holy cow!

I read this on a friend's blog and I couldn't help sharing it. I had two babies that hovered around 8 lbs and I was glad I didn't have to push them out. (Hoorah for c-sections!) I can't even imagine this. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070926/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_russia_baby_1

the weekend

Weekends are so promising, aren't they? We, at the Hibshman Household, have a long list of things we'd like to do before leaving the Des Moines area. I'm sure my list is longer than Jon's, but since he has to put up with me, they're basically the same thing, right? Anyway, Ledges, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, Nauvoo, Winter Quarters, St. Louis, Kansas City, Mall of America, Field of Dreams, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, good intentions and talk don't get things checked off very well. Due to time and monetary restrictions, I'm pretty certain we're going to leave without checking very many off. Oh well. It's all good thoughts and that's what counts. Maybe someday....good thing that's easy to say. Someday. I sure say it alot.
I recently joined Facebook and it's been interesting to browse around and see who I can find. Unfortunately, I'm not brave enough to contact the majority of the people I do find. I always thought it was strange in college when some person from my high school (who I rarely talked with when we saw each other regularly) would come up and ask how I'd been and say it'd been forever. So, now that I'm finding people, I find it kinda random of me to suddenly contact them. What do I say? Hi, I know it's been 7 years, but how've ya been?! Strange. If it were me, I'm not sure how I'd feel about it. I guess it'd depend on the person. There's another problem...what if they didn't really care to hear from me? It hasn't been all second-guessing and questions though. I did find some great friends that we've been wondering about and it is fantastic to see that they're doing so well. (They are even bloggers! WAHOO! Somewhere else to spend my time! :)) It's interesting how much smaller the world seems when so much information is at your fingertips. I sometimes wonder how much different life would be without it. I also realized lately that the Hibshman Household will probably never have dial-up again. Now that we've had fast internet for so long, I can't imagine going back. How would I survive? So, pathetically enough, that is getting figured into our potential bills and we look at Salaries and costs of living. I know, I know...wants and needs, wants and needs. What do you do?

another small step...

...for the mother of the year award. I was just telling Debbi the other day that I really should put Mason in the playpen for his naps. Usually, I lay him on my bed and he (generally) rolls over and goes to sleep. However, he is very rolly-polly and I was worried he would roll off. However, I'm too dang lazy. I'd have to get the playpen out of the case, set it up, put all the pieces in, and find somewhere to put it. Now, I'm sure you're wondering, why don't I just put him in his crib (yes, we do have one)? Well, in our [very] small apartment the kids share a room. (Which is really ok with me). However, this means that if I put Mason in his bed, then Brooklyn is unable to get to her toys. That means she spends every nap time either in front of the tv or asking me to go in and get something for her. A pain in the rear, to say the least. So, he naps on our bed. Sometimes in the afternoon, he is sleepy but not tired enough to sleep. Just enough to be clingy. So, occasionally, I try laying him down for a rest. Yesterday was the same. I laid him down. He didn't roll over and go to sleep, but he didn't fuss either. He was just laying there talking to himself. So, I left him. Once I went in to give him back his binkie and he was still in the middle of the bed. NO worries. Not long after, I was chatting with my mom-in-law online and Mason suddenly started Screaming. Not just a cry scream -- an ear-piercing-I'm-hurt-and-scared scream. My heart instantly started pounding and I started down the hall to find Mason on the floor between my bed and our computer chair. I felt SOOO guilty. I knew it was going to happen...Needless to say; we survived. A bump on the head, some serious guilt, and a good night's rest; and we're back to (relative) normal. He's cutting yet another tooth, so he's been clingy for a few days but other than that, we seem to be ok. I really hate that I'm such an idiot sometimes.



On to less depressing things (for me, anyway) I have some pics that I'm sure some grandmas and aunts/uncles may like to see, so I'm going to just add random pics with information. Enjoy.
This is Mason's super cute new church duds....isn't he handsome!??!!! You can't really beat $2.00 pants, and super cute vest from Wally World. YAY!



Even a little smile :)This is Brooklyn's new fav past time. (because Mason's toys are soooo much more exciting than her own)....She's riding her horse (the tower) and pulling a carriage. She's crazy, I know, but oh so cute! We'll keep them both!! (provided I don't kill them off by dropping them on their heads, or other some sort of neglect.....

buddies

all you need is to meet someone's toes to know if they're a true friend or not.....

frustration

It's Wednesday. That means we head to the mall for the playplace. Brooklyn talks about it all morning and all through lunch. She chatters about it in the car and asks to go for the two days after the actual event. With all the buildup, you'd think we could play there for hours on end. That used to be the case. Not so much anymore. Now, we talk about it, she asks to go, we go and do our usual routine. Only for her to come to me, just as all her buddies get there, and tell me she's ready to go home. There's no persuasion otherwise, either. For the first few requests I send her back out to play. Each time she comes back sooner asking to leave. I tell her we're going home to rest and that she isn't coming back. "Ok." she says. I tell her we aren't coming to the mall anymore until next week, "ok" she says. She's perfectly content to go home. Until the next day, anyway, when we are getting ready for lunch and she says, "I want to go to the mall for lunch". {GRR}. I've been noticing that she doesn't want to play outside unless there is someone to play with, which I understand. It's more fun for me, too (when there's someone to chat with). But, seriously. Here we are, in the middle of a huge (enclosed, hoorah) playground, with a dozen friends running around....and she wants to go home. Such incredible timing. Sometimes I wonder if she gets overwhelmed. It would make perfect sense, but it's never bothered her before. Today I wondered if she just doesn't like having so many friends around. Maybe she doesn't get to hold so-and-so's hand, or maybe so-and-so is playing with someone else. If that's the case, then it's good she wants to go; it's better than throwing a fit. However, I would think with so many options, she would be perfectly content. Oh well... Someday one of us will have it all figured out. That'll be the day....

fun swapping + sibling bathtime

I {heart} packages! This one was especially fun. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Miss Sarah R! I LOVE it!! "Never Been Kissed" was definitely on my list to buy (but hadn't :D) I've never read the book (hoorah for a new read), music anyone can jam to, treats (can never have too many of those), and jewelry (yipee for hoops and simple studs)! I love it. My dear Heather got: Mambas, cds, "10 Things I Hate About You!", and Subway. Wasn't 1999 Great!?!?!

On to other things.... Sometimes we put the kids in the tub together to "save time" (although I'm not certain it actually does...). Brooklyn LOVES it when we do. She thinks it's hilarious to be in the tub with Mason. It gets tricky, though, since Mason doesn't sit on his own on dry carpet, the slipery tub is an even bigger challenge. He loves it, too. He thinks Brooklyn is SOO funny. (as if she needed someone egging her on...). OH well, at least they're friends!

i LOVE jon

Although our Anniversary was yesterday, I wanted to just take a moment to tell Jon how much I love him. It has been a wonderful 6 years and I am grateful for every moment passed and all those to come. Thank you for loving me and for everything you do for me. We have two beautiful children and I cannot wait to see what life has in store for us still. I love you!

more babbling!

WHEW! Two posts in one night???!!?? I know. It's crazy. I just have so much to babble about. I didn't realize how "awesome" I must look today until I uploaded the pics for this blog. I almost don't even want to put them on, but I must. It's the joy of blogging. So the story of last night.... Mason's had a stuffy nose lately and I couldn't tell if it was due to teeth or cold. I found out last night. He usually goes to bed around 8. Usually it's a struggle to stay up that late. Last night was the exception. He was tired at 8. Ready for bed even. But, he was so uncomfortable/miserable, he just couldn't fall asleep. He wanted to badly, I could tell. Generally he hates being held when he's tired. He wants to lay down and go to sleep. But yesterday he was so miserable he wanted to be held. Miserable/held. Lay down/sleep. It was quite a dilemma. A dilemma that took until about 1 a.m. to solve. We set up the humidifier. Tried laying him in his bed. Tried our bed. Tried walking. Tried cuddling. Tried reading. Tried back rubs. The list was endless, and in all our trying we woke Brooklyn up multiple times (poor kid.). Finally he slept at 1. By then, I had put Brooklyn in my bed so she could sleep. Sent Jon to bed so he could function, and immediately collapsed on the couch. My reprieve was short-lived, however. 3:00 rolled around with Mason awake again. After trying a few things, I finally left him in his bed and closed the door. As I came out of the room, Jon was coming in. Because of the humidifier and Mason't screaming I hadn't heard him and it gave me a heart attack to have him suddenly standing there. He persuaded me to lay in bed and somehow Mason fell back asleep. I was still one of three people in my Queen size bed. Let's just say, it wasn't a restful night. Somehow, Mason slept the remainder of it, though and that's all that matters. For some reason I felt like a partial family photo, and I suddenly realize, my night wore on me more than I thought. OH well. (holy bags under the eyes). Good thing I didn't really see anyone today. :S (at least I had my sunglasses on :D)

here we go again...

I'm not so sure I like the way this is headed. When Brooklyn was little, she would play with her ears. It was a comfort thing. Until the helmet, that is (entirely different story). Mason is NOT the same. I knew they would be different. How could they not be? However, I was really hoping Mason would be like Brooklyn in one respect. Lack of Ear Infections. I can't really say that he's actually had any, though. We played the same game for the second time today. I told you all in my last post that I was concerned about his ears. Well, I was right. After a night of a serious lack of sleep (Brooklyn ended up in my bed and I on the couch....). Mason was 10 times worse today than yesterday. Not only was he so stuffed up he couldn't suck on his binkie, his eyes were watering as if he was crying even while smiling. So, off to the Doctor we went. And the diagnosis? Same as the last time (See here). This time, however BOTH ears were incredibly red, and only his left eye had real drainage (worse than is right at least). Poor kid. So, we're back on Augmenton (sp?) and hopefully it'll clear up fast. It also brings a dilemma. Are ear infections contagious? Just the cold? I wonder because, for the most part, he seems to be ok. Sleeps a little more than usual, a little clingy; but otherwise, same kid. Should I keep us all home over this? I'm pretty sure the answer is yes, but that brings the question: Can I handle us being at home 24 hrs for more than a day? Especially with the weather being so pleasant! It was so hard to come in today when we were playing. We did though, and I'm glad. Mason needed to rest. OH well. Maybe we will stay home from lunch bunch. That doesn't excite me too much though. Ah well. I guess that's why I'm the mom.

babbling...

I cannot believe how quickly it got cold around here! I left for choir yesterday a.m. and got about two steps before I came back in for a jacket! I've also discovered that it's going to be this way for about a week. GOod thing my kid is a twig and still fits into her jackets from last year. Also, luckily, someone who loved us when I had Mason gave us a jacket in his current size. Good thing!! I do like the change, but this one seemed a bit sudden. I just ran into the dilemma for weather like this, though. We ate, ran to the groc store, and watched a movie...Now what? It's only 2:30. Jon won't be home for 5 more hours. I supposed we could watch another movie, but I try not to do that. Brooklyn is currently aimlessly wandering around the living room, and i think Mason's about ready for another nap (mmm, a nap....). Who's husband has one of those cool light thingy's that can look in Mason's ears? I suspect he has an ear infection, but isn't really showing consistant signs enough to justify an office visit. Ear infections weren't frequent at our house, so I'm not so much the expert on them...
Mason is finally picking up on sitting. He will sit by himself for a minute or two, but then forgets to balance and falls over. It's rather amusing, to me anyway. He doesn't much appreciate it when I don't catch him. One of these days, he'll do it for real and we'll all be a little more content. I can't believe how fast he's growing, though. 7 1/2 months already! Brooklyn's nearing the 3 1/2 mark, too. Where does the time go? Ah well. I love being around to see it! I don't have any recent pics on this computer, so I'll post some next time. I did some scrapbooking over the weekend, and I'm currently doing random things from 2006. It's amazing how much Brooklyn has changed and yet still is the same. She still looks the same (without so much of the baby face) and still talks much the same (tone-wise) as the videos we have. It's pretty amazing. I can't wait for she and Mason to really start interacting. They do now, but I'm sure that once he says more than "da-da-da" (which is a current favorite) there will be very little quiet time here. We'll just have to wait and see! Happy Monday, all!

wednesday

We just got back from Kristan's house and it was a blast. Brooklyn even acquired a new hobby. She stood and beaded for quite a while and then struggled to leave. Since we don't have beads at home, Kristan's house is much better! Lucky for Brooklyn, I had some beads leftover. Back in the day, there was this kinda strange store in the Layton Mall that had LOTS of incense and crazy stuff. We would always go in and buy these bracelets that had "meaning". You tied them on, they were strung on some kind of rope, and when they broke whatever they stood for would come to pass. I had friendship and love. (They actually broke around the time I started dating Jon, but I'm not really sure they had anything to do with it....) And, being strange me, I saved the beads. GOOD THING, too or I would have to listen to Brooklyn talk about going to get her some beads today for the rest of the day. Anyway, she was further entertained and is currently doing her aimless walk around the house.

We've also had a graduation of binkies of sorts. Mason's binkies were getting all noisy and gross, so I ventured out to buy him some new ones. It's awesome that I can (we never could find the kind Brooklyn took...). So, out with the old. They've been sitting on my counter for a month or more, and I think it's time to just let go. So, Farewell fair binkies....You served your purpose well.

And, finally, isn't licking the bowl/spatual great?

the weekend

I really am struggling to blog regularly lately! So, in order to ensure that no one thinks I've fallen off the earth, I will babble on about my weekend. It was the first of my unemployment and I gotta say, I truly enjoyed it. We didn't do anything spectacular, in fact, basically all we did is spend money. Although that is fun, it is sort of anti-useful after quitting employment. Nonetheless, that is what we did. Saturday found us at Drake around lunchtime, so we hit the Diner. Very tastey. Then, a phone call from some great friends found us at O'Charley's for dinner. None of us had been there before and it was also very tastey. The excellent company was an even bigger bonus! Saturday night brought on a game of Risk, which I lost, as usual. I love to play games and I take every opportunity! Sunday was church, good but not out of the ordinary. Then, while visitng different great friends, we found ourselves in front of the Settler's board. Again, I lost (multiple times), but still completely enjoyed myself. Monday was a full day with nothing planned and an available husband! Who knew that could happen? We ended up at the mall. It was great. Jon got a new dress shirt for $5! I also got some new jeans, in my old size, that FIT! I was way stoked about that! Good deals at Children's Place got Brooklyn some shirts and a winter hat, and Jon finally spent his Christmas present at the bookstore. Finally we cleaned our carpets. Although I can't exactly tell a difference, it still feels good to be done. At least we can say we did it!
Wasn't that the most exciting weekend ever? Oh well, we spent it together and were actually sort of productive. What more can I ask for?
p.s. the pic is from a couple weeks ago. after throwing a little fit that Kristan didn't ride in our car (from her house to my house, no less) Brooklyn fell asleep on the couch. If only she'd nap more often....