met. Especially since Katie can't really lift him, it's pretty hard for her to keep control of him, since he seems to be everywhere all at once lately. I'm trying to make the best out of this, so Casey and I have been doing everything together. I had to pick something up at my reserve unit yesterday, so he tagged along and got to see where daddy plays army. I also figured that since I'm off, I should get something done around the house that I'd been putting off. So today we set out for Home Depot, where we got some window caulk so I could try to seal out the ice cold drafts (not the good kind) that we get in the house around the windows. I also got his bath taken care of tonight, and snapped a picture after I got him dressed. Katie said that he cried for 10 minutes a couple days ago when I left him at home to go pick up some Dunkin Donuts, so I guess I've now become "his person". We'll see how long that lasts. When he's crying, he still goes to Katie for comforting, though...since he knows I usually just tell him to suck it up. By the way, Katie says she promises to post some new pictures of Morgan soon!

Introducing...Morgan Julianne!

2009-01-30T09:04:00.004-05:00

I am horrible trying to post pictures, so here are 3 quick ones, one of Morgan by herself in her isolette, and two pictures of Morgan with her grandmom's. I know Sarah mentioned it on her blog, but she was 7lbs, 3oz, 19in long. Mother and baby are doing fine. Enjoy, more to come!

Mama is so proud

2009-01-22T09:12:00.004-05:00

Casey has a new found love of organization. I would like to think that this is a trait I am nurturing and growing in him, but I think in reality it's pretty hard wired. We have recently invested in a bookcase/toy storage unit for his room and all his belongings have very specific "homes". He's really getting good at helping me clean up and put all his stuff in the proper places. Don't get me wrong, he can still be a menace with his toys, dumping entire containers on the floor just for kicks.

Aside from that I often find him categorizing and organizing his various toys. Sometimes all the cars are lined up in the window. Sometimes they are all stuffed into his little people house. Speaking of little people, he really surprised me yesterday when he staged all his people around the house. He is very proud of this, as you can see.

I know the pictures are almost exactly the same, but it cracks me up that you can see his HUGE grin past his pacifier.

Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

2009-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since it refuses to snow any measurable amount around here and poor Casey might never get to walk outside in his snow boots, I've started letting him wear them around the house. On the day these particular pictures were taken, he also was sporting his beach bum hat. I can't decide whether he looks more like Waldo, from "Where's Waldo" fame, or the Gordon's Fisherman. Also, check out those pigeon toes. I wonder where he gets those from....

Latest Pic of Me (taken before my baby sprinkle)

2009-01-20T08:50:00.003-05:00

We had a great time at the baby sprinkle last weekend that Sarah hosted for us. It was at TGI Fridays and was low key and just for friends (no family except Sarah and only 1 repeat guest from Casey's shower). Uncle Kevin babysat so we didn't even have to worry about Casey. It was a great mix of fun and friends and lots of baby essentials. It was surprisingly fun to get really functional items that we needed. I think with the first baby it's all about getting cute, fun stuff, but we really didn't need much of that (especially since cousin Libby is great at sending us hand-me-downs). A special thanks to Aunt Sarah who got us a great gift, treated us to lunch and bought a cake. If you want to see more pics of this event, you can bounce over to Sarah's blog at this link... http://kevin-sarah.blogspot.com/2009/01/baby-shower.html. I forgot to get my camera out of my purse and Sarah was the master of ceremonies, so we really didn't get a lot of pictures. Thanks again to everyone who came and helped us celebrate Baby Girl Hulme (BGH).

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do

2009-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before our last home Bengals game of the season, Matt and I were pulling out all the cold-weather spirit wear and Casey took it upon himself to accessorize. I think he has 2 scarves on and a hat. At least someone is still cheering for the home team!

Christmas

2009-01-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas in these parts. There are too many festivities and toys to list, but I thought I would add some of the best pictures. As usual, we didn't manage to get a good family photo at either of the family events. Thanks to everyone who made this Holiday season special for us.

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

2009-01-04T10:50:00.001-05:00

That's our naptime battle cry!

At risk of sounding a bit like Dub-ya declaring "Mission Accomplished", I have to post about our small victory yesterday. In September Matt and I purchased Casey a toddler bed. We were hoping to transition him to it before the new baby arrived. Day by day this has been looking less and less like a realistic goal. We have had a few successes. In November Matt managed to rock him to sleep and then place him in the bed for his nap. This only works if Casey falls asleep while we rock him though AND, if we have all the toys cleared off the bed and his pillow, glowworm and other naptime essentials in place. Basically, this only works if there are two of us home so that the person not rocking Casey can facilitate all of the above.

Yesterday was different!! Matt asked Casey if he was ready for his nap (Casey was standing in the living room with his blankie and pacifier). Then we asked him if he wanted to take a nap in his big boy bed. Casey ran straight in and got into bed. Matt followed him in there and made up the bed and Casey laid right down. Neither of us had much hope that this would work, as we've been down this road with him before...it's more of a game than anything. As expected, Casey was up in about 3 minutes standing the hallway. I rocked him for about 5 minutes and placed him back in bed. Again, I heard him playing in his room quietly (which I was ok with) and then heard him in the kitchen playing with his fridge toys (not ok with this). I snatched him back up, rocked him for 5 minutes and put him back in bed. This time, I stood at the door out of his line of vision and waited for him to get up. As he started to climb out of bed, I barked, "lay down." He obliged. We repeated this about 4 or 5 times. I left his door for a few minutes and went back and checked again and he was sound asleep. I guess he thought I was still standing there. Woo Hoo!!

So, I guess it's our turn to start being more consistent with putting him down for naps in the toddler bed. I doubt things will go smoothly when Libby is here unless she is asleep when I try to put him down for a nap. One never knows though.

These pics are from the first time he took a nap in the toddler bed in November.

***UPDATE***

Casey just got up from day 2 of napping his his toddler bed without being rocked to sleep...fingers crossed everyone!

Oompah Loompah Doopity Doo

2009-01-03T11:32:00.003-05:00

Wow, I don't know if it's the jeans or the flat-as-a-supermodel's-stomach hair, but I look awesome in these pictures. Willy Wonka called recruiting me for his candy factory. Officially I am 34 weeks pregnant today although by my estimation it is closer to 36 (which also may explain why I am measuring 2 weeks big).

I have another dr apt on the 12th followed by an ultrasound on the 16th. I'm not expecting much to change between then and now, but we shall see. I've been having some contracting and pain. The most annoying part right now is that I can feel pain in my pelvic bones and hips. I know that this occurs to make birthing easier, but can someone send my body a message and let it know we signed up for a c-section...no birthing hips required.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

2008-12-24T14:30:00.001-05:00

Have a fun filled holiday!!

You better not pout, I'm telling you why...

2008-12-22T18:01:00.003-05:00

...Santa Claus is coming to town!

Casey visited Santa last night at the mall. We waited over an hour in line which was a treat. Fortunately we weren't corralled in and Matt was able to take Casey on some quick laps while this pregnant lady held our place in line.

Casey liked looking at Santa. Every time we pointed at Santa while we were in line, he would say "ho ho ho." But, when it came time to take a seat on Santa's lap, Casey was thinking differently about the man in red. In an attempt to distract him from tears I said, "Casey, can you tell me what Santa says?" In his weepiest, saddest, cry voice, he replied, "ho, ho, ho" while pointing a little finger at Ole' St. Nick! It took everything in me not to laugh at him cause it was so darn cute.

Somehow the 18 year old miracle worker who was manning the camera managed to get a shot where he wasn't full out crying with a face full of tears.

Merry Christmas!

The Bean - 32 Weeks

2008-12-19T10:10:00.003-05:00

I had a dr apt last Monday and things are looking good. I had my first internal exam (blah) and I've had no dilation or anything, but that's good at this point. Also, my bp was slightly elevated (140/86) so I will be seeing the dr every 2 weeks instead of 3 now. Matt took it again at home last night and it was 124/84. I'm not too worried about the bp at this point. Oh, I've also gained about 20 lbs with this pregnancy too. That's right where the dr wants me. He's hoping for no more than 25 lbs gain (me too) and I have about 6 weeks left until I deliver, so I am right on track.

Also, we scheduled my c-section date for February 6th at 7 am at Good Sam hospital. If for any reason my bp does go high or I go into labor on my own, I could potentially deliver earlier than this.

Fetal development in pregnancy week 32:

In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature! This means you’ll probably get a swift kick if you put a hot pad on your ginormous belly. For the Elton John lovers out there-- yes, baby’s got blue eyes. At this point, all babies do, although depending on their chromosomal disposition, this could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is. Thanks to her recently matured lungs and a remarkably strong immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week, survive premature births. So it’s pretty much a done deal. Even if your little monkey’s planning on heading out early, her survival odds are in everyone’s favor.

Introducing...The Parking Meter Master

2008-12-09T19:12:00.006-05:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted, so I figured I'd just give a general update on me and what I've been up to. With the recent economic developments, my chances at getting hired with the Cincinnati Police have been quashed. The city has made public that they will not be taking on a 2009 police recruit class, and have even threatened to lay off the current 2008 class if some major money isn't found soon. I have been thanking my lucky stars that I have a really good (and fairly secure) job with the city right now. Our department makes copious amounts of money for the city and county, and although privatization is always a buzzword in the office, the chances of a lay-off are pretty slim, and at least there are 3 people below me on the seniority ladder. With a possible city-wide hiring freeze looming, it will probably stay that way.

With that being said, my job as a Parking Enforcement Officer is not a "rewarding career" in most common definitions of the phrase. Let me think out loud here, and give you some pro's and con's...

Pro's:
Good salary
Freedom to work on my own without too much oversite
Work outside
Good uniforms/equipment provided
New technology being implemented

Cons:
The public perception
Work outside (LOL)

OK, at least the pro's outweigh the con's. Now let me quote a few lines that I hear on almost a daily basis...

"That's my car!"
"I'm coming!"
"NO, NO, NO!"
"PLEASE!!!???" (Sometimes said between sobs)
"I'm getting a ticket!" (Said into a cell phone)
"It's only been expired for a minute!"
"It just expired!"
"That's mean!"
"You're mean!"
"You're heartless!"
"You're an (insert relevent explative here)!!"
"Get a real job!"
"This is why I don't come downtown!"
"His meter's expired too!" (While pointing at another car)
"Aren't you going to give him a ticket too?!" (While pointing at another car)
"Don't you have anything better to do?!"

Something I just heard for the first time this week...
"Have some Christmas spirit!"

And, the number one thing I hear on a daily basis (sometimes from the same people who quoted a phrase from the above list)...
"How can I get your job?"

Hodge Podge

2008-12-03T09:53:00.003-05:00

I have a bunch of random pics and anecdotes so I thought I would just do a post with them all. There really isn't a theme.

These are Casey's new antlers. We got them in a dog raffle basket at the HART charity dinner in October. He likes to put them on us, but just recently figured out how to put them on himself. Too cute!

I spy an assassination plot. After Casey's VERY SHORT nap yesterday, I found all his crib friends partially strangled between the wall and his crib. I don't think it was suicide. I will report back if any other evidence comes to light during the investigation.

In case anyone was worried about Casey's cross dressing tendencies after my post this past summer about him wearing my bra, rest assured. Casey is an equal opportunity underwear thief. In this pic he is sporting a pair of Matt's boxer briefs around his neck. Now you all know that Matt wears boxer briefs :)

While I was making dinner last night, Libby kept trying to eat her hands while chillin' in the bumbo seat. I decided to see if she would hold a spoon. This is an oversized one from IKEA and she seemed to dig it.

Bring on the rice cereal, Mom!!

*I'll post soon about my trip to PA and my 10 year high school reunion.

Great News

2008-11-26T09:29:00.002-05:00

I passed my gestational diabetes test. Thanks to all the people who took the time to call or email and ask how it all went. I honestly did not think I would pass and neither did my dr. The baby is measuring a few weeks big and the test made me light headed and very flushed. The doctor actually told me he thought I would fail. Typically one would assume those symptoms were from high sugar. Most likely I was feeling the sugar drop and that's what made me feel ill. I also found out that my iron is good. I wasn't concerned about it, but apparently this is the time in pregnancy where a lot of women become iron deficient. My next appointment is December 15th and that's when I start seeing the dr more often and having more "thorough" exams. BLAH! We will also try to pick a date for my c-section at the next appointment. Woo hoo!

The Bean - Week 28

2008-11-23T09:38:00.002-05:00

Fetal development in pregnancy week 28: fetus in seventh month

You know how you’ve been feeling a bit like a barn with legs? Well, that feeling won’t subside before… well, you know, when you finally give birth. For the time being, you’ve got yourself a baby in the business of collecting fat and lots of it! In spite of the dubious joys of being a human-barn, this baby fat business is very serious and you’ve got to put up with it because it’s going to keep your little porker warm and healthy after birth. Other good stuff from inside: her eyes are doing lots of blinking this week because they’re now able to respond to light and dark. Also, her industrious little bone marrow is now a major construction site for developing red blood cells, while her super-cute adrenal glands are actually producing androgen and estrogen—which will stimulate your hormones to begin milk production. Can you say, “Moo?”

*******

In other baby news, Matt and I have chosen a baby name, but we (Matt) has decided to keep it a secret until delivery. Everyone loved it so much when we did it last time that we (Matt) decided we (Matt) wanted to do it again.

I also have my 1 hour gestational diabetes test tomorrow (Monday). Everyone send me good insulin thoughts. I really have a feeling I'm gonna fail this one. My doctor uses stricter pass/fail criteria than my old doctor and I would have failed with Casey based on the new guidelines. If I do fail I will have to do a 3 hour fasting test. I don't even mind the 4 blood draws with the 3 hour test, it's just that I hate not eating for half the day while pregnant. Talk about torture.

My one bright spot at this point is that I have not gained ANY weight in the past 5 weeks, so hopefully all this worrying will be for nothing. I'll report back when I know more. Part of me hopes I get my test results before our trip to PA for my reunion next weekend, but part of me wants to be oblivious at Thanksgiving so I can just eat to my heart's content. That is the best part about being pregnant for me.

Katie

Fall Fun

2008-11-22T15:53:00.003-05:00

Matt raked leaves ALL DAY today and Casey and I spent a little time outside with him. Here are a few cute pics.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Libby Lou is in the House

2008-11-18T16:13:00.009-05:00

Last week I started babysitting Libby. She will typically be with me Tues - Fri and Sarah will have Mondays off. Pam is keeping Casey for me on Mondays so that I can still run errands, have dr appointments, and clean. I'm pretty much housebound while Libs is here and will be even more so once Babygirl Hulme arrives in February.

Casey's adjustment to having Libby here has been good but a little bumpy. I really didn't anticipate him being jealous but he is. For instance, while giving Libby her bottle on Thursday, Casey insisted upon sitting in my lap and having me read him a book. Now, I read him books all day long, but he is a busy kid and never wants to commit to SITTING in my lap while I read. He usually stands next to the couch while I read upside down. On top of that, he didn't like it that she was sitting on my left side, so I had to somehow jostle her around to the other side while he climbed into his favorite spot on my lap. I guess this is a good adjustment for both of us.

He does like to help with Libby though. Sometimes while she is in the swing or I am holding her, he will pick up her receiving blanket and bring it over and cover her up. It's very sweet. He also likes to help me burp her. I'm not sure if this is because he is being helpful or delighted he gets to whack on her back. The only time he isn't gentle with her is when he is pointing out her body features. He likes to touch our noses or ears and have us identify what he is touching, even though he already knows. When he touches eyes he tends to about poke them out. We've had a few close calls with Libby but she wails and he cries cause he thinks he hurt her and then he leaves her alone for a while.

One thing that I was worried about, but that has been a non-issue so far is the bottle. Casey was down to one bottle a day (bedtime) for the past few months and we finally took it away at the beginning of October. He didn't have any problems with the transition, but I was afraid that with Libby getting 2-3 bottles a day that he might regress. He has looked at the bottle a few times, but never even tried to pick it up. Whew!

I'm attaching some of the cute pics I've taken of them in the past week. Check out Casey trying to use the Bumbo...jealous much?

Halloween Recap

2008-11-06T19:37:00.005-05:00

(Trick-or-Treat 2008)

We had a great Halloween. Casey got all dressed up in his skunk costume and was ready to go right at the start of Trick-or-Treat. We (he) played outside for about 45 minutes and Art and Pam visited. Eventually we corralled Casey and then we headed over to a neighbor's house for his first official attempt at going door-to-door! Our nice neighbor gave him TWO Snickers bars and Casey returned the favor by giving them back to her. I don't think he really understood what was going on, but it was cute that he was sharing. After all that excitement we came home and Casey watched all the other kids come to our house while Matt and I handed out Candy.

(Oy' this treat bag is a lot of work)

(The skunk is on the prowl)

(Lil Stinker)

(Chillin' while watching the other kids Trick-or-Treat)

Later that evening Matt and I went to a Halloween party at a friend's house. He went as Joe the Plumber and I was Bristol Palin (Sarah Palin's pregnant teenage daughter). Enjoy the pics.

(Joe and Bristol)

(Bristol name tag and McCain Palin Logo)

(Back of Bristol's shirt)

(Joe the Plumber)

(Say it Ain't so, Joe!)

Books a Many

2008-10-29T15:38:00.006-04:00

Casey and I came home from a shopping trip last week to find a huge package at our door. Upon further review, it was from KY Gran. KY Gran is Katie Fanelli's grandmother. She is a retired school teacher and recently noticed a book that she owned on Casey's wishlist. She told Susan, *Katie's mom, to ask me if I was interested in a used copy. If KY Gran saw the abuse/love that books take here she would have known that used is fine. I had totally forgotten about the conversation and was pleasantly surprised when the package arrived. Not only was the book in the box, but it was FULL of other books for Casey. He is just enthralled with them. In particular, there is a book called 100 Trucks that he LOVES. I on the other hand, I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about trucks. There are literally just pages and pages of trucks, tractors and other vehicles. She also included a Rainbow Fish themed hot chocolate mug, a game, and a 4 pack of flannel receiving blankets for baby #2. Thanks so much to KY Gran for all the books. They will be loved for years to come.

Also, since I was posting about books, I thought I would take an opportunity to post some pics of Casey "reading". He goes through phases but some days he will read for extended periods of time on the floor all by himself. As you can see, he is really amused with his selection on this particular day.

* By the way, Susan, how do you feel about being referred to as Katie Fanelli's mom instead of Sarah's college roommate or our PA friends?

Hats Update

2008-10-29T15:33:00.003-04:00

I caught a few pictures of Casey sporting his spirit beads. Check out his awesome bed head!

A Man of Many Hats

2008-10-26T13:09:00.003-04:00

Casey has really gotten into "dress up". He doesn't wear different clothes, but loves to drape things around his neck and wear hats.

It all started with an orange strap from Matt's Bengals lunchbox. Matt didn't need the shoulder strap so we unhooked it and gave it to Casey. He loves to wear it around his neck. Then, a few weeks later while Matt and I were at a Bengals game, Casey got a hold of some of my spirit beads that I had decided not to wear. We never got those back from him. Recently, at an animal rescue charity dinner, we won a door prize that included a cheap cat leash. Casey has taken it for his own too, and wears it around his neck.

Over the summer, we went to a Reds game with Nonnie and she left a white sun visor in our car. Casey found it, and like to put it on and off. Then he found a floppy blue fisherman style hat that we had bought him for sunny days. Of course, he refuses to use it outside, but loves to "wear" it in the house. Due to his interest in hats, I picked him up some really nice Halloween hats at the Gap outlet for 49 cents each. He got a fire chief helmet and a pirate hat. I've included pictures of most of the hats, as well as the variety of ways he adorns them.

The Bean - Week 24

2008-10-26T13:01:00.002-04:00

This is another big week for your magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”. What’s that? Well, surfactant is sort of what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist the your baby's little lungs during inflation (as in, filling with air, not getting more expensive). Just in case you’re curious, your submerged baby is still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing and rehearsing the lungs an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, your child will be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long. Your cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near their full baby-fatted cute-self. Most of the “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!

In other baby news, I had a Dr. apt on Friday and everything seems right on track. I got my orange glucose solution that I'm supposed to drink 1 hour before my next appointment so they can draw blood for a glucose tolerance test or gestational diabetes test. Last pregnancy I was borderline for gestational diabetes and they have now changed the requirements. Based on the new limits, I would have had it last pregnancy. So, everyone keep their fingers crossed that I can pass. I must admit that I am a sweets addict this pregnancy. I've read online that the excess estrogen from having a girl in utero can cause sweets cravings. The Halloween candy I bought last week is almost gone already! Eek!

The Bean - Week 23

2008-10-19T08:17:00.001-04:00

Fetal development in pregnancy week 23:

At this point you’ve pretty much adjusted to the fact you’ve got a moving little gymnast inside of you, but now he's going to kick up the party a notch because he can hear and react to sounds from the outside world. Sounds from your alarm clock, a thunder roll, or that darned car honking at you across the intersection can actually jar his little ears enough to elicit a kick or violent bout of squirming. Of course this also means that his little ears are picking up the sounds of your voice and those near you. So go ahead, sing a lullaby to your little angel—if he start kicking, it’s likely he just wants you to stop… or maybe it was a kick of approval? You decide. Your baby's tiny taste buds are still growing and his bones are continuing to ossify (harden), his tiny veins are visible through translucent yet wrinkly skin. (Think of it this way: he has been swimming in the equivalent of a long hot bath for the past 23 weeks, so you can’t blame him for being a little prune-like.)

Surviving the Red Stool

2008-10-17T10:23:00.008-04:00

As mentioned in a previous post, Dad and Candy got me a red stool for Christmas last year. I think the intention was that Casey could eventually use it, and boy has he done so, and then some. Most of the times he watches Daddy leave for work on it, while furiously waving bye. Sometimes he puts his toys in the window sill and collects things up there. What's most lovely is that he balances on the TRASH CAN to climb up on it.

Last week I made the mistake of letting him drag it across the kitchen to "help" me put the silverware away. He took this chores to heart and now screams bloody murder if you try to put the silverware away without his assistance. I had to scramble to find a new place for our knives.

So, yesterday he found a new use for his stool. He drags it over to the counter above the silverware drawer and then brings all of his little people trucks over and runs them up and down the counter. I found him ON the counter shortly after this, trying to reach a truck that had gotten stuck in the corner.

Right now the gate is at the entrance to the kitchen as I don't want to spend my whole morning playing trucks on the kitchen counter. I just hope he doesn't find any other uses for his red stool.

The Bean - week 20

2008-10-01T10:23:00.001-04:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound last Friday and we got confirmation that we are having a girl. I'll have to get Matt to scan a new ultrasound photo.

Here's what's going on with little Miss. Hulme:

This week you're carrying about 10.5 inches and 10.5 ounces of solid baby-miracle-goodness! Their little delicates bones continue to ossify and toughen while their itsy bitsy finger and toe pads are finishing up. Your little monkey now has teeth buds, although they’re hidden beneath the gum line. And finally! Their limbs have reached their relative proportions—no more alien baby! Their cute pink lips are more defined, and might be helping out in a bit of prenatal thumb-sucking. If you have a little boy, then their tiny testes are descending, though they have not yet passed the abdominal wall. What’s more, eyelashes and eyebrows are also visible. At this point, your little one really looks like a miniature baby—and we do mean miniature as your little swimmer currently weighs a mere eighth of their final birth weight. With half the pregnancy behind you, the most significant gains are yet to come!

Baby Mozart

2008-09-30T13:20:00.002-04:00

I would like to think that I am cultivating a diverse and educational love of music in Casey. I would like to think that, but I'm not. Casey doesn't like music on the radio, cd, or ipod. He doesn't even seem to care about music on tv...unless it's a commercial. And here's where he started going astray.

Casey LOVES commercial jingles. He could be an entire research subject on the matter. No matter what he is doing he will stop and dance to certain jingles. Some of his favorites include

Ray Sinclair Roofing
Empire Carpet
and for you out of towners
Stanley Steamer

But, wait, this only get worse. He refuses to watch kids shows that have music and dancing. In fact, a couple of months ago we were watching the last few minutes of Live with Regis and Kelly. Laurie Berkner was on with her stirring children's classic Rocketship Run. Casey was totally uninterested. I guess the show ran late because it segued directly into the theme song for Ellen and mad dancing, smiling and laughing ensued.

And, the worst of all, is that Casey actually has a favorite tv theme song. It's shameful, not just for him but for me. He will run from anywhere in the house to listen to and watch the opening theme to...

GENERAL HOSPITAL!

I'm going to die and go to hell for being a bad mom. In my defense, the images on the screen flash quickly and really keep his attention. Hopefully in time he will develop a more sophisticated musical taste. One can only dream of him dancing to the Grey's Anatomy theme....

Fetal Development - Week 19

2008-09-18T15:28:00.002-04:00

Your amazing little baby is now around 10 inches in length! If this seems a bit shocking, you’ll be relieved to know he or she has not actually grown over 3 inches, but that their little legs are now straight enough to be measured. This is when doctors begin measuring fetal growth from head to toe, (no longer “crown to rump” or CR). Lanugo (little hairs) covers their whole body now, trapping that charming cheese-like vernix caseosa (see week 18) to the surface to the skin. This week your lil’ fetus will start on an appetizing diet of amniotic fluid which they are now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing the fluid as far as their tiny “large” intestines. Fortunately for you, this nice little lump of baby-poop won’t be coming out while they’re still in your womb. Some time shortly after they’re born, this fun lump will become the first in a long line of baby poops. (What finally comes out— commonly known as “meconium” to the science world, will be black and sticky, and you’ll be very glad it happens only once!)

*******

Also, I know I have been negligent in posting lately, but It has been hectic around here. I'll try to do a thorough update while watching football on Sunday!

Casey and his bucket...

2008-08-24T20:17:00.002-04:00

So Katie's mom was over for the Bengals game last night, and she brought Casey a few presents...by far, the bucket and shovel set were his favorite toy, although he has yet to grasp the concept of their correct use. From the time he got it, he was running around with it on his head, taking it off, throwing it back over his head, and running around the house again. He only took it off long enough to fill it up with toys, then dump them out and resume tearing up the house with it on his head. It wasn't till this afternoon that we thought of taking some pictures and a video of it. Enjoy!

The Bean this week:

2008-08-24T11:06:00.001-04:00

Fetal development in pregnancy week 15:

Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Still, many women don't feel anything until the 17th week or later. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events. Yay! You’ve got yourself one active healthy baby! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.

Can you say Giraffe?

2008-08-23T11:06:00.003-04:00

Casey and I went to the zoo with my friend Tricia and her kids (as I mentioned in a previous post). The Cincinnati Zoo has a new exhibit this Summer called Giraffe Ridge where you come face to face with Masai Giraffes. Basically you wait in line and are given a piece of vegetable (carrot or sweet potato) and IF the giraffe's are feeling hungry, they meander up to the platform so that you can feed them. Fortunately, 2 were feeding at the same time during our visit. Tricia snapped a few photos of Casey and I. Here's the best one. This is a free exhibit at the zoo and I recommend it to everyone who visits.

Baby Baby

2008-08-21T16:24:00.002-04:00

Most of you already know, but Matt and I are expecting baby #2. We have been trying to wait until the right time to publicly announce our good news, but it seems like there is never a good time. This week we are anxiously awaiting the impending arrival of Baby Girl Whitman and the anticipation makes me even more excited for our little bundle of joy.

Our due date is 2/15/09. The kids will be approximately 22 months apart. Lord help me! We will find out in early October whether we are having a princess or another prince. Matt wants a girl, I want a boy. We will both be happy with whatever is brewing as neither of us really had much say in the matter. I do tease Matt though that this is one thing he can't blame on me, if it does happen to be a boy. The current picture is from our latest ultrasound taken on 8/11/08.

I will try to post a weekly blurb on what is going on with the baby. I found a pretty funny site that puts a humorous spin on baby development.

Fetal development in pregnancy week 14:

Isn’t it glorious? You and your little buckaroo have roped your way right into trimester numero dos! Are you ready to rock!? Okay, okay… maybe just a little rolling and poking. Needless to say, your baby will definitely be making themselves known in the upcoming weeks. At about 3.5 inches long, their little body and limber limbs are coordinated enough for loads of complicated motions. In fact, their whole body is moving right now! You're not feeling it because their current size is still a bit too small to make an impact you'd recognize. Still, their movements are recognizable on an ultrasound. Speaking of which, you should be scheduling one with your health care provider! Week 16 is the classic date as you can usually determine whether your little one is going to pee standing up or sitting down. Your baby is also starting to develop the ability to move their eyes this week, although the eyelids still remain fused shut. What's more, they can make all sorts of fun facial expressions as they practice squinting, frowning, and grimacing. Cute development of the week: their little hands can grasp at things and they may already be sucking their thumb!

Cute Casey

2008-08-18T21:20:00.006-04:00

Casey has had some random moments lately that were quite endearing. For instance. He's really into dragging the swiffer around and chasing the pets with it. This morning he was "maneuvering" it and managed to get it airborne and sideways...as he tried to walk through a doorway. He landed flat on his little diapered butt. Hilarious!

Also, he is very into climbing stairs. He gets super excited as he climbs up the stairs in our house so he can see the dogs in their crates in our room. When he gets to the second to last stair, he just can't stand it anymore and he hikes his leg up really high to take that last two steps in one fell swoop.

Casey's latest obsession is putting things on his body. Just today he wore a dog leash, an ace bandage, his blanket, a Bengals sun visor (upside down and around his neck), and our favorite, my bra.

Last Thursday Casey and I went to the zoo with my friend Tricia. I usually wait to take my shower until Casey is napping but due to our schedule I had to quickly take one while he was out and about. I strategically placed the gates to keep him from the most danger and jumped in for a 3 minute shower. I kept the bathroom door shut because otherwise I would have emerged to find various items in the toilet and all the toilet paper unrolled. When I stepped out of the shower and opened the door, I found that Casey had drug a dining room chair into the hallway and placed himself in a perfect location to greet me.

Dad and Candy got me a cool red stool/stepstool for Christmas. I keep it in the kitchen and use it whenever I have to climb to get something on a high shelf. I also use it sometimes to take a seat while feeding Casey in his highchair. Apparently Casey thought it was ok for him to use it as well. Check out the look of guilt on his face as I snapped this picture.

And, finally, we have introduced the potty to Casey. We bought him a $1.50 potty from IKEA and we are basically just encouraging him to sit on it before baths. He had peed on the floor a few times while I was running his water and I thought that we may get an accidental pee in the potty that we could reward.

Sunday, after a full day of playing outside we took Casey in to the bathroom to get ready for his bath. He had just eaten toast with butter and jelly which was nicely distributed about his body. Also, the "tan lines" on his feet are really just dirt marks from where his sandals were. I can't help but be tickled by the fact that he has grasped the concept of sitting on the potty before his bath...almost. It helps to take the diaper and shorts off first.

Casey's Summer

2008-07-24T20:34:00.008-04:00

Casey was tired this morning and got his pacifier and blanket and was sitting on the front porch just talking to himself.

Daddy and Casey hanging out on the couch

Daddy trying out Casey's "new" carrier. This carrier was Michael Seth's and he is now 18 years old. Matt said it is still comfortable and it is in good shape.

No explanation needed

Casey waking up from a nap. I haven't gotten a sleeping picture of him in ages.

His new swimming pool.

His favorite activity was throwing all the balls out of the pool and having me go get them for him.

Safe Salsa

2008-07-24T20:23:00.003-04:00

Before the big salsa scare of 2008, I purchased my very own tomato plants. I decided on 3 varieties, a better boy, a yellow, and a lovely orange option called Mr. Stripey. How can you go wrong with a name like that? Anyway, I was able to harvests my first yellow tomato the other day. I would have had about 10 more by now, but my squirrel friends have decided that I planted the tomatoes for them, even though they are on my deck. I thought the dogs would be my biggest problem...not so.

As of today, I have only gotten 1 red tomato. I picked an enormous green Mr. Stripey, but it isn't ripe yet. My new strategy is to pick them while they are green before the squirrels steal them.

Cruise in Review

2008-07-09T20:43:00.006-04:00

Matt and I left on the 28th for a 6 day 5 night cruise on Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas. It was a much needed overdue vacation for the 2 of us. Mom and Pam split the babysitting duty for Casey so we were able to go and not worry too much about him (although I was a bit homesick for him)!

Enchantment was recommended to us by Sarah and Kevin after they took a similar cruise last summer. The cruise staff was amazing (except for our room attendant who just didn't stack up) and incredibly diverse.

Our first stop was at Grand Cayman. Matt and I rode horses along the beach for our shore excursion. These pictures were taken on the back side of the Island which has more vegetation, so don't judge the beaches based on these pictures.

The second stop was Cozumel, Mexico. This was my favorite shore excursion. We rode a catamaran out to a small coral reef and snorkeled. We learned a few things. A. Both Matt and I enjoy snorkeling B. We would like to do it again in a less crowded environment. There were so many of us being forced to stay between two buoys that we were kicking the crap out of each other. We had an underwater camera with us, but I haven't gotten the pictures developed yet (I'm not used to using real film anymore).

After we finished snorkeling we got back on the catamaran and went to a private beach. Free for our use were beach chairs, rafts, kayaks, a water trampoline and a water ice berg (inflatable thing you could climb on). Matt and I kayaked, swam and then rested in beach chairs before heading back to the top deck of the catamaran to sunbathe.

The crew on the boat had great personalities, they served unlimited beer and Margaritas (although Matt said he didn't taste any alcohol or ever get a buzz from them) and they played fun beach tunes. All in all it was a great excursion with a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.

Back on the boat, we really enjoyed our dining companions. Claire and Pierre were from the island of Malta in the Mediterranean. They were honeymooning and had just spent 2 weeks in Orlando. Chad and Kathleen were also honeymooning and are from San Angelo, TX where both Matt and I went to firefighting school. Conversation flowed easily and we meshed really well as a group.

We didn't love our waiter at first but he really grew on us by the end of cruise. In fact, he and another waiter dirty danced on the second to last night. It was so funny I about peed my pants. Our assistant waiter was awful, but that too eventually amused us. His basic responsibility in life was to provide bread and drinks...he did neither well. I nicknamed him "2" as he was second in command. The name stuck and by the end we almost had him remembering what drinks we drank EVERY night...almost!

(Salvo the head waiter, an uncomfortable Matt, and "2")

Everything else on the boat was fun, but not wonderful. The pools were overcrowded and the casino had very low payout. Although on the last night Matt discovered the world of video roulette. This could become very addictive. We are going to call around to our regional casinos and see if any of them have it. I also spent a lot of time in our awesome compact little room watching tv, napping, and relishing not having a baby around. Matt also played in Texas Hold Em' and Ping Pong Tournaments. He had fun but wasn't the big winner. He'll get em next time!

The shows ranged from pretty good to pretty lame. Basically we liked the comedians, the newlywed gameshow, and the Olympic gymnast, but thought the faux Broadway show and dancers were LAME! Our cruise director, Marc, was spot on all the time though. He was always chipper, as British people are supposed to be, and just top notch. Matt joked that he wanted to bring him home with us.

All in all it was a great week and a total change of pace. I think next big vacation I want to go to an all inclusive resort where we can more easily pick and choose what water sports we want to participate in without the overpopulated feel of the cruise. One other disclaimer, our cruise was 100% booked, so that may have impacted some of our opinions.

Now Introducing...My New Bike!

2008-06-27T14:27:00.006-04:00

I thought I'd blog about my bike, since some of you haven't even seen it yet. I'll include a before and after picture, since It has already had some work done. Katie got me new, more comfortable grips for father's day, and I installed them that morning. I had bought new exhaust pipes and a high performance air filter when I got the bike, but the dealer had to order them before they could put them on. When they came in, I rode the bike up to the dealer a couple weeks ago to have them installed, but they had ordered the wrong hypercharger (air filter), and had to go back and order the right one. It came in on Tuesday, and I brought the bike in that day to have it worked on. To make up for their snafu, they got my bike done by Wednesday night, and I picked it up on Thursday. The bike is now wonderfully loud, the way a cruiser is supposed to be. It isn't obnoxious, but sounds powerful and "mean", which is what I was going for. You have to look close at the pictures to tell the differences, but that is the beauty of it, they are subtle. I also ordered a "sissy bar" on eBay for the passenger seat, which I received on Thursday, and installed as soon as I brought the bike home from the dealership. I also ordered a bag that straps to that backrest, which will allow me to take small items with me to work (like lunch and a change of clothes, etc). I also uploaded a video so you all can hear and see the finished product. On a related note, my parents bought me the riding boots I had wanted, which I have only used a couple times, but seem to be perfect. Right now, I am done accessorizing the bike, since everything is so expensive for it, but my wish list has plenty of great gift ideas for birthdays and Christmas, etc. We are leaving for our cruise tomorrow, so the bike will get a much deserved rest (she already has almost 800 miles on her).

3 Things

2008-06-16T18:33:00.003-04:00

These pictures are for 3 purposes:

1. Candy's friend Linda, who recently passed away, sent this outfit when Casey was born. I wanted to post a picture of him in it.

2. We got Casey's hair cut SHORT today.

3. Dad claims that Casey is always smiling (it's a camera trick). The second picture proves otherwise!

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-15T19:58:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all my favorite dads...you know who you are :)

Here are some pictures of the festivities today:

Three Generations of Hulme Boys!

The Highchair Chronicles

2008-06-15T10:27:00.007-04:00

Casey has had a lot of "firsts" recently that just happened to take place in his highchair.

Casey is learning to use a spoon. In fact, sometimes he refuses to eat unless you let him feed himself. This is an attempt at eating Taco Bell pintos and cheese. It is a good starter food b/c it sticks to the spoon.

Matt and I recently bought Casey these new Crayola Tadoodles crayons. They are made so you can palm them instead of the typical way you hold a crayon. Casey was more interested in tipping them over than actually coloring. I found that if I taped the coloring book page to his high chair he left it in place. This same tecnique did not apply when I taped his masterpiece to the fridge.

Going along with the "feeding himself" theme, Casey has taken to eating his bannana like an adult.

And, the piece de resistance...Casey eating spaghetti on his own for the first time.

I'm home!

2008-05-30T08:47:00.004-04:00

Well I have been getting harassed about posting on this thing, so here I am. I got home from Iraq, on the 22nd, and I have been enjoying my "free" time. Katie and I went and picked up my new motorcycle from Shipps Wheelsport on Saturday. I have been occupying my time riding it, along with getting stuff done around the house. I'm putting up a picture of me and my new bike, and a video that I put together of my experiences in Iraq. Enjoy!

Mama Always Said, "Ain't Nuthin' Free!"

2008-05-16T08:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Dunkin Donuts was giving away free iced coffee from 10am to 10pm. So, after a trip to Target Casey and I drove to our nearest dunkin donuts (we probably spent as much in gas as the coffee normally costs). Anyway, when we got to D&D I felt guilty about JUST getting the free coffee, so I pulled through the drive through and ordered 3 bagels. I had a dialogue with the coffee barista (if you can call them that at D&D) about pink sweetener, paid and left. Half way home, while sipping my FREE iced coffee, I realized I didn't have my bagels. I paid $2.84 for a $2.67 iced coffee. Sigh!

Spring Has Sprung...

2008-05-03T21:30:00.001-04:00

...and Casey is airing out his britches!

Zoo Blooms at ze Zinzinnati Zoo

2008-05-03T21:09:00.007-04:00

Casey and I spent an afternoon at the Cincinnati Zoo a few weeks ago. Not only is our zoo one of the best, and second oldest zoo's in the country, it is an award winning botanical garden housing over 3000 varieties of plants from around the world. During the month of April, there are tulips and spring flowers as far as the eye can see. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Eating My Words with a Side of Humble Pie

2008-04-30T08:53:00.007-04:00

So, yesterday a co-worker, who is also a Vietnam Veteran, comes and asks me how I feel about the Matt Maupin funeral and the amount of coverage it has received. Apparently some people feel that the Army and media have spent too much time recognizing him and not enough recognizing other soldiers who were KIA. Interestingly enough, I had thought about this exact thing while watching the ceremony on tv, Sunday, but after giving it some thought, I realized that Matt Maupin's situation was significantly different than most KIA soldiers. He was MIA for 4 years, his parents started a HUGE network to support the troops called the Yellow Ribbon Support Center, the community has been very invested in his story, and the Maupin's have been very persistent ensuring that the Army bring Matt home. Also, his parents reached out to the families of all local soldiers who have been KIA and to the family of the civilian contractor who was also captured at the same time Matt Maupin was, and is still MIA. So, with all that being said, I think that allowing the community to be a part of Matt's Celebration-of-Life ceremony was fitting.

Ok, let me get back on track. After we discussed this, I told my co-worker that I feel like most people are fair-weather patriots (present readers excluded). It really annoys me and I have a pretty jaded opinion of these people. I told him that I think about how most people would still not care that soldiers had volunteered to serve our country if it weren't war-time. I have heard the counter argument, that it is not as risky to serve in peace-time, therefore, the sacrifice is not as big. My counter to that is, when you enlist, you do not have a caveat in your contract that allows you to gracefully decline service should a military conflict arise. My conversation with this co-worker left me feeling a little guilty for not only having these opinions, but expressing them. And then karma kicked me in the ass.

I recently answered a Craig's List ad for a Large Little Tikes Climber for $35. Through email, I asked if the set disassembled so that I could put it in the back of my SUV. She told me she wasn't sure, but that it would fit in a pick-up truck. I rarely advertise that my husband is deployed, but I mentioned that it would be difficult for Casey and I to transport it if it did not disassemble and asked if she could deliver it for a fee. She graciously said her husband would drop it off without a delivery charge.

Cut to last night. The husband of the seller shows up and drags the thing into the backyard. He asks me all about Matt and how I am managing. He tells me that they have 2 little girls and are trying for a 3rd and that they really appreciate all that our families endure. And, he refuses payment for the item. I adamantly insisted he let me pay, ESPECIALLY since he had delivered it. He said that he and his wife had discussed it and they felt it was a small way for them to give back, in light of our sacrifices. I thanked the man profusely and sat down on the swing out back to think.

I felt guilty for judging the motives of others and realized that I should be thankful that our society embraces soldiers of our era, considering the way the Vietnam Veterans were treated. I can't say that this situation entirely cured my jaded viewpoint, but it certainly made me sit back and re-evaluate my stance.

Casey's 1st Birthday Party

2008-04-13T11:01:00.006-04:00

We had a great time yesterday at Casey's party. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day. If you would like to see more, leave a message or email me and I will send you the link to them on Snapfish.

Video of Casey Walking

2008-04-13T10:20:00.004-04:00

It's been a week, but I finally got this video to load (it took 4 hours to load). Just to recap, Casey was hyped up on prednisone for his croup and up at 10 pm last Friday when he decided to stroll across the living room. This video was taken just minutes later.

Enjoy!

Happy 1st Birthday Casey - Take One

2008-04-10T18:16:00.003-04:00

Today was Casey's 1st birthday. We went to swim class this morning. The whole class sang to him and his teacher brought him a cupcake and candle (I helped him blow it out). We also brought cupcakes for the whole class and for the class of older kids (that's only fair). It was a nice way to celebrate his birthday on a weekday.

When we got home I gave Casey his first WHOLE cupcake. He had no problem devouring the entire thing...there was nothing left.

We are having his party on Saturday. We are keeping it low key with just family but it will still be fun. I'm sure I will get even more good cake photos.

Casey's Sick

2008-04-03T17:42:00.006-04:00

Casey has had a runny nose for 2 days and been a little cranky. But, he's teething again so I didn't think much of it. This morning he was especially cranky but I took him to swimming class anyway. Our class was only 7 weeks in duration and we missed 3 classes this session as it is. At swim class he rubbed his eyes a lot and was clingier than usual but still seemed fine.

I brought him home, put him to bed for a nap, and 25 minutes later he woke up wailing. He was so snotty and congested and coughing so hard he was having a hard time catching his breath. It sounded like there was in injured seal in his throat. On top of it all, my usually go-with-the-flow baby was inconsoleable.

I panicked a little, called my step-mom (who is a nurse and doesn't reccomend going to the dr unless it seems really necessary) and when she heard him she told me to take him to the ER or urgent care.

I called the dr becuase that office is closer to my house than the ER or urgent care and they told me to come right in. The dr was in the room about 20 seconds and heard him cough once and said he DEFINITELY has croup. Becuase he was having daytime issues (and croup is a mostly nighttime illness) she went ahead and gave him a steroid (prednisone). She also found that he has a mild ear infection as well. He just now went down for a nap again at 5:30 at night when his usual bedtime is 6:30. We shall see what the night will hold for us.

Here is a picture of Casey looking out the door at Valentine and crying.

Dancin' and Readin'

2008-03-30T20:40:00.001-04:00

New Videos...enjoy!

So Sad...

2008-03-29T09:54:00.004-04:00

Casey and I dropped Matt off at the airport this morning to go back to Iraq. I'm so sad. Here are our family photos we took while he was home. Also, we knocked out Casey's 1 year photos (2 weeks before his birthday) at the same time.

Casey and I dropped Matt off at the airport this morning to go back to Iraq. I'm so sad. Here are our family photos we took while he was home. Also, we knocked out Casey's 1 year photos (2 weeks before his birthday) at the same time.

Everything I've Been Meaning to Post But Haven't

2008-03-28T10:12:00.005-04:00

Matt has been home on leave so my blogging has gone downhill. We've had a good time despite my cold and Casey's stomach bug (coincidentally the first time he has really been sick). I hope you enjoy our pictures. We got professional family photos taken recently too, and will post those in a few days.

At the Airport when Matt came in for Leave

Casey somehow wedged himself in here

My favorite boys chillin' on the couch

Matt and Casey with their Easter Baskets

Casey with his Easter Basket

The Hulme Family on Easter

The Hayes Girls

The Hayes Girls and Casey

Casey in his new sunglasses

Casey's Newest Obsession

2008-03-07T20:59:00.002-05:00

Casey loves opening and closing doors. He learned and honed this trick at Grammy Pammy and Grandpa Art's house. They assure me that they will no longer allow him to refine this skill as he now has full blown temper tantrums at my house when I forbid him from doing it. He spends his entire day plotting his escape from the confinements of the living rooom, all so he can open and close his bedroom door. The video highlights his latest escape.

This video is kind of blurry, but I wanted to get one of him "cruising" along the furniture. I'm hoping he takes his first steps while Matt is home on leave.

Out with the Girls

2008-03-07T20:52:00.003-05:00

Casey and I went to lunch twice last week with friends. Here are some of the pictures of all of us. We are all online friends who have now connected in person. You also see them comment on my blog from time to time.

I Do It My Way

2008-02-23T21:48:00.003-05:00

Lately Casey has started doing things his own way. In fact, sometimes he doesn't like help. These pictures are some good examples.

Casey won't hold his own bottle. But today, after I made his bottle, I set it on the end table while I grabbed the remote and tidied up a bit. Apparently Casey couldn't wait.

Casey has started reading in his spare time. Note that the book is upside down.

I bought Casey this hat at the Gap outlet for next year.

It's on...

And it's off...

I call this picture: "What do you mean I can't hit the dog with her bone?"

Squealer

2008-02-15T22:17:00.005-05:00

Check out this video of Casey!

Katie

Shoes, Swimming and Balentimes Day

2008-02-15T08:56:00.004-05:00

I was tired of getting harassed for not having shoes on my baby in the winter but every shoes I tried was impossible to get on his foot. So, Aunt Sarah and I took Casey to get his first real shoes at Stride Rite last Saturday. His feet are so wide (both side to side and sole to top) that he had to get a 5.5 2XW (double extra wide). They carry exactly 1 shoe in the store in that size. So, Casey is now the proud owner of a pair of white orthopedic clown shoes.

Grammy Pammy went with Casey and I to swim class last week to take pictures and video for Matt. Here are a few of them.

Casey had a good Valentine's Day. He got 2 board books from Nonni Cindy, a teddy bear from Grammy Pammy and Pops (Art), a magnetic book from Gramma Candy and Pap (Stan) and a little people set from Mommy! Below is Casey opening his present from Gramma and Pap.

Bed Head

2008-02-15T08:53:00.002-05:00

Enough Said!

No longer a baby

2008-02-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

Casey is quickly transitioning to a toddler. This is plainly evident by his newfound independance as much as by my reactions to things. For instance, when Casey repeatedly threw his toys on the floor at Red Lobster recently, I didn't worry about germs, but instead about how long this game of "dropsie" would entertain him. I've also adopted a philosphy that Casey's gonna have to choke a few times before he understands that you can't swallow an entire cookie at one time. An event that involved both food and germs caught me by surprise today. While making dinner I put Casey in the highchair. He had cheerios, then some avacado, then vegetable pasta puree (YUM). For "dessert" he gnawled on a zwieback biscuit (teething toast) while I finished up in the kitchen. Well, out of nowhere, Casey starts laughing hysterically. I turn around to fing him hanging his arm over the side of the highchair feeding Valentine his biscuit. Both ends had been eaten on, apparently by two different recepients. I didn't fret about germs or the fact Valentine had just been out back throwing up not 10 minutes earlier. No, I was upset that I didn't have a camera. :)

Enjoy the latest pictures of Casey Doodle. One picture is of Casey using a straw for the first time last weekend at Cracker Barrell. Sorry for the poor picture quality but it was dark and I was using a camera phone.

Brrr

2008-01-20T15:23:00.001-05:00

It is so cold here. This is the third day that Casey and I have not even left the house! With all this time at home, Casey has become increasingly mobile. In fact, all he really wants to do is stand...all the time. Most of the time this requires me helping him up to hold on to the couch or ottoman. But, sometimes he does it by himself. And, as is to be expected, he's been getting injured. He literally fell from a standing position to straight on his forehead TWICE on Friday. Yesterday, while trying to climb on his toy storage thing he busted his lip. This must have really hurt because he needed a lot of lovin' to make it feel better. This picture is of him climbing on a shelf after he pulled all of his board books onto the floor.

Also, Dad was here last weekend for a quick visit on his way East for business. We had a really good time. This picture is of the boys right after they both woke up.

He's sooo big...

2008-01-10T18:31:00.000-05:00

Casey is 9 months old today. It's crazy to think that Matt has missed all but 5 weeks of that, and he was distracted with the impending deployment and new job for most of those...sigh!

But, today we started swim classes at the YMCA. It was a lot of fun. I would have to guess it was like Gymboree in the water. We sang songs and splashed and got our faces wet and blew bubbles, and floated, and kicked, etc.

The hardest part, by far, was getting us both dressed/undressed without anyone to help us. There really wasn't any place to "put" Casey so I somehow stripped while holding him with one hand. I finally figured out that they had like a big vanity area. I put a towel there after class, changed his diaper and was drying him off and he nearly rolled off and hit the floor. I caught him mid-air and he landed on his feet with his arm in my hand. He was a little shaken up by the "fall".

There was only one other mom/baby in our class so it will probably be cancelled. I'm bummed about it because it's the only day class other than Saturday and I can only imagine how busy that place is on weekends in January. The other 2 classes are at 6:30 pm and that means Casey would be getting to bed really really late. I will just have to wait and see.

38 Weeks

2008-01-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

Casey is 38 weeks old. You might wonder what the significance is of this. Well, I was 38 weeks pregnant when Casey was born. I can't believe he is as old as he was when he was born...or something like that!

I've been thinking about time this way lately. For instance, Matt was gone about 7 week from late May when he left for the mobilization site until he came home for leave in August. So, when he left again, I based everything around whether he had been gone again for 7 weeks. Then, I started thinking about time based on him coming home for leave next April. I would say to myself that he was less than half way to leave, etc. Now my whole time frame has been turned up on end because Matt may be coming home for leave in March now.

Anyway, here are some new pictures of Casey. He's really mobile now. I actually caught a lamp in midair the other day as he was pulling it off the end table by the cord.

Casey also got his second haircut. If you ever wondered how they get babies to sit still at these place, check out the grip this lady has on Casey's head!

Casey's First Christmas

2007-12-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, I didn't get very many good pictures. Uncle Kevin took a lot of video though for Daddy. Here are a few of the best pictures of Casey opening his goodies from Santa!

The Cincinnati Zoo Festival Of Lights

2007-12-21T21:34:00.000-05:00

Tonight I was supposed to go to the Festival of Lights at The Cincinnati Zoo with one of my friends, but she had to back out. So, I invited Grammy Pammy to go with Casey and I.

On the way there, Pam asked Casey if he was going to go to the zoo and see lights. We laughed at how funny it sounded to say were were going to see lights and not animals. But, it turned out to be quite fortuitous. We only saw 4 different species of animals (flamingos, macaques, a goat, and elephants).

Of ALL the animals we saw, the elephants were the most interesting. Cincinnati has 4 elephants, 3 females and 1 male. They have recently re-introduced the male, Prince Schotzy, to one of the females, hoping that they will breed. Prince Schotzy was given to the Children of the City of Cincinnati by Marge Schott and was named after her adored St. Bernard, Schotzy. Prince Schotzy is truly a prince from a line of Royal elephants of Thailand. Marge purchased him from Denmark because they had too many elephants to care for. Whether you liked Marge's personal ways or politics, you have to admit that she knew how to make a grand gesture.

The goat was the second most interesting, as it tried to eat Casey's blanket. For some reason, he was the only animal we saw in the children's petting zoo?!

Pam and I had an overall good time. It was nice going with just the two of us (without the man folk). We didn't have to worry about the crowds, lines, frequent bathroom stops, etc. She and I have a natural rhythm and she is quickly able to pick up with Casey where I leave off. This is good, because we got a Family membership and will be spending lots of time there come Spring.

5 Things

2007-12-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

I stole this from the Blog "me...at this moment"

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Deciding whether to enlist in the Army

2. Celebrating my first and only Christmas with just Dad and I

3. Gearing up for my last set of high school midterms

4. Babysitting my rear end off to make money

5. Pining for Trevor Schneck

5 Things on my To-Do List today:

1. Return my new coat that I bought that has a hole in the pocket

2. Buy my brother's girlfriend, Joslyn, and my Uncle Tim a Christmas present

3. Have my weekly dinner with my In-laws (I love this new tradition)

4. Pay bills

5. Write Christmas cards for my co-workers

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Hire a personal chef to make healthy, yummy meals for my family

2. Make a large contibution to HART

3. Pay off all my debt

4. Take care of my family

5. Get Matt a Ducati

5 Things I'll never wear again (or never wore)

1. tight rolled jeans

2. spandex!!

3. super high heels

4. a bikini

5. mittens (you have fingers for a reason)

5 Favorite Toys

1. my cell phone

2. my laptop

3. Cranium board game

4. a pogo stick (although I'm the only person in history to get injured on one as an adult)

5. my camera

Santa, not the Tooth Fairy

2007-12-10T19:20:00.000-05:00

So, Friday Casey got his first 2 teeth. I found this out while feeding him bites of molasses cookies that Pam and I were making. I stuck my finger in his mouth and he bit down. I won't make that mistake again. When the teeth come through a little further I will try to get a picture.

Today Casey and I went to lunch with my gal pals from HART. Afterwards I decided to go to Cincinnati Mills mall and do some returns. When we got there, I had to walk all the way to the middle of the mall to use the elevator because Casey was in his stroller. And, when we stepped off the elevator we were right by Santa. The picture is horrible of Casey, but Santa looks good. I love the Dasani water bottle in the picture.

It's Tree Season - and other pics

2007-12-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

We got our Christmas tree last Friday with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Kevin. I don't have the pics of us at the tree lot, b/c they are on Sarah and Kevin's camera. Also, a good friend of Gramma Candy and Pap knitted Casey a personalized stocking. It's so cool! Check out the pics.

Casey's Great Aunt Denise bought him this toy and it is his new favorite. We have already temporarily lost 2 pieces. I'm going to have to move the couches and unearth them.

Also, Casey is really into "talking" to the flat daddy. These pictures are too too cute!

Finally, I found a sticker on my banana that was priceless. Casey is modeling it.

Cornucopia of Events

2007-11-22T09:08:00.000-05:00

In honor of Thanksgiving I am going to post about all that's been going on this past month or so.

Casey is a wonderful sitter now. He loves to sit. In fact, he doesn't do much rolling around anymore. Here are some pictures.

In late October, Dad and Candy (Pap and Gramma) visited from Arizona. We had a good time visiting with family and doing projects around the house. Dad also went to the Bengals/Steelers game with me which we unceremoniously lost.

We got Casey's 6 month photos done while Pap and Gramma were here. Here are some of the proofs. We also had Christmas pictures done, which will make their debut on the blog after I send out the Christmas cards.

Casey is enthralled with football pre-game. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Check out him relaxin' takin' in the commentary.

These pictures are of Casey on Halloween. He was a monkey. We had more Trick or treaters than we have ever had before. One pic is of Casey before the festivities in his "Itsy Bitsy Spider" shirt. Another is of him playing with his light-up Jack-o-lantern. One is of Casey with Grammy Pammy and Pops (Art and Pam). And the last one is of him with Valentine (she's a glow-in-the-dark Skeleton). It was a rough night, so he's stretching out before he goes to bed. He'd hate to get a cramp.

Quick update

2007-11-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

I poked Casey in the face with a fork at lunch yesterday while trying to feed him a smashed up banana. He cried bloody murder, although I barely nicked him and it didn't even leave a mark. He has also started crying at loud noises or when I scold him. If there is a loud noise he first looks to me to see if I am smiling. If I am, all is good. If not, he bawls. 2 days ago he reached for the fireplace screen (for about the 100th time) and I looked at him sternly, shook my finger and said, "NO!" He bawled. This morning I was holding him and he slammed his head into my nose. I know that it caused him absolutely no pain. I, on the other hand, put my hand to my face and moaned a little bit...Casey bawled. I am assuming this is a phase he will outgrow. Most of the time it strikes me as hilarious when he does it, cause I know there is absolutely nothing wrong. I hold him and console him and quietly chuckle. It's really cute though when he does it.

I know I need to do a big blogpost about Halloween, his 6 month pics and such...I promise to do it soon.

Not Much To Say...

2007-11-10T01:40:00.000-05:00

Hello everybody. I finally had enough time (and computer access) to be able to get on the blog and say hi. I really don't have a whole lot going on right now, we've just been running alot of missions. The past week has been almost one a day. That's about it, to make the blog interesting, I will list all the places I have traveled to in Iraq...Al Taqaddumm, Habaniya, Balad, Baghdad International Airport, Fallujah, Al Asad, and several small posts west of Ramadi, including one that is on the Syrian border. This picture is from two nights ago, as we were preparing to roll out on a convoy. Hope this catches everybody up on what I've been doing (not much, really). Hope the home front is doing well!

Matt

Why did I even get up...

2007-10-14T08:59:00.000-04:00

I had to get up, Casey told me so.

Casey has recently started fighting me to go to bed at night and wakeing up ceremoniously at 5 am, ready to start his day...grr.

Last night he fell asleep in his carseat on the way home from Mom's (Nonny's) house. I had the foresight to put a clean diaper on him and put him in his pajamas before he left, so I just carried him right in and placed him in bed around 9:30. He didn't wake up...score 1 for Mommy!

Around 4:09 am I woke to chirping on the baby monitor. I flipped the switch to enable camera mode and found Casey in his trademark position, laying on his back, eating his blanket. This was a clear signal he would not be soothing himself back to sleep. I resigned to the fact I would need to go get him up.

Without speaking to him, I snatched him from his crib and plopped us in the rocking chair. Casey proceeded to lay still in my arms, cooing, staring straight at me for the next 45 minutes. I don't think he even blinked, let alone closed his eyes. I decided to pull out the heavy artillery and I made him a bottle. He drank drowsily and quickly drifted back to sleep around 5:30 am.

Cut to 7:13 am. I am jolted awake by a noise that I can only describe as my 2nd floor spare bedroom collapsing through the first floor. I scared me so badly that I had to sit in bed and collect myself before acting. First I checked the monitor...Casey was sleeping soundly. Then I switched on the light and headed to check out the damage. It was significantly less impressive than house collapse. A shelf that has been hanging on the wall for over 3 years had crashed down onto a wooden bookshelf that was directly below it. Various books, and knickknacks were scattered around the room. I turned the light off, shut the door, and decided that spare bedrooms were overrated.

Back to bed...or so I thought. My senses were now heightened and I wasn't drifting back to sleep. I checked the monitor and Casey was in the same position he was the last time I looked. So, I stared at the monitor for another 5 minutes and he never moved. My mind started reeling. Had god sent me a message by throwing shelves off my walls? Was Casey breathing?

I rushed downstairs and gently jostled Casey...he moved...shit...well not shit, but I didn't want him to wake-up. It was quite the Pyrrhic victory. Casey was alive, but I was wide awake.

I tried to catch a few Zzzs in the recliner, but Valentine kept licking my feet. Casey woke up around 8:30 all smiles. I guess babies do not need UNINTERRUPTED sleep.

As if my last 12 hours had not been bad enough, I decided to tempt fate and feed Casey prunes. WHAT WAS I THINKING? Purred prunes are approximately the color of blood stained mud. Casey loves them though. By the time we were done, his highchair looked like one of those Lysol commercials where they try to simulate how germs spread.

I hope my day gets better. The Bengals play Kansas city today. I'm currently undecided about whether I should even watch.

HAPPY HALF BIRTHDAY!

2007-10-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

Casey is now 6 months old. We celebrated his Half Birthday today by running lots of errands. In fact, Casey got the "Star Treatment" at one of our stops.

A lot of people have expressed their discontent when I have mentioned getting Casey's hair cut. Apparantly some people think you need to wait until the baby's first birthday to get it cut. So, we decided to follow this tradition...half way, and get it cut on his half birthday.

I took him to a place called Cookie Cutters to get his first cut. They have all kinds of videos that kids can watch, a play area, and a variety of cars and animals that they can sit in/ride to get a hair cut. Casey used the infant seat which was a race car. It's hard to see in the picture. He was really good though and looks MUCH better now that he got a trim.

Happy Daddy

2007-10-07T07:19:00.000-04:00

Matt is doing well. I got this picture in an email on Saturday. Honestly, I hardly recognized him. I hope you enjoy it.

Much to my surprise, Matt called me Friday. I was thrilled. We don't get to talk very often. In fact, the phone tent at his camp recently burned down. What was even nicer, was that his call was free. At the camp he was at, they get a free phone call on the first Friday of the month.

Although I think this is great, the cynical side of me says, "they aren't doing enough for these guys." Why only once a month? With the billions of dollars that have been wasted on this war, is it really too much to ask for each soldier to get one free 10 minute phone call home each week? I recognize that not all soldiers would be able to take advantage of this, but it would be something great to offer.

Instead, AT&T runs a monopoly over there. Their phone tents are the only opportunity the soldiers have to call home. Because of this, they can jack up their prices. I recently bought Matt an AT&T phone card (the only brand that is working there) that had 2500 state to state minutes on it. This translated to roughly 250 Iraq to US minutes...ridiculous! OK, my next post will probably be about how I am learning to just "let things go", but for today, I needed to rant!

September Recap

2007-10-03T21:34:00.001-04:00

I've been really lonely lately without Matt here. Most people encourage me to go out and keep busy to keep my mind off of him. Unfortunately, that just makes me tired and lonely. That being said, I did have a pretty eventful month.

First off, Casey and I went to the zoo with Art and Pam for an Army Reserve Family Day. We had a lot of fun. Casey was a real trooper and even tried cotton candy for the first time. Below are some of my favorite pictures of the animals.

Next, I'm super addicted to a website for people with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). One of my "friends" on the site recently moved to our area from Oklahoma. Her husband is in the military and got stationed at Wright Pat. She has a son that is a few months older than Casey, so we got the boys together for a shopping outing at Jeffersonville Outlet Malls. It was so nice to get out of the house with another mom and just talk, talk, talk...ok, and we did a little shopping and eating too. Here are some pictures of us.

Towards the end of the month, Sarah, Casey and I flew down to visit Uncle Mark in Florida for a long weekend. He graciously offered to fly us down and let us stay in his master suite at his house. It was so nice to get away. Plus, we got to drive down to Bradenton and see Grandma Marie and Uncle Dave too. Casey took his first visit to the beach. He didn't love the water...I think it startled him as it came up on him. Sarah got some good photos anyway. We also visited the Florida Aquarium. It was fun, but we went through it pretty quickly. Mostly we relaxed, hung out, ate good food, and shared good conversation. There are a bunch of pictures, but here are a choice few.

Finally, Pam's sister, Denise, came down to visit Art and Pam. We spent a couple hours with her one afternoon. I don't have any pictures to post, but it was nice seeing her. Casey met 3 great uncles/aunts within 1 week. Hopefully Pam will post some pictures soon on Hulmeville Buzz.

Introducing: Sample of the Week

2007-09-27T12:08:00.001-04:00

I am a sample addict. If I can get a free sample, I will try just about anything. So, I decided to share the wealth and post a weekly free sample on the right side of my blog. This week's debut sample is Folgers coffee. I ordered Creme Brulet.

Let me know what you think of this idea and by all means, get what's coming to you...a free sample!

ARE YOU READY...

2007-09-12T22:21:00.001-04:00

FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!

We had a Monday night party. The Bengals kicked off their 2007 season with the Monday Night Football home opener. It was so much fun and they won. Even if they had not won, it was one of those games that are great to watch.

This picture was taken of the Hulme family in May, the week that Matt left for WI.

Check out Casey and I before the game on Monday...has he grown a little since Daddy left?

Also, Matt is doing pretty well. I will send out another update soon with more info. Here is a picture of him in his vehicle.

A Week of Firsts

2007-09-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

A lot of new things happened this week!

First of all (ha ha) Matt arrived in Iraq. His original mission was supposed to be working in the aid station, but now he is going to be assigned to the Transportation company. This means that he will be riding along with them on their daily convoys and be responsible for any medical emergencies. This could be anything from a bee sting to attending to someone injured in a roadside bombing. Let's all hope he doesn't see any of the later. Here are 2 pictures of his living conditions.

Next, I started Making Casey's babyfood this week. It's really easy and affordable. I invested $30 in a Cuisinart mini-prep and $10 in trays to freeze the babyfood. Otherwise, I am using organic fruits and veggies and it's still cheaper than Gerber. He really likes bananas. Here's a picture of the Baby food trays I am using.

A couple of months ago, Sarah and Kevin bought Casey his first pair of Nike Sneakers at the Outlet mall. Mom (Nonny) put them on Casey for the first time this weekend.

Finally, the biggy, Casey rolled over. I was sleeping and heard him fuss. I checked the video monitor and could see him tossing and turning, but he wasn't awake. He sleeps on his stomach so all I could see was the back of his head. I woke up again about 15 minutes later to him talking a little more. So, then I checked the monitor again...demonic eyes were staring at me. He had rolled over and the night vision on the camera was showing his eyes in super bright white. After I got over the initial shock of thinking that someone was in his bed, I realized he had rolled over. I ran downstairs and praised him. Here is a picture of how I found him. Since then has had done it a few more times on his own while playing on the floor. He only rolls from his stomach to back and towards his right side.

Birthday and Boy Day

2007-08-26T07:58:00.000-04:00

BIRTHDAY
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Yesterday was my 27th birthday. I was so blessed to get to spend time with my family and for all my wonderful gifts. I shall try to list the bulk of them:

Mom got me new clothes (she gave them to me early so I would have them to wear when Matt was home on leave)
Dad and Candy gave me a new purse, jewelry and various other little treasures
Art and Pam gave me an assortment of Burt's Bees products
Sarah and Kevin gave me a brand new digital camera (expect lots of pictures)
Kamala and Cindy (co-workers) sent me a bouquet of daisies
And Matt sent me a birthday cake made of flowers, chocolates, a balloon and teddy bear.

Sarah and Kevin came over yesterday morning and Kevin babysat (again) while Sarah and I went to lunch at Deweys pizza and to see The Nanny Diaries. The movie was really good (although not as good as the book, movies never are) And it was great to have "sister time" two weeks in a row.

When I arrived home to the smell of fresh baked cookies (more later on this) there were 2 deliveries on my table. One was the flowers from my co-workers and the other an assortment of gifts from Matt. I have never seen a cooler flower arrangement than the birthday cake flowers. They even came in a cake box. Casey took the teddy bear which I later named "Bobby".

A few hours later Mom arrived and watched Casey while I rented movies and picked up Outback for dinner. We watched Miss Potter, a surprisingly good little sleeper movie about the life of Beatrix Potter.

BOY DAY
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Yesterday morning Art came over and took Casey on a walk. He does this pretty regularly when it's not 100 degrees here. He would do it in 100 degree weather too if I would let him!

Also, Casey got to spend the second Saturday in a row with Uncle Kevin. Not only did they play and hang out, but Kevin managed to bake cookies and make a side item to take to a party. He put me to shame, because I am never that productive when Casey is napping.

Thirdly, Casey got his new stuffed friend, Bobby bear, yesterday. He really likes him!!

MATT UPDATE
****************

Matt is still in Kuwait. He says that it's really hot (but then again he hasn't been in Ohio) and that everything is a good distance away. He have talked 3 times since he arrived there, and we are text messaging every day. I can send him as many text messages as I want for free and each one he sends me is $.50. So, it is an effective means of communication. He has been able to check his email but has to pay to be on the Internet right now, so please refrain from sending anything until he is settled in Iraq. I will post more once his unit moves North to Iraq.

RECAP
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All in all I had a great birthday despite the fact I couldn't share it with Matt. I appreciate all the effort everyone put in to make it special!!