It's hot. It's 100 degrees almost daily in my corner of Louisiana, along with the humidity, and sometimes, you honestly wonder how you're going to breathe as you walk to your car. Or even to the mailbox.
How's the summertime where you are? Pleasant, or at least bearable? I know I shouldn't complain, and I don't usually, but today...WHEW! Makes me grateful for air conditioning and popsicles though :) That's something right? Is it still wrong to complain if the grumbling makes us grateful for other things? Hmmm....that's a post for another day. lol
I hope your summer has been a blast! Ours has been busy, and mostly fun. Birthdays and parties and beach trips and lots of frozen yogurt... Regardless, as July is fading away (or in some cases, torching away) into August, well, I can't say I won't be glad to see it gone and Autumn come! Unfortunately that change in temp won't occur until probably late September here.
When does Fall arrive for you? When does school start back? (for you or your kids...or both!) I'm looking forward to the end of August, when Little Miss starts her first dance class (basic ballet and tap!) and then a week later...PRESCHOOL!
AGGHHH!! I have a daughter almost in preschool! When did this happen? I love it and hate it all at the same time :) If you're a mommy, I'm sure you get that. lol
Happy end of summer, everywhere. Let's toast a popsicle (or two!!)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A little something...
I'm curious today. What's your little something?
You know, when you've had a really bad day, or a really bad night - you wake up (or are getting ready for bed) and you do...what? Hot bubble bath? Candy bar? Soda? Special tea? A new book?
What is your self go-to reward for surviving a night of little sleep or for handling a stressful day at work or for meeting a deadline you never thought you'd make? etc.
For me, it's Starbucks. I don't get it all that often because A. it's expensive ($3.86 for the smallest size!) and B. It's high in calories. Yeah, my "tall, not fat, white chocolate mocha with NO whip" is still 270 calories! Can you imagine if I got it bigger, regular milk, WITH whip? Oy. (Seriously, it takes just as good without all that! Try it!)
I got one today, even though I really didn't have that big of an excuse other than Little Miss woke me up at 2:15 a.m. to go potty, (SO PROUD of her for being able to do that from a sound sleep in middle of the night, with no accidents, at barely 3 years old!) and I'm starting to get a mild allergy drip in my throat. Not exactly "I DESERVE A TREAT" worthy but I'll take it ;)
(Hey, the way I see, after surviving last week of Little Miss's hand/foot/mouth virus, well - I deserve Starbucks daily for the next decade)
So what's your little something? Or what is your BIG something that you save toward to really celebrate/commiserate? :)
(I need ideas for a new one that's cheaper than $3.86) haha
You know, when you've had a really bad day, or a really bad night - you wake up (or are getting ready for bed) and you do...what? Hot bubble bath? Candy bar? Soda? Special tea? A new book?
What is your self go-to reward for surviving a night of little sleep or for handling a stressful day at work or for meeting a deadline you never thought you'd make? etc.
For me, it's Starbucks. I don't get it all that often because A. it's expensive ($3.86 for the smallest size!) and B. It's high in calories. Yeah, my "tall, not fat, white chocolate mocha with NO whip" is still 270 calories! Can you imagine if I got it bigger, regular milk, WITH whip? Oy. (Seriously, it takes just as good without all that! Try it!)
I got one today, even though I really didn't have that big of an excuse other than Little Miss woke me up at 2:15 a.m. to go potty, (SO PROUD of her for being able to do that from a sound sleep in middle of the night, with no accidents, at barely 3 years old!) and I'm starting to get a mild allergy drip in my throat. Not exactly "I DESERVE A TREAT" worthy but I'll take it ;)
(Hey, the way I see, after surviving last week of Little Miss's hand/foot/mouth virus, well - I deserve Starbucks daily for the next decade)
So what's your little something? Or what is your BIG something that you save toward to really celebrate/commiserate? :)
(I need ideas for a new one that's cheaper than $3.86) haha
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Scribble Chickie
Visit me today at Scribble Chicks!!
AND...visit me (post from this previous Sunday) at a new group blog I'm participating in - GIRLS, GOD AND THE GOOD LIFE! The link is HERE!
See ya there ;)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Beach quiz
In honor of summertime... :)
(this was especially fun since I'm in the middle of writing up a beach proposal!!)
My results:
You do things your way, and you always get results. You'll work as hard and long as it takes.
You are completely fearless. You refuse to let fear control you. You are proactive, and you try not to let anything slide. You avoid lazy thinking habits. You always have a way when your will demands it. You don't consider failure an option.
Well...I'd say the above is accurate for me except the fearless part. I hate roller coasters. And being dizzy. And heights. And feeling closed in. And spiders...and any winged bug...lol yeah. Not fearless!
What'd you get? :)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Another sweet read by Robin Jones Gunn
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Canary Island Song
Howard Books; Original edition (July 5, 2011)
by
Robin Jones Gunn
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Canary Island Song
Howard Books; Original edition (July 5, 2011)
by
Robin Jones Gunn
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robin Jones Gunn was born in Wisconsin and lived on a dairy farm until her family moved to southern California when she was five years old. She grew up in Orange County and spent her summers at Newport Beach with friends from her church youth group. After attending Biola University and Capernwray Bible School in Austria, Robin and Ross were married and spent the next two decades working together in youth ministry.
It was the young teens at Robin’s church who challenged her to write stories for them. She hadn’t thought much about being a writer, but took their request to heart and set her alarm for 3am, three days a week. With two small children it was the only time she could find to write the first story about Christy Miller. After two years and ten rejections the novel Summer Promise was accepted for publication in 1988. Robin hasn’t stopped writing since. Over 4 million copies of her 75 books have sold and can be found in a dozen translations all over the world.
Robin and her husband now live in Hawai’i where Ross is a counselor and Robin continues to write to the sound of tropical birds chattering in the palm trees outside her window. Their children are grown but manage to come to the islands with their families every chance they get. Robin's awards include: three Christy awards for excellence in fiction, a Gold Medallion finalist, Mt. Hermon Pacesetter and the Mt. Hermon Writer of the Year award. Robin travels extensively and is a frequent key-note speaker at various events around the world. She serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and Jerry Jenkin’s Christian Writer’s Guild.
ABOUT THE BOOK
When Carolyn’s grown daughter tells her she needs to “get a life,” Carolyn decides it’s time to step out of her familiar routine as a single woman in San Francisco and escape to her mother’s home in the Canary Islands. Since Carolyn’s mother is celebrating her seventieth birthday, the timing of Carolyn’s visit makes for a perfect surprise.
The surprise, however, is on Carolyn when she sees Bryan Spencer, her high school summer love. It’s been seven years since Carolyn lost her husband, but ever since that tragic day, her life has grown smaller and closed in. The time has come for Carolyn to get her heart back. It takes the gentle affection of her mother and aunts, as well as the ministering beauty and song of the islands to draw Carolyn into the fullness of life. She is nudged along by a Flamenco dance lesson, a defining camel ride and the steady gaze of Bryan’s intense blue-gray eyes.
Is it too late for Carolyn to trust Bryan? Can Carolyn believe that Bryan has turned into something more than the wild beach boy who stole her kisses so many years ago on a balmy Canary night?
Carolyn is reminded that Christopher Columbus set sail from the Canary Islands in 1492 on his voyage to discover the New World. Is she ready to set sail from these same islands to discover her new life?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Canary Island Song, go HERE. Purchase your copy of this latest hit by RJG HERE.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Shadows in the Sand by Gayle Roper
This week the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Shadows on the Sand
Multnomah Books (July 19, 2011)
by
Gayle Roper
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Shadows on the Sand
Multnomah Books (July 19, 2011)
by
Gayle Roper
I'm a huge fan of Gayle's, after all, she is the one who directed me to first joining the ACFW many moons ago when I was young (18!), inexperienced, and totally clueless to all things writing because one important factor - I wanted to be a writer.
Gayle is a fantastic author as well as encouraging mentor and overall sweet, Godly woman...and this book delivers as always. I really loved the setting, and I can't wait to read more by Gayle soon. Don't miss this great summer read! (it's much too hot for houswork, so I hereby give you permission to do nothing but sit around, read this novel, and drink lemonade...)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gayle is the award winning author of more than forty books. She has been a Christy finalist three times for her novels Spring Rain, Summer Shadows, and Winter Winds. Her novel Autumn Dreams won the prestigious Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Summer Shadows was voted the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest Book of the Year (tied with fellow author Brandilyn Collins).
Gayle has won the Holt Medallion three times for The Decision, Caught in a Bind, and Autumn Dreams. The Decision won the Reviewers Choice Award, and Gayle has also won the Award of Excellence for Spring Rain and the Golden Quill for Summer Shadows and Winter Winds. Romantic Times Book Report gave Gayle the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Her Amhearst mystery series, Caught in the Middle, Caught in the Act, and Caught in a Bind, originally published by Zondervan, was reprinted in 2007 by Love Inspired Suspense with a fourth original title added, Caught Redhanded. Another original single title, See No Evil, was also released. Caught in the Middle has been optioned for film.
For her work in training Christian writers Gayle has won special recognition from Mount Hermon CWC, St. Davids CWC, Florida CWC, and Greater Philadelphia CWC. She directed St. Davids for five years and Sandy Cove CWC for six. She has taught with Christian Leaders, Authors and Speakers Services (CLASS), serving for several years as their writer in residence. She enjoys speaking at women's events across the nation and loves sharing the powerful truths of Scripture with humor and practicality.
Gayle lives in southeastern Pennsylvania where they enjoy their family of two great sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and the world's five most wonderful grandchildren. When she's not writing, or teaching at conferences, Gayle enjoys reading, gardening, and eating out every time she can talk Chuck into it.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Gayle is the award winning author of more than forty books. She has been a Christy finalist three times for her novels Spring Rain, Summer Shadows, and Winter Winds. Her novel Autumn Dreams won the prestigious Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Summer Shadows was voted the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest Book of the Year (tied with fellow author Brandilyn Collins).
Gayle has won the Holt Medallion three times for The Decision, Caught in a Bind, and Autumn Dreams. The Decision won the Reviewers Choice Award, and Gayle has also won the Award of Excellence for Spring Rain and the Golden Quill for Summer Shadows and Winter Winds. Romantic Times Book Report gave Gayle the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Her Amhearst mystery series, Caught in the Middle, Caught in the Act, and Caught in a Bind, originally published by Zondervan, was reprinted in 2007 by Love Inspired Suspense with a fourth original title added, Caught Redhanded. Another original single title, See No Evil, was also released. Caught in the Middle has been optioned for film.
For her work in training Christian writers Gayle has won special recognition from Mount Hermon CWC, St. Davids CWC, Florida CWC, and Greater Philadelphia CWC. She directed St. Davids for five years and Sandy Cove CWC for six. She has taught with Christian Leaders, Authors and Speakers Services (CLASS), serving for several years as their writer in residence. She enjoys speaking at women's events across the nation and loves sharing the powerful truths of Scripture with humor and practicality.
Gayle lives in southeastern Pennsylvania where they enjoy their family of two great sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and the world's five most wonderful grandchildren. When she's not writing, or teaching at conferences, Gayle enjoys reading, gardening, and eating out every time she can talk Chuck into it.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Carrie Carter’s small café in Seaside, New Jersey, is populated with a motley crew of locals although Carrie only has eyes for Greg Barnes. He’s recovering from a vicious crime that three years ago took the lives of his wife and children—and from the year he tried to drink his reality away. While her heart does a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of him, he never seems to notice her, to Carrie’s chagrin.
When Carrie’s dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries … and into her life. But Carrie has a painful past, too, and when the reason she once ran away shows up in town, the fragile relationship she’s built with Greg threatens to implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry. Two wounded hearts struggle to find a way to make one romance work. Failure seems guaranteed when Carrie locates her waitress but is taken hostage...
If you would like to read the first chapter of Shadows on the Sand, go HERE.
When Carrie’s dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries … and into her life. But Carrie has a painful past, too, and when the reason she once ran away shows up in town, the fragile relationship she’s built with Greg threatens to implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry. Two wounded hearts struggle to find a way to make one romance work. Failure seems guaranteed when Carrie locates her waitress but is taken hostage...
If you would like to read the first chapter of Shadows on the Sand, go HERE.
Purchase your copy HERE!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Restless in Carolina
I love Tamara Leigh's novels! :)
I have to admit, this new series didn't resignate with me QUITE much as her older novels did (Splitting Harriet, Faking Grace, etc.) because I just loved those SO much....but they were still a very enjoyable read!!
If you care about the environment, you'll really love this saucy heroine in RESTLESS IN CAROLINA. She dubs herself a tree hugger, and even has dreads for a small part of the story. But women everywhere, huggers or not, can relate to the pain (whether experienced ourselves or just imagined) of a woman trying to toss her "widow's weeds" and learn to live again.
Don't miss this heartfelt, funny adventures of the entire Pickwick family in this Southern Discomfort series! You can pick up your copy of this novel HERE, releasing JULY 19th! (today! woohoo!
Here's the back cover:
She’s all about going green. Could he be her white knight—or will he make her see red? Tree-huggin’, animal-lovin’ Bridget Pickwick-Buchanan is on a mission. Well, two. First she has to come to terms with being a widow at thirty-three. After all, it’s been four years and even her five-year-old niece and nephew think it’s time she shed her widow’s weeds. Second, she needs to find a buyer for her family’s estate—a Biltmore-inspired mansion surrounded by hundreds of acres of unspoiled forestland. With family obligations forcing the sale, Bridget is determined to find an eco-friendly developer to buy the land, someone who won’t turn it into single-family homes or a cheesy theme park. Enter J. C. Dirk, a high-energy developer from Atlanta whose green property developments have earned him national acclaim. When he doesn’t return her calls, Bridget decides a personal visit is in order. Unfortunately, J. C. Dirk is neither amused nor interested when she interrupts his meeting—until she mentions her family name. In short order, he finds himself in North Carolina , and Bridget has her white knight—in more ways than one. But there are things Bridget doesn’t know about J. C., and it could mean the end of everything she’s worked for…and break her heart.
About the author:
Tamara Leigh began her writing career in 1994 and is the best-selling author of fourteen novels, including Splitting Harriet (ACFW Book of the Year winner and RITA Award finalist), Faking Grace (RITA Award Finalist), and Leaving Carolina. A former speech and language pathologist, Tamara enjoys time with her family, faux painting, and reading. She lives with her husband and sons in Tennessee and can be found at http://www.tamaraleigh.com/.
Praise for Restless in Carolina:
“Tamara Leigh has done it again. Restless in Carolina will have you falling in love with its swoon-inducing romance, characters you won’t want to leave behind, and message of hope and healing.”—JENNY B. JONES, four-time Carol Award winner and author of Save the Date and Just Between You and Me
“Tamara Leigh is a master storyteller who weaves deep spiritual threads with quirky characters that I love.With Restless in Carolina, she returns to Pickwick, North Carolina, where Bridget has determined that happily ever afters don’t exist and God isn’t fair. Open the book and be swept into her journey, one filled with laughter, tears, and a large supporting cast that will make it seem like a return to a favorite vacation spot for readers of her other Pickwick books.”—CARA C. PUTMAN, author of Stars in the Night
Monday, July 18, 2011
I found where my sanity hangs out...
...and apparently, it's in Barnes & Noble, tucked away between the pages of a new journal and lingering in the bottom of my Starbucks white chocolate mocha.
Yesterday, hubby came home from the lake with his cousin (he had made plans before Little Miss got sick, and I wanted him to keep them) and I said "I. Have. To. Leave." This was Sunday, and I hadn't left the house since Little Miss got sick Wednesday night, except for a one hour exception Thursday morning and a two hour excursion to the doctor and pharmacy on Friday. If I didn't put on makeup and heels and leave the house for something non-toddler/sick related, I was going to implode. It's rare I get like this, after all, I'm a Mommy, and God gave us extra patience for these types of things. I WANTED to be with Little Miss, but now that she's not sick anymore, she's just dealing with the pain of the leftover blisters/ulcers in her mouth, it was getting difficult to keep said patience. She's whiny and tired and pushing her limits because of the sympathy she's gotten over the past week, and I'm starting to have a hard time determining when to discipline and when to let things slide because of knowing she's hurting. I spend my time crying when she cries from the pain, and berating myself for fussing at her when she wastes food (tells me she's hungry, takes one bite and says ow, and refuses to try again) and wracking my brain to think of things to distract her from it all.
The good news is I'm down on the scale, probably being sympathy/misery loves company, and because I haven't been able to eat much either - when it's meal time, I'm literally dropping pizza or mac n cheese down her throat like a mama bird...because if it touches her lips, she spazzes.
So you can imagine when Hubby came home and I put her down for a nap, how quickly I threw on a new shirt, heels and makeup, and bolted out the door. I felt like Braveheart in my soul - "FREEEEEEDOOOOMMMMMM". Then felt a little guilty for feeling so happy to be leaving. Then realized I deserved it, and there would be no more guilt. (moms - hear that! you deserve breaks!) Because of hubby's schedule the past few days, it'd be all me, all the time, and well... I was used up.
The next 2 1/2 hours consisted of Miranda Lambert blasting in my car at top volume, me roaming the aisles of Barnes & Nobles, a tall, nonfat white chocolate mocha, a lemon raspberry square, plotting out my entire next YA proposal by hand in a notebook (hand cramp but so worth it!) selecting magazines and children's books to surprise Hubby and the Little Miss later at home (you should have seen the looks on the faces of the guys in the hunting magazine section when I started pulling bowhunting mags off the shelf...like, "her? really"? hahaha) and treating myself to Julie Klassen's 2010 novel, The Silver Governess. :)
I was renewed!
I hope I can keep those positive feelings in the forefront today as Hubby heads to work and Little and I gear up for Day 5 of what I've now dubbed Seriously Evil Virus from Hades.
Yesterday, hubby came home from the lake with his cousin (he had made plans before Little Miss got sick, and I wanted him to keep them) and I said "I. Have. To. Leave." This was Sunday, and I hadn't left the house since Little Miss got sick Wednesday night, except for a one hour exception Thursday morning and a two hour excursion to the doctor and pharmacy on Friday. If I didn't put on makeup and heels and leave the house for something non-toddler/sick related, I was going to implode. It's rare I get like this, after all, I'm a Mommy, and God gave us extra patience for these types of things. I WANTED to be with Little Miss, but now that she's not sick anymore, she's just dealing with the pain of the leftover blisters/ulcers in her mouth, it was getting difficult to keep said patience. She's whiny and tired and pushing her limits because of the sympathy she's gotten over the past week, and I'm starting to have a hard time determining when to discipline and when to let things slide because of knowing she's hurting. I spend my time crying when she cries from the pain, and berating myself for fussing at her when she wastes food (tells me she's hungry, takes one bite and says ow, and refuses to try again) and wracking my brain to think of things to distract her from it all.
The good news is I'm down on the scale, probably being sympathy/misery loves company, and because I haven't been able to eat much either - when it's meal time, I'm literally dropping pizza or mac n cheese down her throat like a mama bird...because if it touches her lips, she spazzes.
So you can imagine when Hubby came home and I put her down for a nap, how quickly I threw on a new shirt, heels and makeup, and bolted out the door. I felt like Braveheart in my soul - "FREEEEEEDOOOOMMMMMM". Then felt a little guilty for feeling so happy to be leaving. Then realized I deserved it, and there would be no more guilt. (moms - hear that! you deserve breaks!) Because of hubby's schedule the past few days, it'd be all me, all the time, and well... I was used up.
The next 2 1/2 hours consisted of Miranda Lambert blasting in my car at top volume, me roaming the aisles of Barnes & Nobles, a tall, nonfat white chocolate mocha, a lemon raspberry square, plotting out my entire next YA proposal by hand in a notebook (hand cramp but so worth it!) selecting magazines and children's books to surprise Hubby and the Little Miss later at home (you should have seen the looks on the faces of the guys in the hunting magazine section when I started pulling bowhunting mags off the shelf...like, "her? really"? hahaha) and treating myself to Julie Klassen's 2010 novel, The Silver Governess. :)
I was renewed!
I hope I can keep those positive feelings in the forefront today as Hubby heads to work and Little and I gear up for Day 5 of what I've now dubbed Seriously Evil Virus from Hades.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Ulcers and fever and medicine, oh my...
So Little Miss didn't exactly have the best birthday...
Wednesday night before, she started running a low temp. We did motrin and she slept well and I hoped that'd be it. Thursday on her birthday, we got up and dressed and went to get cupcakes, but the day wasn't as planned because of the fever - she couldn't be around her younger cousin. :(
We did gifts with my mom and grandma at the cupcake store, and Little Miss just wanted to go home and play with her new babydoll toys. So we did...and after a hard, long nap, she woke up and was NOT right. Very listless, no appetite, she never even actually ate her birthday cupcake. She refused dinner, just wanted to lay around, kept shivering saying she was cold. Her fever was back but I kept the motrin in her. Hubby was at the fire station working, and I called him to come check on her when she refused to get off the floor under her blanket, shivering....
Well after he got her, she threw up. I was actually relieved because I thought, okay, stomach virus, we can handle that. Not so scary. She perked up a little after throwing up, her fever went down, and she actually wanted to sit and watch TV with me and nibble goldfish crackers. Hubby saw some fever blisters in her mouth, but they didn't seem to bother her. She never threw up again, but the next morning, Friday - she was worse. Barely able to talk, and when I looked in her mouth, clusters of ulcers were all over her lips. She also had a few blisters spots on her big toes and thumbs. I thought "hand/foot/mouth disease" which I know is going around this area of town.
I took her to doc to be on safe side, though with a virus, all you're doing is throwing away a co-pay and torturing yourself in the waiting room for an hour just for them to say "ride it out, its a virus. lots of liquids." (which she could barely do because her mouth hurt so bad.)
Thankfully the doctor's office was NOT busy (crazy, for lunchtime on a Friday - thank you GOD!) and we got right in. The doctor looked at it and agreed on the hand/foot/mouth disease diagnosis, but did blood work to be sure. Well the blood work came back bacterial, not virus. So weird! Either way, she's miserable with the ulcers in her mouth. She gave us antibiotic, and gave me some tips for easing the ulcers (which hasn't worked so far).
Last night she was miserable, crying every time she tried to eat or drink, telling me she was hungry but when I tried to give her anything - jello, applesauce, mushed hot dog, etc. - nothing really worked. She barely got anything actually down. Hubby finally came home from working clinicals all day for paramedic school at 8:30 , and I got a chance to eat dinner myself and take a shower for the first time all day and catch up on a few things while helped her do her bath. Well after some one-on-one Daddy time, Little Miss perked up, drank an entire bottle of juice and had two bowls of dry lucky charms. Whew!
Today is much better. She still talks like her lips were stung by a bee, but she is talking today, and drinking a lot. Hasn't eaten much but we'll get there. As long as she stays hydrated!
It's been an exhausting week. All I can think of is how glad I am that I finished my deadline early, and wasn't in the middle of this trying to write the ending of my book before Monday! God knew! And I'm so grateful also that though this is rough, and she's miserable, it's still temporary. So many babies are out there that I know of right now with much worse problems - heart transplants, seizures, meningitis, etc. Thank you God that she's healthy and we know once these ulcers fade, she'll gain any missing weight back and be fine.
Whatever you're facing today - whether that's trying to wrestle medicine down your toddler's blistered throat, or trying to console a wailing toddler who just wants her sippy cup to work with her ulcer-covered lips, or missing sleep from checking temps ever 3 hours during the night...remember, this too shall pass. God is still good and still God and your life is still full of blessings! Find the silver lining :)
Mine is the form of knowing that next week when she's all better, we're totally having a Birthday Do-Over. Cupcakes, balloons, another present, whatever it takes. Turning 3 should not involve shots of phenagrin in your booty, throw-up covered blankies, and fever...Just saying.
Wednesday night before, she started running a low temp. We did motrin and she slept well and I hoped that'd be it. Thursday on her birthday, we got up and dressed and went to get cupcakes, but the day wasn't as planned because of the fever - she couldn't be around her younger cousin. :(
We did gifts with my mom and grandma at the cupcake store, and Little Miss just wanted to go home and play with her new babydoll toys. So we did...and after a hard, long nap, she woke up and was NOT right. Very listless, no appetite, she never even actually ate her birthday cupcake. She refused dinner, just wanted to lay around, kept shivering saying she was cold. Her fever was back but I kept the motrin in her. Hubby was at the fire station working, and I called him to come check on her when she refused to get off the floor under her blanket, shivering....
Well after he got her, she threw up. I was actually relieved because I thought, okay, stomach virus, we can handle that. Not so scary. She perked up a little after throwing up, her fever went down, and she actually wanted to sit and watch TV with me and nibble goldfish crackers. Hubby saw some fever blisters in her mouth, but they didn't seem to bother her. She never threw up again, but the next morning, Friday - she was worse. Barely able to talk, and when I looked in her mouth, clusters of ulcers were all over her lips. She also had a few blisters spots on her big toes and thumbs. I thought "hand/foot/mouth disease" which I know is going around this area of town.
I took her to doc to be on safe side, though with a virus, all you're doing is throwing away a co-pay and torturing yourself in the waiting room for an hour just for them to say "ride it out, its a virus. lots of liquids." (which she could barely do because her mouth hurt so bad.)
Thankfully the doctor's office was NOT busy (crazy, for lunchtime on a Friday - thank you GOD!) and we got right in. The doctor looked at it and agreed on the hand/foot/mouth disease diagnosis, but did blood work to be sure. Well the blood work came back bacterial, not virus. So weird! Either way, she's miserable with the ulcers in her mouth. She gave us antibiotic, and gave me some tips for easing the ulcers (which hasn't worked so far).
Last night she was miserable, crying every time she tried to eat or drink, telling me she was hungry but when I tried to give her anything - jello, applesauce, mushed hot dog, etc. - nothing really worked. She barely got anything actually down. Hubby finally came home from working clinicals all day for paramedic school at 8:30 , and I got a chance to eat dinner myself and take a shower for the first time all day and catch up on a few things while helped her do her bath. Well after some one-on-one Daddy time, Little Miss perked up, drank an entire bottle of juice and had two bowls of dry lucky charms. Whew!
Today is much better. She still talks like her lips were stung by a bee, but she is talking today, and drinking a lot. Hasn't eaten much but we'll get there. As long as she stays hydrated!
It's been an exhausting week. All I can think of is how glad I am that I finished my deadline early, and wasn't in the middle of this trying to write the ending of my book before Monday! God knew! And I'm so grateful also that though this is rough, and she's miserable, it's still temporary. So many babies are out there that I know of right now with much worse problems - heart transplants, seizures, meningitis, etc. Thank you God that she's healthy and we know once these ulcers fade, she'll gain any missing weight back and be fine.
Whatever you're facing today - whether that's trying to wrestle medicine down your toddler's blistered throat, or trying to console a wailing toddler who just wants her sippy cup to work with her ulcer-covered lips, or missing sleep from checking temps ever 3 hours during the night...remember, this too shall pass. God is still good and still God and your life is still full of blessings! Find the silver lining :)
Mine is the form of knowing that next week when she's all better, we're totally having a Birthday Do-Over. Cupcakes, balloons, another present, whatever it takes. Turning 3 should not involve shots of phenagrin in your booty, throw-up covered blankies, and fever...Just saying.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Happy Birthday to My Little Miss!!!!
Exactly 3 years ago today, I was chilling in a hospital bed, equal parts terrified and excited about becoming a mommy, and incredibly grateful for the beauty of a little thing called an epidural.
Now I'm still grateful for an epidural, and still excited about being a mommy, but thankfully a lot less terrified ;)
We've figured it out along the way, thanks to lots of prayer and advice from Those Who Have Gone Before. I can't believe it's been 3 years! I still vividly remember every part of that day. I was induced, due to high blood pressure at the end of my pregnacy, but it all went like clockwork and around 2:30 in the afternoon, there she was, all perfect and pretty and My Little Miss - all 7 lbs, 2 ounces, and 17 1/2 inches of her.
Now she's definitely not perfect, but still pretty, and still my Little Miss. ;) I pray one day in the near future she sees the need for Jesus in her life, the only one who ever was truly perfect (despite what mommies originally think ::wink::)
Off to eat cupcakes to celebrate my Little Miss and the gift she is to us!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I did it!
I did it!
Despite the laundry and the dishes and the toddler and the multiple birthday parties and the lack of sleep and and the multiple part time jobs and the deadlines and the stress and the melt downs and the cleaning and the chaos...I'm done.
Yep. I typed "The End" yesterday afternoon before meeting my parents for dinner. I was late to the restaurant, but I was so close to wrapping up my novel, even the promise of chips and salsa couldn't budge me from my computer chair!!
I'm giddy.
And I'm completely aware that God gets the credit for this one. He gave me the creative inspiration, the energy, and the buried time to essentially write 2 books in 6 months. Praise Him!!! He's why I do this anyway. :)
The only problem is...I'm over my word count. ha! So I'm done writing, but I have to find a way to cut 1,000 words from the manuscript. Yikes. Oh well, done it before.
The good news is...I'm DONE! Did I mention I'm DONE???? :) And, bonus, I will still get this to my editor a few days before deadline, which is always the goal. YAY!
So, please, celebrate with me today - calories in cupcakes are half-off ;)
Despite the laundry and the dishes and the toddler and the multiple birthday parties and the lack of sleep and and the multiple part time jobs and the deadlines and the stress and the melt downs and the cleaning and the chaos...I'm done.
Yep. I typed "The End" yesterday afternoon before meeting my parents for dinner. I was late to the restaurant, but I was so close to wrapping up my novel, even the promise of chips and salsa couldn't budge me from my computer chair!!
I'm giddy.
And I'm completely aware that God gets the credit for this one. He gave me the creative inspiration, the energy, and the buried time to essentially write 2 books in 6 months. Praise Him!!! He's why I do this anyway. :)
The only problem is...I'm over my word count. ha! So I'm done writing, but I have to find a way to cut 1,000 words from the manuscript. Yikes. Oh well, done it before.
The good news is...I'm DONE! Did I mention I'm DONE???? :) And, bonus, I will still get this to my editor a few days before deadline, which is always the goal. YAY!
So, please, celebrate with me today - calories in cupcakes are half-off ;)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Too pooped to party...
So this weekend was my Little Miss's third birthday party! Her birthday isn't until this upcoming Thursday, but we had her party early since it was the best time for the most people to attend. And they sure did - I think I counted 30 people, including babies, friends, family, and fellow toddlers! We all had a blast, and my house actually survived ;)
The kids colored and ate cake and ice cream and cookies and fruit (well okay, the adults ate fruit) and played toys. The party was owl-themed, to match Little Miss's new big girl room (we converted her crib to toddler bed two days before the party and re-decorated her room!) so I made up a "pin (tape) the beak on the owl game" that was a big hit! The kids did great with it too! The adults played a "How Well Do you Know Little Miss" game with a $10 Starbucks prize. Everyone did great there too. She is well loved :)
Little Miss opened a ridiculous amount of super cool gifts, including a gorgeous flowered apron, a new piggy bank that she passed around and earned some decent cash in, art projects, a crayola crayon apron with pockets for the colors to store in, Chutes & Ladders, a toolbox with play tools that really work, a Disney princess beauty kit with a pretend hair dryer that really blows and other grooming goodies, movies, markers, and on and on and ON!! Great day.
I'm a little too pooped to post pics yet or do anything, really, besides lift a forkful of birthday cake to my mouth, so I'll get back with you guys on the pics later this week...
PS - I'm also still under deadline for my Love Inspired novel, releasing April 2012, and have exactly one week from today to turn it in. Thankfully I'm THIS close to be done - like, literally just words away. YAY! I can't wait to type The End and move on to a new project....a top secret one... ;) hehehe. Don't you love fresh writing projects??? Makes writing so new and exciting again, every time.
The kids colored and ate cake and ice cream and cookies and fruit (well okay, the adults ate fruit) and played toys. The party was owl-themed, to match Little Miss's new big girl room (we converted her crib to toddler bed two days before the party and re-decorated her room!) so I made up a "pin (tape) the beak on the owl game" that was a big hit! The kids did great with it too! The adults played a "How Well Do you Know Little Miss" game with a $10 Starbucks prize. Everyone did great there too. She is well loved :)
Little Miss opened a ridiculous amount of super cool gifts, including a gorgeous flowered apron, a new piggy bank that she passed around and earned some decent cash in, art projects, a crayola crayon apron with pockets for the colors to store in, Chutes & Ladders, a toolbox with play tools that really work, a Disney princess beauty kit with a pretend hair dryer that really blows and other grooming goodies, movies, markers, and on and on and ON!! Great day.
I'm a little too pooped to post pics yet or do anything, really, besides lift a forkful of birthday cake to my mouth, so I'll get back with you guys on the pics later this week...
PS - I'm also still under deadline for my Love Inspired novel, releasing April 2012, and have exactly one week from today to turn it in. Thankfully I'm THIS close to be done - like, literally just words away. YAY! I can't wait to type The End and move on to a new project....a top secret one... ;) hehehe. Don't you love fresh writing projects??? Makes writing so new and exciting again, every time.
Friday, July 08, 2011
A fun time...
...on Anne's blog! Visit my friend's blog today to see an interview she did with me promoting my upcoming release, FIREMAN DAD! Available August 1st at Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Borders and other local bookstores near you :)
If you REALLY want it bad...then you can also pre-order on Amazon now!
http://theboredmommy.blogspot.com/
If you REALLY want it bad...then you can also pre-order on Amazon now!
http://theboredmommy.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Starring... ?
So I've been doing blog interviews, getting ready to promote my August 1st release FIREMAN DAD from Love Inspired, and one question that keeps coming up from my interviewers is who I would cast in the heroine and hero roles if FIREMAN DAD became a movie. Fun question, but hard!
I ended up going with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel (really, you can't go wrong with him. hehe) And for my current novel I'm finishing up now, releasing April 2012, I decided on Anne Hathaway and Bradley Cooper (with short spiky hair)
Who would you cast in the role of your novel or work in progress? Have you ever thought about it? I suppose its a good thing that if any of my books ever were actually optioned for a movie, the casting decisions would NOT be mine. :)
I ended up going with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel (really, you can't go wrong with him. hehe) And for my current novel I'm finishing up now, releasing April 2012, I decided on Anne Hathaway and Bradley Cooper (with short spiky hair)
Who would you cast in the role of your novel or work in progress? Have you ever thought about it? I suppose its a good thing that if any of my books ever were actually optioned for a movie, the casting decisions would NOT be mine. :)
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Good news abounds...
Great news!
Yesterday I received word that FIREMAN DAD (releasing August 1st) received a 4 star review from Romantic Times Magazine, out of a possible 4.5 stars. Woohoo! This is the book that I will be doing a booksigning for at Barnes & Noble in Shreveport on August 5th at 6:30 p.m. There will be an entire fireman theme that night in the store, including the children's area in the back. And if I pulled my strings right, they'll be some hunky fireman strolling around as well ;)
In other news, I got permission to post the cover for my young adult novel releasing January 2012 by Barbour Publishers...how much do you LOVE IT???
Aggh! I'm giddy :)
Celebrate with me today! What good news do you have to share?
Yesterday I received word that FIREMAN DAD (releasing August 1st) received a 4 star review from Romantic Times Magazine, out of a possible 4.5 stars. Woohoo! This is the book that I will be doing a booksigning for at Barnes & Noble in Shreveport on August 5th at 6:30 p.m. There will be an entire fireman theme that night in the store, including the children's area in the back. And if I pulled my strings right, they'll be some hunky fireman strolling around as well ;)
In other news, I got permission to post the cover for my young adult novel releasing January 2012 by Barbour Publishers...how much do you LOVE IT???
Aggh! I'm giddy :)
Celebrate with me today! What good news do you have to share?
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Party plans
Did you have a happy 4th?
We spent the day at my parent's house, enjoying ribs, cheeseburgers, chips, cookies, and my jello-poke cake. (white cake mix, infused with liquid jello then cooled in the fridge overnight)
Needless to say, I'm full. :)
We didn't do fireworks, since they're so expensive these days, and most of our city is under a burn ban. Plus, it was so hot and we'd have to let Little Miss stay up til 9:30 just to even let it get dark enough outside to see them. I figure we weren't missing much. We'll try again at New Year's....good thing, too because it ended up raining last night and thundering/lightning. So we spent the evening curled up in the chair watching Scooby Doo and eating leftover cake. Good times!
Hope everyone had fun celebrating America! I know Little Miss had a blast, prancing around yelling HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY like she knew what it meant ;)
PS - during a certain blonde toddler's nap, I finished one of my pressing deadlines. One down, one to go. Then, bring on the cupcakes...and the massage. And the nap. And the new shoes...
We spent the day at my parent's house, enjoying ribs, cheeseburgers, chips, cookies, and my jello-poke cake. (white cake mix, infused with liquid jello then cooled in the fridge overnight)
Needless to say, I'm full. :)
We didn't do fireworks, since they're so expensive these days, and most of our city is under a burn ban. Plus, it was so hot and we'd have to let Little Miss stay up til 9:30 just to even let it get dark enough outside to see them. I figure we weren't missing much. We'll try again at New Year's....good thing, too because it ended up raining last night and thundering/lightning. So we spent the evening curled up in the chair watching Scooby Doo and eating leftover cake. Good times!
Hope everyone had fun celebrating America! I know Little Miss had a blast, prancing around yelling HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY like she knew what it meant ;)
PS - during a certain blonde toddler's nap, I finished one of my pressing deadlines. One down, one to go. Then, bring on the cupcakes...and the massage. And the nap. And the new shoes...
Monday, July 04, 2011
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Happy birthday to my hubby!!
Happy birthday to my hubby today! We've celebrated a lot of birthdays together - have been together 9 years, married 7 as of August 6th. :)
So happy birthday, baby! You're the best!
(and thanks for giving me an excuse to make cupcakes...)
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