Living Well In Vernon

Last Weeks of Summer

2010-08-02T11:36:00.003-04:00

Canoeing at Layman's Lake

Playing golf at Ford's Crossing

5 Years Together!

Cowboy Davey at VBS

Sweet Solomon

It seems like forever since I blogged, but a month is not that bad. I am busy trying to get ready for the upcoming school year, but most of the time I do things to avoid it! Solly is growing like a weed...5 months old now! He has survived his first ear infection and is going through his second one! I hope this will all clear up soon. I know the first year is a tough one as he is getting exposed to all the new germs. Solly has been going a few hours a week to Judith's house to get used to the daycare. Luckily he takes a bottle better than Davey did at his age. He loves to smile (mostly at Davey) and being outside. He tries to sit up on his own, but he is not quite there yet.

We all survived VBS and had about 55 kids each night. Davey even participated this year and LOVED the cowboy theme. It was a fun week...but a lot of fun.

Josh and I celebrated our 5th year anniversary last week. He spent a lot of time running to all the local florists to recreate my wedding bouquet. This was tough since we were married in Jamaica. I especially love it because I was not able to bring my flowers home because of customs. We even got into our wedding clothes and they still fit (though it wasn't pretty!).

We are trying to get back into shape these days. Josh and I have started the Couch to 5K running program and are about to start week 3 of 9. We really have enjoyed the time we get three times a week to be without kids and sweat like pigs! :) We have also tried to be better at what we eat. I think Josh has lost about 5 pounds already and I have lost 3.

Davey is a precious boy. We have a great time playing inside, outside, anywhere. He is starting to play imagination games and loves to dress up in costumes right now. Spiderman, Batman, Buzz Lightyear...whatever! We have an open house for his preschool next week and both of us are excited about that. He loves to swim in Nana's pool. He will tell me, "Mama, it is too hot out here. We need to go to Nana's house and swim!" The only thing he likes to do more than swimming is golfing! I haven't gone to the course with him lately, but Josh tells me that he is hitting the ball really well...and really far!

A couple of friends and I have enjoyed trying Once a Month cooking. We reserved the church's large kitchen and cooked up a storm. I think we each ended up with 8 dinner, 4 lunches, and 3 breakfasts for about $7 per meal. And did that all in about 5 hours!

Well, school will be starting August 16th. We have a new schedule (going from a 4 block to a 7 period), two new principals, and fewer teachers. It will be tough to leave my sweet boys in 2 weeks, but I do like new beginnings. It is a little exciting to get started on a new year with new kiddos.

Enjoying the Summer with the Boys

2010-07-01T15:30:00.004-04:00

In the George Washington National Forest

In Skyline Caverns

Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park (found the bear mask at the gift shop!)

Flying around Southern Indiana

On Thomas the Tank

The summer continues to fly by and I am will be shocked as I always am that school will start before I know it. At the beginning of June (before school was actually out yet), we took a road trip to VA and took in the sites around the Shenandoah National Park. We stayed at the Bryce Mountain Ski/Golf Resort and loved the 2-story 2-bedroom condo. We got some good relaxing hours in there. Getting there was an adventure! We actually took US 50 through IN, OH, WV, MD, and finally VA. It was great...except for West Virginia and for about 100 miles we went up and down a 7% grade. But we made it through! We went to the caves, went hiking, and came home with more clean clothes than dirty! I will have a hard time staying in a normal hotel room after having a full kitchen and a washer and dryer.

Right before we left our 40 year old air conditioner finally gave its last puff of cool air. We ignored the problem for a few weeks until it became 84 degrees inside and I don't want to think about the humidity! But we survived and are enjoying cool weather now. Hopefully everything will be finished by the time the heat returns.

We had an adventure for Father's Day. The following Thursday we got the chance to go up in a local man's plane for a little tour of Southern Indiana! I borrowed my sister's camera and Josh got to take aerial pictures of all 6 of his asphalt plants to frame in his office. Pretty cool since they are all about an hour away from North Vernon in different directions. We hope to get them developed soon. They turned out great. Davey and I got to go along and enjoyed it just as much as Josh.

Went and visited Thomas the Tank again this year. Again, it was a big hit. I guess we will be going there for the next few years if Solly likes trains like Davey does.

2 Months Home with the Boys

2010-05-04T15:06:00.003-04:00

I have been trying for a week to get pictures to upload here. Blogger must be having a problem...more should be coming soon!

I have cherished the opportunities I have had to use the phrase "the boys". I take pride in taking on the challenge of being a mom of two boys. I know there will be days where I want to pull my hair out and wish I could pull their hair into pigtails, but I also have wonderful days where I remember that they are some of the best parts of my life. Some people are shocked that we are going to "try again for a girl". I personally think this sounds like the worst reason to have a child to me. I am wonderfully satisfied with my sweet boys. I know little Solly is only 2 months old, but he has already made my family feel more complete. I am not sure how that is possible, but it is true.

I did get some bittersweet news that I need to go back to work full time next year. I was hoping that our Biology enrollment would be small enough to only go back half days, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I am VERY thankful to have a job...I know many teachers that are not so lucky...but I was praying that there may be a way for me to be home a little bit more with "the boys". I know these early year are precious and fleeting...but we have not planned well enough for me to quit teaching. I guess that means back to the grind for me in August. There are parts that I do miss! And sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't go crazy at home that whole time. Being a full-time working mom and a stay-at-home mom are both difficult jobs!

Turning the big 3-OH

2010-04-02T06:35:00.003-04:00

My super hero! He is standing on the platform of the playground that Josh is putting together. There is a slide that comes off the front and there will be swings by the weekend! The PJs did not come off of him for almost 36 hours! He even took them off for a bath and put them back on!

Davey and Solly at the Louisville Zoo

The jaguar was Davey's favorite (because of Go Diego Go!)

April Fool's Day each each has a different meaning in my house since it is my birthday. This year was as low key as it usually is. I don't feel significantly older this year, but a lot has happened and will continue to happen in 2010. I am coping very well with being a 30 year old mother of 2. I enjoy this title. Josh and I (and Solly) went out last weekend to celebrate at a Japanese steakhouse in Louisville. It was fun. Then last night, Mom and Dad came up and took us all out to the Mexican restaurant in town (not many options to choose from anyway). Then I will see the rest of the Watterson herd tomorrow when we celebrate not only my b-day, but Shannon's and Davey's. Sunday I am sure to get a nod at the Shaw's, but most of the focus will be on Davey turning 3. And that is fine with me!

My gift to myself was to buy a bathing suit. Not very exciting, but very necessary. The last suits I bought were for our honeymoon...and they don't look as good on me now as they did then. So I faced reality and bought a classy one-piece from Land's End. No...it doesn't have a skirt, but it does cover some of my more giggly parts! :) Got it in the mail yesterday and I might have the guts to try it on today. I still have about 10 pounds to go of baby weight, but I am starting to fit into some of my normal clothes that are a size bigger than normal. It is an understatement to say I am over all of my maternity clothes!

I am really enjoying my time at home with both boys. We have really be lucky recently and have enjoyed really warm weather. The boys and I have frequented the local parks and even braved the zoo! Solly is still trying to figure out some kind of schedule and I am hoping that sometime soon he will consistently go more than 2 hours between feedings. Davey chatters constantly, but is having some growing pains in personality. He is trying hard to be a big boy, but usually just gets frustrated.

Davey turns 3 tomorrow and I will post more from all his celebrations!

One Month Old!

2010-03-28T20:57:00.004-04:00

This will be a busy week for the Shaw family. Yesterday, Solly turned 1 month. We is a wonderful baby. He now only wakes up 3 times a night instead of 4. He is a great eater...just likes to do it often! We go to the doctor this Friday and I know he has gained a lot of weight. He usually has about 3 shifts of being awake during the day and loves to sit and look around. His hair is coming in red and his eyes are staying blue for the time being. He looks more and more like Josh each day, but Josh doesn't see it. Davey has been staying home with me and he is a great help to me.

Speaking of Davey, he turns 3 on Saturday! I can't believe how time flies. His language expands each day. More than vocabulary, I am surprised at the feelings he talks about and the information he has already put together. He is signed up to go to a preschool next fall 2 mornings a week. I think he will really enjoy it. The past couple of weeks have been a little bit of a struggle. It is like the terrible 2s have come together all in one dose. But he seems to calm down from his fits quicker each time and is starting understand interpersonal relationships a little better these days. He loves it when it is a Grandpa Day and asks to golf each afternoon. We will have a great time this spring and summer.

I turn the big 3-0 on Thursday. I have worked through my woredrobe trying to purge the articles that don't reflect my life as a 30 year old mother of 2. Not that I need to dress like an old lady, but I think it is time to get rid of the clothes I have been hanging on since college. I don't look that good in them any more. I still have quite a few pounds to lose from pregnancy, but I hope to get there soon. I am ready to be finished with maternity clothes.

Josh is busy putting together a playground for Davey and one day Solly. I bought the lumber for Josh for Father's Day last year. And I am glad to see it finally come together.

Introducing Solomon James Shaw

2010-03-01T11:58:00.005-05:00

We had an exciting weekend! We had a baby! Here is Solomon James Shaw born at 5:16 AM on Saturday, February 27, 2010. He was 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He is perfect in every way, but already completely different from Davey. Everyone is doing great! He is a sweetheart and a great sleeper so far! Here is the birthing story for those who are interested...

Thursday, I went for my prenatal appointment and was a "tight" 2 cm. The OB/GYN stripped my membranes to try to get some things started. That night I had a lot of cramping, but no contractions. Just felt horrible! Friday, I went through school as planned and didn't feel as bad. Just tired as usual. But somehow I knew Solly was going to come early. My due date was Monday and the induction was planned for Thursday unless something happened on its own.

Friday night, we have a tradition of getting pizza and going to my in-laws for supper. Right as we picked up the pizza, I started having a couple of contractions. But they were not consistant (15 minutes + apart) and not bad at all. But we went ahead and had Davey spend the night with Karen just in case we had a long night. Josh and I went home to try to get some sleep, which worked for about 2 hours. Then the contractions got stronger, more regular, and I thought I might have started leaking fluid. So I jumped into the shower and Josh packed the car.

By the time we got to Madison and checked into the hospital it was 1:30 AM. It had been a very busy evening (blame it on the full moon!) so the doctor on call was already there. Right before she got in the room, my water broke on its own. She told me I was at 5 cm and would be back later to deliver. I started the IV and prep work for my epidural and prayed that it wouldn't take 5 tries like last time. The contractions came on very hard and fast, but Josh was doing a great job getting me through them. Once the fluid was in the dr only had to try 3 times this time! LOL But it did ultimately work!

Once I got settled, my awesome nurse Anne told me that I would probably have the baby before her shift was over at 7. She reminded me to ring her once I felt the pressure to push. At this point, it was 4:10 AM. I called my sister to come. She was in the delivery room when Davey was born and is a helpful voice and videographer! By the time she got to Madison, I was ready to push. I pushed for about 20 minutes with no problems and my wonderful baby was here! So from hospital admission to delivery, it was less than 4 hours!

It was such a busy place for my little hospital, that we had to stay in the L&D room for most of the day until a recovery room opened up. Solly tried to nurse a few times, but was much more interested in sleeping. VERY different from Davey! He is much more laid back and his cry is pathetic compared to Davey's! Then at at 8:00 I went to surgery to get my tubes tied and that surgery went great as well.

I am shocked at how well I feel compared to my recovery after delivery. My tubal incision was sore, but that is it! I was ready to come home Sunday, but needed to wait for the 48 hour blood test to come back for Solly.

Not Much Longer to Wait!

2010-02-25T06:54:00.002-05:00

The past week or two has been a flurry of activities at the Shaw house. The new carpet came in and it looks WONDERFUL! Josh did a great job making new thresholds for the doorways. We are packed for the hospital and the car seat is in the car. Now we are just (not so patiently) waiting for the baby to come!

Davey got to spend yesterday with my parents. Something got into him on Sunday and he couldn't stop asking to go to Grandpa's house. Poor thing was pathetic...he convinced Grandpa to come and pick him up at the sitter's early in the morning and they spent the whole day playing. Luckily this morning we got a 2-hour delay so Davey gets to sleep in and try to make up for the fact that there was no nap yesterday! I hope Dad gets the same luxury.

This afternoon I have what I hope to be my last doctor's appointment! I will try to update this post with any info they give me on my progress. I am finding that I give very different answers to people when they ask, "How are you feeling?"... and it all depends if they have been pregnant! Because anyone who has been 40 weeks pregnant KNOWS how I feel! :)

Some more time off!

2010-02-09T19:14:00.003-05:00

It seems like the only time I get a chance to update the blog is on snow days. We had about 6 inches come down on us today and they have already cancelled school for tomorrow because of more snow, blowing, and drifting. I did get a lot accomplished today and I enjoyed some one-on-one time with Davey. The number of days are getting smaller when this can happen. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks until my due date. I am up to weekly appointments and things seem to be going just fine.

Davey cracks us up each day with the amount of words coming out of his mouth. But of course, with the cute things comes the comments that make you realize that he still is a 2-year-old. Like for instance, when he gets frustrated or completely disagrees with what I am telling him to do, he will growl his words at you. (Totally a Josh-thing!) Today he reminded me that I need to cough into my elbow. And he has realized that Daddy is the one to call when there are bugs or anything to fix. Mama is called when you are hurt.

Next are some pictures of our latest endeavor on the house...

Ugly red carpet before...

Josh's nephew, Joe, removing the carpet to reveal great quality, painted steps.

Well, then we had this mess...read below.

But not to worry! Josh to the rescue!

Floor is stronger now than in 200 years!

The next construction project on the house is underway and of course it is not without surprises. Josh and I were hoping to save up the money to get new patterned carpet for the hallways and a matching runner up the stairs. That would be the end of all the 1960 hideous carpet (you can see from the pics that it was cardinal red...but at least it wasn't shag like the rest of the house was!). We knew that we would need to paint the railing and spindles to match the carpet. And I really wanted the squeaks in the steps to be softened at least a little. All of that went off without a hitch. However, once we removed the carpet from the first floor hallway, Josh found that the joists would need to be replaced. He still has the new heat registers to put in...ones that won't leak. The new capret was supposed to be installed Thursday, but with our slight delay we changed that until next Wednesday. I will make sure to include pictures once it is all done. We are just hoping that the baby doesn't decide to show up a little early...we are excited...but NOT READY!

Snow Day!

2010-01-07T15:32:00.004-05:00

Davey and I are enjoying a lazy day at home in our PJs. He even went to breakfast at the Log Cabin in his footie jammies! Then we did go out to play a little in the snow before we got too cold. We are going to have to wait until Josh gets home from work to try sledding in our yard. I think we have about 3 or 4 inches right now and I think the majority of it is over. I am not sure what will happen for tomorrow's school. Matters how much more snowing, blowing, and drifting we get tonight.

Another belly picture for you! 8 more weeks to go and we have thought up a name for Baby Boy #2. From Josh's great-grandfather and his grandfather, we have come up with Solomon James. Not sure what nickname will come out of that combination, but we have some good options. Things are going well...getting bigger...more tired...less sleep...but all normal things, I guess!

A Premiere 15 Months in the Making!

2009-12-31T20:48:00.003-05:00

Before and then After

At some points of 2009, I was not sure I would ever be able to state it....but....THE UPSTAIRS BATHROOM IS FINISHED! I love to give Josh a hard time for taking at least 6 months on a project, but this one was notoriously long since so many weekends went to family time instead of remodeling time. This was the first project that we had a toddler during each stage. To say the least, Davey was not as much help as he thought he was being!

To say the least, there was nothing that wasn't changed in this little room. Older posts from last year showed the nastiness along the way. All new fixtures, vented skylight, exposed brick wall (part of the original 1840 house), new tile on the walls, in the shower, and on the floor (NOT CARPET! AND AQUA PARTICLE BOARD!), and a heated mat under the tile...soooo nice for those 3 am pregnant trips to the bathroom in the winter!

I know I don't tell him enough...and I give him a hard time about taking so long on projects, but my husband is amazing! He has more attention to detail than even I do and it makes projects come out just breath-taking. But don't worry...we are already talking about the next project to undertake!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T07:20:00.008-05:00

Davey getting ready to board the Santa Train in Madison.

Our little family after we got the tree decorated.

My present to Josh was a weekend in Louisville. Here we are dressed to the nines for supper in the revolving room and then off to the Nutcracker.

Walking in to the Santa presents. The tent was set up with his new sleeping bag laid out.

His new horse (he calls it "May"). He hasn't put it down since!

New sleeping bag

New movies from the Mount family.

Playing in Rachael's Tinkerbell tent that Sarah made her. Davey wants one now!

Matching hand-made hats for Dad, Davey, and one for the new baby, too!

What a wonderful time we are all having on our Christmas Break. Even Josh has had last week and this upcoming week off. Though we have all had the stomach bug, we are glad to be relaxing at home staying in our pjs as long as possible.

I think our total was down by one family get-together this year, but our total was 5 anyway! Davey did as best as he could with the combination of lots of presents, lots of people wanting to love on him, and minimal nap time. He got WAY too many gifts and he loves them all! Santa brought him his own camping supplies, a 2 foot styrofoam airplane, and play-doh. At the other Christmases he got some fun games (he is playing the Curious George beach game right now with Josh), lots of Little People, DVDs, a helicopter, and soo much more!

Josh and I ate ourselves into a stupor, but man was it good! We cleaned up the tree mess yesterday and started the transformation back to normal. I started rooting through the baby clothes to see what might be missing from the collection. While there are a couple things I will need to buy, we are in good shape for Baby Boy #2. I am also figuring out which small clith diapers to buy to complete my reusable diaper collection. Eigth more weeks until my due date, so I know this time will fly by so we are trying to use our time off wisely!

I finished my first assignment as a standardized test question writer for the Arkansas Biology State Test. I hope they like the questions I came up with because that could be a nice activity while I am home with the baby this spring.

Thankful

2009-11-26T06:32:00.002-05:00

This year we have so much to be thankful fo. I thought I would make a little list...

-Josh is exactly the person I have always needed to spend my life with. He is patient, thoughtful, and so handy! I will soon be putting pictures up of our new bathroom upstairs. It is gorgeous and worth the wait! We see eye-to-eye on the important issues like money and discipline. He is my best friend.

-Davey amazes me everyday. He is at a great age of absorbing everything and trying to figure the world out. He minds his mama very well for a 2 1/2 year old and is just so adorable. He is excited about being a big brother. Sometimes it is shocking that Josh and I made such a wonderful little boy.

-Baby Boy #2 (still no name)...we had many trials early in the pregnancy and I am very thankful to know that everything is as good as we can expect. God has made us lean on Him many times through the past 6 months. This is very difficult for a strong-headed, nonemotional girl to do! We eagerly await meeting him and having Baby become part of our happy little family.

-Of course, we couldn't go a week without the help of my in-laws. Between Karen's cooking, Dave helping Josh on the house, and Lisa hanging out with Davey at a moment's notice I am blessed to have such a wonderful family within 2 miles of my house.

-Can't forget the Watterson clan. Each day I realize how wonderful my parents are since I get to go through some of the same struggles now. My mother is the most patient and pure-hearted person I have ever met. She is a perfect balance between level-headedness and stright-up goofiness! Davey and Dad are obsessed with each other that just melts my heart when they are together. I am very thankful to have them as my role models. I hope I can live up to their example.

-Grandma Geneva had a rough patch over the summer. I am thankful that her stubborn Kentuckian ways served her well and she survived encephalitis. She has now been cleared by the neurologist and is getting more back to normal each day. I am glad to be able to spend time with her this holiday season.

-I am also thankful for my church family. Since Pastor Don has come to Vernon Baptist, our family up on the hill has gotten closer. It is wonderful to have others from the community to serve with. I am confident that God will continue to bless our church.

-I am thankful that I have a warm (soft of) house that we own. Though it is frustrating to see the parts that need work, I look at from where we came from and I am proud to live here. (Also refers to my pride/thanksfulness of Josh again!) We love the yard that Davey can sfely roam and the river in the back where we can canoe and watch the wildlife. Sometimes it is almost too much for us to take care of, but we will keep doing our best!

-Josh and I both have jobs. That is tough to say in this economy for many families this year. I love my job. Though day-to-day there are frustrations, I enjoy my time teaching my kids the complexities of Biology and help my AVID kids through the college process. Each morning, I wake up and look forward to hearing the crazy stories of life of an MCHS freshman. Josh's job is more stressful and I know he gets pulled in many different directions. However, he is great at it. He loves the days that he gets to solve problems that helps the asphalt plants work better. His company has been good to him (and us) for almost 15 years.

-This year has been a struggle for me to stay healthy compared to most years, but I am thankful that overall we are all in good health. The flu was no fun and the pregnancy has brought struggles of its own, but overall all three of us are well.

I know there are many more, but Davey is tugging at my hand so we can go and look at the 2 Christmas trees in his room. I don't want to miss a moment. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! Be thankful!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T07:08:00.004-05:00

Cowboy Davey

Waiting in line to throw sponges at Pastor Don

Sliding down the slide every which way!

Crying about someone bumping him in the bounce house.

Judith gave these teeth to him. He would put them in and try to scare someone. Then he would quickly take them out and say, "No scared! It's me!"

Blame it on growing up in the country with no neighbors to trick-or-treat to...blame it on never really liking to play dress-up or even pretend games as a kid...blame it on how annoying I think it is the candy greed that comes out in some kids on Halloween. Whatever you take...I have never been that "in" to Halloween. Add to this problem the fact that Davey has no idea what the "holiday" is, has no interest in a character to dress up as, and really doesn't get that excited about candy. Apathetic Halloween was the theme this year. I was busy making sure the Fall Festival at Vernon Baptist Church was planned and organized.

Figuring out what to dress Davey up as was low on the priority list. But of course Mother Guilt set in Friday. I was talking to another teacher who has 2 boys (David is the oldest for her, too!), she was going on about how thankful she was to have those pictures from when they were young. Now they are too old to want to trick-or-treat, but she can still remember what they dressed up as each year.

So Friday night, Josh happened to find a cowboy hat that he had when he was a little boy at his mom's house. Then the costume was set! I bought a red bandana at Wal-Mart and Josh dressed him in jeans and a plaid shirt. He was a cute little buckaroo!

He had a great time at that Fall Festival along with about 150 other people. One Sunday School class pitched in to rent an inflatable bouncy house with a slide and it was a big hit with everyone. There was also a golf game that Davey loved and an opportunity to throw sponges at the pastor. Then we headed over to Josh's grandmother's house (Mamaw), Judith's house (the babysitter), and the spent the rest of the evening at the in-law's. They live on a very busy trick-or-treating street and probably had over 400 kids come through. Davey helped passing out candy with his Aunt Rachael and Cousin Mackenzie.

So now that it is all said and done...I am glad we got Davey into a costume with cute pictures to remember it by. But I am also glad that I didn't spent $20 on a cheaply made costume that he doesn't care about. Best of both worlds?

Reading and TPing!

2009-10-28T17:56:00.004-04:00

Here is a little video of Davey "reading" a book about Eeyore losing his tail...at the end he is happy to have found it. Unfortunately, Davey was on a real roll reading last night, but by the time we got the camera upstairs he was over it and didn't do as well with the Pooh book. Still cute as can be!

And I included a belly picture from this morning. Of course the shirt makes me look bigger than I really am...well, I hope it does! I already feel huge...a little over 4 months to go before we get to meet Baby Boy Shaw. And no...no names yet...we are searching the family trees for something that I like. David Lloyd came together so easy...this one is going to be a little tougher. Any suggestions would be great!

Tonight was the annual toilet papering of the Vernon Courthouse. This is when many area families come out with their extra rolls of TP to throw them into the 300 year old trees surrounding the courthouse. It is a hoot! Davey had a great time trying the fling the roll of a broomstick. Of course Josh and my FIL, Dave, was much more accuate with it. Davey called the whole thing "A MESS!" But he loved it and it was hard to get him back home.

It's a BOY Again!

2009-10-22T18:18:00.003-04:00

Josh and I returned to the high-risk doctor in Louisville this morning for the 20 week ultrasound. We found out that we are having another baby boy in early March and we are both very excited. Davey doesn't really know what to think at this point, but he will figure it out eventually! But the better news than its a boy is that the baby looks great. No problems that the sonographer or doctor could see that could have resolved from taking Clomid while I was pregnant. This is a great relief to us all.

On the way down to L'ville, we dropped Davey off at my sister's and then met up with her gang plus Mom and Dad at Huber's Orchard. I hope Shannon took pictures, but I am not convinced of it...I promise to post pictures soon. They had a great time running through the maze and riding the tractors.

Davey's vocabulary just amazes me. Of course he still sounds like a little cave man, but he strings 5 to 7 words together so that we get the message. He loves phrases like, "Help, Mama! I stuck" when he wants me to rescue him from whatever disaster he has started. He carries around one of my little make-up brushes so that when he sucks his fingers he can tickle his cheek with it. Any thing small he calls "baby" and anything big he calls "woah".

In other news, I survived the H1N1 flu last weekend. I was pretty miserable, but only had a cough, sore throat, aches, and a low fever. No stomach issues which is good for me and baby. I missed Monday and Tuesday from school, but luckily the rest of this week was Fall Break so it could have been worse. And it would have been a lot worse if I sickened anyone else, but I didn't! (As far as I know!) I snapped this picture from inside my quarentined state...Chloe is enjoying the sun during our Indian Summer. (It was 65 that day and 70 degrees today!)

Before getting sick, a rare occurance happened...my three girlfriends from high school and I got together. With Hannah in the UK, Erin in NC, and Emily in Vincennes it is tough to get us all together. I think it has been almost 5 years since the last visit! Here is a pic of all of us. Emily is due in just a few more weeks here.

Enjoying Fall

2009-10-02T17:06:00.004-04:00

He looks like such a big boy in this picture. Helping rake leaves with Mama.

Then, of course, having fun in them afterwards!

Not wanting to wake up on a Sunday afternoon nap....and YES! he is sleeping in our bed. He told me that he takes better naps there on the weekends. And usually convinces me (and sometimes Josh) to join him!

This is the belly a few weeks ago. The maternity top doesn't help, but it is starting to grow!

Camping out in the dining room in your underwear sounds like a great evening to me!

I seriously thought I had updated this blog more recently than what it says...but I must be thinking about putting picture on Facebook. If you aren't my friend yet, befriend me!

Days are flying by quickly since school has started. We are falling into a little routine and Davey has it down. He is learning new words all the time and usually has an opinion about everything. He is still doing well with potty training, though there are times that are very frustrating for us all. Tomorrow he will offically be 2 1/2 which is just amazing to me. Josh and I talk about part-week part-day preschool for him next year and I wonder where the time has gone.

I am starting to feel Baby #2 kicking and squirm. I am 20 weeks and to the glorious half-way point. I am doing for the mega-ultrasound onver my Fall Break on October 22. I hope to find out I have a little girl inside, but either way is great. I will be going back down to the Louisville to the specialist just to make sure everything is okay. My stress level is way down about the situation since the inital tests came back clear. However, I could still use the prayers.

One funny Davey story for the online baby book....each Sunday we head to my MIL for supper with the family. And the food is just awesome! Well, last Sunday Davey was much more interested in playing with the other kids than eating.

On the way home he said, "Mama! Eat!"
I said, "Well, you should have eaten more at Nana's."
Davey: "But Mama! Eat!"
Me: "We will have to see, Davey..."
Davey: "But Mama, it for BABY!" And he rubs his little pooched out tummy.
So of course, he got some food when we got home...it was, after all, for the baby! :)
It wouldn't trade any of it for all the money in the world!

A Story with a Happy Ending

2009-08-18T16:54:00.002-04:00

Josh and I have been through a roller coaster of emotions this past week. I didn't want to post until some more info is in...so here is the story...

After having Davey and nursing for a year, my body never got back on track chemically speaking. Of course that was when I was diagnosed with thryroid problems and got that under control with medicine. But behind the scenes, Josh and I started trying for baby #2. Of course, this posed difficult since my body wasn't cooperating. So then after 15 months of trying different schools of thought, we went to Clomid. This is the medicine that forces ovulation and therefore increases your chances of getting pregnant. The first round of the lowest dose was in May, but also got AF right on Day 28. So after checking 6 times with negative pregnancy tests, I started round two in June. And then positive tests! We were thrilled!

I was shocked at how quickly my pregnancy symptoms came on. It was like as soon as I got pregnant, I was sick all day long. And my belly actually pooched out week 4! Well, when I went to the OB/GYN for my 8 week appointment just this past Friday. At the visit it was obvious that the baby was much too big to be 8 weeks and measured 12 weeks! This of course explained the pooching belly and early morning sickness. But the bad news was that this meant that I took the second round of Clomid while pregnant. The Dr. researched and called for about 30 minutes and came back empty handed on when that could do to the baby.

So just to be safe, she had me meet with a high-risk OB in Lousiville. We had that appointment today. They did a high resolution ultrasound to measure the thickness of the skin at the base of the skull. If it was too thick, it is an indication of developmental problem. Lucky for us, all measurements were in normal range. The baby was good and stayed still for the procedure. He/she (though I prefer to think SHE!) had a great heart rate and moved around once the dr was finished. I also had blood work done to check for genetic problems.

I will be going back in 2 months for the ultrasound where they do tons of measuring and when they can see all the organs. That is when we will find out if it is a girl or a boy. Of course, we are just thankful to God that the baby is healthly.

Of course, I have pictures of sweet Davey for recent adventures. I will post them soon.

Josh's B-Day and Potty Training Fun

2009-07-24T13:47:00.004-04:00

Potty training has been going well, but we are not without accidents. Usually the only probably is my short temper with the process. Davey is doing great. I loved be able to pack away the cloth diapers for another day. Of course, as a right of passage, he had to run around the house with underwear on his head. And to make sure that I have plenty of embarrassing pictures for future girlfriends, the other one is with the potty chair on his head like a hat! He is a ham.

A big Happy Birthday to my loving hisband, Josh. He is exactly the man that I needed to end up with. Quiet, patient, sweet, (exactly my opposite!) and much more. Have a great 33rd year, babe! (And yes, that is him lighting his candles with a propane torch!) We are heading out in a couple of hours to a weekend away from Indiana and Davey...to my old Kentucky home! I had this one planned a while back and am excited to actually leave! We have kept a pretty low travel profile this year, so I getting the bug again. Planning a little weekend helped a bit. I hope the weather will be nice. Thanks to Shannon and the parents for watching Davey for a couple of nights.

Some More Summer Highlights

2009-07-08T15:43:00.004-04:00

Checking out the gorillas at the Louisville Zoo

A huge toilet at the Columbus Children's Muesum (you can actually climb through it, but Davey wasn't quite into it)

The best part of the fair is that Josh and I got to ride for free!

Getting wet at Symphony on the Prairie

Davey and I are enjoying the mild July that we are having. Our days are pretty laid back and include Davey's favorite activity...MOWING! He loves to sit on the mower while I get a portion of the yard finished. I am not sure who attention span only allows us to get about 45 minutes in, but we end up needing to do a small bit each day. It works out well, I think.

Some of his favorite words and phrases are...mow, water, I did it!, Oh man!, I am a mess!, and many more...He also loves to talk on the phone and can actually hold a fairly good conversation.

He can identify his colors and loves to say yellow by throwing his tongue out on the Ls. It cracks us up!

Potty training has had its ups and downs. Yesterday he put me at my wits ends with accidents, yet today he has had a perfect run (so far)...Each day he is dry, he gets to go golfing with Josh.

I had a direct shot with Off to his face and had to pour water over his head for 20 minutes, call the poison control center, and take him to the eye doctor...that was an eventful night. But everything is fine now.

We have been to the zoo, the children's muesum, had a fun time at the county fair, and Symphony on the Prairie. We went to SotP for the 4th of July and you can tell by the pictures that we got a little wet, but it was worth it. Davey LOVED watching/hearing the huge cannons go off during the 1812 Overture and we won a raffle for Indy Zoo tickets! And since the weather was bad, we got tickets to go again!

I am really busy getting prepared for Vacation Bible School at church next week. This is my crazy week and then I get to relax a little bit once the week actually begins. I am grateful for all the helpers and teachers that I have at church. We wouldn't be able to do much without everyone's help.

Getting Used to the Summer Schedule

2009-06-22T16:23:00.003-04:00

Family picture at Donnelson Cave

Somewhere in Clark State Forest

Having fun at Thomas

This is my first offical week of summer and I am loving it! Two weeks ago didn't count because I had to go to school Monday through Wednesday. Last week didn't count because I was in Indianapolis for a work session Tuesday through Thursday. So finally I can settle in to my routine of sleeping as long as Davey will let me (this morning 6:30!), going for a walk, going to the park, fixing lunch, cleaning house, and playing outside. It is a tough life, I know!

It has been a while since my last post...I have decided that April and May are the worst months for stress in my house. School is drawing to a close and Josh is at his busiest. We went camping with my parents in April to Spring Mill State Park. I hadn't been there in years! We also managed to pawn Davey off to my parents over Memorial Day weekend. Josh and I completed 12 more miles of the Knobstone trail. Just 10 more to go! We are hoping to wait for a cool weekend in September or October, though...no need to sweat THAT much! It was good to get back on the trail. We hadn't been there since I was 3 months pregnant with Davey. So it was due time!

Then the next big event was just this past Saturday. We went to Connersville to ride on Thomas the Tank! Davey (and Josh) are wild about trains and so everyone had a great time. They had the whole area around the depot built up with fun things for the kids to do. Davey amazed us both with how adventurous he was. He even rode a pony!

We are starting the potty training process. And I think he is doing well. We have a long way to go, but as long as it is finished by August, I don't care!

Davey's language is getting better and clearer each day. Yesterday, we were at the in-laws and my MIL commented on a horrible shot in the US Open by saying, "Oh, man!" Davey picked up on that instantly and it has replaced his "Ah-oh" every since! It kind of sounds like one of the Simpsons characters...but I can't remember which. It is hilarious.

Davey's TWO Years Old!

2009-04-13T20:58:00.003-04:00

Wanna hear how bad of a mom I am?? Davey loves to blow out any candle, so I let him do this one a couple of times on the morning of his birthday...later I noticed his massively long eyelashes got a little singed...

Notice the Little Mermaid balloon I found at Wal-Mart!

Getting ready for the Easter egg hunt at church. The first of FOUR that weekend!!

He was very good at finding Easter "balls" as he called them.

This is one of my favorite pictures of all the 2 years! Those are my hiking poles collapse down and fit him perfectly. He was excited to be out of the pack and hiking like Dada. That didn't last long since we weren't on a trail and he tripped a few times! But seriously...HOW CUTE??? ( I am talking about both of them, of course!)

Yeah yeah yeah...I guess I will say it again...can Davey really be this old?? I wonder how many more times I will be quoted as saying how fast these 2 years have gone? Probably lots! We had a great birthday weekend. He turned 2 on Friday, April 3 and Josh and I took the day off to get his new room together. We put together the bunk beds (full on bottom and twin on top) only to realize that we had no mattress for it! LOL We bought the bed off of my sister, Shannon, months ago and I forgot that she didn't sell us the mattresses! So we made a mad dash to Columbus to pick a cheap one up. We put Thomas the Tank sheets on and a great looking quilt my Mom had in a closet. Orange and navy blue! Just the colors we were looking for! I bought blackout curtains in the same blue, as well. Soon we will paint one of the walls orange (his favorite color), but the wall will need some patching first...the plaster is cracking!

Then Saturday we headed to Scottsburg for a birthday trifecta! Shannon, Davey, and I celebrated birthdays with the parents. We ate a lasagna bigger than Indiana! Then Sunday after church we had the family get together again (along with the Shaw side) for a party at our place. Davey was in a great mood and the weather was wonderful. The cousins and Davey played outside with the new sports equipment he got. I need to get it on video, but I am serious when I say my son has got a killer golf swing! He is a lefty and has great follow through! :)

And then this past weekend was Easter and I am not sure if we ever stopped eating! We woke up, went to Sunrise Service in Vernon Cemetery, went back to the church and had a good ole fashioned Baptist pitch-in breakfast (where my breakfast casserole went first, thank you very much!). Then we went on a little hike to finally get a spring picture for the blog (bonus points for those who noticed the winter scene after 2 years has finally changed to spring!). Then went home for a little rest, just to wake up and go to the in-laws for a huge lunch, then go down to Scottsburg for another huge meal. We felt horrible at the end of it!

So I think that is the update right now. Josh is close to tiling the bathroom. I will have to post pictures of that project and Davey's new room once it is painted. I am also to soon have pictures of Davey's new friend coming soon from Kazakhstan! (Yeah...we need to deepen the gene pool around here!) Happy thoughts and prayers go up to Jill and her court appearances this week!

More Pictures of Disney

2009-04-06T19:34:00.003-04:00

Isaak, Eliza, Kaleb, Rachael, Sarah, Davey, Dad (Jan)

Mount kids at Dixie Crossroads...best rock shrimp restaurant ever!

Playing in the sand.

Rachael with her balloon.

Davey's favorite part, I think...I am not telling how much it cost!

All of us waiting to go on the Jungle Cruise.

Isaak and Davey with Pooh

Uncanny resemblance, huh?

Me, Davey, Rachael, and Ariel

Davey getting ready to ride the Pooh ride.

Disney World!

2009-03-29T13:07:00.005-04:00

Jason carrying Davey and Rachael in Epcot. We were waiting on the fireworks to start.

Davey with his favorite buddy...GRANDPA!! This is before the animal safari in Animal Kingdom.

He never took off the hat!

Typical morning...snuggling with the cousins and watching Mermaid!

Davey at Cocoa Beach, FL. He didn't like the water and didn't want me to get in either. Luckily there was a playground near by, so he and Rachael had fun there.

Cheesing it up on the carosel.

Very excited about the choo-choo ride around the Magic Kindgom. Eliza and Rachael helped point out all the fun things. Sarah is in the background!

This is the grin that is found in most pictures.

Davey and I survived our first Disney World adventure over Sping Break! There were 11 of us at maximum...Davey, me, (not Josh...he had to work :( ) Shannon, Jason, Kaleb, Isaak, Eliza, Rachael, Sarah, Mom, and Dad! We had a fabulous time. These are just a few of the pictures from my camera. But my BIL will have a lot more since he has the awesome camera and has it out all the time. We went to all the parks and the beach and never went hungry. I wish Josh would have been able to come, but there will be a next time. With all the people, we rode rides in shifts and it worked well. The new Everest ride is awesome...by far better than the other roller coasters there.

Davey is obsessed with the Little Mermaid right now. Thank the Lord that we found a DVD player to bring down with us. I think we watched the movie at least 30 times this week. He finally agreed to watch Jungle Book and really liked it. He went into overload when he actually got to sit next to Ariel in the Magic Kingdom. I will post that picture when Jason gets them all loaded. (He is much better and faster than I am about that!) Davey even got a tatoo of her on him arm. He can't keep his eyes off of it! LOL

It was a great time to be with my family and really get to spend quality time with Davey. At home, I get so wrapped up with other things that he doesn't get 100% mommy time often. On this trip we had a great time learning new words and discovering all sorts of things. He was very well-behaved on the LONG car trip and in the parks. He is speaking so much now and will put together sentences. Crazy to think he is turning 2 next week!

Chistmas, News Years, and Winter Break...

2009-01-10T20:54:00.004-05:00

So much happening at the Shaw house! I need a vacation from Winter Break! So let me start at the beginning...

Christmas was wonderful. Davey came down the stairs to find that Santa had set up his very first train set! He kept saying "Woah!" Just like Joey Lawerence from Blossom! He loved it. He is getting really good at saying "Choo choo!" Then of course that started the day with one Christmas...only to have 2 more that day (not to mention the one we had on Christmas Eve night!) Josh and I got a lot of great stuff from the parents. My in-laws have great taste in clothes! Davey also got lots of noisy muscial toys, puzzles, games, and books. He also liked playing the boxes...the pic above shows how he wanted me to ride in the "train" with him!

Then on December 28th, Josh and I left Davey with the Grandparents and we headed to Jekyll Island, GA. It was also wonderful! Josh played golf each morning (while I watched and gave advice on his swing), we would chill in the afternoon, and go out to eat in the evening. The island was so lovely. We walked around the historic district with the old houses and gift stores. The ocean was right outside our hotel room. It was about 70 each day. But the food each night was my favorite. Fresh seafood and nice restaurants with no toddler!! We went to Savannah on New Years Eve and walked around all the squares. Beautiful! We also went to a round house rail road muesum (so you know that Davey gets his train addition honest!). It was cool. No, we didn't go to Paula Dean's restaurant...instead we eat in the oldest house in Savannah still standing. Very cool. Sadly enough...we were so pooped from walking around all day that we didn't even make it to midnight...I know...we are pathetic! But we still had fun. I was impressed how well I did without Davey and vice versa. Thanks Mom and Dad! When we came in the door Davey screamed and ran to me. It was the best.

Last picture, I promise! Here is Davey playing in a light snow we had last week. What a precious little boy! He loves to boss the cats and dog around by telling them "NO!" The terrible twos should be interesting, huh? He loves to take off his shoes and put on others...especually patent leather little girl shoes! LOL! Each night he sleeps with his tried-and-true blankie, a stuffed dog that looks like Chloe, and a fleece blanket to snuggle under. I am sure that once he gets into a big boy bed, there will be tons of things all round him to help him sleep. Before bed he always reminds me to say a prayer...he covers his mouth and nose with both hand and closes his eyes. I cherish each tender moment.

Some December Highlights

2008-12-24T10:16:00.005-05:00

We are off to find our Christmas tree!

There it is!

Flashing a grin at the Laurie Berkner concert. Dressed like Jack.

Showing his own style in front of the tree. Two hats and 3D glasses.

This is a ceramic tree my Grandma had up each year that I can remember. Now it serves as a night light in Davey's room. I actually don't know if we will be able to take it down in a few weeks...he loves it that much!

Screaming on Santa's lap during the Watterson family Christmas.

I have neglected to keep you in the loop with the happenings at the Shaw house. Well, here you go! I am happy to be on a LONG Christmas break from school. That last week of schol was nuts! Tuesday we had an early release because of snow and then no school on Wednesday because of ice! Then we went back for 2 days...and we don't even have finals...so there was no need for students to concentrate on anything! But I survived!

Since then I have been enjoying helping with the winter guard. The girls who were freshmen my first year of helping are now seniors! I feel old! Davey comes to practice with me sometimes and everyone loves it. I have to get a picture soon of what he did last night...He watched a run through of the show so far and then picked up a sabre...and spun around with it. It was adorable!

Josh and I have been dealing with a few health problems recently. He got some blood work done as a baseline. He has a family history of diabetes so the doctor was hoping to have a set of numbers to compare to. Well, they also found that his triglyceride number was through the roof! This was probably a reaction to some medicine that he was on and possible because of the early stage of diabetes. So we have him on fish oil and flax seed to try to get everything back on track. He goes to the diabetes specialist in January along with more blood work. I also had blood work done and found out that I am just a little under the normal amount of htyroid hormone. So now I take a little pill to take care of that. I go back in March to see if everything is back in order.

Josh and I are gearing up to fly out of here Sunday and heading to Jekyll Island, GA for some R&R. Davey gets to stay with Grandma and Grandpa in Scottsburg. We will be back on New Year's Day. I will try to pist some pictures of Christmas day before we leave. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

I Love the Holidays!

2008-12-01T21:09:00.005-05:00

Somehow, Josh, Davey and myself survived another Thanksgiving! So much food, fun, and family you think we would have exploded! It was wonderful. Davey and I tried to get as much play and snuggle time in as possible. Without forgetting to find some deals at Kohl's! Of course, today I paid for the fact that I didn't do any grading over break and had to stay late in order to update my online gradebook for midterms to come out Friday. But who am I kidding...it was worth it!

I am not bragging on my son, but I think he is advanced for his age! (Don't worry, I know all moms say that!) He can now tell me all the animal songs in his favorite book and can correctly point to the animal of my choice on the last page of Brown Bear, Brown Bear! I know, he gets it from my side! While his number of words may not be up to my liking quite yet, he understands most of what is going on and responses as best as her can with his limited vocabulary. He is pretty amazing.

A big thanks to my sister Shannon and her fam who was thinking of Davey on their latest trip to Disney World. They brought back a Davey Crocket hat! Of course, Davey would rather carry it around by the tail and smooth his ear with it (he is a tactile kid!). Bubbles the cat likes to pretend it is a real racoon and attack it!

Before with lovely aqua particle board on the walls (there used to be aqua shag carpet, too!)

Josh and my FIL after pulling off all the plaster and lath...similar to the nursery project! Yuck! But notice the venting skylight! WOW!

Here are some pictures of Josh's latest disaster...I mean home improvement project...just joking babe! It used to be my bathroom upstairs...and one day (soon I hope) it will once again be a bathroom. Good bye dirty tub and toilet no matter what I clean you with! My new fixtures are just waiting for the plumbing to be changed so they will fit. Just you wait until my man is finished! It will be amazing! (But for now it is a total eye-sore and annoying to have to walk downstairs in the middle of the night!)

Halloween and a New Clubhouse!

2008-11-08T08:49:00.003-05:00

Halloween nigt we stayed at the chuch where my committee had planned the annual Fall Festival. The pic on here is of Davey (dressed up like Jack, of course) and Sophia (as Elmo) playing the water. The game was like the ducky game at the fair where you pick out a pumpkin and there is candy or a prize inside. Well the 2 babies of the church had a much better time just playing in the water! I guess we should have stopped them, but they were just giggling and carrying on!

The other picture is of Davey's own clubhouse. Each day we play in it and he loves to open and close the doors. I am so glad that we bought it when we did. Last time we went back to Sam's Club, they were already sold out! Josh and I are impressed at how well it is built and are happy to have one less huge plastic item in our yard!

Davey understands so much of what were are saying these days. While we might not have the vocabuary to show it yet, he follows our commands and even responds to easy questions. We loves to run after the dog and cats. He thinks Bubbles is his personal pillow and while he is laying his head on him, Davey will smooth his tail against his cheek. So precious. He loves to dance to music and now spins around so much he falls down when he gets too dizzy! He is still a momma's boy through and through.

Fantastic Fall!

2008-10-09T21:30:00.004-04:00

Davey has passed the 18-month mark! And of course we were going to go to get professional pictures taken this weekend, until he stumbled over the front porch step and scruffed up the right side of his face! I almost wish I would have aken a picture of it, but I was too upset last night. And 24-hours later it looks sooo much better! This was the first major injury we have had...I see ourselves as pretty lucky, too. I guess pictures will have to wait.

Davey amazes us each day. He says please and thank you. He knows how to try each key on a keyring in a car's ignition. He loves everything in ketchup. And while the fits come and go he can now calm himself down fairly well (at least well enough for a red-head!). He finally calls me Mama instead of some strange title he used to say. He can spot a swing, water fountain, or dog from a half mile away! My dad is his favorite person (after me of course) and I think the feeling is mutual for my dad. He loves taking his toy chainsaw out to help Josh cut down the trees from the storm. And the only way to get him through Wal-Mart is to play Hide and Go Seek in the aisles. Life is good.

We went with some teacher friends to the Louisville Zoo to go trick-or-treating. We had a blast! Josh made a shirt for Davey that looks just like Jack from Jack's Big Music Show. We splurged and even bought red hightop Chuck Taylor's (like Jack). Davey was excited. He even slept in the outfit that night. I am glad he will get to wear it again at the end of the month.

I am pumped to be getting back on track with church. I love VBC, but was working way too much and not finding ways to be fed. Luckily the preacher's wife started leading the Beth Moore study called "Breaking Free" and I love it! (Yes, I am doing it too, Lissa!) I love having structured study time in the evening and then meeting together for the video once a week with ladies from the church. And what a variety of ladies we have! But yet, we have so much in common. I am excited to see what things God will reveal.

Nothing much else to report. Just wanted to get some pictures up. This weekend Josh will be tearing out the upstairs bathroom and redoing it completely. I can't wait, but I am not excited about having to shower in the downstairs bathroom. It kind of creeps me out. It is harvest gold and has a window that looks out into our side yard. Hopefully it will be done quickly.

Hurricane in Indiana??

2008-09-18T11:08:00.004-04:00

We had a very interesting day last Sunday....

Josh went on a business trip after church with his boss (never happened before)...so Davey and I went to Arby's for lunch. While doing through town the wind started to pick up...and then the power in all of North Vernon went out. Even the stoplights! So of course, Arby's was closed and going crazy...luckily I was just pulling up. So I tried to get out, but now everyone in Wal-Mart was leaving because it had no power. So I sat waiting and watching all the folks of Jennings County try to remember their right-of-way rules since the stoplights were dead. At some point Davey drifted to cleep which made it easier.

So I finally got back into traffic. The local cops were stationed at the main intersections helping now and I decided to go on home and get Davey into his crib for a nap. So I drove the 2 miles south and saw this scene when I pulled into my driveway!

I could not believe it! Without much thought, I turned around and headed back to North Vernon to my in-laws' house. There put Davey to bed and headed back out in the 50 mph winds to really see the house and get some things we would need for the afternoon.

When I got to the house I parked in the lot in front and walked up the drive. It was a eery feeling because it didn't look or feel like my house. I checked on the animals, gathered stuff for Davey, and the papers I needed to grade and left asap. I have come to realize what a big chicken I am when Josh is not around. The power was off, but that did not surprise me. What I didn't realize is that the tree that was in the driveway had actually hit the transformer on the way down. We were without power for 4 1/2 days! (Sidenote...we only had wind...not rain hardly at all. It was weird, but I thank God that we didn't have to deal with wind AND rain during this.)

School was cancelled because of the wide-spread power outages. I didn't mind being stuck at home with Davey even without power. Something must be said about the structure of an 1840's house. Each day there was tons of light pouring in and the mild weather was great for the windows and doors to be open. We had a great week.

And this afternoon, we are heading to Mammoth Caves for a minivacation! I can't wait. We didn't get the time to go anywhere this summer, so this will help make up for it. We aren't going to camp this time. Davey is teething (again...or still?) and I have been sort-of-camping all week! We are going to rough it in the Best Western! Pictres will come on that later. But here are some recent ones for you to enjoy! My prayers go out ot all affected by this storm!

The first day cool enough to wear jeans!Helping Dad stabilize a china cabinet Grandma and Grandpa gave us.Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek in his little Diego futon.

Getting Back on Schedule

2008-09-03T20:05:00.005-04:00

A Day in the Life of ME! (Yeah, you may not want to know...but isn't that the point of a blog?? Cute pic at the bottom, so keep reading!)

5:00 am - Alarm goes off and take at least 15 mintues to wake up...and try my best to kick Josh out of bed. That in itself is exhausting some mornings!

5:15 am - Get dressed, put on makeup, and fix hair while Davey is still sleeping and Josh is in the shower.

5:40 am - Get breakfast ready for everyone...cereal for me, bagel for Josh, milk for Davey.

5:50 am - Get Davey's clothes, diapers, ect. ready for the sitter's. Kiss Josh bye and he heads to work.

6:00 am - Wake up Davey (I hate waking him up, but he usually begins with a smile!) and go down to snuggle on the couch while he drinks his milk. This time balances out the rest and makes me ready for the day!

6:30 am - Get Davey to the car and go to the sitter's. I can't do a "drop and run"...I go in and hang out for a few minutes.

6:45 am - My friend, Jill, comes and we car pool to school. Hey, I am trying my best to be green!

7:10 am - Get to school and do my last minute preparations...make copies, set up labs, etc.

7:35 am - 3:15 pm - I teach, and teach, and teach...Biology and AVID courses, have lunch with the Science Department, and try not to get behind...I always seem to just get by for the day...

3:45 pm - Head back to get Davey.

4:15 pm - Get home and have Davey demand to play outside. No matter how hot, cold, or rainy! Here is Davey sweaty, with tomotoes down his front, after falling in the dirt...finally getting a refreshing drink. (Chloe in the background.)

5:00 pm - Wrestle Davey to come in so I can fix a super nutrious supper! (Tonight...dinosaur chicken nuggets, green beans, apple sauce, and....rice krispies?? Davey wanted a bowl as an appetizer!)

5:30 pm - Josh comes home (though this week he has been moving an asphalt plant and has been spending the night near Paoli) for supper.

6:00 pm - Dog walk around Vernon...Davey chills in the stroller with his fingers, blankey, milk, and some good music.

7:00 pm - Bath time! Davey loves this bath drum set I found on clearance at Wal-Mart! Though trying to wash his hair ends with screaming!

7:15 pm - Davey runs around the house with only his hooded towel on. Air drying is the best, you know!

7:30 pm - Davey changes in to PJs, picks out 2 books to read, we say our prayers (at the word AMEN! he knows is it time for Mama hugs and kisses) and I put him in bed.

7:45 pm - Josh and I sit exhausted on the couch and watch a few minutes of mindless TV.

8:00 pm - We get up to do night chores...laudry, dishes, feed animals...If I am in the mood, I grade papers...it rarely happens unless I am under a deadline.

9:00 pm - Bed at last! Take a moment to thank God for the amazing day I have had!

Back to School!

2008-08-28T18:18:00.005-04:00

Most pictures have this cheesy smile with his eyes closed!

Davey playing with Bubbles. I wish you could hear him giggle!

Davey whining for me to give him the camera.

The end of summer was unavoidable...but the new year is over a week finished and it is not too bad! I miss Davey like crazy but I am emotionally much more prepared to work this fall compared to last. Last year I think I pouted about working until Christmas at least.

One funny school story...yesterday I was setting up a microscope lab and needed scummy water to see microorganisms in there. We keep an aquarium of algae for such an occasion in the greenhouse which is between two of the other Biology teachers' classrooms. Well, I went in with my beakers and let the door close behind me...this was weird because it is usually propped open. And you guessed it...it locked me out of the school, but in the greenhouse! And class was to start in 15 minutes! I had keys, but they were in the supply room...2 feet away through the door! Brick walls we between me and the classrooms so no one heard me yell! Luckily the greenhouse faces a small parking lot for teachers...but 3 cars went by without noticing me waving for help. Finally a new teacher saw my distress and came to the rescue! What a great way to start the day! LOL

Josh and I are convinced that Davey is the smartest kid alive! He amazes us every day with the things that he has figured out! His bubble gun was out of soap one day. So he unscrewed the container, went to the dog's water bowl, filled it up with water, and screwed it back together. When the TV has something on it that he doesn't want to watch, he brings the remote to us and points to the TV demanding something in his unique language. He uses the drill to "work" on his cars....the list goes on... I am just glad that he can say "YEAH!" and shake his head for no. That solves a lot of communication barriers!

4 Days of Summer Left!

2008-08-13T20:24:00.002-04:00

How can this be? Sorry for the lack of pictures. I think I know where the camera is....Get ready to read!

Last week I survived 5 nights without Davey and Josh! I know, I am proud of myself, too! I had a great time at the conference in Indy with the Watterson women. (Though next time I suggested hanging out at the beach together!) Then I took off to Chicago for the AVID conference. It was te best teaching conference that I have been to. The 5 other people from Madison were hilarious to be with and we had a great time. I had 2 accomplishments outside of learning cool school stuff. 1) I saw The Dark Knight on IMAX! It was awesome...intense...sad about Heath Ledger and 2) I finished a book! This is a huge deal because I hardly ever read for pleasure. Reading for information is about as far as I go. So I grabbed "Into the Wild" while in Indy and finished it in just a week. I read it because I was hoping my AVID kids could read it during the year. And I think they will love it! Sean Penn wrote and produced a movie last year about the book. I rented it today...I am scared that it is rated R...after reading the book R is not necessary. I am afraid that they added elements to the book to make it more "Hollywood". I will keep you posted.

This year I am completely different from the start of last school year. I am actually looking forward to teaching just a little bit! Last year I pouted about teaching for at least the first sememster, if not the whole year (just ask Josh). While I still hate leaving Davey each morning, he loves the sitter's. He loves playing with those kids and does great there. I am happy that he loves Judith, too. To celebrate a new year, I went to Kohl's and spent a bunch of money on clothes! It had been awhile since I bought professional clothes. Just wait for Wednesday's First Day of School picture. I will make sure to post it!

So I guess some of you want an update on Davey instead of exclusive details about me....Well, he is a HOOT! He loves to "dance" to music. (This consists of him stomping his feet quickly with a cheesy grin on his face.) We have very serious conversations in the morning in a language that I don't understand, but if you could see the intensity in his eyes, you would know it was important. At least 2 cumulative hours a day are spent in the swing under the maple tree. He says words like outside, blankie, Bubbles, brush...they may not be completely understandable, but I am a good translator. When I am away from him for even 1 hour he greets me with a tight hug around my neck. I love being a mom!

And of course, he loves to laugh! And especually at me! Take this evening for example. I was fixing a new dish to try out that called for roasted garlic. Now usually I buy the stuff in the jar, but I thought I would get fancy this time and do it myself. Well, I have watched the Food Network enough to know that you can separate the huge thingy of garlic into individual cloves if you put the flat side of a large knife on it and then hit your fist on the knive. (Can you see where this is going??) Well, I thought, "Surely, I will need a lot of force to break this open!" So I came down with all my might only to have all 200 of the cloves shoot out in every direction. Rachael Ray never warned me about this! Davey just stood by and we looked at each other with a shocked expression and then both cracked up! He even found a clove behind the pie safe after dinner.

Summer is Flying By

2008-07-30T11:25:00.004-04:00

Davey at VBS with Sarah
Snack time is always the best part of VBS!
Playing outside with water. He won't take that hat off!

Less than a month to go of my summer vacation and I wonder where it all went. Davey spends most of his awake hours outside playing with the kitten, swinging, and picking ripe cherry tomatoes from our garden. I am just trying to take it all in before it is back to school for me and back to the sitter's full time for Davey. One funny story to share...Davey loes to play with Josh's golf clubs and we usually go out and hit a few holes each weekend. (The golf course is in the same block as my in-laws.) Well, last week, Josh brought home his clubs so that he could clean out the bag (more on that later...). Daey immediately wanted one, so JOsh gave himhis Sand Wedge (one he doesn't use much). Davey loved trying to hit the ball in the yards, but at one point couldn't do it as he wanted. He is a very independent little guy and will not let you help him. So he continued to grunt and complain until finally he through his Mickey Mouse hat on the ground and stomped on it! It was a classic Watterson/Shaw golf move. It is undeniable that Davey is our's!

VBS has come and gone and I am very happy that it is over! LOL We ended up with twice as many kids as we planned...and that is a good thing. Luckily I was able to run out and buy the needed supplies to accommodate the other 25 kids. Of course some nights there were as many adults around as kids! Even Davey had fun in the nursery where the new pastor's wife played games and made crafts with them.

This weekend, my mom, two sisters, and I are heading to Indy for the Women of Faith conference. I am really excited o have a girls weekend with them. Of course this will be the first time that I don't sleep in the same location as Davey. I am sure that I will have a harder time with it than him. But we better get used to it because Sunday through Friday I will be in Chicago for the AVID Institute. AVID is a great program that I teach to 25 chosen freshmen about getting prepared for college. It is a national program aimed to helping first generation kids have the tools to succeed in college.

And of course, I can't forget that today is our 3rd wedding anniversary! I am hoping to get back to Negril, Jamaica at least by our 5th....that is where we got married! I am so thankful to have Josh in my life. He deals with all my ridiculousness and cleans out the sippy cups that have left over milk in them...even after they have sat for a day or two! He lets me sleep in the mornings, always have the last word, and is a great dad. I couldn't ask for anything more in a man! Now about the golf bag cleaning...the reason he was cleaning it out is because he took his wedding ring off on day to play and lost it! So he got a new one for our anniversary. Actually, I bought 2! Thank you Overstock.com! I think this is ring #6 and #7 if you add up all the wrong sizes, the one he lost in the Caribbean Sea on our honeymoon, and the latest loss. Good thing they are always on same online!

A New Friend!

2008-07-06T13:21:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday, I heard the distinctive cry of a kitten! I went to our fence in the front where burning bushes grow and the cutest tiger striped kitten was screaming at me! It was a little too scared to come to me, but as soon as I turned to go back to the house it followed me. And of course, by the look of the pictures, Davey ADORES him! In fact, I let Davey name him...Bubbles! (It is one of about 6 words I can understand.) The top pic is my favorite. That kitten will let Davey hold while while he swings! Purrs the whole time! That is love!

Here I am with Davey and my two neices Rachael and Eliza. This was our first trip to the zoo! Davey loved it. (Behind you can see my nephew Isaak and me blocking my sister, Shannon.) Everyone is wet because there is a splash park at the Louisville Zoo that was really fun. For the first part, Davey just stood in the middle where no fountain could really hit him. Then, another boy about Davey's age run right through the water. Davey jumped right in! He loved it...I actually am a little surprised how well he did. He gets a little clingy right now sometimes, so I wasn't sure if he would like it. I was very proud! He didn't even look around for me when he got water in his eyes, he just rubbed them and went on to playing.

PS...On July 3rd, Dabey turned 15 months! Ridiculous, I know! We went camping in Mom and Dad's camper over the long weekend and had a great time. No way to survive this humidity in a tent! Of course...never had the camera near when I needed it.

Finally! Some pictures!

2008-06-17T14:14:00.004-04:00

Pushing his dump truck on the side walk
Playing with sticks on his first campout
Sitting pretty in my peoney garden (I have worked for 3 years on this thing and they FINALLY bloomed this year!
Waving "BYE!" as he drives to work

You gotta remember that I am just now 1 full week into my summer vacation. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it! Update with me...I am still taking Davey to the sitter's half time because I am also carrying on 2 jobs this summer! I am teaching over 100 students Biology through the Indiana Virtual Academy (like school...but no discipline problems!) and I am now Josh's personal assistant! I go in a update his computer program, run reports, copy invoices, file. I love it all! It is stuff that I would do fo him even if I weren't getting paid, but the money helps!

Davey is practically running all over the yard and house. I am going green this summer so we love to hang clothes on the line together. And of course he loves the SWING! He can't get enough of it. I just wish it were more active on my end of things. Maybe I should do leg lifts or something while I am pushing him.

Something else that I am experimenting with in my green revolution is....drum roll please...CLOTH DIAPERS! Yes, that is right! And you know what?? I LOVE them! Now they are totally different from the nightmare of folding and pinning bulky diapers. I just had to try them...after recycling and composting most of our trash, diapers are the only thing left in our trashcans. So I am offically on the band wagon!

Davey is finally getting his top teeth in to match the bottom two. Poor guy has had a rough time with them. He even skipped supper last night and slept 12 hours straight! But he was in a much better mood after it. We have tried out Nana's pool, and he isn't too sure about it. I am hoping by the end of the summer, he will be better. I love our time together. He is a momma's boy through and through. And I don't care what people say about it. I cherish every hug and sloopy, open-mouthed kiss I get...because believe me...I know what he will be at 14! I won't want him around then!

We Are Still Alive!

2008-05-19T19:31:00.002-04:00

I am embarrased to see how long it has been since my last post! The computer has been acting crazy and so I have been avoiding it at all costs. I promise to have pictures up soon...much has been happening...I guess that is one reason for not much writing!

Davey is walking like a champ now. He only crawls when he is too tired to walk. He is starting to say words that are actually understandable and loves to babble all other times. Any time he seeing an animal he says "aww" and wants to rest his head on it. (That is his way of showing love...) He points, gives a fake grin by scrunching up his nose, and says "Hi" into anything that is close to a phone. His favorite thing is to snuggle in my lap...sucking on his two fingers on the left hand and playing with my hair in his right. A bit of a mama's boy to say the least. He is starting to throw a good tantrum, too! When he is tired and things don't go his way he will flop back and arch his back while whining. It is lovely.

We have gone on our first camp out and it was a success. We traveled to see my friend Emily and her 7 week old baby boy Carter! TOO CUTE!! Seriously....this kid has natural highlights...no joke...some hairs are brown and others are blond. I wonder what she had to do to order one like that! :) Love you, Ems!

I swear pictures are coming soon...but I am on Josh's computer right now.

Party Pictures

2008-04-21T21:09:00.004-04:00

Finally some pictures from the party! The top one is a picture of the best cake I have ever had. Thank you to Joan...Josh's grandpa's girlfriend! And the decoration is dead on as Jack from JBMS...talked about in earlier entries. Davey did not go crazy in the cake like he had at the babysitters. I think he was confused as to why everyone was staring at him. He took a couple more bites while on the shoulders of his Grandpa Jan. In fact, Davey started crying once he spotted my Dad in the crowd of at least 35 people...well, until Dad picked him up, of course.

We also went out and spent some of Davey's birthday money. We went to a consignment shop in Brownstown called Second Time Around. It is all kids stuff and they have at least one of every Little Tikes outdoor equipment made! Or at least it looks that way. We bought an awesome sand box that has a crane on it and a toy crate to stay outside. We have the days counted down until summer...just 35 more days of school!

Birthday Celebrations!

2008-04-09T21:11:00.004-04:00

Sorry that I haven't gotten another post up recently. I just got these pictures from the babysitter and HAD to share them. I have others from the party here that was on last Sunday...but those will have to wait. I can't seem to get back into the grove since Spring Break. Can jet lag affect you that much??? I think it is more like Spring Fever! I am ready for summer already!

But anywho...there is Davey enjoying a cupcake on his actual birthday on April 3rd. A before and after shot!

More will come...I just need a few more hours this week!

One Year Old!

2008-04-05T11:31:00.006-04:00

Somehow an entire year has flown by the three of us here in Vernon. My little 7 lbs 5 oz baby that I brought home last April is now a 22 lbs toddler. How can this be? And how incredible has the change been for me and Josh to go from newlyweds to parents. I would have to say that we are handling all quite well. We are gearing up for his big party with the family tomorrow afternoon. So more pictures to come.

Davey at Piccidilly Circus...check out the double decker bus behind!

Obviously...Big Ben!

Davey playing with the barrels of gun powder in the Towor of London.

(Don't worry, they are empty!)

Tower Bridge (my favorite site)

These are some highlight pictures from London. We were able to stay with a nice family in Nottinghill that rents out their extra rooms to travelers. It worked out well. During the trip we traveled on plane, coach, bus, train, and the underground. Davey's favorite was the river cruise down the Thames. Not that he will remember it, but he had fun playing with the little girls next to us.

I wanted to give a few shout outs...Congrats to new parents Emily and Christian! Baby Carter Joseph was born last Saturday and we are eager to meet him! We hope Mom is recovering quickly. Also best of luck to Sara and Justin who just have 4 more weeks to go! I had a great time with everyone at the shower last night. It was good to see everyone again...too bad Lissa couldn't make it! Here is a pic of Dusty holding his son Ansel and Davey, too! He did a great job of watching them while the girls got to visit!

England Vacation!

2008-03-30T16:33:00.005-04:00

Hannah and I on the trail.

The city of Matlock, Derbyshire...where the adventure started!
Josh consulting the map at the start of Day 2 in Winster. Here is a link to the Miner's Standard.
This outcropping behind us is part of Robin Hood's Stride. Part of journey across England.
The B&B on Day 2 near Monyash, England. They have the Stonehedge of the North on their property...it is called Arbor Low.

We are home safe and sound after our Spring Break in England. We had a wonderful time...though the weather could have been better. Rainy...cold...windy...at some points it was sunny. At least it was rainy here, too! Davey was great through all the various places we went. Of course, he made friends at every town...a smile like his is contagious!

Here are some pictures of the first leg of our adventures. We flew into London and then boarded a coach to Nottingham where Hannah and Tommy live. We headed out to Derbyshire (in the Peak District) the next day and hiked through a few towns and stayed at some B&Bs along the way. I think we got in about 13 miles or so over a day and a half. Not bad pace! Davey was great 90% of the time. What more can you ask for with a almost-one-year-old? Most of the walking was through pasture lands. We actually got up close and personal to some cows, horses, and lots of sheep. The pictures do not do it justice. If anyone is planning a trip there, we have some great contacts.

We ate fish and chips, traditional English breakfasts, and English chili. We loves it all! And Davey never went hungry either, he loved to try new things. Davey has also learned some new tricks. He is great at waving and saying "BYE!". He also loves to head butt you forehead-to-forehead and then shaking his head back and forth. He does this instead of his slobbery open-mouth kisses sometime. He might have taken one step while at Hannah's flat...but I am not going to count it...I think it was more like a calculated fall. I will post next about the second leg to London.

First Snow and Haircut!

2008-03-16T17:08:00.003-04:00

Big things happening in Vernon! Davey and I both enjoyed a day off last Friday...14 inches of the white stuff! Davey loved to be outside and pitched a fit when we had to go inside once he started to shiver. The babysitter's son and his dad came to sled down the little hill in our yard. But then two days later, it was 55 degrees! Indiana springs for you! Josh, his dad, the mayor of Vernon, and his family all went out late Friday night and took sleds down Washington Street all the way across the bridge.

Davey looks like a big kid now with his new haircut. I knowI am supposed to wait until he is a year old, but he was getting shaggy. He did a great job in the big chair with the big bib. He even got a certificate for it. The lady in the picture cuts all the Shaw hair...even gave Josh his first hair cut 30-some-odd years ago!

We had a bit of a rough week...Davey has been fussy with an ear infection, RSV (a cold-like virus), and getting his FIRST TOOTH! FINALLY! So he hasn't been feeling the best, but we hope that once he is through with the antibiotic, we will be good to go for England. We go up to Chicago to visit Sarah on Friday and then fly out Saturday! And I have to get my grades finished for this term before I leave! Not enough time!

11 Months Down...1 to Go!

2008-03-05T21:01:00.006-05:00

Just a quick update from the Shaw household...

Davey is really close to walking. He confidently walks around while holding on to the furniture. He will even stand up on his own for a few seconds at a time. The first picture shows Davey with his first pair of big boy shoes. He is used to wearing slippers. He can wave and say BaBa when you do it first. He is really getting good at saying MaMa when I leave the room. Still no teeth...but every fussy day gives me hope!

Davey doesn't watch much TV...but he already has a favorite. Has anyone out there watched Jack's Big Music Show??? It is the BEST toddler show! I even enjoy watching it (come on...how many Barney and Wiggles episodes can one person take??). If you have no idea what I am talking about you need to google it. The bad thing is that it airs on the Noggin Channel...which we don't get...yet. He watches it at the sitters while she makes lunch and we have a DVD with only 4 episodes. The music is second to none. If you have kids...get to know JBMS!

Just three weeks until our trip to England. We really need to get the move on trying to round things up and getting prepared. It just seems like there is no time for that!

In other news, I have volunteered to be our church's VBS director! Pray for me! Luckily we have a church that is eager to see it be a success.

Learning to Play

2008-02-22T09:13:00.003-05:00

Davey is learning new and exciting things about his world each day. Just this week he has learned how to place the balls in the dinosaur thing, make motor sounds while pushing his truck around, and make funny noises by flapping his hand infront of his mouth! What a fun time to be a kid!

The last picture shows a minor victory in the Shaw house. The final piece of trim goes up in the nursery! (Just at about 1 year after the rest of the room was finished.) We were given the lovely trim by a friend and was short about 30 inches to go over his door. Well, it was a custom design, so Josh had to get the knives made to even make the piece. So long story short...it is finally cut and up in the room. I think Josh is just happy to be finished with it!

Another snow day has claimed a day in June, but at least it was a Friday! Davey was acting a little off yesterday, so it is good that he can stay home with Mom. Could teeth be coming? I will keep you posted...

Snow Days!

2008-02-13T07:34:00.003-05:00

Well, I don't know if I should actually call them "Snow" days...maybe "Ice" days would be better. What was supposed to be a dumping of 12 inches of snow Monday night actually became 1 inch of ice! Either way..NO SCHOOL Tuesday or Wednesday. Of course we will make them up...but hey! I will take a day off any time! Davey was looking forward to a good deep snow to play in...hopefully we will get another round before spring.

Pictures are of Davey's first Oreo and him in a hand-knit swaeter from a great lady in our church. He hated the hood being up...but I couldn't resist! He loves walking behind the scooter car from Christmas. And yesterday he made a mad dask up 8 stairs after the cat. (No worries...Mom was standing by!)

Here is a funny story from the sitter's...One day last week, Davey was the only kid there. So he had a big day doing whatever he wanted! Well, while changing a wet diaper, the phone rang. So Judith ran to get it and left Davey diaperless for a few seconds. She knew he would probably move, but not a big deal. However, she couldn't stop laughing when she got back to him! He had crawled over to the front window (which go all the way to the floor) and pulled up to them. The scene when she returned was him dancing and hitting his hands on the window...naked from the waist down! While she lives on the busiest street in Vernon, luckily that isn't saying much!

So long for now from Steph and her future flasher, Davey!

10 Months Already?

2008-02-01T17:22:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe but in a few short days Davey will be 10 months old! We finally got his passport in! The picture is precious inside. Of course, Davey wanted to chew on it. He loves scooting around on his little car and almost has the rocking horse figured out. The picture where he is in pink is a funny story...Though he had a manly navy blue outfit on when I dropped him off at the sitters...he came home in a pink sweatshirt! He had a bit of a rough diaper day and went through his 2 outfits. So Judith had to resort to an extra outfit of the other kid there that day...of course she is a girl. But I have to say...Davey is a pretty boy in pink, huh???

He is more active than ever and it seems like we are feeding him constantly. He doesn't care what it is, but as long as it is big people food he wants it! He is still skinny as ever, but the kid loves to eat! Still no teeth!

He wishes that he could play and rough house like the bigger boys at the sitters, but his day will come. It just seems like yesterday that he was small enough to cuddle in my arms, now at 20 lbs. he is an arm full. We are getting a new morning routine down. He wakes up a little too early...I nurse him...and then we go back to sleep together in my bed. I wouldn't trade that 30 minute snuggle session for anything!

A New Semester

2008-01-20T17:23:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is records day and then I get three new Biology classes for the rest of the year. Just to take a moment away from Davey news, I wanted to brag a little bit on my classes for the fall semester. Those of you readers that have been away from high school for a while...should be thankful! School today is much different than what I graduated from 10 years ago. One main difference is the mass of state standardized tests they have to take. Indiana has created 5 or more tests to be taken at the end of required academic classes called the Core 40 End-of-Course Assessments. Over the next few years, students will not be able to get their credits or graduate unless they pass each one. So...the Biology test is a tough one, but my students totally kicked butt on them! In fact the only class at Madison High that bet our average was the honors class! We won't get the state average until the end of the year, but based on last year's average, 15% more kids passed than average! Hopefully this semester's kids will absorb as much information.

Davey is getting back to his normal eating habits after about a week and a half of a cold that made him not eat as much. He was still a happy baby through it all, just snotty and coughy. Hopefully it is on the way out. He loves crawling around the house seeing what he can get in to. We have planted kid-friendly adult things around so he can play and feel like he is really doing something cool! The bottom cabinets in the kitchen are filled with plastic ware and other things he can play with while I am cooking. He prefers this much more than me dragging in toys from the living room. Right now is playing music with one of those spring door stoppers...ahhh...to be a baby!

I am deep into a trans-Atlantic vacation planning with my friend Hannah in the UK. Our Spring Break trip is starting to take shape. It looks like we are going to fly into London, travel up to Nottingham, hike around the Peak District, and then end back in London! We booked our stay in London in a non-traditional way. Instead of staying in a hotel or B&B, we are staying in an extra room with a London family! The At Home in London agency, pairs travellers with families in London to make their trip more affordable and interesting. The host provides beds, breakfast, and help getting around. We are really looking forward to it. We are staying with a writer who has a Victoria home near the Notting Hill area in West London. We will let you know how it turns out when we return.

Living Great in 2008!

2008-01-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Cheesy title, I know! THe Shaw family didn't even make up to see midnight NYE this year. I gues Davey has a good excuse...just being 9 months old now. The excuse for me and Josh is that we stayed up really late the night before going to the Colts game with Shannon and Jason. It was the last regular season game in the Dome (always known as the Hoosier Dome in my house). It was a good game (though we didn't win)...didn't get to see much of Peyton playing this time and I guess that is okay. I also remember the five times I got to march on the astroturf at state competition for marching band. That was always a good time.

Davey has had some great moments already in 2008. He loves to eat whatever we are eating and has a short patience with being fed by a spoon. He wants to do it all himself. While we are still working on MaMa...he is great at saying DaDa and something that means cat and dog to him. We bundle him up at least 3 times a week in the back pack carrier and go for a hike. He loves every minute of it! I will have to get a new picture of him now with his new hat and mittins. He also loves the bath...this has become a great way to warm him up after being outside.

His little personality is starting to become stronger and stronger each day. Of course when I say personality...I mean his strong will and stubborness. But he gets it honest! He is starting to figure out what "No" means, but now likes to ignore it! Especually when it comes to playing with the cat toys...who knows what goes through that boy's head.

He loves the new wagon that Grandpa got him for Christmas. After a ride on it, he will turn away from me when I say "Up Up". (Ususally this gets him to raise his arms up at me so I can pick him up.) Davey also gives great open mouth kisses...and there is an extra bonus when he has a runny nose! One thing that all mom's have to embrace is BODY FLUIDS! I never knew all the wonderous colors, smells, and sounds that could come out of my little wild man!

Davey's First Christmas

2007-12-28T21:22:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful time we all had with our family and friends this Christmas! We had nonstop gatherings from Saturday through Christmas night. Davey has such a great disposition, that he loved to be on the go. Of course, his nap schedule is a little messed up now from all the trips in the car...but the babysitter can deal with that next week! I was a technology Christmas for all of us. Four Wiis were given...to both of Josh's sister's families, Shannon's kids, and JOSH! (I was totally anti-video games before playing this over Thanksgiving and HAD to get one!) My Dad got an iPod...so did Kaleb, a neice and nephew on Josh's side, and JOSH! (Funny story how he ended up with both...I gave up hope of ever finding a Wii before Christmas, so I bought the vidoe iPod nano....and then my mom found a Wii the very next day!) And I got a PDA so I can be super organized in the new year.

Davey of course did not know any different...he did a great job of helping up pick up all the wrapping paper. Whatever he paused at while crawling across the floor was something he couldn't have! He got more stuff than he will ever know...but that is the fun of it, isn't it?? He got lots of clothes since he is ready for the next size, lots of toys with annoying sounds and songs, and an awesome wagon to ride in. I think his favorite thing was that he got to spend a lot of time with Grandpa Jan. That is his favorite person outside of me and Josh...and even then it is a close call! My dad is the only person (besides me) that can make Davey cry when he leaves. Dad just says that it is about time a grandkid likes him better than my mom! :)

The last picture is of Davey's latest accomplishment...pulling up! He stood on his own two feet with the help of the dinosaur today for the first time! Luckily the camera was close. Walking will be here before you know it! Josh and I are actually looking forward to taking down the tree and Christmas decorations a little early this year so we can really child-proof the house. It is almost impossible to do this time of the year!

3 More Days of School!

2007-12-16T08:18:00.000-05:00

I can't wait for Christmas Break to finally arrive. Somehow I have a ton of shopping left to do and no gifts wrapped....but as long as I survive the next three days, I don't care! The family get-togethers start next weekend and don't stop until Christmas. It will be great to see everyone. The pic above is me piled up with Davey and his cousins Eliza and Rachael.

Saturday morning we got our first snow....and freezing rain...Davey couldn't take his big eyes off of the window...wondering what all that white stuff was outside. Since it all turned to rain by the afternoon, we did not play in it. We will have to wait for the next snow. The last time it snowed here was the day we took him home from the hospital. How things change!

Davey is crawling around like a mad man. Christmas is the worst time to have a mobile child that has not completely figured out what the word "NO" means! He loves the lights on the tree...tries to get them everytime...we have electric candles in each window...he wants to hold them... He is also become an expert with his tongue! He sticks it out to a little point when he laughs now! He eats many solid food now. Pretty much anything on our plate in tiny pieces. He gets better at feeding himself each day. He would love to get his hands on the cat, Alba, but she is too fast! He squeals whenever she gets close.

Though he has been jumping like a Tigger from about 2 months old, I finally found a Johnny Jump Up for him. It says I can use it until he is 24 lbs, so I have a while longer with it. We should have bought it sooner...he LOVES it! I had a video...but it is having issues uploading...

The new challenge is to get Davey to smile for my camera. He has a great smile, but my camera has some sort of stutter flash that always makes him squint or blink. So about 80% of the pictures taken have him looking stupid in them! And of course, most of those have his two fingers in his mouth! Also up there are a couple from Sears this month...I have to leave it to the professionals!

Long Time...No Write

2007-11-29T21:17:00.000-05:00

So much has been happening and I have been leaving you all in the dark! (Okay...I know there are many out there waiting on my every blog entry, but since this sort of serves as Davey's baby book, I need to be better at keeping up with this!) Somehow November has come and gone! How can this be? Life is busier than ever. Sometimes I am fine with it...other times it feels like I never get any real rest. I guess that is just part of being a mom.

Davey now has forward motion! It is not the prettiest crawl, but if you turn your back for too long he will undoubtedly get into something that he shouldn't. This picture is proof as we were putting up the tree, Davey darts toward the electrical outlet where the lights are plugged in.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Three meals, three different location, and lots of time with Davey. It was rough going back to school this week. Luckily Christmas break will be here soon. Spring semester will be the tough part. Davey loved trying all the Tukey Day treats like sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. And of course my father allowed him to chew to his little heart's content on a turkey leg bone.

We are keeping our eyes peeled for teech poking through, but none yet...just a white-ish ridge on the bottom. Regardless of being toothless, Davey is starting to chew and even eat three green beans today! Of course, they were sut very small and took him a long time to eat.

This weekend we are going to buy a new car seat for Davey since he has grown out of the infant carrier. I won't miss trying to lug that thing into the base, but it is convinent to carry him in the house when he is sleeping. Hopefully this seat won't begin with 2 months of screaming from it like the infant seat did!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

The Shaw family had a great time trick-or-treating last week. We took a dog walk through Vernon and visited with the families. The great thing about a small town is that we got full-sized candy bars! (Some folks thought Davey was old enough to eat them...I didn't correct them!) Chloe the dog was a pirate (same as last year) while Davey showed off his bouncing abilities as Tigger. Everyone loved it!

Though I don't have any pictures this year, Davey also took part in his first toilet papering of the Vernon Courthouse lawn. Each year the people of our little town show up with their families and we bring 100's of rolls of TP. As a community effort, we cover the trees with TP and have a great time. Though it is a strange tradition, we have such a great time. Next year, Davey will like it a bit more. Then the people working off their community service hours pick up the mess! I know...this might be good evidence to horse-laugh Southern Indiana...I won't have it any other way.

Here are a few pictures that I go taken at Sears when Davey was 6 months...a little delayed, I know. I did much better at not going overboard and buying too many. I told myself that since Christmas pictures were coming soon, I didn't have to go crazy.

Fall Break

2007-10-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of our trip to Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois. We had a great time. We were hoping to camp out a night or two, but with the much needed rain and almost freezing temps at night, we decided against it. We hiked about 5 or 6 miles and Davey was great through it all. We also cruised around University of Southern Indiana which is Josh's alma mater.

In developmental news...Davey can finally roll over! And this week he can very easily get up on all fours. Crawling will be here soon! We better child-proof the house! He has also become good at wrapping his little arms around my neck and squeezing. Gotta love baby hugs! Halloween pics to come soon!

Boiler Up

2007-10-24T20:04:00.000-04:00

Davey wanted to give a quick shout out to our friends heading to West Lafayette this weeknd for the game. We are sad that we couldn't make it. We will be headed to Evansville vincinity for Fall Break. Here is Davey in his Purdue outfit...though it is almost too little for him already! It is almost impossible to catch a smile on camera these days. My dag-gone shutter speed is too slow! This is best as we could do!

Finally Fall

2007-10-20T12:32:00.000-04:00

We are loving the cool evenings and mornings here in Southern Indiana. The leaves are just starting to turn and that means that we are able to get out earlier and get some dog walks in! This week we made a big purchase of a backpack baby carrier! (I will have a picture up next time.) Davey loves it more than the stroller and survived a 4 mile hike already in it! Since Josh has a lot more balance than me with a pack, he totes Davey around in it. After much research we decided on getting a brand that I had never heard of (Sherpani) and have no regrets! We will see if my opinion changes after next weekend though...we are going camping in the Shawnee National Forest for a couple of nights. We will see how we all survive that!

We are also enjoying Davey's eye being goop-free for one week! Last Friday he had the tear duct operation and we saw instant results with no recovery time needed. Of course I had to complicate things and come down with a kidney infection the night before and ended up in the ER...and then we had to go back to the doctor so more help the next day after the surgery! Three hospitals in three different counties in less than 24 hours...I think that is a record!

School is keeping me very busy these days. I am thankful that my mother-in-law takes Davey for a little while each Saturday so I can get all the week's grading finished in all one swoop. Luckily this is a short week. Full day Monday, short day Tuesday...of course conferences force me to stay there until 7 pm and then 4 pm those days...but then Wednesday through Friday is Fall Break. We are planning to head to Evansville, Vincennes, and Garden of the Gods over the break. I also hope to visit my Grandmother since she just got through hip replacement surgery. I hope to post some Fall Break pictures as soon as I can!

6 MONTHS OLD!

2007-10-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

Click on the black screen and then the play button to see the video!

It is hard to believe that half of a year has flown by since Davey was born. (I feel like another blog entry has started almost the same exact way...) It is crazy to see how much can change in such a short time...both with how much Davey has grown and how Josh and I have adjusted to him. Everyday when I get to the sitter's to pick him up and see that smile, I wonder how I lived without it for so long.

He got to meet a lot of my college friends and their babies over the weekend. A thank you shout out to Susan, Kramer, and Phill for throwing a great CCH reunion. Also thanks to Lissa, Elliott, and Emma for not minding a few more people in their house for the rest of the weekend. We had a great time! (Lissa is holding Davey and her daughter Emma in the pic above. Check out her blog with the link to the side!) I wish we could get together more often. It is a treasured memory for me.

Davey now has a new love...my hair. One night, while nursing, he would not settle down and was just throwing his arms around. I then realized that he was searching for my hair which was pulled back. Of course most of the time he gets a hand full ad pulls...luckily all those years in guard has given me a scalp that is not sensitive. He has also discovered that it given him great joy to suck on my hair when I am holding him. It completely grosses me out, but most of the time I don't realize he is doing it.

Today we visited the ophthalomologist (eye doctor) and found out that Davey will in fact need tear duct irrigation surgery. I am not sure when it will be, but I will be thankful to get his goopy eyes fixed once and for all. I hate that he has to go under for it, but it won't be for long. I actually had the same procedure done when I was a baby. Gotta love genetics! I will let you all know the date when I find it out.

I am hoping that the video I uploaded works. Blogger has added a video feature now! This is the first time that Davey really gets his laugher going. He has giggled here and there, but never like this! It will brighten your day.

Sitting like a Big Boy!

2007-09-20T15:42:00.000-04:00

Davey is growing and changing each day. Now he can sit on his own for minutes at a time. Well, at least as long as he doesn't start getting over excited and rock back and forth. He has always been so strong and stiff backed, that it doesn't shock me that he can do this so early. Of course...he can't roll over yet...he told me that he will get there when he is darn well ready. (I am trying to get him to not use such harsh language! :) He loves being at the sitters since there are at least a couple of other kids around for him to watch. I am so glad he is the only infant, because he still requires a lot of holding time.

The other pictures are of Davey spending time with his dad on the golf cart. Joshs parents gave us thir old one so I could use it to haul around my gardening stuff. Of course, Josh and Davey has spent more time in it...and I don't want to talk about my pathetic garden this year!

We have all been passing around a cold...or dealing with allergies or something. A purchase of a cool mist humidifier has done wonders for Davey's nights. He has always been a champion sleeper, but lately has woken up with a snotty nose. But of course, he also wakes up hungry! The babysitter and I can't seem to get enough food into him quickly enough! He eats cereal, he eats veggies, he eats fruits...he tries to eat anything we are eating, too! Josh's favorite thing is to watch Davey try to drink from our glasses. Davey goes wild! He knows exactly what to do...though gets quite wet in the process. We will keep practicing!

We got our new fridge in yesterday and I celebrated by actually cooking supper last night! It has all the features I wanted, and others I didn't know about! Of course, since it comes before we actually redoing the kitchen the monster is taking up 1/4 of the space. But I don't care! It is sooo many steps above the dripping hand-me-down we were dealing with.

School is fine. ISTEP drained us all this week...I am glad that is over and I can get back to actual teaching! Fall break will be here before you know it!

Reasons to Celebrate

2007-09-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

Man is it difficult to post each week when you have to work! It seems like it has been forever. School is going well, though with my new schedule of leaving school right after the bell I haven't figured out how I am supposed to get any papers graded!!

Davey turned 5 months old on Labor Day. We had a great long weekend. Hannah came back to the US after being in Japan for 3 years. Now she is off to England for a stint. Davey was happy that he fit into his Japanese outfit (which is meant for one-year-olds in Japan!) Of course our little antique festival went on that weekend, too. I found the most unique bed for Davey ever! It is an old Murphy bed (you know it pulls up into a cabinet) but made for a toddler! Too cute!

You also see another Labor Day tradition in the picture with Davey, Josh, and Josh's dad David. For 74 years the men of Vernon have gone out to camp and play cards and do other manly things in the woods. Josh's grandfather was one of the orginial guys. Now Davey is part of the tradition. When Josh found out that we were having a boy one of him first comments was about him being the next generation of the Cherry Park Campers. (Actually in the picture Davey is screaming...not smiling...)

Then the last picture was taken just this past wekend at the Courtfest in Scottsburg (my hometown). There you see my mom and dad set up to sell jewerly that mom makes at the festival. I think she ended up doing quite well and I got to see a few friends from high school. It is always fun to have a chance to show off babies to each other!

Josh is filling his weekends with golf scrambles while I struggle to stay on top of the mountain of ungraded papers and dirty glassware from labs during the week. It has got to get easier, right?

One Week Down...

2007-08-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

School finally started for me this week. Teacher days on Monday and Tuesday and the kids came on Wednesday through Friday. We actually got out two hours early on Thursday and Friday because kids were getting overheated on the bus ride home. No one complained! Here is the annual First Day of School picture. Davey had a really good week with the sitter. This is the first full week he has gone and survived better than me! Don't get me wrong...it is nice to have lots of other adults to talk to and talk about other things besides poopy diapers.

This weekend was the Leota Frolic. This is a tiny festival where I grew up. My mom set up a booth to sell the jewerly she makes. My brother-in-law raised funds for the 4-H group by getting into a dunking booth. The picture is of him in the water after my nephew, Kaleb, hit the target. It is a great time full of homemade ice cream, fried fish, watermelon eating contest, and hog calling competion. And of course next weekend is Vernon Days...more info on that later!

Davey is growing each day. He will be 5 months just next week. It is unbelievable. He loves his veggies and now has tried some fruits. That is all fine and good until it comes out the other end! I miss the days of only milk! Now here I go again about poopy diapers...moving on...

My sister and bro-in-law in Chicago bought a house in the suburbs to hopefully start a family soon. Congrats to them! I am also SOOOO EXCITED to see my friend, Hannah, this weekend! Three years in Japan is a long time. But now she is off to Enlgand with her hubby...good thing Josh and I already bought the plane tickets to come and visit over Spring Break!

Saw on the news this morning that red heads make up only 2% of the population. I reminded Josh to take note what a special wife he has! :)

Sorry..can't get the paragraph to come out correctly!

Last Week of Summer

2007-08-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe that school starts on Monday for me. And actually that is considered late for this area. Today Davey had his first offical play date with some cousins of some sort...once removed...or something. My mom, aunt, cousins, and kids all came to my house for lunch. In the picture you can tell that we got all three of them to cry for the picture. Of course Davey was the easiest to set off!

We are starting veggies now and it is a lot better than that nasty rice cereal. And Davey likes it a lot better. He can clean out the entire container in 7 minutes flat! This week is squash! Next week we will get crazy and go green with peas.

Also you see the train that was parked right outside our house. We love trains and I tried my best to find the engineer so that I could get a picture with Davey in it! Maybe next time. Luckily there are only one or two trains that go by in a week and they run during the day.

I go to school with my friend Jill to get my classroom ready. Of course I still need to sort through all the mess from my maternity leave!

Time Flies By

2007-08-05T12:43:00.000-04:00

Davey has reached another month old! It seems impossible that he is already four months old! He continues to be bright-eyed and animated in ways that cracks me up. He is getting much better about the changes that have to take place for me to go back to work. He takes two bottles during the day and actually made it three hours at the sitters without crying! And he has figured out that the car seat is part of his life and does not scream constantly like he did when he was younger.

We went to a friend's wedding last night and loved a reason to get dressed up. Of course I was more hectic getting both me and Davey ready instead of just me. The pic above is of him before we left. I was getting dress and looked back to see the sweetest boy tuckered out. I know it is rude to be better looking than the bride...but Davey looked ADORABLE in his shirt and tie. (Thanks, Susan!) He was actually quiet during the ceremony and loved watching the kids dance at the reception. I think Josh was happy to now have Davey because now he has a reason we can't slow dance!

School starts August 20th for me and I can't believe it. Maybe I will have really bad kids so I won't feel bad for yelling at them because I really miss my son. Take that back...I want good classes no matter what!

2 Wonderful Years

2007-07-31T10:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Josh and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. While Davey was at the sitters (doing much better) I packed a picnic lunch for just the two of us. You see in the picture where we at it. This is at an old grain mill from the 1800s. They carved a hoe through the rocks so the river could flow through and turn the wheel. It hasn't worked for about 100 years, but it is still neat. The river is the same one that winds around Vernon and right behind our house.

It is a little bit of a hike to get back there, but Josh and I have done it many times. In fact, the reason I picked this spot is because the first time we went there was the moment I realized that I loved him. Ahhh! Isn't that sweet? And you can also see that beuatiful flowers Josh gave me when he came home from work. I think he was trying to make up all the times he didn't get me flowers!

Baby Sitter Blues!

2007-07-26T09:59:00.000-04:00

I took Davey to the sitters for the first and second times this week. In fact, I am writing now with him there. A wonderful lady is watching him that lives in Vernon as well. I could easily walk there...if only Davey liked his stroller more... Anyway, she is watching a few other kids and we figured that taking Davey there a little at a time will make it easier on both of us. On Tuesday I took him there at 9:30 am and came back at 12:30 pm to find him sleeping. That would be sweet...but he was sleeping because he had cried for the hour before that! :( Hopefully today will go better. He got a little nap in because woke up eariler than usual...that should put him in a better mood. I have been working hard to guilt Josh into letting me stay at home next year. This is an impossibility finacially, I know, but it is worth a shot!

Isn't that boy have the sweetesst face ever?? The picture is of Davey helping Josh match socks...he is advanced for his age! jk Of course I came out to find Josh carrying him upstairs in a full laundry basket. And just as it usually goes with fathers...I protested, but Davey loved it! He got a ton of new things because we went shopping with my parents and Aunt Janice yesterday. Now we are ready to sort blocks and play in the Exersaucer! Not to mention all the great clearence clothes for next summer. I am jeolous of all you mothers of little girls! What cute clothes you have to choose from!

In other news...of course about Davey...he went to the doctor Friday because I suspected he had thrush. I was right. Thrush is just a yeast infection in the mouth and can create a raised diaper rash and irritation when eating. It has actually cleared up a lot since last Friday and he never was really that uncomfortable with it. My sister, the child-rearing guru, told me that all 4 of her kids got thrush at about this age because they are taking the occasional bottle and getting good at putting things in their mouth.

Dog Walks and Rice Cereal

2007-07-14T18:14:00.000-04:00

Davey and the dog both love to go on walks around Vernon. Here he is facing out in the carrier. We looked at backpack carriers last week and we may be purchasing one for fall camping. I just hope he starts to like his stroller soon. It is way too cool to be stuck in the house! We try our best to get out and walk each night. P.S...sorry that my son looks like Blossom in that picture. Josh flipped it up so he could see better.

Yesterday, my sister Shannon, her four kids, my parents, Davey, and I went down to Louisville to get pictures taken. I am hoping to scan them in so you can see them...well, actually all of you can have on if you want! I think I ended up getting about 60 pictures of him! Come on a sympathize with me moms...how could I chose from each of the sweet pictures. I told Josh that we are just going to have to start passing them out everywhere we go. Any time someone comments on our baby...they get a picture! And what about leaving them with our tips at restaurants? I thought of that one, too!

The place we went was AMAZING! Here is their site...they are called Portrait Innovations and they have locations everywhere. Listen to this set up...no setting fee...and for under $10 you get one pose ine every size imaginable. And since it is all digital, you instantly look at the proofs and choose which you want and then you leave with all your pictures. They are up front with all the prices and as you eliminate ones you don't want, you price goes down. Shannon told me the last time she got professional pictures of the kids it was over $600! And guess how much it was for over 60 pictures...only $90! That is almost as cheap as snapshot pictures! That is another reason we left with so many...Shannon convinced me it was a deal of a lifetime.

And so you also get what we tried out today...rice cereal. Davey actually eat a significant amount and was great at opening his mouth (as you see in the picture). Of course we ended with a mega-mess at the end, but I think we all had fun with it.

3 Months Old!

2007-07-07T11:54:00.000-04:00

A quarter of a year old already! Can you believe it? Davey continues to be a great sleeper at night, though sometimes chooses to not take any naps during the day! Josh and I tracked down the lady in our little town that will be watching him during the school year this week. I think I am going to start taking him there a day or so a week so they can get used to each other...and so I can get some stuff done around the house!

Fourth of July was pretty lazy for us. With being on stinkin' Eastern time, fireworks aren't until 10 PM around here! That is too late for me and Davey. So we had a cookout at my in-laws for lunch and bummed around....but that isn't too different than any other day! :)

We have gotten in a better habit this week of taking Chloe on dog walks. We usually make about a 2-mile loop up to the cemetary and back. (To those that may think this sounds creepy, please keep in mind that BOTH of Davey's grandfathers made/make tombstones for a living!) The river circles the cemetary and Chloe can run free and take a swim. Davey now faces out in the carrier and loves to look up at the trees. I will have to get a picture of that soon. I am also hoping to catch on video Davey "talking". He now babbles to himself most of the day and is adorable.

Lazy Days of Summer

2007-06-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

People ask me sometimes what we do all day...and most days I have a hard time answering them. Since Davey hates his car seat and therefore his stroller, we are pretty much homebound during the day. In fact we are down to condiments in the fridge! It is getting pretty bad.

I have been spending much of Davey's nap time teaching an online Pre Algebra course for the Indiana Virtual Academy. It offers classes during the summer because many high schools don't. However, I am having to update the program myself since the programmers in Indy don't have the time. At least it pays well!

One thing that has gotten better is that we have found the magic bottle! Davey now loves to drink from his Nuk Orthodontic bottle. Here's the kicker...it is the bottle that has a nipple that is flattened on the bottom edge. It is just like the pacifiers. Well...our lovely son only likes the bottle when it is put upside down in his mouth. Hey, whatever works is fine with me! I have also started mixing the pumped breast milk with formula...I am finished with pumping...it takes too long!

Here is a picture of Davey in his Bumbo seat. This is a cool invention. He has been able to hold his head up for about a month now, but he doesn't have the balance to sit up yet. This seat bridges that gap. Though he doesn't sit in it for hours, he usually likes it long enough for us to get through a meal. And whenever I can eat with both hands free is a plus! He has also recently discovered sucking on his hands (which he is also doing in the picture). Not quite to the thumb yet. Since he gags on pacifiers, I am glad he has found something to entertain him.

I want to put in a shout out to my friend Erin! It was great to see you and Clark last weekend! Why didn't we take pictures? Thanks to the Bartlets for the awesome lunch! We are hoping to go somewhere professional for his 3 month pictures in the next week or so. Hopefully they will go well.

Video Troubles

2007-06-20T16:09:00.000-04:00

Ihave been trying to upload a video of Davey for about a week now and I guess I am just not smart enough! So let's try this...the video is in Goggle videos and I think you can watch it by going to this site...
Davey Smiling at 10 Weeks

We shall see if that works.

Davey went to his first concert Friday. We went to the Lawn at White River State Park to listen to a Led Zepplen cover band backed up with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. It was Josh's Father's Day present from us. All three of us thought is was great.

We are now trying to be consistent on giving Davey a bottle at least once a day. You would think that would be easy! But no, he is a picky child and so we have about eight different bottles around the house hoping one will be a sure thing. I am not holding my breath.

More Vacation Pictures

2007-06-13T10:12:00.000-04:00

Trip to the East Coast

2007-06-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

We took our first Shaw family vacation this past weekend to Philadelphia and the Jersey shore. We got a great last-minute deal on aaa.com...you should check them out! Why Philly? Well, in college I lived in Ocean City, NJ for a summer and wanted to return. (7 years later! How time flies!) And of course Philly has great food and history. It is a great city to walk around in see a variety of sites.

We went to the first establishment to serve Philly cheesesteaks (Pat's King of Steaks)...there I am with Davey eating one in South Philly. And then across the street is Pat's competitor Geno. He makes better steaks in a cleaner restuarant...but has some strict fews on migrants. Does anyone remember seeing him on the News demanding that patrons speak English? He now sells bumper stickers that say "English Please".

We toured the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We found the LOVE sculpture in JFK Park. We went to a restaurant in the orginial City Tavern where the founding fathers came for a drink. I had braised rabbit!

Davey saw the ocean for the first time. Well, at least he had the chance to see it. The store I worked at on the boardwalk hasn't changed a bit. We ate big sliced pizza and water ice (it is like an ICEE) from the boardwalk.

We had decided that we need to invest in a small airplane because Davey did wonderfully on all three plane trips we took there and back...however as soon as we got him into that car seat of the rental car he started to scream like at home. I have tried everything...I guess we will just have to wait until he grows out of that stage!

Some more pictures will follow

2 Months Old

2007-06-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

Davey is growing like a weed these days...and we are doing much beter at getting somewhat of a schedule throughout the day. He loves to laugh and babble and look around at everything. I am surprised at how well he holds his head up already and can even support his weight on his legs. He is starting to grow out of some of his clothes and getting to wearing bigger sizes. This Friday we go to his 2 month check-up...that means he will get a bunch of vaccinations. Hopefully I will be able to keep it together through it!

Davey's First Vacation

2007-05-31T10:27:00.000-04:00

We got the chance to bum a ride with my family to Tennessee over Memorial Day weekend. My nephew, Kaleb, competed in the Global finals of Destination Imagination (it was Odessey of the Mind when I was in school). So we all headed to the Smokey Mountains! (Sorry I didn't call, Courtney...there was no opportunity to meet with you!)

Davey did wonderfully in the car seat on the way down. I don't know how, but he slept the whole way only waking up once to eat. All 11 of us were in one big cabin in the woods and he slept really well. I don't think we woke anyone up during the night! He especually liked the porch swing.

We hiked to the top of Clingman's Dome (third higest peak east of the Mississippi). I had Davey in the carrier and Josh pushed my 2 year old neice Rachael in the stroller. Josh had a much harder time that I did! There is a picture of us at the top. We also set foot on the Appalactian Trail...we would love to hike it one day. But there is now way to do that with kids!

The thing Davey misses the most now that we are home is the constant entertainment of his four cousins, Kaleb, Isaak, Eliza, and Rachael. Too bad they can be around more often! Now that school is out we will have to go and visit.

An Unexpected Doctor's Visit

2007-05-22T10:03:00.000-04:00

We had our first experience with being truely worried about Davey on Friday. Thursday night and again on Friday morning, he had projectile vomiting. He had no fever and didn't act sick at all, but the pediatrician wanted him to come in just in case. After she checked him out (up to 11 lbs now!), she explained this disorder called pyloric stenosis. This is where the bottom wall of the stomach it too thick and won't let food through. Oddly enough it shows up around 4-6 weeks old and 80% of kids with it are the first born and male. So she scheduled an ultrasound at the Columbis Hospital. She warned me that if Davey did have that condition that he would have surgery to correct it that night!

I pulled Josh from work and we rushed to Columbus. Once we got to the ultrasound room they wanted to give him some water to reduce the gas in his belly so they could see the stomach better. However, since Davey is breast-fed he only likes one type of bottle...and we didn't have one. So they went to plan B...an upper GI. Josh went to buy the bottle he takes and Davey sucked down the barium. Luckily he drank it down with no problem. Once in radiology we saw that his stomach and bowels were working fine!

It was a long and stressful day, but I am glad it did not end in surgery. Davey did wonderfully through all the pokes and prods. Here is a picture at the end of the day...totally worn out. Since Friday he has not gotten sick, so I guess we won't worry about it unless it comes up again...literally! And I won't go into what that barium stuff looked like coming out the other end!

First Mother's Day

2007-05-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

I had a great day yesterday joining the great ranks of mother's nationwide! Don't we look cute? We travelled down to Louisville with my parents and my sister's family to surprise my grandmother at church. We also brought lunch to share with everyone including my aunt's family. It was a great time. I put together little brag books for the grandmas and great-grandmas with pictures of Davey. Of course, they loved it.

That evening we went to the Shaw side like we do every week. And so we had a full day of family. But also a full day of Davey being in his car seat...which he hates! I am getting used to sitting in the back next to him so that he calms down a little quicker. I actually am not sure if it helps him ,but it makes me feel like I am doing something! Josh's parents opened up their pool on Friday and now we just have to wait for the water to warm up. Well, Josh's nephews didn't wait...but there is no way I am getting in there! We will have to see how quicly the heat they bought can warm up the water.

To answer the obvious question...I LOVE BEING A MOM! And now I love my own mother more, because I understand how much she must love me. Josh and I will slip away from Davey for an hour or so here and there, but I always get so happy to come back to him. I love that I have the power to calm him down no matter what. I love that I can provide everything that he needs. Though my life has changed since he was born just 6 weeks ago, I love it. And I can't wait to continue on.

Graduation for Mom!

2007-05-09T15:44:00.000-04:00

Though I won't offically finish my classes until August, I walked with the rest of the class of 2007 this week. I wasn't going to walk since I already have gone through it with my undergrad, but how many times do you get your Master's degree? It was hot and long, but we got to go out with my parents to eat afterwards at Rocky's...so that made it worth it.

I went to my first class yesterday...Marine Biology...yeah, I know in southern Indiana? I guess we were under the ocen back in Pangea time! But whatever, it shouldn't be too tough. It is actually at 300 level undergrad course, so I should be set. Hail to Old IU!

Baby Smiles

2007-05-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

I just can't get enough of these! Sometimes when I tickle his sides, he almost laughs. He doesn't quite know what to do.

I am hoping that Davey will get into a good schedule soon. He is sleeping well at night, but his "night" starts around 11 pm and goes until 9 am! We just need to shift it back a few hours. It
would help us all out at home. I start going to class at IUS tomorrow afternoon and my Mom will be watching him. Luckily, he has no proble taking a bottle of breastmilk. That is critical. Wish her luck!

One Month Old!

2007-05-04T14:29:00.000-04:00

We have successfully survivied one full month of being parents! For that Josh's mom and older sister begged us to go out to eat while they watched him. Thanks! We had a great time trying out a recently updated restaurant downtown North Vernon.

This is a picture of Josh spending his lunch hour the best way he knows how! You may be wondering where Davey's super cute pictures are taken at the hospital...well I haven't received them yet! I called the company and apparently them entered the wrong zip code and someone in North Carolina is probably really confused. So I should be getting the newly printed ones sometime next week. Then even though you may think he is still small, you will be able to tell the difference in his size. I am trying my best of catching one of Davey's sweet smiles on camera, but he gets confused when I put the camera in his face.

We went to have his one month check-up yesterday to find out that he is on the brink of passing 10 pounds! He is gaining an average of 10 ounces a week! What can I say? The boy loves to eat! He already fits in well with our extended family. Next month is the rough one when he gets a bunch of shots. Maybe Josh will take him for that one.

Yesterday we also checked out a potential day care for him in August. What an exhausting task! Maybe I will just convince Josh to let me stay home with him! :)

3 Weeks Old

2007-04-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

Josh commented a few days ago about how it seems like Davey has been with us a lot longer than a few weeks. I couldn't agree more. He is growing and changing each day and I am thankful that I get to be around to watch. Of course, he does get a little fussy in the evening, but it is usually the time Josh gets home from work so he can take a shift while I take a break! I am not really sure how people do it on their own. I am so glad to have a wonderful husband and two families close by to lend a hand whenever it is needed.

Here is Davey in his bouncy seat. He is sitting on a quilt made by his great-grandmother on my mother's side. The mornings are becoming my favorite time of the day. Once he makes about a million funny faces to wake himself up, he is usually good for at least 3 big smiles for me as he eats. We can't get enough of each other.

Enjoying Time Together

2007-04-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

Davey has survived two pediatrician check-ups and everything is going well. With brestfed babies, there is always a concern that they are getting enough milk. One way to keep this in check is to monitor the weight gain. He was 7 lbs 5 oz at birth and dropped to 6 lbs 11 oz when we left the hospital (this is normal). Doctors let the baby have 2 weeks to rebound back to their birth weight. Well, at week 2 little pig boy was 8 lbs 9 oz! So we are pretty sure he is getting enough food. Sounds like the Watterson is coming out of him already! We go back in tow monre weeks when he is one month old.

Here is a picture of Davey's first dog walk. We try to spend a little time outside each day, but this was the first time we got the front carrier out to go around town. Davey instantly fell asleep and didn't even stir. The only problem was that Josh got a bit sweaty since none of those things breath very well. Hopefully soon we will be back to doing a little hiking around. The dog is totally ready for it. On that note, the animals have adjusted well to the new addition. Alba (the cat) couldn't care less and Chloe (the dog) thinks the baby smells wonderful and is always very careful around him. It is cute to watch.

Sleep is getting better each night. He usually goes two to three hours at a time between feedings. This is average for this age. We always make time for at least one joint nap during the day and that makes me sane. I am getting used to the daily headaches caused by the combination of sleep deprevation and dehydration. The weekends are great because Josh is around to take some holding shifts from me. And he usually likes to sneak in a nap with us when he can!

A New Way of Life

2007-04-14T19:34:00.000-04:00

It is strange how quickly priorities change with a baby. Somehow once important things...work, going out, even showers now don't seem so pressing. How quickly everything gets dropped for the little whimper of the baby to check for the millionth time that everything is okay. I am loving the time I get to have at home with David. The days seem to fly right by. He had his first week check up on Tuesday and he is already above his birth weight by 6 oz. We go again this Tuesday and I hope that he keeps up this progress.

A funny story...Thursday night I craved to go into town by myself! We needed diapers anyway, so once little Davey was asleep I handed the reigns to Josh and went into Wal-Mart. Well, apparently the gods did not want me to leave because once I got to the end of the driveway one of my tires was completely flat! I laughed to myself as I walked back to the house. Of course I still made it to get diapers, I just took the other car. I am hoping that the weather improves soon so that we can go outside for a little while each day. Cabin fever is setting in quickly.

Davey is getting stronger each day and spends more time awake and alert ready to take it all in. Here are a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

David Lloyd is Born!

2007-04-09T16:18:00.000-04:00

Though there is a bit of delay, I wanted to introduce everyone to the person who we have waited a long 10 months for! David Lloyd Shaw was born at 11:11 am on Tuesday, April 4. He weighed 7 lbs and 5 oz and measured 20 inches in length. He has red hair coming in lik emine and bright blue eyes like his dad. We are having a great time molding our lives to the needs of this little person. Enjoy the pictures!

Some have requested labor details...don't worry, I won't get too graphic! I was supposed to be induced at 6 am Tuesday morning, but I started having contractions about 5 pm the night before. So Josh and I headed to Madison and got there about 7 pm Monday night. Things started to progress at a fine speed, but since I hadn't anticipated being in labor all night, Josh and I were in desperate need for some sleep. The anesthesiologist came in about 2 am for my epidural. Though he swears this has never happened before, he tried three times to get the stint in my spine with no luck! Yeah, it was good times. Actually the first time he missed the spidural space in my spine and instead put the medicine in the spinal space. This gave me what is known as a spinal block and is only good for about 2 hours. So after 2 hours I was in full labr with contractions about 2 minutes apart and no pain medicine. They tried some IV drugs...didn't help. Finally at 6 am, I was getting close, but not all the way there...he returned and was able to successfully give me an epidural in the 3 minutes between big mega huge contractions! We were all happy about that! At that point, I was put on Patocin to make labor go faster and was fully dialated in just 4 more hours.

Once I was ready to push, I only had to for 20 minutes. In fact, my family saw my doctor running from her office to my room to make sure to be there to get the baby! She was still putting on her gown as David came into the world! Josh did a great job through the whole ordeal and I am grateful that he hung in there during the non-medicine stage. The poor little baby had been smashed in me for so long that one of his ears was folded down! Now it has bounced back, but it was adorable. He also likes to be swaddled up and held close. It has been so cold the week that he has been sleeping in my arms at night. You can't beat that feeling!

David is a good baby. He cries only when there is reason...hunger, diaper change, etc. Nursing is also going well currently. Tomorrow we will go to the pediatrician for his one week check up. I can already tell that he is filling out. I will try to update this site with pictures. Any one who is close should stop by for a visit. You can't get much cuter that this!

Another Ultrasound!

2007-03-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

I tell you what, this baby is getting his share of pictures before he even is in the world! Yet again, the doctor became concerned about my belly size being too small and sent me for ultrasound #4. My guess is that since he is wedged on his side with only his arms and legs at my front, the measurements are off. The ultrasound once again showed a perfectly formed baby boy...with very little room to move! In fact the measurements estimated that he is over 8 pounds! I say let's get this process started before he gets any bigger! So now starts the waiting game...Seeing his little face and even him sucking his thumb makes us want him in our arms even more.

Last night, Josh and I went to my parents for a joint birthday party with my sister, Shannon. We had a fun time with the kids (sans Kaleb who was with a friend) and ate way too much good food. Mom and Dad gave me and the baby a new glider rocker and ottoman. Now Josh will get to put it together tonight! He also got to have the adventure of putting in the car seat. We both hope that installing that blasted thing is the hardest thing about parenting...but we doubt it!

No pictures this time...the camera is already packed for the hospital in the car. Hopefully the next post will have pictures of our new addition. Thank you for all your prayers during this time. News will be coming ASAP after he arrives.

Only 8 Days Now!

2007-03-21T13:59:00.000-04:00

Time is passing quickly as work and my first pregnancy comes to an end. I only have 2 more days of school and then will not return until next August. I can't wait! The subs are lined up and my plans are almost finished. Some of the kiddos are sad that I am leaving. That is sweet of them. I promised to come in with the baby for a visit before the end of school. The doctor warned me this week that I very easily could go past my due date...I am still small, I haven't dialated at all, first and boy pregnancies tend to go past...it seems like I have the odds stacked against me! We will find out if anything has progressed at my next appointment Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed! I am ready to have this baby outside of my body instead of inside.

Here is a pic from a get-together at my house two weekends ago. (Man...I am bad about posting!) These are some friends from Ball State Days. Thanks to all who got to come! I have so many great gifts for the baby! This is going to be one well-dressed kid. Consider accepting an open invitation to come and visit our humble home anytime! The other picture is of my Lamaze class given by the hospital. Ironically, all of the women were teachers or worked with the shcool system. Maybe that goes to show that the pain of childbirth can't be as bad as the things we deal with at school! :)

Last weekend, Josh and I went out for the evening for one of the last time as a two-some (and for my birthday). Thanks to my sister, Shannon, we went out to eat in Greenwood and got a little shopping done. Josh surprised me with an iPod Shuffle for my birthday! (Not the expensive one...just the tiny one without a screen.) I love it and am now feel offically cool! Last night we went with my parents up to Indy to see the musical Cats. It is one of my favorite musicals and Josh's first time to see it. He enjoyed it. The baby especually liked the fast music and would start kicking. Maybe we have a future Broadway performer!

We will make sure to put in updates ASAP after the baby is born. Stay tuned!

The Nursery!

2007-03-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

The transformation is almost complete! Here is a picture of what the room looked like before (NASTY!...and did you notice the RED carpet and aqua trim??) and after. The ceiling has been raised, a new window installed, and my personal favorite...a skylight! The colors and the trim just look perfect. If you click on the after picture to make it bigger you can see the nursery items sewn by my very own sister, Sarah. (Blogger was having image issues when I first posted this, so enlarging both them will do more justice.) Her part also came out PERFECT! Just what I wanted. Thanks, sister! Only 16 more days of work left for me and I can't wait! We have finished up our "Prepared Child Birth" classes at the hospital and have just 2 more sessions in the Lamaze series. We are ready to meet our baby.

Josh has finally returned from a golf trip to Alabama. He got to take this mini-vacation with his dad and 10 other guys from our area. They had great weather and a good time shaking the rust off of their clubs. I am just glad to have him home. It was not very fun doing all the morning chores without him! He says that he is going to change into his old man habits this spring and play in the golf league instead of the church softball league in Madison. I hope that he will still play a few ball games, because I love to go and watch!

Last weekend was another shower for my side of the family. I loved seeing everyone and was especually excited to see my friend Emily! I got tons of cute things from everyone and I can't wait to get them all into the room. That is the goal for this weekend.

6 Weeks to Go!

2007-02-18T20:41:00.000-05:00

Time is seeming to fly by...just 5 more weeks of school and then one more week until my due date. This weekend I had a great time with Josh's family at a baby shower. Of course we got 2 more inches of snow that day, but many people were able to come. This coming weekend is another shower for my side of the family. Luckily the room is almost done...which is good because I am running out of places to store baby gifts! Next post I will put some before and after pictures of the room. The transformation is amazing...just like my husband!

This picture is from Friday night when we went out for Valentine's Day. We headed over to Bloomington to one of our favorite restaurants...The Irish Lion! We look very at home there since it is set up like a traditional Irish pub. And a name like Shaw is easily recognized. We had potatoes more ways that you can imagine and enjoyed our time together. We know that a lot of good changes are in the future for us.

We had a little scare this week when my doctor scheduled me for an ultrasound. She was just a little concerned on how small I am and wanted to make sure the baby was growing as he should. To date I have gained about 18 pounds and about 8 inches around. I have been concerned when looking at the other mothers in my prenatal class... The good news is that all is well in the tummy and though he is smashed in there well, he is the correct size for 34 weeks. The best part is that we got a few more pictures of him and a firm confirmation that he is a boy! You can see his Shaw profile in this one. His left hand is on the left side of the photo with the lips near by. Many of the images had his hand in his face. So this is about as good as it gets! It was amazing watching him move around and even make sucking actions. He gets hiccups amost everyday. It is a little weird...but I love every minute of it. I am anxious to finally meet him!

So everything here is well, it is supposed to get up to the 50s down here this week and I can't wait. I am tired of being cold! We haven't been able to go on a dog walk in about 3 weeks because of this crazy weather. I hope that all who read this have a wonderful week!

Second Semester Starts

2007-01-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

Because we started bac to school so late in August this year, we did not switch semesters at the school I work at until this week. Since we have a straight 4 block schedule, this means that I got all new classes! And these seem to be better than last semester. Once again, I am teaching 3 sections of Freshmen Biology (also filled with upper classmen flunkies) and one remedial ISTEP math course. All of the class are significantly smaller this semester...ranging from just 13 to a high of 23. I wish more people understood that the smaller the classes the less disruptions happen...I don't care if they are all emotionally or learning disabled! The other wonderful thing is that I only have 8 more weeks with them! Luckily, I was able to find highly qualified subs for my maternity leave.

In other news, winter guard season has begun. I have been helping out as much as I can with these girls and they are going GREAT! Yesterday was their first competition and they received 10th place out of 19. And of the 9 they beat were some very big names that are top 10 in the state. I will try to get some pics of the show. It is the best one so far in my opinion.

Josh is still hard at work on the nursery. The walls have color and most of the trim is up. Now on to baseboard, chair rail, and carpet. Some of his time has been sucked away by me. He made some lovely props for the winter guard. He is the unofficial handy man of the guard.

We are starting to accumulate exciting things for the baby. The thing that I am most excited about is the cool stroller that my parents bought for us! I didn't want one that snapped into the car seat...we need something more substantial for our dog walks around town. Check this bad boy! You know it is ready for the off road because it is made by Jeep. It is equipped with a steering wheel for the baby that honks and some sort of capability to hook up a CD player or iPOD to play music for the baby! Do you think I can get away with putting an iPOD on my baby registry?? Maybe not. By far...this kids is going to be the COOLEST in Vernon!

New Year's Greetings

2007-01-04T06:02:00.000-05:00

Josh and I had a wonderful time travelling to the Dominican Republic over NYE. My friend, Brenda, that I met at Taylor University got married there. I was one of the bridesmaids! You can see that my belly is getting a bit bigger these days! Her and her new husband live in Chicago. Here are a few pictures from the trip. The beach was gorgeous and we had a very relaxing time at the resort. It was really tough to get back on the plane to go home.

The baby has gotten much stronger in the past week! Josh will look over at my belly often to watch him kick and shift around. Brenda and the other guests at the wedding also enjoyed this entertainment. Only three more months to go!

A Christmas Card from the Shaws

2006-12-23T03:50:00.000-05:00

School is finally over for a while and I have really enjoyed the time off. It is nice to teach 3 of the same classes each day (much less prep time), but the immaturity of the freshmen is about to drive me nuts! I almost had it worked out that I would get a student teacher the first half of next semester and then my maternity leave the last half. That would have been amazing, but of course the scheduling did not work out and she must come the last part of the semester.

I hope that each of you are getting geared up for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We have enjoyed getting Christmas cards from many of you and they are all displayed on the dining room table. The cat, Alba, loves to slide across it to send the cards flying in every direction! Speaking of her, you can see the latest picture of the whole family up above in front of the tree. There is Josh and Chloe, too. We are thankful that Alba has more interest in the tree skirt than the actual tree it self. It is a new place for her to hide under to stalk and attack us.

Next year the pets will probably be long forgotten and the focus shifted to the new addition. We are trying to prepare them for this transition. I start my third trimester next week on New Year's Eve. I will make sure to post a better profile of me at that time. Josh and I will be celebrating NYE in the Dominican Republic this year and we can't wait! Don't worry...I will bring plenty of sunscreen. The recent weather has been so weird here lately that I actually had to mow the grass one last time last weekend. And guess what...I got sunburned! That is pretty bad, I know. This poor baby will probably come out albino.

Week 24

2006-12-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

It is weird because half of the time I feel like I have been pregnant forever, but then to think that I am almost in my third trisemester seems impossibly fast. I just blame it on the hormones...like I do with everything else.

There has been a little excitement in southern Indiana in the past couple of weeks. We are lucky enough to have a railroad track go through our driveway...but trains hardly ever use it. When they do, we get really excited to go count the number of cars attached and there has been a high score of 3 so far! But anyway, the first weekend of December the city council drew names of community kids to take a special ride on the "Polar Express". It was a cute train with one car decorated with lights that travelled from North Vernon, past our house, and into Vernon (a 4 mile round trip). Josh and I were able to put up our lighted Christmas tree on the balcony before the first trip came by. It was fun to see all the kids excited and waving. (The newly added picture is a little dark, but you can see the train and our lighted tree on the balcony!)

I was able to finally make it up to Chicago this past weekend to visit with my sister and my good friend, Brenda. Though it was C-O-L-D, we had a great time. I gained 3 pounds just from the weekend! Sarah is doing well and excited to get started on the nusery bedding. I went out on Saturday night with Brenda, a few friends from the Taylor University days, and some other crazy girlfrends of Brenda. We were celebrating the upcoming wedding of Mark and Brenda. The ceremony is over New Year's in the Domincan Republic...and your's truly is in the wedding! Josh and I cannot wait for the vacation. I just hope I don't gain much more weight so I can still fit into the bridemaids dress. Don't worry, I will post pictures.

The goal this afternoon is to pick out the perfect tree and finally did it decorated. I always grew up with a fake tree, but I love that we get a live one...you can't beat that smell. It has become an important part of Christmas. The interesting part will be what the crazy cat, Alba, will do. I am guessing that the tree will fall over at least 3 times. Each year I find ornaments that represent the year. This year we add to our collection an ornament from New Orleans, Niagara Falls, one for Alba's first Christmas, one of a tent and campfire, and of course one of an expantant snowwoman. Hopefully I will get my act together this week and get Christmas cards out! Not many days are left.

Well, I guess that is all for now. A shout out goes out to Erin...it was great to visit with you last night. No big baby news right now...people are just now noticing my little bump. Love you all!

HE'S A BOY!

2006-11-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Josh and I went for the 20 weeks ultrasound Tuesday and found out that we are having a little boy! Somehow I figured that...mother's intuition, I guess. :) We go have a few pictures from it, that will be posted once Josh scans them in. Everything on the ultrasound looked good...organs, limbs, and movement. Speaking of movement, I have really been able to feel his kick and move around this week. Even Josh can feel the strong ones when his hand is on my little belly. We are looking at naming our son David, but we don't know about a middle name yet. Give me your suggestions!

Josh has been hard at work in the nursery. He raised and leveled the ceiling, put in an awesome sky light, and is now installing new lights and a double window. It will soon be my favorite room in the house. I can't wait to see it all completed. My sister, Sarah, has all been elected to make my crib neccessities like the bumper, dust ruffle, etc. I found the most adorable pattern of fabric called Over the Moon. I just love it. I think it will look perfect in our house.
We are looking forward to rooting for the Boilermakers this weekend as they take on IU. Well, I am more looking forward to seeing my good friend Lissa and her little girl Emma. Looks like it will be chilly, but I am glad that that there won't be rain.

I promise to get some pictures in soon. Truthfully, now that the baby is bigger now, the images are harder to make out. The baby takes after Josh and refused to turn his head the correct way to get a good picture. What can you expect?

Maternity Clothes

2006-11-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

The day has finally come to start wearing maternity clothes...or the pants at least! Let me tell you, it is like have sweatpants from the hips up and khakis from the hips down! I am sure all with kids are thinking...yeah, you get over that feeling quick. But I am taking it for all it is worth! Though I don't have much of a belly, I started having trouble buttoning my pants after lunch each day. In fact yesterday, I felt light-headed because of the pants I was wearing were too tight! No joke!

Josh has finished tearing down the ceiling in the nursury only to find what we thought was drywall to be nasty plater and lath board. I don't really know what lath board is, but it was a big mess. Also, with every chunk of plaster that came down ancient ash from a previous fire sailed through the air. Disgusting! But progress is being made and I am thankful that I have such a handy husband.

Fall Break!

2006-10-17T18:12:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to have a few days away from school and catch up on grading papers and house work. Josh currently has the base-board heater from the dining room demolished to try to fix it. I hate that we have to start thinking about turning on the heat already in October! Gas bills are my least favorite...in the winter it is not fun to have an ancient house. This morning I had the great luck of finding water dripping from the kitchen ceiling...have I mentioned that we love living in an old house???

School has been going well...only one problem child (out of 75)...so I can't complain too much. The past couple of weeks have been strange with the large frequency of fights. However, it is a good way to not see the bad kids for a while. We had parent-teacher conferences the past two days and I had a record turn out...10 PARENTS! Yeah, that is like 13%...I don't take it personally, though.

I don't know about anyone else but I think liked my first trimester more than the second! Since I had no morning sickness, only little fatigue, and no food adversions during the first three months, I am a little miserable trying to barely fit into my pants and skirts! It is now that I am dealing with more tiredness and headaches. Maybe I was a little too luckily in the early stages. I am trying my hardest to stay out of maternity clothes as long as possible! My next appointment in next Thursday and I hope everything will continue to be well.

I guess that is enough ramblings for now. I am in my computers class...watch out...I am learning about Microsoft Publisher. I feel like a 2nd grader...

Here are a couple pictures taken today of our crazy family. I guess a tripod wouldn't be a bad purchase in the future! The little gray cat is named Alba (Spanish for Dawn) and the one-eyed chocolate lab is Chloe. We make quite a bunch. Funny story about little Alba...last week she told me that she was lonely and went out and found a friend! Infortunately this "friend" was a black rat snake about 1.5 feet long! The poor little snake was alive, but scared stiff when we came home. Alba would let it slither away a bit and then bat it back to her. She was a little upset when we took her only friend away and released him back into the woods.

First Post!

2006-10-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay...here I am with a blog...like I have time to do this...
Actually, I am taking a super boring Grad class called "Computers in Education"...blogs apply, right?

Just a little update about the Shaw family in Vernon and Wattersons in various places...

We are expecting a new addition to our family at the end of March. (Everyone is saying its a boy...we kind of hope so!)
I am currently teaching all Freshmen Biology classes at Madison Cons. High School. (I am sure funny stories will follow...or mostly just frustrating ones.)
Most of my time is consumed to graduate classes at Indiana University Southeast. Right now I have the computer class mentioned above and the hardest class I have had this century...IMMUNOLOGY! Uck!
Josh keeps himself busy working on our house. He just finished painting the carriage house to match the house. Next is the NURSERY!
The parents are great...they bought a camper and think that they are going to be snowbirds to Florida in the winter!
The sister are doing their thing...Shannon with the 4 kids are as busy as ever and Jason will be running uncontested for prosecutor. Yeah...he's big time! Sarah got married over Memorial Day weekend in Niagara Falls to Frank. They live in Chicago.

Here is a picture of the ultrasound. There will be another one near Thanksgiving when we can find out the gender.

The baby looks upside down from this picture. You can kind of see little hands and feet. Plus there is the umbilical cord down below.

Once I start getting a belly, I will post a picture of me. Right now I am holding my pre-pregnancy weight. Though I am sure that won't last for long!

Well, I guess I have taken enough time for now. I will try to get some other pictures up soon. Feel free to leave a comment or the old-fashion way of calling!

Steph