I'm Baaaaaaack!

So life may have gotten a little crazy and I abandoned my blog for over a year... but hey, I'm back now and that's all that matters.

I love reading blogs but I have found I really enjoy reading short and sweet posts. I also like when there is a ton of pictures so, if you are anything like me, here you go!

Photo by Gina Lang Photography

Reason #1 why I have been on hiatus-My sweet little girl. Last time I posted I hadn't even been back to work yet, and now she has been in daycare for over a year and a half. She has been growing and maturing SO much lately. Just yesterday she told me that I couldn't go to her birthday party. It was so sweet. (Insert eye roll here)

Photo by Gina Lang Photography

Reason #2 I have been neglecting everything else in my life. What a joy this sweet little boy has been. I can not begin to tell you how much fun it is to be a second time mom, life is WAY easier the second time around. I am nervous to say this but he is a super sleeper with an amazingly calm and patient spirit. I am told he takes after me. (Insert double eye roll here.)

-and there you have it...short and sweet.  And now I will post some more pictures.

Keeks meeting JT for the first time.

Taking care of her little brother.

I just think she looks so darn cute here.

Sweet sweet JT

Raining Cats and Dogs.

My current Facebook Status is;

When it Rains it Pours

I am not kidding...here at the Anderle house it is Pouring...or should we say "POOR"ing. All this said "raining" of cats and dogs is costing us lots of money. LOTS.

Do you know that Pomeranian's bark? I mean they bark a lot and often. Our dog(I use the term "our" very loosely) barks at everything. She barks when keys are jingled, when she sees a leaf

blow by, and she even barks when I shift positions on the couch. I do not kid. So one would think that Amelia might bark when our barbecue is being stolen off our back patio right? No, she doesn't. But she does bark when I exclaim "Holy Crud, Our Grill is GONE!"

Thank you Amelia, thank you.

I was really excited to be bringing our youngest pet-child to the vet to check on this horrible limp that she has had all weekend and while I was packing up Keira so I could drop her off at my mom and dad's

I took a quick peek at our calendar. I noticed that today our middle pet-child was turning 6. Happy Birthday Bindi. Most people would do something nice like cuddle their cat, maybe get them a nice gift or even sing happy birthday to them. Me? no, I sigh and begin to feel depressed that she is only six. This means she will be around for, what, like another FIFTEEN years? I

though she was at least like 10 years old...and then I did the math and realized that our oldest pet-child is only 10.

So after packing everything you need to survive an entire 1/2 hour at grandpa and grandma's house, holding my 30 pound one year old, and my "obese" Pomeranian I lock the door and leave. Noticing one more time that we don't have a grill. I drop Keira off and make it the vet

with ten minutes to spare! (in most cases wonderful excepts the vet is not a fun place to spend an extra ten minutes). They did the exam on poor Amelia, who, is in obvious pain and find out that she has a "football" injury. This is VERY ironic for a couple of reasons;

1. See photo on the right. Amelia's "daddy" is a former football player.

AND

2. She got the injury while chasing a football this weekend at the

cabin.

Turns out Amelia has a ruptured ACL. Also what they would call a "football" injury. This is something that we HAVE to do surgery on, and I feel horrible because all I can see when I look at her now is money. You know in the cartoons when the wolf looks at the sheep in a field and they see a rack of lamb steaming on a plate? Yeah, I see a pile of money barking at the place my grill use to be.

When it Rains it Pours...Cats and Dogs. Cats that are far too young and "obese" dogs with ruptured ACL's.

I had to have one shot of the "oldest" pet-child and our

Favorite, most beautiful, most wonderful human-child too!

Guilty Mommy Monday

In an attempt to make myself write more I have decided to start a series titled,

Guilty Mommy Monday

There are so many times, days, occasions that I feel guilty that I thought, what a better outlet than to share it with my readers! Please add your guilty mommy story in the comments below, I am sure everyone would love to hear it!

I've got a doozy...a real doozy for my first one. So Last weekend my husband took Keira to

visit grandma for her Birthday. They had such a blast and grandma was so surprised. I have to admit I was pretty lost with out the two of them. I wandered around aimless for a few hours when I decided to go get a pedicure and grab a dinner with my bestie.

I was explaining to her how worried I was about Keira and how this was really "off" her normal routine. (I sometimes wonder what it would be like to live with a drill sergeant mom...oh wait history repeats itself right?)

I told her all about how he didn't pack the right shoes, the right clothes, the right sippy cup, and he didn't even pack her tooth brush! She reassured me that Keira was with her FATHER...her F.A.T.H.E.R . and I should enjoy my mini vaycay. When I got home and had finally calmed down I fell into the middle of our king-sized bed and was able to get my first night of uninterrupted sleep for over two years.

Soon after expressing all of my fears that Keira just couldn't survive with out me Matt and Keira came home happy and unscathed (minus one shoe damn-it). She really wasn't even happy to see me-she could have cared less. My husband was still irritated with all the calls and "one more thing's" rolled his eyes at me when I was almost in tears smothering her with love and kisses. (because I am sure grandma and dad gave her none)

With life getting back to normal, Matt and I were thinking about what we would have for dinner. I had to make a quick run up to the corner grocery store to pick up a few things and on such a beautiful night Keira and I decided to walk the 1/4 mile. On our way out Keira was walking right next to me and I asked her to hold my hand...reaching up for my fingers she hit a spot in the uneven pavement and went down...HARD.

I have heard her fall and cry before but nothing like this. When you hear people describe a head hitting the ground like a "ripe melon" they aren't kidding. I still get a little vomit in the back of my throat thinking about it.

After calling the nurses line, both grandmothers, an uncle (who has suffered several concussions) both grandmothers again, we finally decided that she would survive. We did, however, have to wake her up every four hours to make sure she was ok. Getting a toddler to bed once a night is hard enough but an extra two or three times? Needless to say, she made it through her first klunker and night following a klunker.

My husband had to, of course, remind me that this happened on my watch and that she was fine the entire time I was off worrying about her visiting grandma. Thank you Matt, thank you.

PS-I know you didn't brush her teeth after you gave her that sucker because you didn't pack her tooth brush...HA take that.

Complaining

A Few complaints on this beautiful day.

1. I feel fat, ever since I stopped nursing Keira my body has decided to store an extra eight pounds. I like to pretend it is eight pounds of stored milk but it just isn't.

2. I tried to work out but can't. Yesterday when Keira was pretending to be a "Scary Bear" at the park I slowly ran away. I wasn't even running...I was more walking fast or bounding joyously away from the growling "Scary Bear". I had to stop because it was hurting my cellulite. If running, or in my case walking fast, hurts cellulite where does one start to exercise?

3. I am tired. Apparently at 15 months Keira decided to assert herself and show us that she means business. This means tantrums, and the tapering off of naps. I can't decide who needs these naps more, me or her.

4. I am anxious. I am going back to work in the fall and can't stop thinking about it. When most teachers are counting down the last week of school with excitement I was counting my districts

days with dread. Everyday closer to the end of school meant summer was here, which meant fall was approaching, which meant school was just around the corner. When your 68-week maternity leave is coming to an end one might have some confusing feelings...no?

5. I feel guilty. I feel guilty about EVERYTHING. I feel guilty about going back to work. I feel guilty about putting my daughter in daycare. I feel guilty not contributing to the family's finances. I feel guilty that my daughter doesn't interact with more children her age. I feel guilty that I stopped nursing when I could have kept going. I feel guilty that I don't think I will nurse my second child as long. I feel guilty that I am sitting inside on a gorgeous day. I feel guilty that I don't want to go out because I hate the tantrum sunscreen causes. I feel guilty, I feel guilty I feel guilty.

5. I am stir crazy. My house is messy and dirty (two VERY different things) and I don't want

to pick up or clean at all. I look around and don't know where to start. I then get mad that my husband's dirty socks are scattered (in what seems like) every room of the house. When I tell him this, he then walks into each room of the house proceeding to pick up (no less than) one half full or empty (optimist or pessimist?) can of Diet Coke and showing me my mess around the house. Apparently when it is your mess you don't see it.

And now I am done. I feel much better and will now take a rest from all this hard work.

16 and Pregnant

Don't let the title scare you....too much.

Any of you that know me on a personal level know that I am obsessed with Reality Television.  It can be anything; Real Housewives, ANTM, Survivor, True Life, Real World, The Hills, etc.  I recently saw an advertisement for a new reality show called 16 and pregnant.  It is on (the ever so educational) MTV, so I HAD to watch it.  

Unfortunately (really?) I was in California at the time so I totally missed it.  As I was sipping wine in Napa I even had a fleeting thought; "I am missing 16 and Pregnant right now".  (Please don't tell my husband-apparently he doesn't read the blog? hmmmm, maybe he has lived with me too long and has to "Survive"  my stories)

ANYWAY

As I was watching it I couldn't believe how amazing little Maci was, and yes I can call her "little Maci" because she was only 16.  Sixteen years-old people!  She had a little boy named Bentley (that's a whole different blog entry...BENTLEY?). 

She was just darling with her southern twang and soft demeanor.  I wanted her to live in my city so we could go to ECFE together or maybe have a play date-But then I remembered she is 16! 

When I was 16 I still had stuffed animals on my bed, and I may have still had my baby blanket under my pillow where no one could see it.  Maci probably wouldn't be able to come over for a 

play date because she wold most likely have been taking a college class (went to an accelerated high school), at dance (joined six weeks after giving birth) or maybe at work (part time for her father).  

This brings me to my point.

How can I complain...literally how can I complain?  When I go back to work this fall and am a littler irritated when a parent can't make it to a meeting or a conference on time I am going to remember this girl.  I also have to remind myself that I am 30 years old and I still struggle to get out of the house on time even though I have;  1. A vehicle to get me places,  2.  A supportive husband that works so I can stay home with my daughter,  3.  The ability to get online, use my house or cell phone to ask for help, and  4. Over 20 people in my family that would jump at the chance to babysit my dear daughter. 

I love it when I get a piece of Humble Pie whilst watching MTV.  Some people may get their fulfillment from Church, meditation, or reading a good book...no, not me. MTV

-a couple of footnotes-

1. I do not endorse anyone 30 or younger to have a child.

2. I do not endorse anyone 1-9 months pregnant to ride a "quad" as she called it.

3. I plan on sending very strong hate mail to Ryan. (see photo and watch the show)

4. Bentley is a good name if your like...16.

5.  I just broke a promise I made to myself never to make fun of a baby name (Keee-aira?) (Key-ra?) come people it is not that friggen hard!

6. Maci if you happen to stumble upon this please call me, I really want to hang out with you. 

7. You.Must.Watch.This. Show.  Thursday 7:00 pm Eastern time. (or online like I did)