Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

***Oops, this was supposed to have been posted on February 26, but since becoming a Facebook Mafia War widow, I can't get on the computer at home to get the pictures that J scanned for me posted on here. Maybe next year! LOL!***

I can't believe my baby is 8 years old today. Where has the time gone, and who exactly gave her permission to be this old?

She came quickly into the world at 8:01 a.m. I was only in labor for 2 hours and only pushed 3 times. I was so happy to finally have a girl I could dress in pink and frills.

She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 19 inches long. Compared to her brother who was one day shy of being 17 months older, she was so tiny. I was afraid her going home outfit wouldn't fit.

She wanted to sleep all the time in the hospital, I was worried she wasn't getting enough to eat, but she finally figured it out and ended up putting on a lot of fat rolls in no time at all.

Of all my kids, she was by far the hardest infant (heck, she still is). Colic set in at about 3 weeks, and the evenings and nights became very long and difficult, until she found her right index and middle finger to suck on at about 11 weeks. There were some nights J made the McCarran loop more than he'd like to admit. There were times, this girl slept in her car seat after these trips; we didn't want to wake her up by putting her in her crib. Just let sleeping dogs (or babies) lie.

From an early age, she proved to be a "minnie me". Yeah, she's high maintenance, whiny, demanding, spoiled...just like her mom.

She is really a girly girl. She loves her dolls. Her favorite doll is "Dora". Her American Girl Bitty Baby doll. She got it from Santa when she was just two years old. Over the years she has gotten plenty of clothes. The poor doll is very "loved" and is really falling apart at the seams. She likes to play house and school. She loves shoes, clothes and earrings. She loves to buy cheap lip gloss and goop it on. She loves to have her finger nails painted and take bubble baths.

But on the other hand, she loves to be with her dad and brothers doing the hunting thing, has no problems with dirt or bugs or blood.

She is a mother hen. She just loves little girls and trying to be the big sister to them. Really she would have made a great oldest child instead of the youngest. She loves to help around the house doing things like sweeping, mopping, and cleaning the bathroom, but she's horrible at doing chores. She is a pack rat and a slob. (Sorry, but it's true). She wants to help really bad, but doesn't quite get it that she's still young and small to do somethings.

She loves school. So much in fact, one time we were all just kind of laying around with nothing to do and she said, "I'm bored, let's do homework." She loves to read, and is doing really well at it. She can read through a 4th grade level book now in an evening. Girl after my own heart on that one. When she grows up she wants to be a dentist AND a teacher.

She loves the colors pink, blue and purple and LOVES butterflies in any shape and color. She must love butterflies because she's a social butterfly herself.

She hates wearing shoes and socks. She'd live in flip flops if we'd let her.

Like all my children, this girl was graced with a bad stubborn streak. Life is going to be fun when she's a teenage girl complete with hormones...

But I look forward to watching this crazy girl grow up into a lovely young lady. I'm happy she is part of our family.

On this special birthday, Louie Blue, we wish you all the best! We love you more than you'll ever know! We are proud of you!

Your Are Invited...

To the Baptism of Miss Louie Blue Raspberry Woodward. Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 5:00 pm at the Kings Row LDS Chapel.

Tie, Sports, and a Birthday

Mr. Butler's team tied 18-18 last night. He didn't have any baskets, but he was the rebound king again. He really loves playing basketball. I really love watching basketball. It's a win-win thing we got going on here. I think that basketball will really be his #1 sport.

Baseball try-outs are next Saturday. Practice starts the following weekend. No rest for the sport weary I guess.

We got to watch the last few minuets of my 5 year old niece's game. How cute are they at that age? The game is more of a comedy of errors; lots of fouls, more traveling than dribbling, passing to the wrong team, shooting to the wrong basket. But man do those kids have fun! I loved it. They don't keep score for the little guys, having fun is winning enough!

And, lastly, today is Cudas Kodiak Hunter's birthday. Our little potato with legs dog is 8. In dog years that is 56. She's old.

Ha!Ha!

Big A had a 3 hour delay this morning at school for "teacher development".

He forgot.

He woke up at 6 am.

He sat on the porch for 20 minutes waiting for his ride.

He finally remembered he had a 3 hour delay this morning at school for "teacher development".

He went back in side.

Hey, if you can't laugh at 'em- laugh with 'em.

I have a funny feeling he won't be laughing about this one. But his dad and I are laughing at him...

HA!HA!

Finally Getting It

Mr. Butler has been behind in reading pretty much since he started school. He struggles with reading and spelling. He has been in resource since 2nd grade to help him with spelling and trying to get him up to grade level in reading.

Yesterday I met with his teacher, his resource teacher and her student teacher, and the principal. Mr. Butler is doing really well. He is at grade level now, and is just a tiny bit behind the "average" for 4th grade in both reading and spelling, but at least he's finally reading 4th grade books.

Since the first of the year, things have really seemed to click for him. He's getting good grades on his reading and vocabulary tests each week, and has been scoring almost perfect on his spelling tests. He finally "gets it". It's like something magical happened to the boy over the Christmas break. Something just "clicked" for him, and we are all very happy.

It's so good to see him excited about the good grades he's been getting because he's struggled for so long. He actually likes to read now; he reads every night at bed time. The teacher said Mr. Butler has seemed to mature a lot over the last several weeks. Everyone involved is very happy to see him progressing so well. And his mom more so than any one else!

Keeps Going and Going

The blessings of February's Friday the 13th just keep giving...I still feel like I'm stuck in a really long bad day....

The leaks of our house continue...this time it was the dishwasher, but we think it could have been because the disposal was gone, so J replaced that. We'll see.

The hot water heater is up and working well. After forking out over $500 to install a new one. What a mess for J to fix. He and Big A drained the thing of the ice cold water sitting in it, and there was so much water all over the floor and on the platform it sits on, it was cold and messy. Now my laundry room smells really bad.

The heater in the house works, but it's not working correctly, because the day our heater man put the new $500 part in, he ran out of daylight and couldn't properly line up the igniter, so, when it ignites, it sounds like it's exploding (I'm hoping this isn't a fire hazard) and he hasn't come back to fix it and put the whole thing back together. Parts are still all over our lawn.

I didn't get to make it over the hill to see my dad because of the weather, so now we're just all hoping he and his lady friend can make it up here this coming weekend for Louie Blue's baptism. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Mr. Butler has been doing really good in basketball; this weekend he was a high scorer, but, he feel over some kid on the other team and landed on the wood floor with his tooth. The tooth is cracked and hurts him. I don't even want to go there with what could happen...he has a scheduled dental appointment next month, so I'm hoping we can make it until then. But a root canal and crown on the front tooth? And he's nine? Yeah, yuck.

We are trying to re-fi on our house to save about $200 a month, and the hippy appraiser lady total screwed us and way under valued us to get a traditional loan, so now we are pursuing some other options. Our banker said they have been having nothing but problems with the lady that did ours. I think I have to blame all the appraisers of the country for a large part of our financial problems. They were way OVER valuing homes before the bubble burst, and now that it's burst, they are way UNDER valuing the same homes they over valued. It all boils down to greed. Sorry, that's another issue entirely.

I'm having some very minor health issues that I just don't have the time or money to deal with right now.

J has lost hours at his second job, thus making things tight for us.

Stupid Friday the 13th....and, we have to do it all over again in March and November. What's up with having to have 3 Friday the 13ths in one year? My prediction is, 2009 is just going to be a crappy year.

When It Rains It Pours

I'd really like to know when it's going to stop.

We thought it was the washing machine leaking. But this morning we discovered it is actually the hot water heater. I had a mildly warm shower, Big A had a cool shower and J had a freezing shower.

It's snowing. I was supposed to go to my dads in Santa Cruz this weekend. That's not happening now.

The internet at work is down. I need the internet to do most of my work. Luckily I have internet on my blackberry.

I'm just tired of things not working. I'm afraid to ask what's next, but you know something else is going to break, because that's just my luck.

If I didn't have bad luck I would have no luck at all.

My Cuties

J shooting hoops at the church...

Louie Blue and her friend, who just happens to have the same exact name and is exactly 1 month younger and live in the same ward and go to the same school...

Win #2

Mr. Butler's basketball team has won both of their games. I got so into the game on Saturday, I lost count of the score. Last night, J kept count, and they won 32-14.

Pictures to come.

Good Read

I borrowed this book from the library and really enjoyed it. I recommend it if you like whodunit, crime-type books.

White Out

I'm sitting at my desk working away, and all of a sudden, it gets really dark. I look up and saw this...
Crazy, weird weather.

Yeah, We're Related

I got my hair cut on Saturday into a cut little a-line bob, although with all my natural curl, you can't really see the a-line...but I LOVE IT!!!! Super easy...

Looking at this picture, it doesn't really do it justice...it's messy and J took it on my blackberry for me. But, I look at my self and totally see my Grandma.href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4txtu6B6jgPu3ZzW87S9DN0_gW01Tf6WrsGomjTvsTBP5hyQGk1bVtbPFGn-5W92YvEU1elDLzDM5WHZXb-jNr2-RfKWrXT0fe5mr-GljBsH3ReKAov_LWqL-tFR1C79zNI/s1600-h/Sharon_Bernards_&_Elizabeth_Bernards_1935.jpg">
This picture was taken in late 1935, early 1936, that baby is my mom...Kinda crazy how much I look like my Grandma, huh?

National Go Red for Women Day

Heart disease is the leading killer among women in the US.

Wear red today to help support heart health in women.

A Case of Tendinitis

In high school, when I did ballet and drill team, I would get tendinitis in my toes and feet. My mom used to take me to a foot doctor where I'd get cortisone shots and do some physical therapy to help it. I could usually deal with it. It hasn't bothered me in years.

When I was pregnant with Louie Blue, I got it REALLY bad in my right thumb/wrist area. Being pregnant, all I could do was physical therapy, and it went away shortly after she was born, and other than my range of motion being a bit limited, it hasn't bothered me.

Well, for the past year or so, my left wrist has really been bothering me. It's really swollen and it hurts really bad. It stopped bothering me after my surgery in December, probably because I wasn't using it much, and I was on some great pain pills. But, man, today it's really bad. It's like I have a growth on my wrist, and I can hardly type. (too bad you can't see the typos I'm making that I have to keep correcting)

I guess I'm going to have to break down and go see the doctor...bummer.

Over The Weekend...

Friday, even though I worked late and wasn't feeling well still, I came home and started laundry and did a bit of house cleaning (fun times, yeah, I know).

Saturday everyone in the family got hair cuts. I'm getting one this next weekend, hopefully, but I don't know what I'll be doing...whether a total change or just a clean up trim...only time will tell.

Mr. Butler had basketball practice. He starts games this week. He got his jersey. He's #35.

I finished laundry and cleaning the house...got the last of the Christmas decorations put away...finally. Better late than never, I guess.

J worked his last day at Coconut Bowl doing security. The owners of Wild Island decided to cut back on the cost of hiring the security company J works for (stupid recession Baby Bush denied for ever) so he'll be picking up security jobs here and there as he can.

J got our taxes done and e-filed. We're getting back a good return, but we wish it was more. Don't we all?

I spent as much of Saturday as possible relaxing and trying to get over this stupid cold I have. It worked. I'm feeling much better. That, and I think the drugs are working...:)

Sunday we had our friends over to watch the stuporbowl. None of us cared about either of the teams playing, it was just a great reason to get together and eat good food and have fun. Which, we did. We had a lot of food, and I feel fat now, and lots and lots of fun! Thanks guys, we'll have to do it again soon for no reason at all...or to have that Rock Band party!!!

Today, it's back to the daily grind.

And I'm not too happy about that stupid ground hog seeing his shadow. But doesn't he always? Why do we listen to the sleepy little varmint? Then again, we do listen to the weather men, and they're about as good at predicting the weather as old Pux...

And, only 24 more days until Louie's birthday. She is SSSOOO excited!