I'm a single mom...

Well, Ben finally got to go on his snowmobiling trip this weekend! He is having a great time and isn't bored! I would think riding a snowmobile ALL day would get a little old, but he assured me he is having fun, so that is good! And the best part is... no injuries!! YAY! It was a last minute thing and probably not the most convenient time for him to go, since we are having people over for the Super Bowl... but it all worked out just fine! Matthew had been sick for most of the week, so he and I were together ALL week since he couldn't go to daycare. It was a bit challenging since he had to go to work with me, but luckily on Friday our sweet daycare provider, Val, said she would love to have him come even though it wasn't his scheduled day... bless her heart! He has a hard day and missed his mommy (can you blame him?). So, since Ben was gone and I was having major Mom guilt... we hit up the MOA!! It's a little tricky trying to stash the stroller while I had to ride the rides with him, but it worked out just fine. We had so much fun and he was so sweet. We were in the car on the ride home and he says "I love you Mommy, thank you for taking me to the Mall of America". SOOOO sweet, it melted my heart and he was sound asleep about 30 seconds later! I love spending time with him, when I can just BE with him, instead of trying to keep him busy while I have other stuff to do.... it is so hard and I feel like the worst mom ever... that was most of my week. So it was nice to end the week with that outing! Today I had a fun baby shower for a friend of mine, Kristen. She is due the day before Matthew's b-day, March 8! It was a great shower. I know Kristen from Bible Study, she is honestly one of the sweetest most sincere I have ever met! Almost all of the girls from our Bible study group were there... it was so good to see everyone and to celebrate Kristen and her bambino! Also, please note the new link I just put up! Kristen started a new online business! On her website, they sell all ORGANIC baby products! Super cute stuff... check it out! www.bumblebeeboutique.com I got home from that and made chicken chili for the Super Bowl party we are having... it took me over 2 and a half hours to make! UGH! It is really good so it is worth but I am exhausted. I should be in bed but instead, I got sucked into Facebook and now here I am blogging and RAMBLING! I have been terrible with my camera... I am out of habit, so I don't have any photos. I will get better and will take some of our gathering tomorrow and post them for you all to enjoy!!! I am going to make sure Matthew is covered up and tucked in and then I am going to go to bed and now I am officially done rambling.. sorry! Love to you all! Ben is home tomorrow!! YAY!

Matthew is sick..

Poor little Matthew is sick. He has had a fever since Saturday! He finally let me take his temp this morning and it was 103! He was on fire! He touched his knee and said, "Ow Mommy, that's hot!" He burned his hand on his knee! So I thought OK, it's time to go see Dr. Kelly. He heard me on the phone trying to make the appt and FREAKED out! He has a phobia of the doctor. The only time he goes is for the well-child check-ups, or to get a flu shot. And at all the well child check ups he has gotten shots, so he associates the doctor with shots. This is the first time that I have brought him to the doctor when he has been sick. We have been very lucky that he has been pretty healthy... except for the colds that seem to frequent our house on a monthly basis! :) So Dr. Kelly is out of the office until mid-Feb. Boo! So we saw a new doctor and she was very nice! Matthew did a great job! He let her do all the normal stuff... check out his ears, eyes and even look in his throat. She said there was some "puss back there"...yum! So, you know what that means... yes a strep test/throat culture! I felt soooo horrible for him. I had strep about a 1,000,000 times as a kid and was traumatized after every throat culture. It was the saddest thing! She shoved the gigantic q-tips down his throat and made ME hold him down...UGH! I could cry just thinking about it. So she left the room to do whatever they do with the nasty q-tips and Matthew is sobbing saying, "can we please leave, Mommy?" Can I tell you how bad I wanted to bust him out of there? :) I didn't though. So she comes back about 15 minutes later and Matthew has not moved from my lap... the rapid test came back negative so we have to wait for the 24 hour test... which I'm sure will come back negative too. She said in that case, it's just a virus... which is why I don't ever bring him to the doctor when he is sick. But since he had the fever for so long I thought better safe than sorry. :) If he still has a fever on Thursday, we have to go back. If that is the case, I think I will ask Ben to do the honors of visiting the doctor with Matthew! But in the mean time, thank God for Motrin!! It brings his fever right down and he is good as new! So after the torment of the doctor we went to Target and he got a new soccer ball and Cheetos! And he got straight Gatorade (not watered down like I normally do) for lunch! Now is taking a nap... bless his sweet little heart! It still amazes me how much love I have for him! There is nothing better!

Making meatloaf

Some good news... I have a new camera! It was so outrageously expensive to fix my camera, we we just got a new one! SO I am back in business! And so far, I am very happy with it! It was a very long month of no camera! :( We had a great weekend! Friday night, my sister took Matthew overnight... we we went out with some friends and had a great time. We went to uptown and froze our butts off... should have stayed in the 'burbs :) So Saturday morning, we went to pick up Matthew and decided to head to the zoo... we took my niece Elizabeth with us and had a great time! Here are a few pics! Saturday night was pretty uneventful... when matthew woke up for his nap he had a fever and felt terrible. Poor little guy. So he and Ben stayed home and I went to my sister's to repay the favor and baby- sat her little ones! :) Today has been a perfect Sunday in our eyes... went to church, had breakfast with my brother and sister in law and their kids and have been hanging at home doing NOTHING!!

I have to share one more story...One of Ben's favorite meals is meatloaf... he found a great recipe in the Men's Health magazine... so I make it a lot for him. This Thursday Matthew and I spent the whole day at home, so I thought it would be a great night for meatloaf and I actually had time to cook! Yipppeee! It calls for Triscuit crackers to be crushed... Matthew loves to help! Here is a picture of him "cracking the crackers" as he called it! I added a video too... he was a little tongue tied, so it is kind of hard to understand him... normally he speaks a lot better than that :)

Ali's sweet baby!

Sorry, I haven't posted for so long! As I said, my camera was broken but I finally got a new one today! YAY! So I am back in business!! So happy!

We have been obscenely busy lately! My brother's business has been NON-STOP since Christmas, so I have been working a ton, which is great! Poor Matthew :) My parents are leaving for FL in the morning and we are heading down for a visit in a few weeks! I am so excited to experience this vacation through Matthew's eyes! I really can't wait! He is SO excited to go on an airplane.... the last time he was on one, he was only 2 mos old! He is at such a great age, too... he will be 3 in March! So I think our timing for this trip is perfect!

We also have had some exciting news... Some of you know one of my oldest and dearest friends... Ali! She had her GORGEOUS little bambino, Marlowe Forbes Cain a few weeks ago! She is the sweetest thing EVER! Ali and Michael came to Mary to have her do their photos... so I just have to post a few... I hope Ali doesn't mind me showing off her baby! :) Ali and Michael are so sweet with her, they are the most perfect little family! After spending some time with Marlowe... I have MAJOR baby fever :) I have warned Ali that I may just take her home with me!!

Check out Mary's handiwork.. yet again!
And again...

Me and Ali and little Marlowe...

More Christmas photos

My camera is still not working so I brought my memory card in to Target to get the photos off the camera! So here are the photos from Christmas Eve... enjoy!


All of the girls, Top: Mary (my sis in law), me, Mom, Grandma Grobe, Kristin Bottom: Ava, Grace, Elizabeth
Matthew and Lukey sporting Matthew's new gopher hats! So cute!!

My mom buys "poppers" every year that have these stupid crowns in them along with some jokes and a stupid "prize". We think it's funny to wear the crowns!

Me and my boys!

Matthew and Daddy checking out the new tool box from MeeMee and Papa!

Matthew showing off his ornament that he made for us at daycare... he was so proud!