littlemisssewcial

2009-11-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Aunt Rach Comes to Visit

2009-11-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

Eric's sister, Rachel, came to visit in October and joined our annual caramel apple making extravaganza. As you can see, the girls get PLENTY of decorations in their tummies, especially Cali!

This is she and her husband, Darren and up on the Sandia Mtn at sunset

The girls LOVED Rachel being here because she baked cupcakes with them, played house, made sand pizzas...you know, all that fun stuff

Here is their fish faces

Oh Yea, the real reason for their visit was to get Darren's wisdom teeth out, so here he is, chipmunk cheeks but doing OK !!

New Pics

2009-10-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

Nadia's first day of school

Cali and Gig in the bath

Our family at a old fashioned soda fountain dive

I took this pic from a hot air balloon...that is a cow bein blown up and THOUSANDS of people

There were 200+ balloons in the air at the same time.

It was beautiful and amazing and peaceful! I won this trip on a balloon! IT was really special and amazing

I'm Back...For now :)

2009-10-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Okay...I am TERRIBLE! Where did my evening free time go? Well, since moving here I basically picked up a 20-30 hour a week job I do for free for my husband :0 That is where my time has gone, hence my absense on the blog scene.

So, I will write a few random thoughts, and if I have time post some pics. Then the real fun will be catching up w/ others' blogs.

A MOPS childcare volunteer confirmed my suspicions today that Gigi is a sanguine! This makes me VERY happy. She has developed this sparkly, smiley personality. The way she responds to her name is she shoots you these major beaming eyes and will flash a huge smile. When I picked her up the other day at the gym childcare with her other two big sisters, she had made the most friends; she was in the big middle of everyone with all the action. She is verbal and vocal. Poor daddy...another one.

Calista is steadily growing even girlier each day. Common phrases are "I like your earrings." I like your shoes." "I like your necklace". She gets her daily getup on which includes TWO princess dresses layered right on top of eachother, plus a pink underskirt, a crown, furry slippers, necklaces, rings, bags etc. Her "C's are "T", so its precious when she says "I want a Tookie" We call her Tookie. Still sucking her thumb; still pooping in her diaper.

Nadia has some drama in friendships going on. I am shamed to admit I am already jockying for positioning in making friends with moms whose daughters I percieve will make nice playmates with her. Has this already started for real? I mean, agh!!! I can't believe she will be GONE next year. Her school will be from 8:45 till 4 or something like that. The riot of yesterday was we actually made Carebear a costume. Carebear IS A PERSON, no questions asked. So, of course she will be a ghost and she will have her own treat bucket. Nadia reserves her a space in bed. She is considered in almost every decision.

OK, enough. Here are some pics. Never mind. I haven't downloaded any new ones to this computer since last post!!! Terrible

Life in ABQ...Still feels like we are on Vaca!

2009-08-24T16:16:00.001-07:00

Eric's parents came to town so we took them on a mini hike with the girls on a mtn behind our house

Once up on the hill we took this sunset pic

There we all are...it was about a 10 minute hike up

We love the skies...this view shows our house...it is one of those below...

This Saturday Eric took a balloon ride with the exiting Dr. we bought the practice from! There they are!

OK, this is INCREDIBLE! My first FULL Rainbow to see...it was the full bow and we could see both places where it began and ended and it is right outside our back yard. It was beautiful. One of the most beautiful creations of God I have ever seen. It lasted about 10 minutes before it was gone. This pic of course does not do it justice.

Somethings Never Change...Cali's PERMANENT outfit is a princess...as always!

Eric put the fam to work for our marketing effort. Cookie boxes to all dentists in ABQ!

Cali is potty training...sort of...like when its convenient for me (ok we tried one day and she did good, but the next day we were out and about, so I didn't even try).

It is Monsoon season here, so that means 1 or 2 hours of POURING rain once a month

Nadia crawling w/ Gianna

Another princess outfit

Gianna is SUCH a happy, easy baby!

Cali's first year of swim lessons. She got in about half the time!

Comic Strip Nailed It!

2009-06-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

NOTICE THE FAUCETS ON HER CHEST....

Umm WOW!

2009-05-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Nadia found her little Mermaid book of stickers she got for her birthday that I had hid in her closet. Unfortunately she did this during "nap time" which has turned into her "play alone" time. I guess its totally worth it to have an hour and a half of silence in the middle of the day, so really I don't care WHAT she does in her room as long as she plays quietly. I will say this did hurt her taking 100+ stickers off, so I doubt we will have this fiasco again.

Why Don't I Carry a Camera!?

2009-05-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a BIG day for a BIG girl! Nadia got her 4 year booster shots and went to her first visit to the dentist. She did such an amazing job at both. She didn't cry at the booster shots, and I really felt appreciative of that because I brought Cali and Gigi and I had to nurse Gigi during it, so I was of no help at all to her!

Then she and I went to the dentist, and she let them do EVERYTHING: xrays, scraping, polishing, flouride and floss. She was cracking all the dental staff up as well. They put these sunglasses on her to shield her eyes from the dental lights and she looked so tiny laying in the chair I couldn't believe I didn't have my camera (well, yes I could, because I never do, but still).

Because she did some "unfun" big girl things, she got to do a "fun" big girl thing: we got pedicures after the dentist (again, where was my camera?). She has red toe nails with white flowers on them. It was fun to spend some time alone with her. She truly is upbeat, brave and FUN to be with. I am learning she is a do-er. I am not sure she appreciated the pedicure. She likes the flowers, of course, but honestly her nails were immediately messed up because she couldn't sit still! I know if I'd have taken Cali she would have sat there in my lap the entire time and enjoyed being pampered. I will have to think of something more rewarding to Nadia next time, maybe a game of laser tag or something active like that!

Nadia's 4th Bday etc

2009-05-18T05:44:00.001-07:00

Our family helped us big-time with the party!

It was Care Bear themed and we had plenty of cake!

They had a powdered doughnut eating contest where they ate doughnuts off a string with their hands behind their backs!

Gianna loves to suck her thumb already. She has officially rejected ALL pacies!

Nadia's birthday at Sonshine School!

Calista's Teacher at her sonshine school Program. They made this awesome "Me" book for her and have done such an excellent job all year. It was such a fun night!

Gianna's 5 months old!!! Can't believe

Girls weekend to Houston. My roommate from college just had her 1st baby and she is such a doll! We had a great weekend!

Bend a Roo Fun! This was about an hour and a half of pure creativity. Totally worth the $19.95 plus S&H!!!

Still can't believe she is 5 months old! Its killing me she's my last!!!

Woo Hoo!

2009-05-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to Eric's website we did ourselves...not too shabby for people who don't consider ourselves technology sophisticates...

www.sandiaoralsurgery.com

check it out!

On an aside Nadia and I were playing a game of "Name that fruit or vegetable", so I began describing a watermelon like this " green on outside, red and juicy on inside, black seeds you spit out, starts with a W etc." and she could never get it. Finally I told her "Watermelon" and she said matter of factly with a tone denoting "Bad clue, mom" , "I don't spit those seeds out of my mouth, I spit those out my bottom." Ha! I guess I have never bought her the watermelon with actual black seeds, just the seedless that have the tiny white ones that we eat. She is a riot.

Plug for my good friend

2009-04-28T14:24:00.001-07:00

My good friend, Kristen, took these pics for us just the other day! This was BY FAR my best portrait experience! She is not only an excellent and artistic photographer, she is SUPERB with kids and got our pics back that week! She gave us a CD of all she took. It makes me wish we weren't moving...you can find her at www.boysnberriesphotography.com

Our New Mexican Home!

2009-04-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Easter Family Pics

2009-04-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

Fun Shopping next Saturday

2009-04-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am planning on going! Probably from 12:30ish to 2:30 ish...I you wanna join me, post. I have never seen my good friend, Sada, in "action", so this will be a treat!

"For You Are Good"

2009-04-09T04:35:00.000-07:00

I love that song. Recently I noticed Satan attacking me with lies when times are difficult. Most recently this has been when the girls are crying incessantly while I am trying to get the house ready to show. My heart beat rises, I start sweating, and then the lies and resentment toward my situation (read "God") come. "Why do I have to do this!? Too much. I can't handle this. Can you at least make Gianna fall asleep!" OK, this attitude is not glorifying to God, exemplifies lack of faith, and resists pruning. All of the sudden I just started singing. "For you are good, for you are good, for you are good to me." I sang it for the full 30 minutes it took me to clean the house, and though my situation did not change, (the girls didn't really stop crying), my mind did not allow negative thoughts to enter. They tried. My words stopped them cold. And my attitude was much better! Praise Jesus for "a way of escape".

Anyways, I thought I'd share, so that anyone else struggling with Satan's attacks could have a breastplate...isn't it the breastplate of truth? I don't know. My Bible is not near.

Cousin Daphne Turns One!

2009-04-04T18:45:00.001-07:00

This was the most hilarious of the party: Daphne's first taste of pizza, so she is head over hills in love with it, and Aunt Ta uses the slice of pizza to lure Daphne into playing the game! So Daphne is reaching for the pizza in this pic. A riot. Grandma Cookie made the drive to Dallas with me and the 3 little ones...it was OKAY...bless her she agreed to ride with us...

The Cousins play before the party starts

Gianna in the Bumbo...Such a big girl now!

Daphne just goes for it...no messing around. She stuffs the entire cupcake in her mouth for her first bite! That-a-girl!

Homemade Toy Idea

2009-04-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

Okay for those of you who emailed/posted about the homemade toy...here it is. My kids played with this thing for 30 min at a friends' house. The friend takes it to church. It's amazing, but so simple...a tupperwear with a screw lit and a small hole at top... Sparkley craft balls from Hancocks...

Equals FUN FUN FUN!

New New New

2009-04-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for downing Eric's chemical peel. His face is BABY FRESH. I mean...5 days of peeling like a snake is TOTALLY worth it. I am jealous...must finish nursing Gianna before I do it though.

Other New things: Nadia learned to snap yesterday! Yippee. I feel this is a slam dunk for the whole Tuggle Team, because each adult in our family has probably given our version of how its done, at least 5 times. Whew, she made it and she is so proud of herself. Next, "How to ride a bike".

Gianna is grabbing for toys. My goodness, something for her is new EVERY DAY these days. How fun. Thank you God, for your mercies are NEW every morning. I especially love that truth this morning, because I was not a very nice person last night, after Gianna essentially cried the whole day. I think waking up and learning new things, comes with being more demanding!? Not sure.

Gianna Laughs

2009-04-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

She has come alive! Yesterday Eric was holding Gianna and Nadia came up from behind Calista and pummeled her with a pillow. Gianna chucked "he he". Eric looked down to make sure, and yes, she was smiling and looking at Nadia. Nadia got a positive response (from at least ONE sister), so of course she tried it again. Gianna: "he he" AGAIN, and Calista "Stop it NaaNi" O boy, the fun begins!

On an aside, I am challenged by a friend to memorize scripture; we are doing it together using Beth Moore's blog. This is great. This one entry is particularly inspiring to fill my speech with God's praises:

http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2009/02/siesta-scripture-memory-team-verse-4.html

Ups & Downs

2009-03-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

Today Gianna rolled over...that was the up. I had a flat...the tire went COMPLETELY flat, which has never happened to me before, so that was the down. But, since I was stuck at home on a Sonshine School Day, I finished the girls Easter baskets. What is on the Easter Bunny Wish List, you ask?

Nadia is a walking infomercial. Today it was these caterpillars that turn into butterflies, "Watch Them Grow, Then Let them Go! You simply...blah blah blah." She can regurgitate the whole thing. Anyhow she is NOT getting nasty caterpillars to hang in our trees outside. She is FINALLY getting the Bendaroos. Yes, I called the 1800 # and ordered them. She's been reciting that commercial now for a year. I caved.

Calista is getting a care bear, and Gianna is getting a home made toy...these balls you poke into a tupperware container a friend has and my kids went wild for. Anyways, the baskets turned out pretty cute!

Family Ready for Church

2009-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Nadia & Calista started Gymnastics last week and loved it! Calista is taking the Mommy and Me class with her Nonna...Nadia goes to her class alone. It is perfect for getting rid of energy.

Precious picture! He IS my superman!

The Fam ready for church
This was an entire box of tissue Calista emptied into the toilet while I changed Gianna's diaper...fun fun
Calista playing bubbles...It was such a gorgeous evening and we spent about 2 hours in the front yard with the bubble blower going. Gianna loved it too. Nadia got a scooter riding lesson from Daddy.

My Current Love Affairs

2009-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

OK this is 4 days post chemical peel. The 3rd day was the worst...SCARY!!! You can't see it, but he is peeling. Yesterday it was extremely blotchy and much more peeling.

Peanut Butter (this has carried thru since pregnancy...it goes in and on most of my meals these days from oatmeal to ice cream to our fav meal, peanut shrimp).

Hydroquinone (again from pregnancy my little brown mask of pregancy face needs this stuff)

Spray Tan (do you see a theme going here...tan fat looks better than white fat I've discovered)

Breast Pump (I got to take a weekend WITHOUT KIDS of shopping in Dallas with my sis because of you, O dear One)

Swaddle Blanket plus paci for Gianna, Lovey plus thumb for Calista and Madagascar 2 plus Care Bear for Nadia...all of these can replace me for a few minutes in a pinch

Last but Absolutely not Least, my dearest Hubby who has faithfully rubbed the crick in my neck now for a week, took all the kids for the past weekend, and besides being super helpful is also incredibly sexy...despite his snake like moulting skin from his recent chemical peel! I will try to load a pic of his face peeling and red soon...to think I almost let him do this to me!!!

Sometimes its just too hard not to cry over spilled milk...

2009-02-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

Especially when I had just emptied my breasts for Gianna and it was HER milk Nadia spilled. Needless to say, I DID end up crying!

On a happier note, Nadia had THREE pieces of cake in the past two days, and Calista just had two. Lots of birthdays to celebrate. Here is a pic of Nadia & her friend Bo.

House on Market Agh!

2009-02-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

We put our house on the market this weekend, and had our first showing today. It was a good practice round of frantically getting the house "show ready" while Gianna screamed to be fed for the THIRTY minutes it took me to finish folding the laundry on the floor and clean up my tax prep mess that I was in the middle of...

The house shoppers were in and out in THREE minutes, and didn't even go upstairs. Needless to say I was slightly miffed at the realtor, because I felt I had done due dilligence in screening questions, "do they want a one story" etc before I agreed to show it. Her answer? "Not necessarily, but they just did't feel up to making a flight of stairs today." Hmm.

Anyways, I AM grateful for the practice. I realized I need to have more things put away each day, and probably not agree to show it if Gianna is due to nurse in the next hour! Live and learn. And probably relax a little on the meaning of "show ready"!

This & That

2009-02-05T10:31:00.001-08:00

The Sweetest Baby girl ever!

What I spent the last 5 hours doing:

Last week's sled adventure
This by the way was my sled as a child...brought back memories of my dad & I...

Girls Nite on Thursday Anyone?

2009-01-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Anyone available for dinner Thurs night? Eric is working late, his mom is taking the older two girls & I am in desparate need of some girl talk! Post a comment if you are in! How about 6:30 at Chiles?

Mort from Madagascar

2009-01-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

Has an uncanny resemblance to daughter #2!

Vegas or Bust Baby!

2009-01-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

For Eric's 30th bday I sent him to Vegas with my bro in law. On the way there, they read up on black jack tactics. Each started w/ $100. The first night Eric called and he was up $65. It was my tendency to say, "Keep it and stop gambling!" But of course that was not the point of the trip. The next day afternoon he was only up $50. Then by the time he left he was down $30. Not bad for a novice black jacker for a weekend of fun! BTW my BIL left empty handed completely...except for fun memories!

Silly Nadia

2009-01-14T05:05:00.000-08:00

Nadia cracks us up. About 2 weeks ago, Eric asked Nadia when getting her up from her nap, if she'd actually fallen asleep. She said yes, even though Eric knew she had not, because we heard her playing around in her room for the past hour. Eric gave her a 2nd opportunity to tell the truth by saying, "Are you lying?" And Nadia said, "Actually, I did not fall asleep. I did not lie, either. I just had short term memory loss."

She came down and told me that too, and I was like, "Who told you to say that when you get caught in a lie?" And she said, "Dorry from Nemo"! We felt that was pretty intelligent, because she applied that term herself correctly. But she still got in trouble for lying because does it really matter if she's smart, if her character is corrupt? Not really...

The other kind of awful thing that happened in the past 2 days is Nadia decided she cares about what she looks like and she wants to pick out her own outfits (and wants to wear the play makeup Cali got for Christmas). Boo! I didn't realize how easy I was having it by getting to pick out her own outfits.

I always said I wouldn't be that mother who fussed over what her daughter looked like. So I am really having to exude the utmost self control to allow her to pick out some things. I am considering doing what Sada said she and her mom did, which was Sada had certain days she could pick and her mom had certain days (you know...the important ones, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, when other people actually see them)! One thing I loved about my mom is she never fussed about how I looked. I never felt ugly, fat or that I had to look a certain way to be pretty. I want to be that way to my daughters. However, as an adult I DID complain to my mom about at least not dressing me in matching clothes for picture day at school. I always looked AWFUL! I will have to dig out a school pic of me so you can see for yourself.

She came home!

2009-01-11T19:51:00.001-08:00

Gianna came home yesterday afternoon! We brought home an oxygen tank, pulse sock & we will do breathing treatments, but now our family is under one roof again. It feels wonderful. Praise God!

Eric turned 30 today and it was probably the best gift he got...a good night's sleep in his own bed, with "all his girls". I still can't believe we are both 30. It goes fast. I am savoring Gianna's newborn-hood...hoping it will go by slowly. She is such an easy, happy, sleepy, peaceful baby. Calista is turning a corner from "brat" to "charmer". Nadia is super helpful and compliant these days. God knows what we need.

My new year's resolution is to take a back seat on my agenda and focus on waiting on the Lord, enjoying my girls and my husband. Eric and I used to be the kind of married couple who when entering Walmart, one of us would wait in line while the other shopped as to save time, and on vacation we were always the 1st to get off the shuttle and into the rental car line, using our "divide and conquer" mentality. We took pride in the amount of work we could get done in a short amount of time.

After all we've been thru this year, God has said to us "Be still and know that I am God". I feel like I have been like Jacob, wrestling with God and realizing its His grace I am even still alive. God is so good, and He has been so good to us this year. Thank you friends, for all of your prayers. Our baby is home and on her way to recovery!

Another Update on our Girl

2009-01-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

Gianna's tube came out yesterday...YAY. I think she is much happier about that (we are), but her throat is so sore from the tube and she keeps coughing then crying. Its hard to watch and I feel a little helpless. She is eating well out of a bottle, so that is great. They are weaning her off oxygen, and we hope to go to a regular room sometime today. The hospital is full, so it may just be a matter of finding her a regular room to stay in.

Nadia & Calista are getting a little tired of being shuttled around, but I think for the circumstances, they are handling it pretty well. I feel guilty NOT being with them, then I feel guilty NOT being with Gianna. We are ready for this to be over, but I am praying for patience.

Nadia had a HUGE success last night! She woke up in the middle of the night and went potty by herself. then she came & got me (at midnight) to help her put her diaper back on. I said, "Do you want a pullup?" and she was thrilled. The pullups I bought have princesses all over them, but I wouldn't let her wear them because her diaper was WAY to full for a pullup to do the trick at night. Then in the morning, the pullup was dry! It was really funny, because before she went to bed that night she asked why she couldn't have a pullup and I told her why. Its like she just decided overnight. She has been potty trained for a year during the day, but at night she has always had a completely full diaper. We are so proud of her!

Gianna Update

2009-01-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, we took Gianna to the hospital Friday night because she was blue and would stop breathing (apnea). She is sedated and on a ventilator and diagnosed with RSV. They initially told us to expect a 10 day stay. They cannot treat her for RSV, but we just wait for her body to heal. They help her breathe and suck out snot.

Today, they are still getting quite a bit of mucus, but they are trying to wean her off the vent so she can breathe on her own. She is in the PICU, which is nice, because she is getting great care. Also it is great, because Eric and I do not have to be there around the clock, so I am trying to get rest before they move her to the floor rooms. Today, we did about 10 loads of laundry cleaning everything in our house...toys and all, as well as a "deep cleaning".

The bad thing about the PICU is I cannot hold her and she is so sedated she doesn't open her eyes. When they take out her ventilator, after a day she will move to a regular hospital room, where the average stay there is 5-7 days. At that point, Eric and I will rotate going up and staying with her, and the other keeping the girls at our house. So we are gearing up for that.

Thanks for your prayers. We are really doing pretty well. Nadia & Calista spent the weekend with their Nonna & Nonno, so they were spoiled all weekend. Thank goodness Sonshine school resumes this week!

"Its the BEST Christmas Ever!"

2008-12-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

That's what we like to hear...a little positive feedback from the kids can last an entire year, if you record it and replay it over and over. And that's just what we did with our video camera this morning during opening gifts from Santa time. I hope I can conjure up these feelings of appreciation from the girls this summer when they are whining about "more milk" around 6 oclock at the dinner table after I have served everyone two or three helpings of each thing and STILL haven't put a morsel in my own mouth... Calista got this motorized 4 wheeler. She was a little terrified of it, but will ride on the back of it with Nadia steering.

Nadia got this pink reading tent for a "princess". Eric hung it in her room. Its funny, because they really went crazy over the doller bin stocking stuffers from Target!

Gianna is two weeks old today. We took her for her weight check yesterday, and lo and behold, she had shrunk 3/4 of an inch! She really is only 19.25 inches. At the hospital they measured her at 20, but that is obviously not correct. She did gain weight...she is now 6 lbs 14 ounces...my best eater by far. This newborn stage is my favorite. They are so helpless and I fall in love so easily. Gianna & I have definitely bonded over the past two weeks.

Merry Christmas Friends & Family!!!

More Pics of Gianna & Girls

2008-12-14T18:46:00.001-08:00

Nadia played in the pile of leaves today!

Calista played in the playhouse today
Bringing Gianna home from the hospital yesterday

Tonight she got her first bath at home. She didn't even cry. I am finding it may be a good thing to be 3rd. Mom has been around the block once or twice, so she got a WARM bath. Poor Nadia's first bath she got shot with ice cold water from the sprayer...I had checked the temp from the faucet, but forgot the first water out of the sprayer would be cold...oops!

Eric and Gianna

One of the first and only times she's opened her eyes...such a sleepy baby!

Our first family pic. The girls were so amazing and sweet with Gianna when they met her. It was a precious moment.

Pic of Gianna

2008-12-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

Gianna Kate has Arrived!

2008-12-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

She is healthy and we praise God! I went into labor at 4:30 pm yesterday (Dec 11) and came to the hospital at 5:35pm. Gianna was born at 9:57 pm weighng 6lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long. She has blonde wavy hair, skinny legs and long nail beds. I really feel like God gave us her name, because Jaclyn would not fit her. She looks more like Nadia than Calista, mosly because of her coloring. I remember when Calista was born the NICU nurses asked if she had Hispanic parents because her hair and skin were so dark. Gianna looks more like Nadia did, but definitely has her own look. Her hair is lighter and she doesn't have as much hair as Nadia did, but it is longer and wavier than Nadia's was. She has a dainty mouth and nose. She hasn't opened her eyes much, so its hard to REALLY tell yet what she will look like. We will post pics when we get the camera connection. Bapitst nurses have been amazing and wonderful. We love Dr. Huff too!

If you want to visit, we'd love that. We are at Baptist hospital in room 464. We plan to check out Saturday around noon.

Dialated to a 5! That is right...Still no Baby

2008-12-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

I just got back from seeing my OB. She checked me and I am dialated to a 5!!! Very effaced, head VERY low. I think my body is an anomoly to her. She's been in practice 25 years, and her remark was, "This baby should have FALLEN out by now" Her prediction is the baby will be here by Monday or Tuesday, but she also seemed to think I must have been sitting around on my tuff (which is only PARTLY true...I sit whenever I can). Several of you have SEEN me at the gym so you know this is not 100% true. Her advice was to walk around a little and resume a "normal" lifestyle! As if having a 20 month old who wines to be held at all times and me having to go upstairs umpteen times a day is not "normal", plus going to the gym 5 times per week. That is why I think she thinks my body is super human, because she made it seem as if I do ANY activity at all the baby will be here. Go figure! I will have to say I did cry through the appointment because my back has been killing. She couldn't help me there, but she did say do ice packs and made an appointment for a PT to massage it on Monday if the baby isn't here. I look forward to my insurance paid back massage :)

Grosgrain: Tree Lighting Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-12-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

Grosgrain: Tree Lighting Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

TAG

2008-12-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

8 TV SHOWS I WATCH

1. Clifford
2. Office
3. 30 Rock
4. Brothers & Sisters
5. What Not to Wear
6. HGTV Divine Design
7. Desparate Housewives
8. HGTV Househunters

8 FAV RESTAURANTS

1. Cheevers
2. Boulevard
3. Ajanta
4. Lottinvilles
5. Mantle
6. Teds
7. 501 Cafe Breakfast
8. Cheesecake Factory

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

1. Celebrated Nonna's 54th birthday
2. Eric's Christmas Party

3. False Labor about 10 times

4. Free Pics w/ Santa at Bass Pro

5. Took the girls to North Pole City

6. Saw the movie Four Christmases

7. Raked the front yard

8. Grandma Cookie Turned 84 and Aunt Ta (my sis) turned 32

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO

1. Heaven!
2. Baby Gianna's birth
3. Seeing, feeding, holding, dressing & bathing Gianna
4. Fitting into regular clothes
5. Running
6. Christmas with family
7. Shopping for homes in Albuquerque
8. Helping Eric with his practice

8 THINGS I WISH FOR

1. Gianna to come today
2. Our house to sell quickly
3. Eric's practice to close smoothly
4. Warm weather
5. Goodnight sleep
6. My children & grandchildren to know Jesus & serve Him
7. Grow closer to God
8. Be a better (more selfless & patient) wife & mom

8 PEOPLE I TAG (I'm with Elizabeth...not sure 8 people read my blog)

1. Stace
2. Alli
3. Robin
4. Chellie
5. Sada
6. Emily
7. Lisa
8. Kristen

God is Speaking

2008-12-08T04:24:00.000-08:00

Did anyone watch Oprah last week about the wreck that happened 2 years ago where for 5 weeks they mistakenly identified an alive girl as another? The two families were on Oprah, talking about their experience, and remarkably the families were both Christians. This meant, forgiveness reigned in the situation, and there were no lawsuits to the hospitals, the caregivers, or even the man who found the bodies and named the alive patient another girl who was really dead.

I sat there watching and crying, praising God that his truth was proclaimed on Oprah that day and his Name was glorified. The scripture one father quoted is one of my favorites, but I had not been thinking on it in the recent weeks of my impatience as I wait for Gianna to come.

And what does God require of us? "To do justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." The father said loving mercy is how they were able to forgive this terrible mistake of their daughter's identity.

The Tonya Tuggle paraphrase is "To do what's right, to delight in forgiveness, and to realize God is God and Tonya is a vapor." I have not been really realizing I am a vapor. In my weeks of bed rest and now weeks of waiting to go into labor, I have been trying to control my situation. I have felt entitled to what I want, having MY way and wondering why in the world God wouldn't want my way too? So now, when I find myself getting impatient, I am praying this verse and desiring that I walk humbly with God. Of His three requirements, all of them have been difficult for me at different periods of my life. In other periods of my life, I have been slow to recognize my struggle with being humble towards God. This pregnancy experience has brought to light I AM proud towards God, impatient with his timing and ultimately I want my life to run my way on my time table.

If I am learning anything from this pregnancy, it is to wait on the Lord, and to realize He is God and I am not. And thank goodness for that!

WAITING...

2008-12-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

To have the baby! I feel anxious for labor to start now. We went in Sunday night with my contractions 4 min apart for 2 hours. When we arrived I was dialated to a 3, within an hour I was a 4. They gave me 3 shots of brethine, because the Dr. on call did not share the same beliefs as my OB regarding OK to deliver a 35 week baby without at least trying to stop it (either that or she didn't want to come in at 2 a.m.). SO, my labor was successfully stopped!

My OB told me on Monday that if I go into labor again I will receive no more shots. Yay. Honestly I am just ready to have the baby, and to cease going into the hospital for shots. I will post when the baby comes...probably within the next few days. Please pray for a healthy baby who breathes, eats and sleeps well :)

Oh, and we decided on a name: Gianna Kate Tuggle. Gianna means God is Gracious. Kate means Pure.

Grosgrain: Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-12-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

Grosgrain: Downtown Holiday Jacket and Pant GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving yesterday with "my" side: Grandma Cookie, Ta & Daphne, my cousin Nick

We spent Thanksgiving Day at the Farm with Eric's side...Nonna, Cali & I on the "Nanny Goat" (the suped up golf cart).

Eric & Nadia go trampsing around the farm on the 4-wheeler...we heard giggles all the way

Thank You Thank You Thank You

2008-11-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you friends & family who showered our new baby girl with diapers & gifts. We are so very blessed! We appreciate you all.

Funny How Memory Fades

2008-11-20T07:54:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my first day off of bedrest. Eric got free tickets to the Thunders game so we got a sitter and went to dinner & then to the game. We parked 3 blocks away. I went "potty" at Chilis, but during the 3 block jaunt, I told Eric, got I REALLY have to pee. My mind's focus was getting to the Ford Center's restroom ASAP. Well, when we arrived at the ticket booth, we were turned away because we had the wrong dated tickets! Ahhh!

We had a plan B, which was to contact Eric's boss who'd offered free tickets and go get his. So, Eric walked & I waddled back to the car, all the while my mind on relieving my crushed bladder. Plan B's tickets were 5 miles away, at H&H gun range on Reno, so probably an 8 minute drive. When we arrived, I B-lined it for the ladies room, anticipated Big Time relief. To my horror and dismay, I peed 4 drops. I kid you not. This feeling of "urgency" was caused by a medicine dropper's worth of liquid!

Since I hadn't been THIS pregnant in 2 years, and since I'd been on bedrest the last 3 1/2 weeks, I had totally forgot this last stage of pregnancy. What utter disappointment. But Eric and I laughed about it all the way back to the Ford center, where he dropped me at the door this time :) Only a couple more weeks, I tell myself.

This is Nadia taking care of "baby Cali". Nadi cannot wait to be a helpful big sister to the new baby. She made this pallet for Cali & covered her with 2 loveys. Cali loved it!

Great Report from the DR

2008-11-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

God is so good. I just got back from seeing the OB and she said I am still dialated only 1.5!!! But the head is lower (because I had been up moving around a bit). She said I can get up for 2 hrs, and then sit for 2 hrs. When I am up, the baby moves lower which causes my body to contract, which is what she wants to prevent for the next two weeks (I am 33.5 weeks). So this is very good news...I can get up and down and watch my own babies! Yay. She also set an induction date for December 22nd in case the baby hasn't come before then, which I am really pleased about as well. I will be a little over 38 weeks by then, and that way we could be home for Christmas. Praise God; He is truly so good to me.

I want to thank all of my family & friends for helping me with my kids, meals & encouraging me during this time. I couldn't have made it without you all. I have never felt SO loved and cared for, and I know it is God working in you to show me His grace, mercy & love. Thank you all for you kindness. I love you all!

Evil Eye

2008-11-16T06:05:00.000-08:00

This is Calista's hilarious "I'm hurt or I'm mad" look. I am thinking she MAY have inherited this from me, but she will just stare you down with no blinking until YOU break. Laughable to watch a toddler do this; pathetic or frightening to imagine an adult...I think I will stop my glaring :O

An update on Nadia. She had her 3 1/2 birthday on Friday. Somehow in the past month she stopped painting brown blobs and started keeping paint colors separate. Also, she can MIRACULOUSLY stay inside the lines of a coloring book picture perfectly! I asked her who taught her that and she said I did. But I did not, so it must just come with age. Anyhow, I can't believe the improvement that just happened over night. The leaps children are able to make are fascinating.

FREE Snapfish Book if you order by Friday

2008-11-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends, if you watched Oprah today, you may have heard this. Its the real deal, and you can order a free 20 page snapfish photo book ($30 value) for FREE by Friday at midnight. You must pay for shipping.

Here is the link:
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20081029_tows_messyhouse/7

Enjoy! I plan on it :)

Movies & Books

2008-11-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

What have I been up to, you wonder, after 2 weeks of bedrest? Well, I got a great report from my OB on Thursday, saying the baby has moved a little North, so her head is not RIGHT THERE anymore! Yay. And the meds are keeping the contractions in check. Consequently, I can sit up a little more often instead of lay :) So this weekend, I watched 2 movies and read a book. Here are my reviews:

MOVIES:

Illusionist. If you haven't seen it, YOU SHOULD. The duration of the film was watchable; not a dull moment where either of us (Eric or I) felt good about going to the bathroom without pressing pause. It provided good discussion afterwards, and I even woke up the next morning still thinking about it. This all equates to fantastic. Eric loved it too, so a great date night movie.

Persuasion. If you love Jane Austin (and I mean LOVE), and if you have read the book or at least know the premise, this movie should be fairly watchable for you. Not super entertaining, but a good refresher on the book I hadn't read in years. And its romance :) A man would not like this movie. Poor Eric did watch it with me!

Book:
Redemption by Karen Kingsbury. Christian Fiction. This is the first in the Redemption series about a Christian doctor & his stay at home wife who raised 5 children who are now young adults. This is the second of her books I've read, and what I like about her is how quick and easy they are to read. This series (I am now on book two) is steeped in romance! Gotta love that, don't you? A good quick read without too much depth, but clearly I'm not missing the depth as I am completely hooked into the series. Need I say more?

I relate to this Cartoon

2008-11-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, our family believes God chose Obama...God's plan is never thwarted. We are praying for our leader in authority. However, this funny I came across on Anna's blog and it made both Eric and I cackle!

Found Some Albuquerque Pics

2008-11-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

The top photo is the annual hot air balloon festival held in October, and the bottom pic is the city skyline w/ the Sandia mountains in the background. It seems odd to move...many of you have been asking, WHEN IS THE MOVE? We don't have to move until JUNE! That is the very good news :) We are putting our house on the market FSBO in MARCH if anyone is interested :)

Celebrating Bedrest One Good Reason at a Time

2008-11-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

1. I have lost 2 lbs (which is really a net of 3 as I was supposed to gain one this week)...you may say this is muscle atrophe, but hey, I will take ANY weight loss!

2. I have this really cute background on my blog now, thanks to Summer who came over and showed me the ropes.

3. I learned to crotchet...thanks to Karen Driskill :), and am 1/3 the way done with the new baby's blanket

4. Movies...I have time to watch as many oldie goldie movies as I want, and so I just finished a great one, "An Affair to Remember"

5. Bible Study...spending more time with the Lord & being QUIET has changed me for the better

6. I finished Eric's business plan & loan applications to secure our business loan...check that off the list

7. I am learning to do a website for his business...saving us thousands :)

8. I have talked to more friends & family in the last week than I have in the past 3 months

9. I wrote a mission statement for my life, and after this experience I will spend my time differently

10. Humility and Gratefulness have come upon me...flooded my heart and soul. I have never felt more loved or more grateful in my life to my family & friends.

Now, here is a belly picture from our church Halloween party since a bunch of out of towners have requested this!

10 New Things About Calista

2008-11-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

1. Her favorite songs to SING include: Ring around the Rosies, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, If you're Happy and you Know it, and What Time Is It?

2. Books (flap books especially) can and will entertain her for 2 hour chunks

3. She started playing hide and go seek in the pantry spontaneously!

4. She eats apples whole now

5. Naa Naa means Nadia

6. New words include Fish, Poop, Oatmeal, Apple, Star, tank oo (thank you), pease (please), baba baa (bubble bath), Appy (happy)

7. Favorite toys include the cars, stroller, babies (feeding them, burping them giving them WaWa (lovey)), & phones

8 LOVES to wrastle with daddy...its become a nightly ritual

9. She has an opinion on what shoes, what outfit and what bow she will wear and she likes looking at herself in pictures and the mirror.

10. She let Cianne put sparkly makeup on her and loved it! Such a girlie girl

Keeping my Legs Crossed!

2008-10-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Five nights ago we had to go to the hospital for pre-term labor. Luckily, if you catch it in time they have all sorts of tricks to stop it from progressing, so we have been utilizing the tricks to keep the baby inside a little longer :).

The tricks are shots and pills and bedrest, so I don't necessarily LIKE them, but I do love that they seem to be effective. The shots aren't so bad, and Eric actually LIKES sticking me with them-ha, but the pills give me bad headaches and shakiness.

To be honest, I really haven't minded the bedrest YET as much as one might think. Maybe I was really worn down, or I am in fact lazy, but this week I have gotten Eric's business plan and loan applications together, done Bible study, talked on the phone to several friends, and rested.

Today is my 30th Birthday, and Eric took me to lunch, which I hadn't been outside in a couple of days. Just driving in the neighborhood I immediately noticed the leaves had all turned since I'd been outside last, and of course the weather is GORGEOUS. I can't believe its Halloween and the weather is this great!

I spent much of the morning reflecting on the FULLNESS I feel in my life. I am "only" (BIG SMILEY) 30, and I am married to the best husband I have ever heard of or can imagine, and have two precious babies with one on the way. The outpouring of sacrificial love I have felt this week from family and friends has me feeling overflowing with God's love. I am truly blessed for today, but also for the past God's given me and the future in store.

OK Back to working on oral surgery business stuff.

Back from Vaca

2008-10-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

Coming back from Vacation is always good, and hectic! But we did make a decision NOT to move to San Antonio. I am sorry about this decision mostly because all of our TX family and friends. So we are planning to move our family to Albuquerque! I will post a pic or two of the gorgeous mountains we will live by, which will serve as an inspiration for everyone to come and visit us. It is really amazing how God hears and anwers prayers. My prayer throughout the search has been clarity: something standing out above the rest, and that is what He has provided.

Vacation was a blast. The girls traveled well, thanks to tips from dear friend, Emily, who has made the trip w/ her kiddos twice a year for the past few. We didn't turn on the DVD till breaking point, we ate all meals in the car as to gain ground while they were occupied, we sang songs and napped. Then when we arrived, we were greeted by two of the most thoughtful, generous souls ever, MEME and BAPA. They had already food shopped and planned meals, and were ready to help w/ the kids. It was truly a vacation for even Eric and I, which wouldn't have been possible if we were vacationing alone.

Smore night, lazy river and hottub days (Cali likes the hottub, Nadia likes the lazy river), the SA zoo, and Sea World were things we all enjoyed. We watched the Acrobats, Shamu and Otter shows at Seaworld and it was entertaining to us to watch the girls jaws drop and eyes glue for each of the 30 min shows. Nadia's fav show was the acrobats, because as cool as an 8,000 lb whale Shamu may sound, they just don't flip or really even move too well like the dolphins can!

Now we are back to real life, which has already included a day of barfing for poor Cali. Luckily that was not a travel or vacation day :)

Pathetic

2008-09-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

The new title this blog has earned...pathetic. Ok, I am gonna try to cram what should have been about 50 separate blog entries over the past five months into one short entry that will take me about 10 minutes, because that is what I have :)

Updates that have happened in our lives since May 14th:

We found a new home for Snickers :)
Eric and I celebrated 8 Years of marriage in August by going to Vegas sans kiddos
We found out our preci new baby will be a girl
Calista can walk!!!
AND TALKS, SINGS, and DANCES a lot
Nadia started Ballet and has formed a new Jamba Juice habit
Calista went to her first day of Sonshine School ever and loves it
Eric and I are searching for a new town to locate our family...its a searching FRENZY
While I am slowly (or quickly) approaching FAT, we joined a gym and love it
Places we are considering living upon graduation are Albuquerque and San Antonio
We visited Albuquerque and fell in love with the town
Next week we are visiting San Antonio for a family vacation with Meme & Bapa
Hopefully in the next month we will have a decision for Eric's Practice. Yay! Pray for us, that our eyes can see what God is showing us.

I am sure I am ommitting something major, but I can add later.

Nadia is Three!

2008-05-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

Nadia is Three and loving it. Today is a new world. "I am THREE, so I am going to drink from cup without a lid." "I am THREE, so I am going to buckle my seat belt all by myself!" Yesterday (the day BEFORE her big day) Heather came by to give her a present, and asked her how old she was. She said, "Two". How old will you be tomorrow? "Three". She totally gets the concept.

Well, these are a few cute things Nadia's said recently:

Last night at dinner she wanted me to sing, which is not uncommon. So I began the "Sing, Amen Amen, Rejoice Amen Amen" Song and she said "STOP!" Which was not uncommon either. I was annoyed at my little Lion bossing her Otter mom around, so I did not want to comply to her orders. On her plate were strawberries, green beans and Mac & Cheese. She lifted the strawberry and said, "the strawberries say STOP". I was in a cloud all the way thru this until the end, by the way. "The Green Beans say GO" as she lifted a bean. "The macaroni says SLOW". I repeated it in my head. O...I get it. She realized her plate was full of the traffic light colors. Nadia: creative. Mom: Dense.

We got back from our trip and on the way home Nadia told this story and has repeated it consistently over the past few days, so I cannot wait to ask her Nonna if it is true. She said "Last night Judy said, "David, David I heard a noise. Wait. Wait. Don't go outside. Then the police came and looked in the back yard. They found a little bird with eggs that were to hatch. They were making noises." Obviously the police didn't find a bird making noises that scared Judy, but at some level I wonder if any of this story is true...

Coming Home from NYC

2008-05-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

The girls had "camp grandma" while we were gone for a week; staying with my dad & Mary Sue the first 3 days and Eric's parents the last three days. We missed our connection and ended up staying an extra day.

Nadia was "looking up in the sky" for us, waiting for our plane to arrive. The next night as we sat down for the first time as a family again for dinner, Eric was quizzing Nadia about her fun time while we were gone. She replied, "Well, my mommy finally missed me and came home." Ha. Turn the knife a little more :)

Bunking with Nadia

2008-04-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Nadia & Calista have a new cousin, Baby Daphne Grace Beswick, born April 9th weighing in at 8.5 lbs and 19 3/4 inches long! While we were in Dallas visiting, I had the privelegde of sharing a bed with Nadia for the first time. She went to bed at her regular 7:30 and I came in to bed at 9:30.

I entered the dark room and it already smelled like urine. Gross. But wet diaper is not worthy of a wake up and change. So I scooched her over (she was on the side w/ the clock), and she didn't really wake up but rather grumbled and clung on a little to my side. But we got settled in and I went right to sleep...and woke up at 12:30. Nadia was awake and I can't remember how I knew it. She was so quiet and laid completely straight, not touching me. When she did talk she whispered, and when her talking was directed to me she would gently tap me with her pointer finger before addressing me in the sweetest, softest voice. Poor baby, she was wide awake from 12:30 to 3:30, with me dozing on and off between those times.

I remember asking her if she needed a diaper change, and she said no. At one point she said, "these sheets are the shooiest. Did you run on the treadmill this morning?" Completely out of it, I asked if the treadmill smelled to her. Then I caught on that I smelled to her after I ran on the treadmill! Ha. I just told her not to smell the sheets. She asked for a drink and I said no...but then an hour later (around 3) I got up and got her milk and tucked her back in. Thats when she finally fell asleep. And we both slept great until the dogs woke me up at 7:15. I laid awake being perfectly still as she had been to me and watched her sleep. When asleep she laid on her stomach, almost entire body on the pillow with her butt in the air. When she woke up she saw me immediately watching her and she blinked several times and said loudly, "NOW its time!"

This memory is precious to me. I LOVE THIS AGE. I wouldn't mind having to do this again sometime. For whatever reason, probably because I have heard horror stories of toddlers legs climbing all over people the whole night, or them sleeping crossways in the bed, I have avoided sleeping with Nadia. But depsite the urine smell and the 3 hours of awake time, it was such a precious time. I will never forget it.

Love our Girlies

2008-04-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

Updates on the girls since I haven't blogged in 2 mos! Calista-still not walking, but she gets where she wants to go when she wants to go. She is a charmer, and has figured out how to get what she wants. She batts those large baby blues, coos in a high pitched pleasant voice for "Yes, yes I would like some milk" and lunges, clings, gets the 'squealies' when its "No, I don't want you to leave me at Bible Class".

She is the CUDDLIEST baby I have ever met, which both Eric and I respond to extremely well. I really have to fight to set boundaries with her because of her charm... such as, slapping me in the face when she is done with food or thrashing about in bumbo for more will NOT work, instead saying she must use your words or at least sign for what she wants! Much to Eric's dismay Calista is a thumb sucker, and loves to soothe herself with her thumb when she's sleepy or hurt. I think the thumb sucking is precious. She is a sensitive soul, and telling her "No no" even in the gentlest voice brings tears to her eyes.

Nadia-super into rhyming, memorizing scripture, singing (of course), dancing, cooking and art projects. A great day for her is interaction with other kids, preferably Corben, her self-proclaimed "best friend". Corben, another first born, is bossy as all get out, but surprisingly in such a diplomatic way that Nadia & Cianne (his younger sis) are game for pretty much whatever he suggests. Its great to have such close neighbors.

Nadia is learning so much physically and verbally, she is much less dependent on me and she plays a lot by herself now. She has learned to put her own shoes on, pull up her pants and can dress herself a lot of times. We are working on phonics and sounding out letters to make words. I vacilate between wanting to teach her to be more independent, and holding on to what little baby I have left in her. She acquiesces to my baby desire by reverting to baby talk when she needs attention or when Calista is getting more attention than she is. Whatever. I am just thankful she still wants me to hold her. When all our babies are grown I will probably have to start working the nursery again. What did I do before all these cuddles? LOVE THEM!

Outed by My Toddler

2008-02-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

"Dang It!" Nadia has begun adding to her daily vernacular. And where did she get that phrase, you might ask? Me, of course. Not that Dang It is a bad word at our house. In my mind, it is at least 2 steps down from "Crap" which I have almost entirely deleted from my colloquial speech, upon noticing my daughter uses explicitives properly in context. BUT, is it a phrase I want my 2 year old using when she drops something? Probably not.

Other confessions I must admit to are calling my youngest Chubba and both girls My Hoochies. Hoochie. This is not a positive word in our world, but it means I love you in mine! How embarrassing if Nadia starts calling her friends, "My Hoochies".

This string of thoughts got me to pondering what else I do that I do not want my girls copying. I have halted diet cokes on a daily basis, now drinking one or less per week, I have incorporated fruits and veggies in the family's daily diet, and I have edited my music listening to KLOV w/ the occasional country or classic rock. However, the older Nadia gets the more obvious it becomes that I must live a life of transparency.

It won't be long before the girls notice I have ice cream only for dinner sometimes, that I get to have 2 or 3 (or 4 - yikes) cookies while they get 1. These are little. I was truly a disgrace to the family when I did not know how to draw the shape of Louisiana during a Pictionery match! Where did my geography education go?

I want to be transparent with my kids, showing not everyone is perfect, but a disgrace? Agh. Having kids definitely makes you want to be a better person ALL THE WAY around. I have all of these high hopes and expectations of them, realizing I don't even expect some of these things of myself! God's love is the ultimate humbler, the ultimate reason to better myself, but kids are such a powerful tool God gives to show me this.

So here I go trying to think of appropriate explicitives when I spill my coffee. Eric says to say "There!" or "Yes". This makes me LAUGH because it was what the professors in dental school taught him to say when he made a mistake on a coherent patient...as if it was on purpose. "Yes!" I accidentally pulled the wrong tooth. Obviously, this is not transparent either :)

Sunshine!

2008-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

We had the best day! We got up and actually arrived to church EARLY which has to be a first since Calista's arrived. The service reminded me of times in my life where I felt like I had to FIGHT to do the right thing...a true struggle. Our preacher spoke on Collossians and how the Word urges us to have endurance.

After church we ate lunch with Meme & Bapa, and then Eric, the girls, and I went for a bike ride in our neighborhood. The weather was gorgeous. After naps (during nap time Eric sprayed our yard for weeds and I finished curtains for a friend), we all went to the park and played frisbee. Snickers even came and Nadia had fun "walking" him. Ha. He really walks her. So then we came back and Nadia LOVED helping Eric wash his car. That girl is truly happiest when she has a task to complete. Give her a job (and let her be in charge), and she beams.

Calista enjoyed being outside today. Her bike helmet is a little large, and bless her heart it was down over her eyes during our 45 minute ride. But did she complain? Not at all. She loved sitting in the wagon at the park. She runs her fingers through her hair when she nurses, she sucks her thumb to comfort herself, she squeals when she gets a diaper change, and she claps and dances to music. She can lightning crawl, especially when Nadia chases her. It is such a fun time!

Results Are In...

2008-01-18T04:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you guys for voting and your comments. I thought it hilarious that the option I felt best about trying was the least voted for option, which was the Try panties for a week just to see...I mean, what if Nadia was a camel and could hold her potty for 13 hours straight? Ha! Well she's NO camel, we discovered. So now we have moved on the the most voted for method, the Wait till the diapers are dry method. She is doing great during the day and I am so proud of her! Thanks for all of your input!

Having a Cast Really Stinks

2008-01-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

Literally...anyone know of a cure for stinking casts? Eric's suggestion is spraying lysol. I just don't want the bacteria that is feasting on my arm's skin to have anything else to devour that would cause further stank or even worse...itching. Luckily no itching as of yet and less than 2 weeks till my arm is unleashed! Yay.

On a pleasant note, we got to see every one of our family members over the holidays (except for one, my cousin, Nick). We are so grateful for this because as our family quickly grows with additions of spouses and children, we realize this will be one of the last years.

Calista was crawling all about which made her a 'more suitable' playmate for Nadia. In fact, Nadia preferred ALL of Calista's toys this year instead of her own. The most sought after items were the ice cream cones and purse. Of course Nadia also liked her own toys too, so basically she wanted all the toys to be hers. Calista was agreeable to share. Calista's main toy is Nadia, so she is perfectly fine with no toys at all as long as sister is around.

Nadia is potty trained! It was so easy and I am very proud of her. Not frustrating for either of us in the least. Thank you Dr. Stevens (even though you are not our pediatrician) for your handouts that said wait till closer to 3! She has only had one accident so far, which was the first time she had big girl plastic panties on. Since then, she has told us she has to go. We are still working on night and my mind is vacilating between diapers till they are drier in the morning, or cold turkey no diapers. First night we did panties and she wet the bed. 2nd night we did diapers and it was full. Third night (last night) she wanted panties so I am curious what this morning will hold. Feel free to leave me your opinions on this subject!

Ho Ho Ho

2007-12-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is Eric. Due to a past what I call negative and Tonya calls "real" entry at the Thanksgiving post, I will be writing the Holiday entry. It will be full of Joy and Cheer, as this year brought about a new member to our family, Calista. She came 6 weeks early and what a blessing she has been. She is patient, laid back, goes with the flow, and laughs more than any baby I have ever seen, especially when her father is around, Ha! Tonya's Father remarried in May to Mary Sue, who has been another blessed addition to our fam. Also, my sister, Rachel, got married to Darren in June, so three additions to our family this year, and blessings tend to come in 3s.

This summer Tonya and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary, and Tracy, Tonya's sister, announced she is pregnant and due in April with a baby girl. We have so much to be thankful for this year. I'm am in my 3rd year of 4 at OU's Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program and getting to do some great surgeries. I put in some pretty long hours but enjoy my job and it is very challenging. Tonya continues to sew up a storm and has added an embroidery machine to her repertoire. She really has put together some great pieces this year. She is also enjoying an in depth Bible Study with Henderson Hills. We went on a Vacation to Branson w/ Meme and Bapa (my grandparents) this year in May, and to San Diego w/ grandma Cookie (Tonya's grandmother) in August. Tonya and I joined an indoor soccer league with our Bible class which gave me a new nickname: Psycho. So I am a little competitive. Big deal.

It has been a fun year to watch the girls grow. Nadia continues to amaze us with her speech, memory, and conversation. She has to be in the middle of the discussion and is always asking questions, so curious. She runs on her toes and is becoming quite the stickler for rules, which sometimes is appreciated and sometimes is not so much (such as back seat reminders that stop signs mean the car comes to a complete stop). Calista makes us want to have more children. She has been such a joy to be around, so patient, lovable, and slightly on the chubby side so she's fun to squeeze. Both girls like to sing and be heard, so our house is loud and fun and we love it that way. We hope that you have a wonderful holiday season,
Love,
The Tuggles

Taking the Brilliant & Beautiful with the Dull and Dreadful

2007-11-20T11:06:00.001-08:00

Eric made me delete this entry because I was a PMSing just a little when I wrote it and it was "too negative". So I edited it out :)

Eeew...Enough Said!

2007-10-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

It is time for Nadia to be potty trained, thus sayeth Daddy. The next morning, I notice Nadia having to push. Perfect, I think, because I won't even have to wait that long for the deed to be done. I plop her in front of the t.v. with cartoons on and a book in hand and tell her to go potty on her potty. Then I go to the kitchen to take care of Calista. Nadia hollers she needs a diaper, but I ignore her. I think I can out stubborn her.

She whines at least two more times that she has to poo poo and needs a diaper. Next thing I know, she is coming to me saying her hands are yucky and she needs them cleaned. Eeew. They smell like poop. And she's not even finished. I go to the living room, and oh my gosh she's opted to go on the floor instead of the potty. She has smeared it into the carpet with her hands, but still two large turds remain. I try to get her to finish on the potty but she won't have it. Eeew. So after this situation is resolved and everyone is clean, Nadia and I return to the scene to start clean up carpet duty.

I gasp. "It's gone." I say before I can start to reason. We look at Snickers. He's smacking his lips. Nadia cries, "Snickers ate my poopy!" I try to not laugh, but Nadia is already giggling and saying it again, "Snickers ate my poopy!" Eeew.

Tattling

2007-10-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

A quiet church moment. Family all in a row, the offering plate is being passed. Nadia blurts out, "Daddy, You have a boogie." Our family chuckles...Daddy was busted!

The World Around Her

2007-09-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Nadia knows there is life going on around her. This sounds absurd; I mean, we all have met that 35 year old adult that is still oblivious, and yet, Nadia who is 2 exemplifies a strong certainty that others are doing really neat and fun things while she is headed to night night.

Tonight as we left Meme's house and headed home for bed, Nadia asked where the cars were going that were passing us in the opposite direction. I said, "Oh they are probably going home after work." She said, "No, they awe going up the hill back wayah we came fwom. They awe going to Meme's house."

I laughed because there were about a jillion cars passing us, and the picture of this herd of cars ending up at Meme's must have been what was in Nadia's head. So I humored her and described the party Meme was throwing while we proceeded to our house for bed.

Perfecting the Spit

2007-09-20T05:21:00.001-07:00

Cali refuses to eat rice cereal or oatmeal. Its in a very passive way. She will let me maneuvre the spoon in her mouth a few times. Then she will simply turn her head the other way and not look my way anymore. Then if I follow her head and try again, she has started this pleasant cooing with her tongue out where she moves a lot of air from the back to the front of her mouth, causing the coo, but also a stream of oatmeal to go flying, in a spit-like fashion. I think she may be passive agressive...

Nadia's Funny Verbage

2007-09-19T15:34:00.001-07:00

I just don't want to forget how Nadia says a few things while she's learning to speak:

Spa-getty rhymes with maggoty
Ba-nahnah
Cawi is Cali
Camilope is Cantaloupe

Phrases:

"Let's do Camiloupe" when she wants to eat canteloupe.
"Hooway!" when we turn into the park
"where we go-in?"
"daddy you go to wok?"
"I awake!"
"No its not night night ANY MORE!"
"I all done."

Today she was like, "Mommy, do you want to eat lunch with me?" "Yes" So she goes and gets a bucket and covers it with a blanket and climbs up on our bed. "Mommy, you sit wight here." So I sit. She uncovers her bucket and says, "Here aw some bwackbewies." I pretend to eat them and I say, "Oh, Yummy. These are delicious." She looks at me and thinks for a second. Then says, "No, they aw JUICY!" So she pretends to get them all over her and then asks to be wiped off. This conversation was so funny to me, because we went in late July to pick blackberries, and she loved it, but we hadn't really talked about them since. Her memory astounds me. I love that I can reason with her now. She is always asking what time it is, what happens next.

Last night we went by First Baptist church, where we had taken her to Mother's Day Out from 4 mos to one year. Judy had told me Nadia mentioned remembering going there in the car once so I wanted to see for myself. As we drove by I said, "Nadia have you ever been in that building? What is in that building?" She thought and pointed and said, "Shawon" And Sharon was one of her teachers there! I couldn't believe it.

Personality Profile

2007-09-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we are doing this parenting class at our church this fall, and they sent home a questionairre that helps us identify personality types of ourselves and our children. It is amazing that of the four members in our fam, we each represent a different type of the four types:

Lion-Nadia for sure. Likes to be a leader; often tells others how to do things. Bold, assertive, adventurous. Her secondary personality type is the Otter.
Golden Retreiver-Precious Cali. Feels sad when others are hurt (She screams in objection when Eric throws Nadia in the air); patient and willing to wait for something. As for secondary, it is too early to tell...
Beaver-Eric. Is neat and tidy and notices little details, persistent, diliberate, controlled, practical...yes yes! His 2nd is Lion.
Otter-Tonya. Creative, enjoys change, very verbal, avoids details :), enjoys being in groups. Secondary is Lion.

So, Nadia has already tried to overthrow her parental authorities as Lion of the family! How we love her so much and couldn't love her more, we don't think we could survive another Nadia. Eric and I constantly exchange wide eyed glances of amazement and chuckles when what comes out of Nadia's mouth is bold instructional phrases, "How about we all just go get icecream now." when we have taken her a total of twice to baskin robbins, or statements indicating she listens & remembers the details of what we say, "Let's go to Tulsa; Grandma Cookie lives in Tulsa."

Calista is a welcome breath of fresh air and so passive and sweet natured she makes us want to have many more kids. She laughs more than any other baby I ever been around. She hums during church singing. She will take a bottle. She will fall asleep anywhere. Easygoing. Lovey. Makes us smile.

Eric and I are direct opposites just as Nadia & Cali are. Where he is task oriented, I am people oriented, and as he insures I don't have to get dressed in the dark due to light bulbs being burnt out, I insure he maintains somewhat of a social life. So we are all peas in a pod. God gave us personalities condusive to being great friends, as long as we are able to appreciate our differences, and appreciate the best in each other.

Nick Names

2007-09-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

So we are a little crazy around here about verbal affection. My mom used to call me Brat and said it was a term of endearment. Hmmm. Only now can I believe her!

Nadia's: Nadles, Nadle-T-Daudles, Nadle-E-Acha, Nadleekins, Twinkle Toes (because of her husky ablility to run on her toes), Preci

Calista: Cali, Cali Jade, Chubba, Chubba Wubba, Hoochi Coo, Pookie Poo, Sookie Sue, Wicky Woo

Snickers: Rumpy, Rumplestiltskins, Boogly Uuggly,

Eric: Waddy, Boogie

Me: Ton. So we can see who comes up w/ the silly names around here...

Hands Full

2007-07-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I boldly took the girls to Walmart without a second thought; each successful trip I've become braver and more adept w/ handling both of them, so brave that I have even been known to skim a few lables recently for fiber content! My pattern is that I stick Calista in her carrier inside the basket, and Nadia is strapped down in the front basket. This leaves precious little room for food storage, but it is the only way I have found to keep Nadia from busting into all of the goods before we pay and leave.

So, as we are headed down the ethnic food isle, I grab an extra spicy taco seasoning packet and mindlessly carry on my way. Before I can find a suitable storage place in our cart, Nadia snatches the packet from my hand and starts sucking on it. So mindlessly I try to pull it out of her mouth as I mutter a weak "no Nadia." Instead of her obeying, she pulls harder and sinks her teeth inside the packet while I pull harder with my hand. And then the awful happens.

The spicy packet bursts open and showers Nadia's eyes, mouth, hands, legs, clothes with the burning powder. She is screaming and her skin and eyes are turning red. Meanwhile a dear soul sees my predicament: full basket, newborn baby, toddler screaming and continuing to re-infect her eyes by rubbing them with her chile powder covered hands...an outsider at this point is clearly more able to think quicker than me...and she comes to my rescue. She is not stunned as a deer in headlights like I am. She offers help, instructs me to take Nadia to the water fountain and she will push my basket behind me, she tells me to take Nadia's clothes off which have the powder all over them and to rinse her off. Walmart seems to turn and stare as our entourage moves towards the water fountain.

After the episode is resolved, I have just one more thing to get...a bag of salad on the other side of the store. With naked Nadia in tow, we move our way towards produce. Unbelievably there are people present at Walmart who were NOT staring at us just seconds ago, who had failed to witness our tragedy. No, these people are self righteous and empowered to be vocal about it. We get several rude stares and two comments, the first from an older woman who says half under her breath but wanting to be heard, "its too cold for a baby to be here naked." The second suprisingly comes from a middle aged man who loudly proclaims to anyone within 50 yards, "What is this, Paris Hilton?"

Hilarious. I don't even justify their comments with a response. I am fuming and about in tears, but in the back my mind I already know this will be one of my favorite Nadia memories: Tug of War at Walmart. I can't say one of us lost or one of us won, but we both learned something. My strong willed toddler can't push me around. However, I can't let my guard down for a second! Oh yea, and Calista, my precious baby, was wide eyed and chill the entire time!

Meme is Marvelous

2007-06-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, the hundredth reason why a grandparent beats a sitter anyday! Nadia came home from Meme's today with her new trick: 818-9252 is her answer to the question "what's my phone number?" This more than slightly makes me feel like upping my game in the "teaching" category of parenting . I mean, all we did today was play hide and go seek under a quilt for an hour which she seemed perfectly happy and entertained (and to be quite honest so was I). Clearly not challenged to her full potential though. Send her to camp grandma for the real learning to take place.