Bridger is 3 Months

We never got around to taking pictures on Sunday (Feb 21st - when he was actually 3months), so I took a couple pictures today.

He is almost ready to sit in his bumbo chair. As you can see in this picture he is sinking. He is also mad and tired because it is nap time and I am torturing him by taking pictures.


Here he is with his cousins on Valentine's Day along with one of me eating a chocolate covered strawberry.




Yesterday (Feb 24th)was his big day, when he learned how to roll from his tummy to his back. I of course tortured all my coworkers and told them all about it and then made them watch the video. They all teased me and said "HE FELL OVER!" whatever, he totally rolled and I am so proud!

He is growing so fast. He still loves his baths and is learning to grip things really well. A couple weeks ago he was really into cheweing his tongue. The first few times I saw him doing it, it freaked me out because I thought he had something in his mouth and was going to choke. He is starting to give big smiles more and more. He has almost giggled a couple times. One of these days he is just going to burst out in laughter. He is ticklish on his toes and his underarms.


He is at a really fun stage. He can track you if you walk around him and if he hasn't seen you for a minute and you show up - he gets a big smile on his face.

I will stop gushing about him now that you have all been tortured by a first time mother's love of her baby.

Here are a few pictures of him in his 3-6month overalls. They are big on him but oh so cute on him.




Obviously he hasn't mastered sitting up yet. = )

Bridger's new trick

Here is a better video and shows his versatility.

God of Miracles

As you know several of my posts lately have been about all the money and expenses being paid out for various things.

Well today we had a miracle. So two weeks ago I received the bill in the mail for the Surgery Center where Chad had his surgery. On the bill it stated that they were not contracted with my insurance and that I would be responsible for the full $6847.20. I of course crapped a brick and said why in the world did they not inform me before the surgery that they did NOT accept my insurance??? ARGHHHH

To deal with this I have just put it off because I obviously don't have $6847.20 to pay this bill. Along with the pile of other bills I keep receiving from having a baby.

Today I decided to conquer the pile of bills and get them all paid or at least start a payment plan.

I called my insurance to ask them how does it work when I have an out of network bill. She asked about the bill and she said we already paid that bill. I said WHAT???? She said you LUCKED OUT, that surgery center actually IS contracted with us and we already paid it! INSERT HAPPY DANCE HERE!!!! What a miracle! So instead of having to pay 40% plus another $500 deductible, I only have to pay 20%!!!

Another miracle for the week. As you know Chad and I are back to school. Not an easy task, with working, taking care of the house, taking care of the baby and having some time to spend with each other.

The other day my coworker was telling me that Chad should take the first job offer he gets to build some experience on his resume in the IT field. He said if he could get a job at the school district that would be a great job because they have a little bit of everything there and he will learn tons. So yesterday I felt like I should contact one of my friends who currently works for the school district in the IT department. I asked if Chad could do an internship there while he is going to school so that he could apply his learning.

She responded back that I had perfect timing and that they were looking to hire some interns. It is still up in the air, but we are hoping that he will be able to start there soon and build some experience in the computer field.

We are so excited. What a week, two miracles in two days! We are so blessed.

Mail

Why is it that I have such a difficult time mailing something? To get something in the mail is a small miracle for me. I live by email and when someone doesn't have email or doesn't know how to use the Internet to read my blog, is that really my problem? Well apparently it is, because Granny doesn't have email and when I mentioned the word BLOG she thought I was speaking another language.

She has been begging for pictures of Bridger and I keep promising I will send her some. For heaven's sake I still have all of his birth announcements on the table waiting to be mailed out. I told you it would take me forever.

Mailing something is so much work. You first have to find an envelope, then find the person's address which I am horrible at keeping because I don't care what their street address is I only need their email address. Once you get the address then you have to write it on the envelope and then to top it off you have to buy stamps. Seriously who buys those things anymore? I don't mail anything. Not even bills, I do everything online. Who needs the postman anyway?

So basically this is all explaining or my rationalization why I still have not mailed the birth announcements. I am feeling guilty, because the kid is 3 months old now and the announcements have been sitting there collecting dirt for weeks.

I am dreading having to mail them out. By the way this email also explains why no one got thank you letters from my wedding or my baby showers. I am the worst person EVER! I am seriously grateful for every one's generosity towards us, but I seriously have an issue with MAIL. For this I apologize deeply to everyone.

I must admit I did write over 100 thank you cards for our wedding and they are sitting in a basket in the office covered in dust. Because I never got the envelopes addressed or bought stamps.

Now I am feeling super guilty, but not guilty enough to address all those envelopes and buy stamps and put them in the mail.

Sorry!!

You talkin to me?

Going back to school

So last week Chad and I decided that we are both going back to school. My program is much shorter than his but we should both be able to finish this year.

We purchased some online courses to prepare us to take our Microsoft Computer Certifications. I am taking 3 courses that will prepare me to take the Database Administrator Certification Tests. There are 3 tests and I am already freaking out about taking them. Do you know how long it has been since I have taken a test? Well it has been 10years. I graduated college 10 years ago this June. Wow how time has flown by!!!

Chad is taking 10 courses and will have to take 10 exams to get his Network Administrator Certifications.

We are both excited for the challenge, but it will be a lot of work.

This should open up the field for both of us and help us to find better jobs.

Wish us luck we are going to need it! I hate taking tests, I can feel the anxiety already.

Valentine Mad Libs

Dear CHAD,

I woke up this MIDNIGHT and my BOOBS blushed at the thought of you. You are not only SOFT, but very FAST. Everytime I EAT you, my FEET become STINKY and my NOSE begins to SUCK.
I can't wait till TUESDAY night. I have a RUNNY surprise for you. It is DARK, SWEATY and BOUNCES a lot. I hope you will SNIFF it.
I will be wearing the HAIRY BRA you gave me last THANKSGIVING. I know how much you love to SLEEP me in it.

Hugs and Kisses
Your favorite STROLLER,
JEANETTE

Dear JEANETTE,

I woke up this MORNING and my EYES blushed at the thought of you. You are not only HAIRY, but very SWEATY. Everytime I FART you, my BUTT becomes SLOW and my EARS begin to LAUGH.
I can't wait till WEDNESDAY night. I have a WHITE surprise for you. It is RUNNY, SNORES and KISSES a lot. I hope you will SIT it.
I will be wearing the TALL HOODY you gave me last ST PATRICKS DAY. I know how much you love to PICK me in it.

Hugs and Kisses
Your Favorite PIZZA
CHAD

We went to a Valentine's Day party last night and this is one of the games we played. I haven't done a MAD LIB in a long time. Apparently no one else had either because we had to have a refresher on what adjectives, present tense verbs and nouns were.

PS the words in CAPS are the words we had to pick.

Cutest little boy ever

Bridger is getting to a really fun stage. He just loves to smile and giggle. It is the cutest thing ever and just totally makes my day when he smiles. I need to try and get it on video so you can all see how cute he is. He loves his little play gym that has a little monkey on it. We had to move his bathtub into our bathtub because he loves to wiggle around in his bath.

Sugar Cookies

I have always hated making sugar cookies, because I always felt like they were so much work. I hated rolling the dough out because it would always stick to the counter if you didn't use enough flour, but if you used enough flour then the cookies tasted like flour. Then the frosting part was always messy and I would get it all over my hands as I tried to frost the cookies.

Two Christmases age we were at a store and found some really cute Christmas cookie cutters on sale for $.21. We couldn't pass up the deal so I bought them. When Christmas came around I thought oh I need to make sugar cookies and use my cookie cutters. I found a recipe and was distracted when I was making them (taking care of Bridger) and forgot to grease the cookie sheet. Needless to say that was a disaster. I could not even get them off the cookie sheet. I think it was complicated by the new trick I had read about. To use powdersugar to roll the cookies out with instead of flour. I think that acted like a glue on the bottom of the cookies and I could not get them off the cookie sheet.

So once again another bad experience with sugar cookies.

I was at the store yesterday and saw some cookie cutters for Valentine's day. I figured I would give it one more try since Chad likes sugar cookies. One of the food blogs I follow had a post today with a sugar cookie dough. Can I just say it is the best dough EVER! I didn't need flour to roll the dough out and to top it off she suggested an easy way to frost the cookies. She suggested to put the frosting in those clear plastic condiment bottles you can buy. Since I had one, I made my frosting and put it in the bottle. I have the most professional looking cookies and they taste amazing too. Here is a picture.

Bridger's Blessing Photos

This is Bridger saying I'M DONE!!!!!!

Take me to the hospital I am dying. . .

Yesterday we were on our way to my friends house for the superbowl and dinner. We were taking an extra bed down to them and had just finished strapping it to the trailblazer. As I got in the car I started feeling not so hot, some bad stomach cramps. I thought it was because I had not eaten all day and was just hungry. By the time we had driven 2 miles down the road I thought I was in labor the cramps were so bad. I told Chad to take me home so I could lay down.

I barely made it in the house and just layed on the stairs in pain. I told Chad to take me to the hospital because I thought my appendix had burst or there was another baby in me and it wanted out. The pains were seriously worse than labor.

Chad called our neighbor to come over and watch Bridger so he could take me to the hospital. By the time our neighbor came over, the cramping had subsided and I was feeling a little better. I told Chad to just take me to the AfterHours Clinic.

Turns out it was a bladder infection again. Not fun! I don't get why the stomach cramps when it is a bladder infection. The dr said because I was dehydrated from not eating all day made the cramps really bad.

Cousins

Bridger's cousin came to visit today. Bridger thought he would check in on Leo and see how he was doing.


Leo looks scared.

Burned Out

I hate money. We have been trying to get caught up after all the medical bills came in from the baby. Now it seems like our house is falling apart around us and we are forking money out left and right. Each week there is something new that we have to replace. First the dryer, then the electric circuit breakers, the furnace and now the water heater. Not to mention the car accident and having to get that repaired.

I am just waiting for all the medical bills to come in from Chad's surgery and I am sure something else in the house will blow any second!

When it rains it pours! Can I just crawl back into bed and sleep?

I guess I should just be thankful that we are healthy, we have a warm home to sleep in and a job to pay the bills.

Bountiful Baskets

My sister in law introduced me to Bountiful Baskets last week. Basically it is a food co-op and you get a basket of fruits and veggies for $15. You never know what you are going to get, until you pick up the basket Saturday morning. So it is like Christmas every week.

The other exciting part is that there are only so many baskets available for sale each week at each location. The website opens up at noon on Tuesday and you have to get your basket ordered before they are all sold out. You feel like you have won the lottery if you get your order in before they are all sold out.

Sometimes they have special baskets for an additional fee. Last week they had a Mexican basket for $7.50 and they said they were hoping for tortillas, avocados, cilatro, limes, chiles etc.

So here is a picture of all the stuff I got in the two baskets. For a total price of $22.50. The top left corner is what I got in the mexican basket and everything else came in the normal basket.



Here is a list of what we got.
Regular basket:
10 apples
10 pears
1 bunch bananas
6 oranges
4 grapefruit
1 lb bag carrots plus 3more
1 lb asparagus
6 tomatoes
3 zuchinni
1 head lettuce
6 pickling cucumbers
2 large red bell peppers

Mexican basket:
1 dz fresh flour tortillas
1 lb tomatillos
2 large onions
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro
3 avocados
1 head garlic
12 key limes
6 anaheim chiles
6 jalepenos

I don't know if you are like me or not, but I am a total creature of habit and always buy the same exact thing at the grocery store. I have my set list of recipes and just rotate through them. Luckily I have never had complaints from Chad, but it was getting a little boring.

When I saw the tomatillos in the basket, I had no idea what to do with them. I have never bought tomatillos before and probably would never buy them. So I went to the internet and did a search for recipes with tomatillos. I decided to make Chili verde and it turned out fantastic and it was so yummy on the fresh tortillas.

Benefits of Bountiful Baskets:
1. Eat healthier
2. Save lots of money
3. Try new recipes
4. Try new produce I would never have bought on my own
5. Make baby food out of the fresh produce
6. The thrill of purchasing a basket online
7. The surprise/anticipation each week of what I will be getting

All in all a total win win situation. So much fun! Thanks Stef!