Good to Come "Home"......

Although I have never lived with Mama and Daddy while they have lived out at Lake Tyler....wherever my parents live will always be home to me. If Mama and Daddy are there it's home...and it is always good to come. Don't get me wrong, my favorite place in the world to be is at my home in Cedar Park with my husband, kids and puggies....but it is nice to get away. When I am here I don't have to do laundry, go to the grocery store, get up and get anyone ready or fix my own coffee....it is all done! This is a nice break for a Mommy and Wife.

Canton was great. Mama and I went over there Friday morning. It was 28 degrees when we got there....luckily it warmed up quickly!! It was a beautiful day. I had really good intentions of getting things for the kid's rooms.....and threw $20 bills at the vendors like I was a rock star. I am not a rock star though...and now I have to explain to my sweet husband where the $300 went that was intended for "kid's room" stuff. I have some really cute flip-flops, a super cute hat, some Styrofoam cups, chipotle vinegar, a square wooden thing, a hurricane, a couple cute dresses that I will wear if I can lose the baby weight....and a few other items that I can't think of right now. I have $20 left....and I can't say mission accomplished...but it sure was fun :).

Today I got to go eat at my favorite place....Potpourri House! It is girly and I LOVE it. Best pimento cheese ever!! Asparagus soup, baked potatoes, spinach salad, fruit salad......doesn't this assortment scream girl's lunch! I went to lunch with my Mom and my sister in law...and enjoyed my food immensely. Julie and Mama went to their date with a spa while I did a little shopping at my favorite Tyler shops. It was fun to get out and cruise around Tyler with no real agenda! When I am here I am usually rushing from one place to the next...rush, rush, rush!! Not today! I came home from my shopping and took a brisk walk around the lake....it was 70 degrees. I have missed the heck out of Cannon & Neely today....and Les too...but I have enjoyed running around and being totally selfish! I will head to my real home in the morning and I am anxious to go. It is always good to be HOME too. I kind-of have the best worlds with this trip. I have a home on each end of this four hour trip! They both have their perks...and I absolutely love to be at both of them.

I have to mention this because it has been on my mind all weekend......

My Mom's very dear friend, Cindy Sheen, lost her sweet baby Granddaughter on Friday to SIDS. The baby's name was Sophie. They will be doing an autopsy this week in Galveston to make sure that SIDS was the cause. What a complete tragedy (beyond words) for this family!!! Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. The parents names are Nicole and Danny. They also have a daughter that is about 3 years old, her name is Gabriella. I can not imagine what this family has gone through this weekend....and will never understand or get over. I know for that family they have to wonder how the world could have been going on this weekend while they have had the worst thing in the world happen to them. I wonder the same thing myself. I don't even know what else I can say about this...there are no words to describe how awful this must be for them and I am so sorry for them!!!

When Neely Prays....

I love to hear my babies praying and I am sure God does too! We try to be good and say our prayers everynight and everynight I wish that I had a tape recorder to record my sweet little Neely's prayers! She starts out pretty good..."God Thank you for our family and thank you for good food".....from there it usually goes downhill. I know that God doesn't stop listening when it goes downhill though....because it is actually quite funny and entertaining. Cannon and I usually have one eye opened, looking at each other trying not to crack up!! Who knows why Neely thanks God for good food because she does not partake in the good food. Guess she is thankful that her family has "good food". After thanking God for the usual she says "God"...then proceeds to really talk to him!! Most of the time she is tattling. For example, "God, I had to go to the bathroom again and Mommy got mad at me and jerked my arm". As we all know, God is ominiscient, so he already knew about these terrible transgressions against Neely (like Jordan not letting her color a picture out of her My Little Pony coloring book at school)....but in case he was in a meeting or the bathroom and missed this ONE...Neely didn't miss it....and she didn't forget to tell God all about it. Another thing she does when she is praying is forgets who she is talking to! It starts out that she is talking to God and a few minutes later I am pretty sure she is giving Santa Clause her wish list! When she says the dinner time prayer it usually ends by me butting in and saying "Amen Neely, that was a great prayer"....if I did not do this our dinner would be cold by the time she was done thanking God and telling him what she wants! It's quite entertaining for us...it is so much fun living with this little fire ball. She really does crack me up!

Puke and Cha-Chas GO AWAY!!!!

It has been over two years since I have pulled a night shift or call. It has been even longer since I have stayed up all night with a baby or a sick child. I was whipped back into that reality last night. My poor little Cannon was SICK! I think I would rather my kids have just about anything (maybe even lice)...rather than a stomach bug! They are just so helpless and pitiful! It is so hard to not be able to take away their pain. Cannon threw up and had cha-chas from 4:30p-2:30a. He could hardly hold his little body up by 2:30....I just had to put a bowl in bed with us for him to heave in :(. Thank God Neely's school has not called me yet, but poor Les didn't get so lucky. He is now home with Cannon, with the nasty little bug. Neely and I may get a hotel tonight :). Good new is that Cannon is feeling much better this morning (even asked to go to McDonald's)...I got a sweet little smile out of him before I left for work. I got a little smile out of him last night when I had to clean his poop off the floor too....little stinker...literally! I told him that I was use to cleaning up dog poop and puke, but I wasn't use to having to clean up his "piles"....with this I got a little grin. I am hoping the stomach bug moves out of my house quickly and without taking another family member down to their knees....enough already!

Campbell-Cohen Slang....Defined!

In our house we have so many terms and names for things and places that an outsider might have a hard time understanding what we are talking about. Along the way we have come up with names for things that are mostly made up and a few are borrowed from other people....a few you've heard...some you haven't. Don't worry, I'll give credit where credit is due. Yes, there are body parts on here, so if you are shy or easily embarrassed....you have been warned.

"Poppie" both of the kids have a blankie...and they are called their "Poppie's" this is also what they call my Dad. Cannon named the blankie the "Poppie" when he was barely able to talk. Neely carried on the "Poppie" tradition...and I am sure it will be forced upon Hutch as well.

***A little tid bit (bonus info free of charge) about Cannon's "Poppie" that is quite interesting! When Cannon is not using his "Poppie" to sleep or suck his thumb...it is kept in the freezer. He likes for it to be cold!!*** Also, I should clarify, we are talking his blanket, not my Dad!

"suckin fingers" these are the first two fingers on Neely's right hand that she sucks when she has her "Poppie". These are very important fingers and should not be painted or get any bad tasting things on them! When she goes to the nail salon she is always very clear with the ladies that do not speak English that they should NOT paint her suckin fingers!!! Do you think they get it?

"Pink Place" - Texican Cafe, a mexican food restaurant in Cedar Park that the kids love to go to. The building is pink....hence..."Pink Place"

"Chop Sticks" - Mama Fu's, a pan asian restaurant, much like Pei Wei the kids like to get wonton chips and "dragon tails" here. They have some neat little plastic things that help kids (and Les) to use chopsticks.

"butter" this means Peanut Butter (one of Neely's 3 food groups)...one of the things that will be so wonderful about her going to kindergarten is that she will be able to take peanuts and "butter"...she is in a peanut free school right now which makes it pretty hard for me to pack a lunch!!

"sofa-pia" this is Neely's fav thing to get at a mexican food restaurant. AKA (by the people that make these yummy little carb treats)...Sopapillas!!

"sprinkle Poptart" this is the hot fudge sundae poptart that when we first started buying them had lots of "sprinkles"...now you are lucky to get one or two...but even if there are none...it is still a "sprinkle poptart".

"The Cluv" (this is a Neely term) This refers to the Twin Creeks Clubhouse. Twin Creeks is our "neiVorhood".

"Free"(Neely), she was "free", four and will be five next week.

"You Wanna Piece of Meat" (Neely) Brittany Spears has a song...and it says "You wanna piece of me"....Neely sings it "you wanna piece of meat"....which I think sounds a little better!

"Red the Sunshine" (Neely) this is one of Neely's favorite songs to sing. It is actually "Let the Sunshine" by the Age of Aquarius...but Neely can rock "Red the Sunshine" like it's nobodies business!!

"Rockobama" if you have read earlier blogs...as you know... this is the President of the United States.

"a sark" this is marine life aka...shark. Neely is learning to say shark recently and I am very sad to say goodbye to the "sark"...he gave us a lot of good laughs.

"Polar Bear" this is actually a Panda Bear...Cannon can never get these two straight...but he has a Panda Bear book....and whenever he mentions a "Polar Bear", I know what he is talking about.

"Sugar Bears" plain and simple...these are sweet kisses!

"Bum" a much nicer way of saying butt, bottom, behind or ass! This one came from my Canadian friend, Sam.

"hungry bum" although my friend gave me the bum...this is my saying...and now the kids for a wedgie.

"sore bum" you didn't wipe good enough!

"tee-tee" going to the bathroom #1, and the little girl and boy parts are also referred to as the "tee-tee"

"tootie" what we also call the little girl parts...and also what Poppie calls Neely...so I guess he is call her a tee-tee if you think about it???? Shame on you Poppie.

"hungry tee-tee" (Neely surprised me the other day with this one) If a "hungry bum" is a wedgie....then you can pretty much figure out the "hungry tee-tee" on your own!!!

"gentle, gentle, gentle" if you ask Neely the name of the soap that washes her body/tee-tee...she would tell you "gentle, gentle, gentle".

"Cha-chas"....this again is from Sam...this means diarrhea.

"Rolling a Duece" this term was coined by William Meigs (Les' old roomate). This is more a term that Les uses rather than the kids...but I am sure in good time they will be using this term too. Rolling a Duece is what Cannon does everytime we eat at Jardin Corona!! The beans and rice get to him before we can even leave the restaurant! He always swears that he won't make it home!

"Poot" nicer than FART. And Cannon has a LOT of "poots"

"hips" when Neely walks on her heels she says...."look, I'm walkin on my hips"

"elbows" What Neely thinks nipples are called.

"nibbles" What Cannon thinks nipples are called.

"niggling" What Lola does when you scratch her. She takes her front teeth and chews on you like she is eating a corn cob (very fast)....this is "niggling"...and it is very funny!

My gosh, I could go on for days and days with this! I think I have hit the high (and low) points!! You get the picture! I may have to add some if I remember any of my favorites that may have been left off the list. These just came right off the top of my head. Hope you got a chuckle....I do everyday!!

I don't LOVE being pregnant........

I don't LOVE being pregnant (some people really do LOVE it)...but...there are things about being pregnant that I LOVE. I love feeling the baby move (this is the part I miss the most), I love that people are nicer and more helpful towards you and I love the end product. This time being pregnant is different than the other two times. When I was pregnant with Cannon it was the 1st, so of course, it felt like a 2 year pregnancy because I was just ready to have the baby in my arms! When I was pregnant with Neely it flew by! Until I was about 5 months along I was lugging Cannon around still....because he refused to learn to walk. I got absolutely no sympathy from him either because he had NO clue what was going on. Even after Neely came he still didn't understand what had happened. Within a few days he did not remember life B.N. (before Neely). Now, here comes Hutch! The pregnancy is going by pretty fast, but I am in no hurry for him to be here...for I know the work and sleepless nights that lie ahead. Right now I sleep very well...besides the 3 or 4 times a night that I have to get up and pee. Don't get me wrong...I am SUPER excited to meet Hutch...but I am fine with the 20 weeks that I still have to wait. I am patient...and I have lots to do in the next 20 weeks. Cannon and Neely totally get what is going on. They are sympathetic and helpful (not all the time...but most)...and most of all VERY excited. Neely doesn't make me lug her around nearly as much as she did before...which is nice..and about time. All in all..I would say being pregnant is good....but...there are things about being pregnant that I dislike. Number 1, getting fat!! I am more conscious of this than I have ever been....because I am told the older you are the harder it is to take off the weight! Why when the baby is in my belly do my arms get so fat? I was putting on a pair of jeans last night and they were SO tight...everywhere!! These young little patients that are pregnant that have come to see me in the past wear their normal clothes (jeans)....and I don't understand how??? It's so unfair. My legs, arms, butt, fingers, toes, face.....I would even venture to say my earlobes get fatter! Number 2, peeing, peeing, peeing, peeing and peeing! I wonder if the girl that has the office next to the bathroom at work is sick of me??? I sometimes wonder when I am in there if she keeps a tally on my potty breaks throughout the day??? If I were her...I would! Number 3, sweating! I am not usually much of a sweater....but boy when I am pregnant...buckets!! Les loves it because I am usually always cold....so we aren't fighting over the temperature in the house and car as much lately. I'll stop with 3 things...because I don't want anyone to think that the "Dislikes" are more than the "loves"...that would not be true. I am officially at the half way through mark of my pregnancy!! I really can't believe that in 20 weeks our family will grow by one. The moment he is in our arms I will forget all of my pregnancy woes. I will still be fat, but I will lose the weight. I won't have to pee every five minutes and I won't be sweaty all the time. Oh and something not mentioned above....I will be able to drink a margarita...which will make me OH so happy.

"Rockobama"

Neely came home from school really interested in "Rockobama" last night. It took me a few minutes to figure out exactly what the heck she was talking about!! I thought...is this something like "Rock-and-Bowl"?? Then Cannon came to the rescue!! He said, "Neely, it's NOT "Rockobama", it's Barack Obama"...Neely says, "Yeah, him, he was going to come to my school today, but he doesn't have a car, and he is way up there" (pointing at the ceiling, I am assuming she meant North). Cannon yells back at her "Yes, he does have a car, but he wasn't coming to your school, he was on TV". Neely asks "Does Rockobama have hair? He's bald Mama" Cannon YELLS back "he has hair Neely". I explained that it was cut very close to his head...kind-of like their Poppie's hair. All this to say that these were the important....and I do mean important issues at my house last night! We did not discuss what changes might take place with "Rockobama" leading our country, we were much more concerned with his hair and whether or not he might drive to Goddard School in Cedar Park, Texas to visit with the Octopus Class!! These are the important issues we are voting on in our house!! Does he have hair or not? Important!! I tell IMPORTANT stuff here!!

Oh no, "Rockobama" was not forgotten as Neely slept, because when we got in the car this morning there was "a boy singing on the radio"...and she wanted to know if it was "Rockobama". I can only imagine what she will have for me next. They DO keep me on my toes. Cannon had some pressing questions about our Commander in Chief and how he controls the "world" and protects us. Needless to say, we will be making a trip to the library this weekend. Keywords that we will focus on, "president", "United States" and "guniea pigs" (totally off the subject discussed above, but a very important topic in our house right now...more on that another time). I will let you know how our research goes and what we come up with on Saturday! Wish me luck!!!

Uncle Dean, Thanks for the memories!

I got a message from my Mom this morning that my sweet Uncle Dean passed away during the night last night. I have so many wonderful memories of Uncle Dean. If you ever met him no one would forget that Abraham Lincoln beard he sported for Oh SO Many years! It was his signature! He was a sweet man and married the most wonderful lady that I have ever known, my Aunt Linda! Please keep Aunt Linda, my Mom, Uncle Dean's sons, and many grandchildren in your prayers. Aunt Linda has taken care of Uncle Dean for so long she is going to be lost without him. They were such a wonderful couple, so in love!! Rest in Peace Uncle Dean! If you thought the hospital was the "biggest hotel you've ever seen"...I wonder what you thought when you got to heaven!!! You must have been blown away! Much LOVE...we will all miss you terribly!

Baby Hutch's Official Ultrasound

We went for our big Ultrasound today....BIG deal!!! First, and foremost, everything looks good!! He is healthy and that was the most important thing. He IS a HE too...that was confirmed. Right now he weighs in at a whopping 11 oz. I weigh in at a whopping ...... darn it!! my number keys just quit working!!! The Dr. says I am right on track with my weight gain...I'll show him! He doesn't know that I gained 10 lbs a month for 3 consecutive months with Cannon. I am really trying to exercise and eat healthy so that doesn't happen...but Hutch sure does make me hungry :). What goes on must come off....so if I gain....I will lose it! I thank God for a body that can make and carry babies!! I thank God for healthy babies!

Productivity 100% at the Campbell house this weekend!!!

Let's see, where do I begin?? OK, paint! We had Cannon's and Neely's "new" rooms and their bathrooms painted on Friday. We were going to tackle it ourselves...but thank God Les decided to hire someone to do it for us. 3 very efficient guys came in on Friday morning at 8am....and by 1pm they were completely finished, cleaned up and pulling out of the driveway! Les and I would probably be just finishing up this evening! This freed up our little hands to be productive in other ways. No, I am not talking about 2 rounds of golf, but it did allow for this as well. It also allowed for a little shopping....but not really selfish shopping...but grocery shopping and a few things for Neely's bathroom. I was REALLY worried about my color choices, especially considering I picked them all out myself, except for Neely's (my Mom helped me pick that one out when she was here at Christmas). All the colors turned out wonderful....and I am pleased as punch with the results. I guess that you are wondering where the me and Les being productive comes into play...here we go!! So we got the kids rooms almost put back together (after having to take everything off the walls and move it to the center of the room) last night. After dinner last night we went to Home Depot and bought blinds for the 3 kid's bedrooms. This morning we woke up and took my car to get it detailed...and made another stop by Home Depot. Les put up 4 light fixtures, 5 blinds and did an amazing job. I got the rooms all cleaned up and everything back on the wall, beds made, bathrooms put back together, night stand painted, a four mile walk, a trip to Target, picked up my car and put a frozen pizza in the oven. Wife of the year right here :)!!! We got the car detailed so we can list it on Craig's list to try to sell it before Hutch gets here. I will take over driving the Yukon and Les will get his beloved Mercedes E430 back. No, not the exact same one....but one JUST like it...if he can help it!

What do I still need to do? Well, I've got a trip to Canton coming up and I plan to look for some things for the kids walls (mostly Hutch's). BTW...have I mentioned that we have a name for Baby Boy Campbell???....well, you heard it here first...it is official.... HUTCH DENTON CAMPBELL ..... is the baby's name. We like it....so if you don't, don't worry....because you will! When you see him and love him...it won't matter what his name is!! You will love him so much that Hutch will become one of your favorite words EVER! So, yes, things for the walls. We also still need to get Cannon a bed....or maybe just a bedskirt, but I would say we have done a lot in a short period of time.....so if he sleeps on a frame for a while...so be it. Well, I must give up the laptop so Les can list my car on Craig's list! Hope you all have a great week! I have my official ultrasound tomorrow....so stay tuned for the official pics from that!!!

Back to the Grind in 2009!

Well, we have had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's! Tomorrow we officially get back to a normal schedule. I dread it, yet I look forward to it!!! We have been sleeping late, not taking naps, had terrible eating habits, no one has slept in their correct bed in weeks....the list could go on forever. It will probably take several weeks to get back on schedule, but I welcome the challenge...I have been been the ring leader of all of these bad habits the last few weeks!!!

The kids didn't come home from Mark's until the 26th, so we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with my parents. We went to our churches beautiful Christmas Eve service, then we went for our second annual Christmas Eve trip to the Oasis. The weather was perfect and the view was enjoyed by all! On Christmas morning we got up, ate breakfast, opened presents and took Daddy on an extremely long walk through the woods and across the back nine holes of the golf course. Again, we had wonderful weather!

Cannon and Neely had a wonderful Christmas! They got a Wii, which has been a big hit! Cannon also got a 1-gallon fish tank an two goldfish...which was definitely his favorite present. He first named the goldfish "Jake and Sarah", but they have since been re-named...shocker here...."Cannon and Neely". The girl at Petco acted as though our fish would probably die due to the fact that our tank was "new"...and had not already gone through a "nitrate cycle". Well, thus far "Cannon and Neely" are doing wonderful...we have had no "floating fish". Cannon (the kid one) has been very good about feeding Cannon & Neely (the fish). I am very proud of him being so responsible! Although on New Year's Eve when we got home from a party he was partied out and talked Neely (the kid one) into feeding the fish that night. If he keeps this up he may find himself with a hamster for his birthday! I better start working on Les for this one!!

Tomorrow, back to life, back to reality! In fact, I better go get backpacks and lunch boxes ready! Happy 2009 to everyone!!