No news is good news, right??

OK, so a week has gone by...not a lot has happened: Becca has 2 loose teeth, James has pooped on the potty twice (he's 18 months old), camp is over tomorrow (where did the summer go?), I took a group to the Brickyard for qualifications (don't care if I ever go again!!), Becca went down the "yellow" slide at sholem (this was a BIG deal for her), Jason and I had a "date"- we went to see Jars of Clay at the Virginia Theater, went to Chili's for dinner, and then home (asleep by 11pm), bought the kids' school supplies...that's about it. We are not very exciting...sorry!! Hope everyone else had a fun and exciting week!!

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O'Connor Family Dance

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Why we love our Dad

1. He makes us homemade ice cream, which he says is for us, but really it was for himself.
2. He lets us watch TV when he has other things to do, and then he forgets about us, so we sit in front of the TV all day long.
3. He takes us to feed the ducks.
4. He takes all 3 of us to the pool while mom is at work.
5. He reads books to us before bed if we want.
6. He plays Guitar Hero with us.
7. He likes to make us laugh.
8. He hates it when we cry.
9. He will do anything for us, even if he doesn't want to.
   
10. He loves us all the time, even when we make bad choices.

Why mom loves our Dad

1. He gave me the family that I never thought we would have.
2. He has stuck with me through everything.
3. He does more around the house than I give him credit for.
4. He likes to cook...I don't.
5. He enjoys just "being" together, we don't have to be doing anything.
6. He likes paying the bills, so I don't have to.
   
7. He likes making me happy.
8. He hates it when I cry.
9. He would do anything for me, even if he doesn't want to
10. He loves me no matter what.
    

Weekend update

Well, here we are again...another Sunday night, weekend over, and another week ahead of us.

This past week, we didn't do a whole lot. The couple of big things that happened was Becca's last t-ball game on Monday. I would include a couple of pictures, but Jason took them with my cell phone and he cut Becca out of the picture...figures. The other big thing was Bradley had a Dr's appt. and the Dr. thinks there is a possibility that he has Aspergers syndrome, because of the lack of social skills he exhibits. He is going to start going to this Child Development Clinic at Carle to see if they can diagnose him with it or not. I hope he doesn't have it, but at least with a diagnosis we would know why he is/does the things he does. So, I will keep you updated on this as we find out more information.

We didn't do a whole lot this weekend. Friday night I worked and then came home and went to Walmart to get some groceries. Saturday we woke up and had to take Becca to the Doctor, she was complaining of an ear infection, which ended up being an infection...ugh. The Dr. thought both of her tubes were out and not functional, so I am going to call the ENT tomorrow and see what they want to do. I don't want her to have to have surgery again, but if it stops the infections...I'm all for it. After that we dropped her back off at my mom's and went to Tuscola to see if we could find anything we liked at Zales outlet...our 10 year anniversary is coming up. Well, we didn't find anything, but got the kids a few outfits at Carters. Then we headed back to Champaign, went to a couple of other jewelry stores...didn't find anything that we really liked, so we went to my moms and hung out for the night.

Sunday, mom and I went shopping, we played softball, and that was pretty much our whole day.

Well I hope everyone has a GREAT week!!!!

Just another week

Well, it's been over a week since I blogged last, and actually my week was pretty boring, not a lot happened. The kids had a great week at camp, James was good at the babysitters, work was good for Jason, and my work was pretty uneventful.
I have been on my meds for about 2 weeks now, I feel that it is starting to work. I got mad at Jason the other day, and usually it lasts quite awhile, but I got mad and then it was over. I don't cry at the drop of a hat, and the kids have been more bearable (which really they are probably the same, I'm just able to handle it a little bit better).
We made 2 trips to Kankakee this week, 1 for a funeral (Jason's uncle) and the second time for his sisters graduation party for the O'Connor side of the family. Becca thought it was pretty cool that everyone there (or most of the people) had the same last name...she thought "O'Connor was a pretty popular name". We don't see this side of the family very often and trying to explain to her that they are all her family, cousins, aunts/uncles, etc. was a bit difficult. She doesn't understand why we don't see them as much as we see my side of the family. It was nice seeing Jason's brothers, sisters-in-law, sister, parents, etc. Our newest sister in law (Melissa- Dave's wife) and I see eye to eye on a lot of things, so it is nice talking with her. I really enjoy hanging out with them and having our kids around them.
Well, I'm off to bed...maybe I will have more to talk about next time. :)

4th of July

50+ things you may want to know about me

Here are 50+ things about me that you may already know, may not, or may not even care about...but now you know. My friend Jennifer did this and wanted everyone to follow her lead, so I figured I would try. Here we go:

1. I was born at Burnham hospital on September 5, 1972.
   
2. My Dad died 2 months before I was born, he was in an automobile accident and got 3rd degree burns over most of his entire body, was taken down to Texas to the burn center down there and died 5 (long) weeks later.
   
3. I lived with my Mom at my Grandma/Grandpa's house until I was 4 and my mom bought the house she is still living in.
   
4. My mom married my step dad when I was 8 years old, I was their flower girl.
   
5. We bought my Grandma/Grandpa's house after she died and we are raising our children in the same house I was raised the first 4 years of my life
6. I learned to ride my 2 wheel bike on my own...I'm kind of stubborn like that.
7. I use to walk down the hallway crabby as can be (according to my Uncle Rick) saying, "I want my brekus (I couldn't say breakfast)
8. I was a brownie and a girl scout.
9. I went to Robeson Elementary, Jefferson Middle School, and graduated from Centennial High School in 1990.
10. Went to EIU from '90-'93, stopped going to class and got a few jobs down in Charleson/Mattoon, and moved back to C-U in '95. Met Jason and decided I wanted to finish school, started back slowly...took a few classes at Parkland and then had to finish at EIU, so I drove back and forth 3 days a week for a year, did my internship at Carle Pavilion and FINALLY graduated in '98. My goal was to have my maiden name on my diploma...which it did.
    
11. My first car was a 1980 Honda, I bought it from my Uncle.
12. Had 1 serious boyfriend in high school that lasted from Junior year to Sophmore year at College.
13. Had another serious boyfriend Junior year of college 1993-1995, he was in a fraternity and everyone called him "Junior", he had been shot in the head in high school at a party for sticking up for some girl. The doctors said he was LUCKY to be alive.
14. Hated beer till I went to college and you could get "nickel" beers at the bar...it was much cheaper to drink beer.
15. One Thanksgiving played "quarters" with my cousins and my grandma...she was so COOL!!
    
16. Until my Grandma died in 2005, her 4 kids and their families came to eat dinner at her house every Sunday...that is a memory that I won't ever forget.
17. Christmas is my favorite holiday...I love watching the kids open their gifts with such amazement in their eyes...all 3 still believe in Santa (or at least Bradley at 12 says he still believes...I did tell him when he came to live with us that when he stops believing he stops getting presents...maybe that has something to do with it)
18. Jason and I met at Sunnycrest Animal Medical Center, I was the Office Manager, he was the kennel worker...he asked me out for months...I finally went out with him...it was love right from the start.
19. We started dating June of '96, were engaged in January '97, and got married 8/8/98...yes it will be 10 years this 8/8/08...WOW!!
20. My stepdad and my uncle walked me down the aisle at our wedding.
21. We danced to Shania Twain/B. Adams "From this Moment"...I think it was probably the most popular wedding song at that time.
    
22. Have 3 wonderful kids and have 7 angels (I had 7 miscarriages and we named them all: Peyton, Morgan, Jo, Thomas, Alex, Logan, and Angel)
23. I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and a Robertsonian Translocation of the 14/15 chromosome.
24. When Becca had her tonsils out we had her tested for the same genetic issue...she is completely "normal" and will never have to deal with all of the issues we did.
    
25. Was induced with both Becca and James. With Becca my labor was 19 hours, with James it was 5 hours.
26. Had epidurals with both...it worked with Becca, didn't with James and I felt EVERYTHING!!
    
27. Conceived both kids on the same day 4 years apart (I know when Becca was because we did AI, and I swear James was also , my cycle was exactly the same...you can fill in the rest). And their birthdays are 1/7/03 and 1/6/07
28. We started the adoption process in 2000, found Bradley in 2002, and he came to live with us in July 2002, and finalized his adoption 5/26/03.
29. I have 1 half sister, that is married and lives in Mansfield, she is a kindergarten teacher at Next Generation...and I love her!!
30. I played basketball and softball all 4 years of high school.
31. I was in a sorority at EIU...Alpha Sigma Tau
32. Started dating Jason when I was still dating my old boyfriend.
33. Played the flute in 5th grade for about 2-3 weeks.
34. Broke my arm twice, falling off a big wheel and a skateboard
35. While working at the vet clinic adopted many animals, at 1 time we had: 4 dogs, 4 cats, 2 lizard, and fish
36. Enjoy reading...mostly fiction romance...don't really have a favorite author
37. Got my 1st job on my 16th birthday, my grandma knew the managers at Diana Foods, I went down, filled out my application and was hired on the spot, starting salary $3.35/hr.
38. Have only gone T.P.'ing once, and got caught...my high school boyfriends house
39. Went to the Bahamas on my honeymoon...hated the cruise.
40. Worked at DSC for 9 years, held 2 different jobs there, Developmental Trainer and Recreation Therapist.
41. Moved to CUSR last September and am the Adult Program Coordinator, and luckily get to see a lot of the same participants as I worked with at DSC.
42. Became a CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Therapist) in 1999.
43. My favorite color is orange
44. My favorite food is shrimp, and man did I crave it with both pregnancies...kind of an expensive craving.
45. My favorite movies are: Hoosiers, Gone with the Wind, and anything on Lifetime Movie Network.
46. My favorite actresses are: Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Stiles
47. I will listen to pretty much any kind of music, doesn't really matter.
48. I LOVE watching Jon and Kate +8, and I wish I was more like her (in some ways), she is so organized...it makes me sick!!
    
49. I worry over things that are going to happen sometime in the future, such as where is James going to go when Belinda stops watching him...in 2 years.
50. I love to walk into a clean house and have that feeling that I don't have to do anything...this does not happen very often.
51. I love hanging our clothes outside on the line...they smell so good!!
52. I love taking pictures of my kids, but don't enjoy getting them printed and put away in albums.
53. I was really good at pictures/albums with Becca and the beginning of Bradley...not so much for James...sorry James.
54. I don't like to cook.
55. I am addicted to sweet tea.
56. I have quite a few tattoos...a happy leg (James, Becca, and Bradley's names are on this leg with a sun and a moon, since they are my sun and moon and everything in between) and a sad leg (initials of the babies we lost, a cross, an angel, and chinese symbol for "spirit", and I also have Jason's name on my shoulder...and he has my name on his shoulder...and I would like to get more...i'm addicted
57. I collect or have collected Boyds Bears, Demdaco's Willow Tree, movies, and Fostoria
    
58. I am very interested in the Amish, love pictures of them, etc., they intrigue me.
59. When I was young my Grandma and Grandpa owned a cabin over at the Pollywogs (over by Oakwood, IL), we went there with them, all of my aunts/uncles/cousins, etc. almost every weekend...those were the days.
    
60. I love reading everyone's blogs and I am enjoying blogging much more than I ever thought I would

Wow...once I started...they just flew out!!! Hope you enjoyed and you learned something new about me.

Update on me...again.

So, on Friday I went to the Dr. and she thought a lot of my problems and issues sounded like depression (that's what we thought and that's why I was there), so she wanted to test my thyroid and see if those results were off, it hadn't been checked in a while. If my thyroid was normal, than they would start me on a mild anti-depressant. So, friday afternoon I call to get my test results about 4:30, knowing that I probably wouldn't get them, but hoping I would. I got the person that answers the phone at Carle and asked for the nurse...of course you all know that you can never just talk to the nurse. She said she would have the nurse call. So at 4:45 I called back, knowing that I would get the same lady or another just like her...the message was still on the computer, but she hadn't had time to call me back, but she noticed that they mailed me my results, which was very helpful since I was to start a new med. So, I called back at 4:58...I'm sure they like people like me. I explained my case to her telling her that I needed to talk to the nurse so they could get my prescription called in so that I could get started on it, since the Dr. said it would take probably 6-8 weeks to feel any difference. So, the lady answering the phones tells me that it is 4:59, but she will try to get the nurse. She called back to the nurses station, but of course, no one answered and they were all gone for the weekend. So she gave me to Patient advisory nurse, that of course can't tell you test results...oh so helpful!!! She said she could page the Dr. on call and he/she could deal with it...I said forget it, I will just wait till Monday.
So, Monday morning I called back and the nurse of course had to return my call...an hour later. My thyroid was normal, which I figured since they mailed me my results, so they were going to prescribe the new med (which I knew and wished I was able to start 3 days prior). I had them call it into Target pharmacy. So...I go to Target about 2 hours later to pick it up...they have to order it, and it will be ready on Tuesday afternoon. UGH!!! So, I get the number to Walgreen's on Springfield to have it transferred to them (since their pharmacy is open 24 hours, I think that might come in handy sometime), they said they could do it, but it would be about an hour or more before I could pick it up...That's fine, I told them. So after lunch and a trip to the park I go to the Walgreen's on Kirby/Neil...they can't find my prescription...about 2-3 minutes, I remember that I sent it to the Walgreen's on Springfield...I get the persons attention, I tell him what I did, he apologized to me (which I thought was funny since it was totally my fault)...and off I went to the other Walgreen's. They have it ready, and since it was a new prescription that was transferred I didn't have to pay anything.
I called Jason and told him "This had better be the best medicine in the world for all I have had to go through to get it" It was quite the ordeal to get these "magic pills"...I hope they work, we'll see. I have taken 2 and haven't had any side effects that I know of.
So, that's that...we'll see what happens...my only concern now is when do you stop them, and when do you know you are OK and don't need them anymore. That's what's worrying me now...I don't want to take them forever if I don't need them...we'll see.
Thanks to all of you for your support, I really appreciate it!!!