This - N - That and a Potty update

I'll just start with a few random pictures...

Allison's "silly" face...she does it ALL THE TIME!!!  Kind of annoying.  But it seems a lot of kids make this face!

Allie and Daddy "napping".  Not really sleeping, although they both look a little dopey in this pic!  Just playing on the couch one morning.

30 Weeks!!

Well, where to start...  That ear infection Allison had a month or so ago, well the first antibiotic didn't clear it up, I ended up taking her back in to the doctor at the beginning of March.  I actually wasn't sure if it was her ears, she was really good through it all, but she had a nasty cough and yucky green nasal drainage.  Sure enough, she still had an ear infection...both ears too.  So, we started a different antibiotic.  Finished that one on Friday and she seems to be doing good.  No more cough, no runny nose at all and no fever.  She did complain about her ears this weekend to my mom, but she seems fine, so as for now, I am thinking/hoping she is all better.  If she ends up needing another set of tubes, I am all for it, those things were a god send, but like her pediatrician said, if she can make it through the next month we should be good until next fall (cold/flu season).  And maybe by then her ear canals would have grown enough it won't be a problem. 

Potty training...the most frustrating task EVER!  My mom had Allison Fri. evening and she put underwear on Allie Sat. morning.  I guess she went on the potty at their house once Sat.  She was dry all day.  She had punch at a birthday party (90th for someone in Hector), and a pretty good size glass of chocolate milk at Max's for supper.  We took her to the bathroom NUMEROUS times with NO results!  I can NOT believe how much she can hold!  Needless to say, I was convinced she would pee as soon as she got in the car.  She ended up going to Grandma Nancy's to spend the night with her cousins and she made it there with no accidents!  But when they got there it was time for bed (past time) so Nancy put a diaper on her...which she flooded 5min. later!  Yesterday we tried again, she was dry until after her nap, then had an accident then and in the evening.  I am not sure she is ready, or us!  She has not gone on the potty for me once yet.  She can hold it an INCREDIBLY long time!  Today she wanted underwear, so I am trying again.  I put them on her right away this morning and she has YET to go pee.  She is napping now, if by some miracle she wakes up dry, I think I am going to try to make her sit on the potty until she goes.  She has to be about ready to explode!  I have gone at least 5x in the same amount of time! 

I am working on the last Steig Larson book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  It is awesome.  And I want to get some reading done before she wakes up from her nap, so I better quit now.  Only a few more days until my BIRTHDAY MONTH!  Yeah!  ;-)

Update to the Update...I wrote all of the above on Monday, but was having trouble with the pictures so never got it uploaded...and we have some potty training success to report!  Yesterday (Monday, or "today" in the above post) Allison wore underwear ALL day, yes, she woke up from her nap DRY!  Finally at 5 p.m. she peed on the potty!!!  She went about 3 more times before bed after that!  Soooo excited!  She had one small accident.  Today (Tuesday) I had to work, she didn't go at all at daycare (of course!) and then had an accident at the Y.  Had another when Jesse got her home and then went on the potty once.  So today was so-so.  But yesterday was VERY encouraging!  So, we aren't giving up yet!!!

A Sign of Things to Come?

Had my 30 week appt. today and had another u/s.  Baby was unfortunately no more cooperative.  Dr. still thinks it "looks" like it's a girl.  He said he could have done a vaginal U/S to get a better look...no thanks, not THAT important!!  So, I am going with girl.  It's only a little paint...we can always paint over the room color if we have to (ok, and get different crib set, and LOTS of boy stuff!!).  She is also now breech...go figure.  Not that it really matters since I am planning a section anyway and I still have 8+ weeks to go.  AND she wouldn't let the doc get a decent pic of her face!  What a stinker!  Hope this isn't a sign of things to come!  Everything else was good.  She weighs about 3 1/2 lbs.  (Not the 8 that I feel like she is!!)  And I have to start going every 2 weeks now!  Wow!!  I know I need to try to get another "belly" pic up soon.  Hopefully this week.  Have a good weekend everyone!!

March Madness

Once again this year Jesse and I have filled out brackets for the NCAA basketball tourney!  It definitely makes watching TV in March more interesting (because at our house sports are on 24/7 it seems and there isn't much else for sports right now).  The rest of the BB season, I pretty much have NO interest whatsoever in it.  But last night I was absolutely on the edge of my seat watching Wisc. and Kansas State game!  It was so exciting!  Plus I have Wisc. going to the finals...that might be a mistake.  But there have been quite a few good games this year!  My brachet is not doing very well, but it IS better than Jesse's, and that's what matters!  There is a pedicure riding on this for me (NOT done by Jesse, he just has to get it for me!).  I think if he wins he said he wants some Under Armor clothing piece.  Anyway, I am currently beating him, but not by much.  My final 4 are all still in it, he had Pitts. in the final 4...haha, no such luck for him!  But, we'll see.  Apparently our president either spends a lot of time watching BB or is very lucky, his bracket looks great!  (Or maybe he hired an advisor to help him out!).  Go Ohio State and Wisconsin!  (I have Ohio state winning.)  I could really use a pedicure before this baby comes!

"Marry Me..."

I now have that song by Train stuck in my head.  I love the song.  But this isn't about the song...  It is about the Bachelor - Of course!  :-)  This was not my favorite season, although far better than the last Bachelor when the crazy lady one (Jake and Vienna).  I LOVED Allie's season of the Bachelorette and was hoping Chris was going to be the next Bachelor.  Disappointed they let Brad have another chance at it, we've already watched him once.  And it was really sickening hearing all about all the therapy he has had and seeing his "therapist" in half the episodes!  But anyway, it wasn't bad, and I was hooked regardless. 

So during Jake and Vienna's season I heard about this website, "Reality Steve", where he pretty much told you what was going to happen.  That season I just peaked once or twice.  During Ali's season I read his website religiously.  And this time I REALLY wasn't going to, but...lost my willpower after about the 3rd episode!  BUT he got the ending WRONG!  Pretty early on he shared that Chantel would be the one Brad chose, now he did set things straight and got his info correct a couple weeks before the ending, but it was interesting watching most of the season thinking one girl wins then finding out it really is another.  I didn't want to spoil it for anyone, but I pretended to just be watching it like everyone else, and then say, I think Chantel wins when everyone was hoping for Emily!  Ooops!  Anyway, he proposed to Emily. And supposedly they are still together and engaged. 

Thanks to my wonderful hubby who gave Allison her bath and put her to bed for me so I could watch it mostly uninterupted.  He really does love me!!!

Disney Princesses on Ice!

Last Sunday Grandma Nancy took Allison (and mom and dad, and the Zupke clan) to Disney's Princesses on Ice at the Target Center in Minneapolis!  She also took us out to eat at the Hardrock Cafe before the show!!  Anyway, it was awesome!  I had wanted to take Allison to the show, but hadn't gotten around to getting tickets when Nancy called, so I was thrilled!  Jesse reluctantly went with, but he enjoyed it and it was fun seeing how much Allison liked it!  I remember going to Disney something in ice when I was a kid with my parents (also remember that that is when I got the chicken pox!) but wow, they really do a good job.  It was such a good show.  The only "bad" part, if you can call it that, is the time of the show was when Allison usually naps and she didn't sleep at all on the way to the cities like I had hoped.  She did really well, but was totally uncooperative for pictures!!  Now whether that had anything to do with napping I am not sure, since she is in general not very cooperative for the camera!!!!  I keep waiting for her to decide she likes getting her picture taken! 

Before the show we got some great advice from friends...put her in a "princess dress" and get her a wand before you go.  I am very thankful for the advice.  I had been wanting to get her a dress-up dress anyway, she adores the one at Grandma Nancy's!  So this was the perfect time.  She has been wearing it non-stop!  (But yikes, they charge a lot for those things and they are not made very well!!!!).  So we dressed her up Sunday morning before we left, I put her hair up and it was so curly and cute, and she had her wand and crown, and wore her princess shoes too, of course!  I am sooo bummed we didn't get a pic of her before we left because of course on the way there her hair got flattened and started falling down, and then she didn't want to wear the crown anymore, and the wand was in my purse most of the time (but those things were only like $3 each, and the wands they were selling were $20, you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!)  I am glad she isn't old enough or didn't realize it, but she didn't really ask for anything while we were there, I can't believe how much they charge for stuff!  Popcorn (in a box) was $7!  I would feel guilty even selling that stuff!  Anyway, I digress.  She had a blast and talks about it constantly.  Today it is Sleeping Beauty.  I didn't really know how much she got out of it, but I asked her how Sleeping Beauty woke up and she told me the boy kissed her.  So cute!  At first her favorite part was Mickey and Minnie and she was sad when they skated off, but quickly was distracted by the next "scene".  She also loved Tinkerbell and talked about her constantly!  I think we have a theme for her next b-day party!!  I can't wait to take her again (and her little sister - if that is what it turns out to be - in a couple years!).  Here are some pics:

Small School vs Big School - The Debate

So pretty much since we first moved to Willmar and especially since Allison was born I have had this internal struggle whenever I think about her going to school as to whether I am happy she is going to be going to a larger school (MUCH larger) than either Jesse or I did, or do I wish and hence would consider moving (sorry, please don't have heart failure anyone who helped us move this last time!) to a smaller town = smaller school district.  Tonight I went back to my high school in Hector to watch the girl's basketball team (they played GREAT and won!).  It was so fun and it re-ignited my questions on this topic.  I thought about it almost all the way home (while intermittently answering Allison's questions over and over and over again!). 

Small School:
I loved growing up in a small town and going to a small school district.  I graduated in a class of about 50.  I not only knew everyone in my class, I knew everyone in the whole school pretty much.  Now when I go back, I don't necessarily know all the kids, but I know most of the parents (or some relative) and it was fun to go back and see so many familiar faces.  As a mom, I would find it very reassuring to know the kids in my child's class, know their parent's and families.  Also my parent's always knew all my teachers.  Heck, my dad HAD some of the same teachers as me as a student!!  It scares me that I won't know the teachers.  And maybe this is a misconception, but I feel like there is so much more school spirit at a smaller school!  I mean the whole town pretty much turned out for the game tonight.  There were no more seats available in the home-town section, people were standing around the top of the gym.  (Actually  most of the visitors section was full too).

Big School:
I really like the convenience of living in Willmar.  Our jobs are right in town (I remember my mom and dad driving to Hutch every day for work growing up!), and while Willmar doesn't have the best shopping, it has the necessities - a grocery store (big enough to have everything we need) and Target!  And as for the school district, it has a lot of opportunities as far as classes and extra curricular activities (I don't even have a grasp of what it all has to offer yet).  I love that there are so many opportunities for our kids. 
I guess I feel like I had a great childhood and loved going to a small school.  It freaks me out that Allison (and our other child) will have to go through metal detectors when they come to school.  And Jesse told me that all the kids have to walk in the same direction in the halls and just wierd things like that.  And to think that not only will I not know all the kids in my childs school (or class) but THEY won't know them all either!  But I am sure that kids who went to a large school were VERY happy there too.