Blog abuse

OK, I've really been abusing my blog lately.  My new year resolution for 2012 is that I will blog more frequently-PROMISE.  Right now I'm giving my blog a nice new makeover for the new year.  It will have rainbow colored unicorns, scratch and sniff pictures and it will also be in 4D so that I can have the capacity to animate punching you in the ham wallet (ok not really). 

Enjoy the holidays and I'll be back with a new look and more updates on the football season!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

  

Hide the guns and liquor!

Caden's CRAWLING!!!  Just before he hits 8 months, on Monday he started crawling.  There is no going back now.  He is all over the place.

His favorite thing to do is crawl somewhere really fast and then try to stand up on something.  So he basically just wants to stand and scream.  He's been very vocal when he crawls and it's usually a very high pitch, GAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

It's really fun to see him move so much, but it's a TON of work!

He also enjoys putting things in his mouth and holding them there with no hands.  That allows him to do other things with his hands like crawl and slap me across my face.

Word to your Bird

We have 2 games left in the season.  This weekend we are playing against NMHighlands.  A supposedly very dirty team.  And when I say dirty, I don’t mean get that jersey cleaned, I mean-BOY your mama gonna spank you.  It will be hard for some of our players to mentally back down from confrontation, but hopefully they will be able to stay strong.  It will be a tough game, but very winnable.  I’m really praying for another W, the team really needs it and it’s the seniors last game.  PLUS, it’s super awkward when you have to see them after the game.  What do you say?  Good effort?  Get them next time?  The guys don’t want to hear that.  I just kind of nod to them all awkward and try to find Adam.

In other late breaking news that you may have seen on ESPN, E! or TMZ.  Adam is the Employee of the month at the University.  BOOM.  Many people said such nice things about him and it was a nice boost of confidence for Adam (like he needs more).  So basically Adam is blowing up like a NB (nuclear bomb-thank you Mielkes)

10 reasons why I LATE (love/hate) football season

With 2 games left and 9 behind us I can't be more sappy (sad/happy) to see the season come to an end.

I really do enjoy the football season...all the screaming fans, hot dogs for lunch, cheering for the home team and just the overall smell and sound of football.  But, I have to admit, I'm uber-excited for it to be over.  With a wandering 7 month old, I'm looking forward to having my baby daddy back and being a family once again.

This season has made me realize that i have a serious LATE (love/hate) relationship with football.  Here are the top 10 reasons why:

10. Holding a squirming toddler during a game is less than comfortable.  It's even harder trying to explain the game to him.  It's unbelievable that he doesn't know what a 4-3 is yet.

9. I'll be home in 15 minutes...football time=hour

8. Football calendar:  I'd love to come to your party this weekend...but, let me check if we are home or away...

7. For 3 hours I can sit in the New Mexico sun and get a great tan 

6. Being the full-time caregiver is HARD-PROPS to all single mommies out there 

5. On Saturdays my breakfast is a brat.  (This is an actual LOVE)

4. At the home game parties I can eat 5635235 appetizers for dinner and it's perfectly acceptable  (notice my awesome food habits and love for junk food)

3. The excitement and spirit in the stands reminds me of my college days and I feel young again.

2. Watch the football game, go home, talk about the football game, turn on TV and watch other people's football games...poop footballs?

AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON...

1. I love seeing the smile & excitement on my husbands face after a W.  It reminds me of when he used to play.

Homecoming 2011-WIN!

Now that I've vented my LATE for football season-what are some of your LATES?

Mimi

The most amazing site ever

So...my friend Emily has brought to my attention the most amazing site I've seen in my life.  It's pretty much taken over my life, computer and phone.  It's called Pinterest.  It's an online board that you can share with others with stuff you like.  It's amazing and it's INVADED my spare time when CKC is sleeping...

3 weeks to go

Football is coming to an end.  A little too fast, but it has also seemed like a century.  I can't wait to have Adam back to normal working hours and have the extra help with Caden.  I'm tired of eating dinner at 9pm and then just sitting there motionless as we are both exhausted.  

So far, the have lost 2 in a row, so Adam has been really busy game planning and in meetings.  It has been a crazy season with Caden and one that has gone pretty smoothly, but man is it hard having a baby!

I've found that with the heat, going to the last quarter of the game is the best thing for CKC.  He is able to nap at home and then enjoy the game for about 10 minutes.  Next year will be an entirely new situation as we will have a 1 1/2 year old!

Life keeps you busy

It has been a crazy few months for the Clark family. We have had a lot going on on all fronts and of course a little man who keeps us (Mostly Mimi) busy all the time.

Caden has grown up so much, it really is amazing how much they grown and change in such a short time. He does new stuff all of the time and is very active now. He is pulling himself up to stand whenever he can and all he wants to do is grab stuff and put it in his mouth. Nothing is safe if it is within his reach. I am glad he has his daycare at WNMU so I can go see him everyday, it is always so great to see his big smile when I walk in the room. he is generally very happy and just a joy to be around. I look forward to seeing him continue to learn and grow day by day.

We have also had my Mom, Mimi's Mom, my Dad, visit so far and then Mimi's Dad comes this week. Then my family will come again at the start of November. I am either on the road or we have people visiting, so it has been crazy for Mimi. We love having everyone come and stay, but they are just here for the main attraction, little Caden Clark. I really like seeing him with all of his grandparents, they all love him so much, it is great to see him surrounded by so much love.

Stay classy San Diego

Another exciting event was when Mimi was informed she was no longer going to employed by Image Seller because they were eliminating all remote positions. She could have kept her job if she moved back to Denver, but that was not going to be a very good plan for our family, so she was just looking for work online and around town. I surprisingly never got too worried, I just kept believing all along something would work out. A few weeks before her last weeks with Image Seller we heard about a possible Marketing position being created at WNMU. When all was said and done Mimi got the position. I think it is perfect for her and she will be a great asset for WNMU.

Football has been a crazy as always. Being a Head Coach is very different than just a position coach or even a Defensive Coordinator. Every mistake anyone makes comes back to you whether it is a 18-22 year old  player doing something or a young coach on our staff making a mistake. We have had plenty of adversity this year with the bus fire, a few academic problems, and two very close losses. We are so close to being a pretty good football team. Hopefully we will finish strong a get the first winning season for WNMU in 20 years, we are definitely capable of doing it.

All in all lots going on, but all very positive and good. We have so much to be thankful for.

September came and went...

September flew by for us!  Here are some of the highlights!

Grandpa came for a visit! We had a really good time

We had our first baby sleep over at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival with our cool friends Jay and Hanna

We went swimming for the first time and went under water twice

Grandma got us a walker and i loved being pulled around like a king in it

Grandma came to visit

Caden pulled himself up to stand for the first time

And one last one-our first tooth came through!!!

Homecoming Week!

Well, it's Homecoming week and you know what that means-Parties, parades, kegs and football!  But in Mom world, it translates to meetings, babysitters, staying at home, and poopy diapers.  Maybe equally awesome?  It actually is when you have a FREE babysitter-GRANDMA!

Yes folks, Grandma is in town (or Granny as I like to call her to make her feel extra old).  So, while i'm off doing cool middle aged mom things, Granny stays home to watch CKC!  It's pretty awesome.  Having a free babysitter is the key to homecoming.  With all the events going on and all the extra support you want to give your husband during homecoming week, it's nice to have the extra support.  

Thus, you have more time to...

eat...

shower...

poop...

drink vodka...

happy homecoming!

MIMI

The Milky Way

Big boobs=happy baby.

For the past month, I've been taking some drugs.  OK, not really drugs, but it's a herb called Fenugreek.  Back in July, I had my gallbladder removed  and for 4 days, I could not eat or drink anything.  I was on IV's only and it was the first time I was without my little baby.  I had 2 procedures done, my gallbladder removed and stones removed from the duct.  It wasn't too bad and it was the cure to all that so called 'heartburn' I had been having for the past 4 years.  All those heartburn attacks were actually me passing gallstones.  SO, long story short, I was still nursing when I checked into the hospital.  Since I was drugged up on pain killers, (which was awesome by the way) I couldn't nurse.  Instead I had to pump so my body would produce the same milk supply.  Seriously, if someone would have drank that it would have been one awesome cocktail: milk + morphine = crazy college party.

SO, after I got out of the hospital, I realized that it really affected my milk supply.  Instead of pumping 4-5 ounces, I could only produce around 2.  Caden was on formula during the time I was in the hospital and did really well on it.  BUT, I still wanted to go back to nursing.

I did some research and started taking Fenugreek.  The first day I started with 6 pills and I could tell a difference right away.  I was very happy with the results.  They say you should take anywhere from 6-10/day so I have been consistently taking about 6-8/day.  They don't smell funny and are easy to swallow.  Now, a side effect can be that you smell like IHOP (or syrup) but I haven't experienced this yet.  So, all in all, I'd recommend it.  *Note-do not take if you are allergic to peanuts.

In turn, I have a happy, healthy, chubby, full baby...oh and awesome milk boobs that feel like knee caps when they get too full.  HOORAY!

Everyone please vote!!!

Vote Coach Adam Clark!

WNMU Creme Brulee

Last Friday started out as a regular travel day for Adam.  We kissed him good-bye and wished him good luck and watched his truck pull away.  I went on with my day like any other...until I got a casual little call about a fire.

Adam called and told me that everyone was OK and there was a bus fire.  He was really calm and acted like it was already taken care of; I told him I was glad everyone was OK, I loved him and we hung up.  Then I got this crazy picture...

Compliments of Silver City-Sun Times

I knew Adam was busy taking care of everything football wise, so I waited a while to call him.  The pictures were chilling.  The bus fire started with a flat tire that burnt the entire bus down.  Everything was lost, players gear, bags, wallets, video projectors, you name it.  It was as total loss.  Everyone was pretty shook up and Adam had a decision to make to play or not.  He met with the team and asked them all honestly how they felt.  There were mixed reviews.  Guys motivated to play even more, guys confused on what happened and guys who were mad about losing everything.  The team was divided.  Adam talked to them about the many different challenges in life and what it meant to cope with adversity and how to move forward in a positive manner.  Many were ready to throw the towel in but Adam asked, what if this happened to your home and you have a family to take care of?  Are you just going to shut down and hibernate?  No, you will pull through it and be a better person b/c of it.  Adam shared his speech with me and it brought tears to my eyes.  I could feel his energy as he retold the story and it made me want to gear up.

Another bus picked the players up about an hour later and they headed to a local high school (Bloomfield HS)  They players rested there with food and drinks provided by the H.S.  The coaches worked on the details on how to play a game without any gear.  After being on the phone for the next 6 hours, Adam and the coaches worked everything out and were able to play the next day.  It was amazing how everything came together.  Adam called me delirious at about 11:30 on his way to Wal-Mart to buy almost 1K of underwear, toothbrushes, deodorant etc.  Cleats were donated, gear was lent out and support flooded in from around the country.  I can't tell you how proud I was of Adam and how happy I was too see the support and love from all the WNMU fans.  

Angie, Caden and I with our signs

The Mustangs ended up winning the game 26-17 against Ft. Lewis College and the team had a huge home coming party waiting for them with a police escort lead by the Mayor into town.  Caden and I were there (4:30AM) and anxiously waiting for Daddy to get home.  We weaved through the crowd and finally found our hero.  Adam had a lot of people congratulating him so it was hard to get through.  When we did we had the best family hug ever.  Adam's warm strong arms wrapped around us made us feel that everything in the world had stopped and only our heartbeats and Caden's coo-ing were the only sounds in our ears.  It was heaven.

Caden-what's up dad, where were you, let's play, i'm sure you're not too busy

Adam and I got home around 6am, he went straight to bed to catch up on his missing sleep that he hadn't had for 2 days.  We all embraced each other and snoozed off and I thanked God that everyone was home safe and sound.

Everything this weekend reminded me of how important it is to embrace each other and tell your loved ones how much they mean to every day.  Never leave angry and never say anything you regret.  Love and you will be loved.  Each day is a miracle from God as my Grandma would have said.

Next week we play against the School of Mines, where Adam and I previously were at before we moved here.  No WNMU buses will be involved :)

On the road again...

Go Daddy!

Well, it's another away game.  Adam and his team headed to Durango, CO to play against Ft. Lewis College.  Last year we let this team beat us in the last quarter and it was a sad loss.  I think this year we should come up with a win, the team is much more cohesive and has a lot better talent.

This AM Adam got up and played with Caden a little before he took off.  Caden was smiling and laughing so hard at his daddy dancing around (which he as naked by the way).  I know, he had just gotten out of the shower and was trying to make Caden laugh and it made us both crack up.  I mean picture a 5'10, 210lb hairy man jumping around and doing crazy dance moves.  Just think of a stripper Big Foot on crack is what it most resembled.  Either way, it was a great way to start the morning.

I always hate to see Adam leave for football, but I never tell him.  He has a billion things on his mind and i know he would do anything to see Caden and I happy.  It's hard being alone during the season, but there are tons of people in worse situations and miss their loved ones even more. We just smile and wave and wish him good luck and pray for a safe return.

Tune in next this weekend for tips on how to keep your marriage afloat during football season!

My baby is 6 months old!

Happy Baby

Dumb Cat

In the right corner we have Caden Clark, weighing in at 15.15lbs and 26" long and born in Silver City, NM.  In the left corner, we have one annoying tabby cat named Java, weighing in at who cares lbs and who knows inches, from Lamoni, Iowa.

OK, this post was kind of just an excuse to vent on how annoying my cat is.  But, the bigger news is that CKC is 6 months old!  He turned 6 months old on 9/10 and celebrated it with a tailgating party hosted by his Grandma Jill and then went to his daddy's football game against USD.  Caden has been a great baby and is really lovin life.  He's almost crawling and he can stand for a few seconds by himself unassisted.  He's eating solid food and still nursing with I love.  Every day he's become more and more alert.  He knows when his dad pulls up in the driveway (b/c blitz barks) and he knows his bed time routine pretty well.  His favorite activity has to be being in his jumparoo that his auntie Kate got him.  He LOVES being in it and if you say, "jump, jump, jumparoooo" he practically flies out of the thing.  Next on our list is to start baby proofing the house...and of course keep trying to get rid of our horrible cat.

We survived the apocalypse!

us in the dark

Well, last night was very interesting!  Caden was safe and sound at Grandma's and the I had just arrived to my favorite sea food place South Beach in Ocean Beach.  Angie (another coach's girlfriend), Cory (Adam's cousin) and I had just gotten our food and all of a sudden noticed that the music stopped.  We started hearing everyone chat about the power going out.  We really paid no attention to it at first b/c we were too busy chowin down the bomb tacos.  But, then all of a sudden people started to talk about 9/11 and last call happened at the bar and everything closed down.

Luckily, there were reports of a massive power failure, un-related to any terrorist act.  It was a relief, but still my heart raced as I was about 30 minutes from my baby.  Angie and I tried to get on the freeway, but all the stop lights were out and the freeway was gridlocked.  We decided to head to Adam's cousins house were it was safe.  We hung out and watched the sunset down on Sunset Cliffs.  Even though Caden was in good hands with Grandma, I was still so worried about him.  It was a horrible feeling just knowing I couldn't get to him.  I was helpless and I just kept thinking the worst.  I felt like a little piece of me was missing and I was sad.  We hung out until about 8pm and got home safely-traffic was all cleared up.  It was very odd to drive around SD in pitch darkness and silence.  Reports came in that it was all caused by 1 guys mistake-oops.

I got home and we all hung out by candle light.  CK was resting peacefully in his crib and all was well.  Power came back on around 12:30pm and all was back to normal.  Caden spent the rest of the night in my arms sleeping my my side.

Season's kickin off great!

Well, we survived our first game!  It was about 92 degrees and of course sunny so Caden and I didn't last that long.  We came for a little bit of the tailgating and lasted for the first 5 minutes (game time).  It was just too hot for my little man even under our umbrella.  His poor little nose was sweating just like his mama's.  I can't imagine being a baby, just sitting there hot, in my little shirt that buttons on my crotch, and peeing my pants-bummer man.   We did use some helpful tips from some seasoned coaches' wives and we brought our frozen washcloth which was a hit.  (also can be used as a rally cloth, drool catcher and germ magnet)

Caden's media debut

The women behind the men (and their babies)

CK and I decided to head home and listen to the game online while I cooked some food for the Clarkbar after party.  It worked out great.  CK was able to hang at home with his toys and crawl around (well rocket his body across the room) and I was able to get most of the food done.  It cooled down a lot for the last quarter so CK and I headed back to the game.  It was great, nice and cloudy and some breeze.  We cheered loud for Daddy and his team and they had their first victory of the season!  35-28 was the ending score and it really did come down to the last few minutes.  It was intense but a great win!  Now, it's off to San Diego for the family for the USD vs WNMU game!  Go Mustangs!

A Baby Without a Name

So many times during pregnancy, I would pray for the health and safety of my baby growing inside me.  I am truly thankful to God for the precious gift he has provided Adam and I.  But, many times things don't turn out as they are planned and there many heart broken parents who experience a loss of a child.

My Mother in law, Jill Mitchell, was kind enough to share her story with me.  She wrote this when she was pregnant with Adam.  It has touched my heart and I hope it touches yours as well.  To all the Mom's who have lost a child, you are amazingly strong women.  Thank you Jill for sharing your story.   Please read her journey here.

Football Life

I have not been able to help out my wife much in her blogging duties as of late, so I am trying to do a little right now. We are in full swing football mode and it is crazy. I am posting this at 10:40 PM after making recruiting calls for the last hour plus (calls in Arizona and Cali because they are an hour behind us so it wasn't too late for them.) In the office by 7:00 AM and making recruiting calls until nearly 11:00, this is the life! There is some down time here and there, but not much.

I was hoping year 2 would be more smooth than year 1, but it did not turn out that way. There have been many forms of adversity in the 1st month, some I have dealt with before and many new challenges. Managing a hundred 18-22 year olds and a young staff is not an easy job, especially if you care about it and want to do it well. As I learn how to improve at my job I try to remind myself to follow all of the advice I give my players. I talk about  integrity, discipline, accountability, and mental toughness as our core values- I must remind myself constantly to live those values as well. Although there have been challenges, I believe we have a team where the vast majority are really good kids and a good staff as well. I try to remind myself that I am blessed to have the opportunity to have a positive impact on all of these people.

Of course what makes everything that much more crazy and intense is that Mimi is so very busy as well.  Not only with work, taking classes, and teaching Zumba classes at the University, but also taking care of Caden with every spare moment she has. She works very hard pretty much all day. I know it is hard on her because I cannot help as much as I would like. I try to race home right after practice to spend a little time with Caden as she leaves for Zumba. I miss Caden a lot right now. I feel so bad about not seeing him very much. Sometimes I worry he will forget who I am. A very good thing is that he goes to day care at WNMU so I make sure to get down and spend some time with him almost everyday. I am lucky to have such a supportive wife and I will continue to strive to find extra time to spend with Caden and Mimi.

It is a crazy life, but most people's lives are crazy in one way or another. I believe Mimi and I work hard and that it will pay off in the end for our family. I am grateful to have her as my wife and to have an adorable little son. I am also very lucky to have a job I care about enough to put my heart and soul into. I look forward to a great season, year, and future.

World's Best Lasagna

During football season I try to make meals that will last a few days; casseroles, soups, etc.  You know, something that will is easy to heat up if Adam comes home later than expected.  So, I found the 'World's Best Lasagna' on the internet.

It required a lot of prep, but I figured that since Caden hadn't taken an afternoon nap at school that day he would just nap while i finished the recipe.  Well, he totally proved me wrong and was a total maniac. Here's how to make bomb lasagna:

Marinate meat for an 1 1/2 hour-done.  Pick baby up from school and get sleep baby out of car seat and put him in lamb swing-done-cue manic crying and screaming...oooK.

Nurse baby back to sleep and place in crib-eyes closed, ahhh.  Boil noodles for 8-10 minutes, at the same time mix the ricotta cheese, parsley and eggs together.  Done-cue blood curdling screaming from the crib.  Now moms,  try to let him cry it out for a few minutes b/c this baby is obviously over tired.  Pump the remaining milk out of boobies and check emails (this strap works wonders).  Oh shit, the lasagna noodles are done, take off band, dump noodles out of boiling pot totally topless.  (That step is essential when making this recipe).  Hope to God your nipples don't singe off.  Run to nursery, as baby still isn't sleeping.

Holy crap this lasagna is bomb!

Pick up sweating baby, undress him while you sit there topless sweating yourself.  Sit for 10 minutes and rock.  OK, now that your baby obviously isn't going to sleep-stimulate.  Put in jumparoo...cry, place on belly...cry, read to baby...cry, make noises that sound like a cow dying...WAY cry, put in bumboo....possibly working.  Oh and don't forget about your noodles that you need to lay flat.

So, now you have a sous chef, that you have to hold while you put the rest of the lasagna together.  Swaddle the baby against you using the Sleepy Wrap and finish assembling the recipe.  Ahhhh....finally, it's working.  Now, that your overtired baby has fallen asleep on you place baby in crib and bake lasagna for 25min at 375 degrees.  Cue baby crying...comfort baby while your lasagna burns in the oven.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe.

Teach your baby to read...the normal way

Ever since Caden was an infant (seems like yesterday) we've been reading to him.  Now, I know you think reading to an infant is a waste of time b/c they are probably sleeping anyway-you are wrong-well maybe...

learning noises

Reading to your baby creates stimulation and teaches them all different types of things.  Babies can learn how to communicate with people, they can learn their colors, numbers and even all different types of pooping styles (link to Everybody Poops book or for those really messed up people -link to actual poops).  Reading helps increase vocabulary and increases Caden's knowledge about the outside world.  Babies are a blank slate and whatever you teach them is what makes them the person they become. 

Now, I know people are all hopped up on Teach Your Baby to read program, WE (yes Adam takes time to read to Caden quite a bit-and it's not his play book) like reading to Caden the old fashioned way-on my lap with a physical book-not an electronic pad or weird flash cards.  He really likes looking at all the illustrations and turning the pages.  Mostly, the pages go into his mouth, but it's cute all the same.

Right now, Caden has been absorbing things like a sponge, he knows what books we read for bedtime and he's turning into such a smart baby!  Caden, at a young age of course will be this little Asian boy who will be reciting football plays and stats like he was trained in the North Korean Military-not really, but funny to think about.

Daddy & Caden at bedtime

4 Hour getaway

So, last night Adam and I finally had a night alone out on the amazing town of Silver City.  Adam had a hectic day and had about a million things on his mind so I thought a movie would be a nice way to escape reality.  I've found that the most relaxing thing I can give Adam for a break from work is to just sit there in silence or listen to him when he just needs to vent.

Since we're old and lame, we went to an early movie at the movie theater (aka warehouse) in town.    After that we went to dinner at the Buckhorn and enjoyed a nice long dinner with some regular conversation...well mostly football.  It's like the elephant in the room, you can't avoid it and it consumes our life.  Adam has been staying positive about the season, although I can tell he's totally stressed out.

On the up side though, during our dinner, we did run into the new school's president and his wife.  Dr. Shepard is a go-getter and a forward thinking, similar to Adam.  He was excited to tell Adam about all the new things he wants to do for the stadium, including adding cooling fans and seat cushions.  It's a great step towards the future of the program.  Kind of jokingly he told Adam, if he makes these improvements, he better be here for a while and not leave b/c he wants him around for the long haul.  I think that boost of confidence was just what Adam needed after his stressful work week.

We went home after our diaper free 4 hours and came home to a crying baby.  Adam was more than eager to get in there to hold and feed Caden.  I sat up and talked to his mom and then it was back to our little reality...Adam watching film and me hanging out with my substitute husband Bravo TV.

Help needed!

Help needed!

This is an awesome link to just what Adam and I were discussing the other day. The punter actually hurt himself the other day, b/c of a divot in the football field. Adam was actually told that it was his job to maintain the football field. That makes perfect sense-UM WHAT? So, on top of coaching 100 players, leading his staff and attending to all the other randomness that goes along with the job, he also needs to be his own lawn service. You know what? I think I do remember Adam telling me that it was part of his job description-HA!

Now come on WNMU, I really doubt that the basketball courts, tennis courts, golf course, etc are being maintained by all the head coaches and if they are-Bravo, that really is impressive.

Let's all make it work for the students and have them be proud of a program and school that they can someday call their Alma mater.

It will take a lot of hard work, but it is worth the effort...that's what she said.

Creepy or Cool?

So, now that I'm a mom, I've been more aware of the surroundings I take Caden in.  Recently, my friend Angie told me about this new app for your phone that searches the area you are in for sex offenders.  What it basically does is uses the phone GPS and maps out where you are and where the sex offenders are in that 15 mile radius.  It provides their name, address, picture and crime.  It kind of creeps me out how many sex offenders live in Silver City.  Our town is not small by any means and they are all over the place.  Basically, my phone looks like a pepperoni pizza when I look at all the red dots indicating an offender.

Now, I do know a few of them, not personally.  They are the people I see at the store everyday, getting groceries, going to McDonalds, washing their car, etc.  And I have to say, I really don't mind them when I'm alone, but I get super freaked out when I'm with Caden.  It just freaks me out in general.  You know that feeling that you get when you go into SUPER MOM mode and brace everything around you.  That is what it's like.

I recommend getting an app like this for everyone who wants to be aware of their surroundings and know who they are living around.  Now, don't go out and start lighting hay bales and carrying pitch forks at these people, just be aware of what is out there! 

Standing!

CKC can now stand with just holding his arm out to balance. He is such a strong boy!  Those baby steroids are really paying off!

Caden is an alcoholic

Ok, well not really, but this morning on the Today Show they had a survey of Mom's who medicate their children to get them to sleep.  Now, I'm not a big fan of Ann Curry (b/c she is a lame reporter), but this really sealed the deal.  The ladies on the show were talking about how some Mom's give their kids a little bit of alcohol to get them to bed or to help with teething.  Ann Curry asked..."so some mom's give their babies, what, like a sip of wine?"  Seriously Ann?!  I mean does Ann Curry live in a world where there are babies in little red velvet robes, smoking little baby pipes and sipping on cognac?

Well, the conversation also brought up other secrets that Mom's have.  They said that they actually thought that women most likely lied on a lot of the survey and pretended to be better moms than what they really are.  Now, these questions don't make them bad moms, it's just the truth.

Here's a few:

• 85 percent use their kids to get out of social obligations.  I'm TOTALLY guilty of doing this!
• Nearly one in three uses work as an excuse to avoid taking care of the kids. hmm I work from home so that one doesn't work
• 44 percent of moms would rather be 15 pounds thinner than add 15 points to their child’s IQ.Caden is a genius so I may take those 15lbs
• One in four fears their partner is a better parent than they are.  Guilty-Adam's always the fun one
• One in ten wishes their child was the opposite sex – and of those moms, 60 percent have boys. NO WAY

It's hard being a Mom.  You just want the best for your baby and family, but it is a FULL time, non-stop job.  Seriously, there is no rest and you can never go back to your simple married life when you could just pick up everything and play.

Now, with that being said, there is no other life I'd rather live.  Caden has taught me how to laugh harder, love harder and be an overall better person.  He's the light of my life and our little 2some is now a cozy 3.  I never knew what unconditional love was until I had CKC and could appreciate how much work goes into raising a child.  Parents are truly awesome people (expect those wackadoos who suck at life aka pageant moms)  So, cheers to all the Mommies out there and save the wine and drink up yourself!  I love you Mom & Dad (Jill & Jon too!)

In case u can't see the pic posted below

...CKC just chilling reading a book

Baby Thursday!!!

Today is CKC's 5 month birthday!  I can't believe that 5 months has gone by so quickly!  In the little time he has been on earth, this little guy has flown to Iowa, Las Vegas (where he played black jack), San Diego and Phoenix!  He has quite the traveling experience under his belt.  I've got to admit he's really good at it too.  He always packs so conservatively (unlike his mom).  Caden has mastered tummy time, standing, holding his bottle, grabbing things, pulling my hair and the stock exchange.

Today he thought he would start his morning with a nice book and a good BM.  Happy Birthday Caden!  I love you!

Hello Ladies

No, Mom, I'm fine, i'm just catching up on some reading

Football has started! WOOHOO, BOOHOO

So, football has officially started.  Adam's gone from 7am-11pm at night.  All his players have reported to camp and practice is underway.  There are around 100 guys that make up Adam's team.  I'm super excited for this season to start as the staff has really recruited hard these past few days.  Last season they went 4-7, if they just win 1 more game this year it will be their winning-est season in the last 20 years.  I know they will be able to do it.

It's been warm here so practices have been hot but not too bad.  He has had 2 guys quit so far-they didn't even make it to the first practice...babies.  But, other than that the other guys have been working really hard.  I'm tempted to go out there and take a bunch of photos and really embarrass Adam, Mom style.  I think maybe this weekend that will be my goal to update everyone.

Photo of a creepy single mom i found

So, until football camp ends, it makes me a single mom-or 'football widow' (which i hate that term).  Adam's mom has been here helping out with CKC until camp ends-what a lifesaver!

Go Mustangs!

Please email me any tips or suggestions to help the season go smoothly.  You can also ship me lots of wine :)

Pants optional...

Today Caden and I had to run a few errands at Walmart.  It was such a crazy adventure, almost like going to an exotic zoo.  First we saw the rare toothless, disheveled toothpick eating bum.  He was hard to spot at first because he was dressed in all camouflage and he had a full face tattoo, but as CKC and I got closer to the door his scent was un-mistakable.

Next around the corner three little vultures popped out and were trying to pray on Caden.  They were possibly abandoned as none of them were wearing shoes (one with just a diaper on) and it seemed as if they had spend the night in the store.  They circled around us for half our trip.  I was inclined to feed them but i remember what my mom says, 'don't feed strays or they will stay'.  So, i just kept hoping their parents would find them...10 min later...

Finally, CKC and I got to the car.  I saw a note on my door, so I was positive i had been a victim of a hit and run, but NO, it was a stalker.  Actually...it was just Adam who left me a cute note on my car!  It made my day.

I packed our car up and started to get out of the lot, but not before I heard a large crash and watched a woman push her shopping cart into my car-AWESOME.

Going Green

OK, not in the cool way that is healthy for the environment way...food wise!  Caden started eating real (well, we will call it real) food.  We started out with Organic Peas.  At first he cringed at the taste of them so instead of making him eat something that I even though was horrible, we gave it a rest for the day.

Pea Face

The next day we tried it again.  It was a success.  He ate about 1/2 the jar and didn't throw up in my face.  He actually seemed to quite enjoy wearing his little bib eating like a big boy.  His diaper later that night looked pretty much like the peas he put in his mouth, it was quite disgusting and I had Adam change that diaper.

Hungry baby-FEED HIM!

Our little boy is growing up!  He's standing, eating big boy food and starting to try to crawl.  Before I know it he will be stealing our alcohol and pretending to go to the 'library' at 10pm on a Friday.  But, for now, i'll squeeze him and enjoy his cubbly little legs and keep eating up how much he loves being around me.

 Best place on earth