Rudy has his first upper respiratory infection... yay?!?

So my 7 month old Rudy started getting watery eyes and a runny nose a few days ago. I wrote it off as allergies (I've had the windows opened a lot lately), gave him a little tiny bit of benadryl (per doctor's orders, I'm not drugging my child) and carried on. Late last night/early this morning he started getting really fussy. He was so congested he couldn't breathe through his nose and there was no way he would release his death grip on his pacifier. So I pulled out the trusty bulb syringe and sucked most of the snot out. He did not like that at all! I think if you could translate crying into words that there would be a good chance he could make a sailor blush. So I got him all fresh and clean and snuggled with him some more when he started coughing. I sent Danny a text telling him we had to take Rudy to a doctor. I figured it was nothing but allergies but after Maeve's fight with RSV last year I decided to not take any chances. The doctor looked into his nose and said he had an infection but nothing in his ears. She said it was upper respiratory but she didn't listen to his breathing or anything so I don't know if that is accurate or just a guess. Or perhaps upper respiratory infection is code for sinus infection. That's what I think is going on anyway. I think his allergies got really bad and since he is a baby who spends a lot of his time sleeping and loves to sleep on his side and tummy, that things weren't draining properly and got back up into his sinus cavity (don't worry I won't charge you a co-pay for that piece of wisdom, and Harvard, you can send my honorary medical degree to Naomi Stephens P.O. Box I'm so freakin' smart cause I'm a mom Intuition, Ok)
Anyway so he is on some antibiotics now and while generally being very agreeable and happy, is starting to get fussy now. I believe he is getting too congested again and more than likely a little sleepy.
I was supposed to go see New Moon tonight with some girls from church but I don't feel right about leaving a sick baby at home with Danny when he has to get up at 4am. Plus I had plans to go see it with another friend on Saturday afternoon so i won't really be missing too much. It was just nice to get invited to a girls night. It was the first time I've been invited to anything like that since living in Tulsa... I know, it's been 3.5 years. I felt sort of special.
I imagine there will be lots of snuggling with Rudy tonight, and I will probably be up late anyhow working on my novel.
Yep that's right, if you missed it, I am writing a novel. I never said it's going to be a good novel, or that it will have proper punctuation or grammar, but it will at least be novel length. I'm pretty happy with it so far, but I am a little embarrassed to mention it to people. I realize though that I need to get it out there so that people ask me about it and then I have more motivation to finish and submit it one day. Some of it is sort of personal because I draw on personal experiences to write it. It's still different enough but the emotion is very real and it's put me in a not very happy place today. Thank goodness I am almost finished with this part and I can carry on to the happier parts. I have no idea what to classify it as. I would say chick lit but I'm not so certain. There hasn't been much funny yet and I generally consider that a major part of chick lit, although that could be due to the fact that I read so much Sophie Kinsella. I just want it to be something I'm proud of, and something that people enjoy.
Now the crying begins, I better go get this little boys all snuggly, it's going to be a long night!

NaNoWriMo

After seeing a post on cafemom about the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), I decided to give it a try. The goal is to complete a 50,000 word novel by the end of November. Since I only have 12 days left, I better get on the ball! I don't know that I will finish it in time, but I am definitely doing to try and accomplish this. I'm even thinking of upping the ante to 100,000 words by my birthday (Jan 31st) which means I have to write on average 1369.86 words a day. So far today I've done 1183 or about 2% of the NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 or 1% of my goal of 100,000. I'm so excited. i think I have a good premise, but I will be anxiously awaiting the time when I can pass it to someone to read and critique for me. I've always wanted to write a novel but never actually thought I would do so. Then last night I was laying down trying to fall asleep when a concept popped into my head. I was too lazy to write down the concept so I just hoped it would stay with me until today. I put a few words down on paper and didn't think much more about it until I saw the post on cafemom. I had never heard of NaNoWriMo until about 9:45 pm this evening. Now I'm hooked. It all seems so serendipitous, which is why I felt it appropriate to share on my blog :) I'm so sleepy though because I took benadryl earlier to help me get to sleep not knowing I would have a sudden inspiration to write. It's amazing how the human mind works. How I started out with one concept and now it is evolving into something that is not completely different but still far off from my original intent. This is a wonderful process... no if only I could figure out a way to get paid for this... hmm.

seriously? stirrup pants? again?

Wow, I can't believe I have lived long enough to see a trend return... I can't believe people are wearing stirrup pants again... I feel so betrayed by the fashion industry. Can't we just leave 6th grade where it belongs? 1995? I refuse to wear stirrup pants again. It's become a part of my core principles... I don't drink, smoke, or wear stirrup pants. However a closely related trend that I am willing to give a try... leggings. I like the idea of wearing uggs this winter since my flip flops don't work in cold rain or snow, yet uggs can still be worn without socks so I don't feel like I'm suffocating my feet as much as other forms of shoes that require socks. However uggs look ugly in general and super ugly when you try to stuff wide leg pants of any form into them. I have a lot of capri length legging type pants for working out but then you see about 3 inches of skin before the boots which makes my legs look either super short or like someone cut them off and I'm floating over my boots. Problem being, I absolutely hate tight pants that do not have a wide waist band, every time you sit down the top flips over or rolls down, or it leaves weird red marks on your skin (don't act like you don't get them, even skinny girls do). However, I can't find any long leggings with a wide waist band for less than a can of formula or one and a half boxes of diapers (that's the currency in our household, for those of you who don't speak baby, that's about $25). I can't stand spending money on clothes right now. I hate the way I look in clothes, and thus I like to be a slob and wear comfortable, sloppy, gym type clothes. Oh trust me, in about a year Danny will probably threaten to divorce me because I'll be buying so much clothing, but until I get all the baby weight off and keep it off for at least 3 months I'm not going to buy too much clothing.
My mom was here this weekend and we went out looking for coats for the kids, she kept trying to get me to get some clothes (maybe because I was wearing the same blue t-shirt I have worn at least twice a week for the past 4 years), but I just can't see spending money on something that won't fit me for long, and that I might not wear more than once if I get a good glimpse of myself in a mirror (naomi got back, and thigh, and hips etc, et al)
So if you know of a place that has long leggings that are black (cause I need all the slimming tricks available) and that are around $15 please let me know. I would like to try this trend out so my feet aren't cold and wet, or suffocating. Please, I beg you.

Have you ever felt...

Like someone was just stringing you along? Have you ever realized that someone had no intention of following through on something they promised... and then worst of all you find out through the internet? Yah, that's what just happened to me. I feel like I've been slapped. Not a good feeling. Also is it wrong of me because I'm happy that a bunch of fake people are leaving? Sooo excited about that. Though sometimes I don't even know why I try anymore to do everything and be everything. Honestly I can't even keep my laundry clean and put away... I need to have a little me time. I want to be selfish... I've gotten myself in way over my head with all of my kids. I love them dearly, but they are a lot to handle at once. I'm hoping it's easier. I wouldn't give up any of them, but sometimes I feel like it would have been more prudent for me to only have 1 or 2 kids... then I could be a better wife and mom.
I'm super excited for Christmas, and I can't wait to go to Maryland... I keep saying we are going hoping that by saying it, it will magically happen, but honestly right now I just feel so blah that I don't think it will.
And I want more than anything to go to the gym tomorrow so I can run, but I need to go to the chiropractor's office... but if I do that I won't have time to go to the gym... I'm thinking of running home from the chiropractor but I'm a little nervous because I don't want to be without my phone... even though it will be in broad daylight and on busy streets I just feel like I'm inviting trouble if I don't have my phone with me. I guess I could always stick it in my bra strap but I imagine that running might make condensation build up inside my phone from the heat of my skin compared to the air... I don't know... guess everyone will find out tomorrow. It's somewhere between 3-4 miles from Dr. Fuh's to our house. It's not that far, I've gone a lot farther than that before, but I'm normally on a treadmill. The last time I was outside daily for exercise was over 5 years ago when I was a nanny. What I wouldn't give to be back in Ellicott City and have the Trolley Trail to jog on! Also when I lived on campus at OU I was able to walk several places. I miss walkability. Tulsa needs more trees shading the roads and more sidewalks that are wider. I'm thinking that maybe I'll start running home from Dr. Fuh's on Tuesday's and Thursday's so that when the older kids are in school soon I can just get a jogger and run to the gym, then lift and shower, then have danny drive us back... I just have to get a new jogger and figure out an easy way to attach it to the roof of the Jeep.
Anyway I'm back to the gym and losing weight again, and since I can't have anymore children, hopefully by my birthday I'll be back to my pre-pregnancy size. That would be awesome. I'm determined to make the year between my 27th and 28th birthday the best one yet!

so much to say, yet my mind is blank

well we finally got off our lazy bums last night and drove to okmulgee to have brett replace our hard drive. Could have done it a month ago but we just want to eat dinner and go to sleep by the time danny gets home. Last night he canceled his last appointment of the day so we could drive down there. It has been almost a month since I've had regular access to a computer. I had been trying to do everything on my blackberry and boy was that a chore. Our apartment seems to be the only place in town sprint doesn't work. It's very spotty and the exact sweet spot changes from day to day so i would always be wandering around the apartment trying to load a webpage on a 3 inch screen on a phone to pay bills etc.

Anyway thank goodness for brett! He found out that it's not our hard drive we just need a new cd/dvd drive and we can live without that for a while. So once he got the dvd out everything worked again! Yay! And mandy made taco soup and the kids played. it was very nice to see them again. it had been almost 6 months!

This past month I kept thinking of things I wanted to blog about but I never wrote them down. The way my mind goes blank all the time now don't be surprised if the next time you see me I have a sharpie and post it notes in my hand and my room wall papered in cork board with tons of stickums all over! I can't remember anything anymore. I'm starting to wonder if it's being a mom that causes the tiredness and memory loss instead of it being an age thing. Would I still feel this way if i had no kids? I'm only 26 but I'm thinking about checking myself into a nursing home. I'm exhausted all the time and there are never enough hours in my day to get everything done... so I procrastinate and mess around on the computer :D I will post new pictures soon and give some more updates, it has been forever!

Some Audrey Hepburn quotes I love!

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe that loving is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

-Audrey Hepburn

Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come... The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future. -Audrey Hepburn

“I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.” -Audrey Hepburn 

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.” -Audrey Hepburn

random quiz

Your background and influences. 1. Name? Naomi 2. Age? 26 3. M/F ? Female 4. Highest grade of school completed? Some college, but going back once the kids are in school. 5. College major (or what you would like it to be)? I would like to do auto-cad, interior design, and possibly be a high school teacher. 6. Current occupation (if you work). I take care of four kids every day, that's more work than most real world jobs! 7. Are you religious? If so what religion/denomination are you? Yes, I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints many people call us Mormon. 8. What is one thing about your religious beliefs that other people misconstrue? That we don't believe in the bible, that we don't believe in Christ... some believe we grow horns when we pray, seriously, I'm not making this up people! A lot of people confuse us with the FLDS (the fundamentalists of our religion who split off after Joseph Smith was killed). There are too many to name. Ask me if you really want clarification to some of the absurd rumors spread about us! 9. Do your religious beliefs influence your political leanings? Yes, I'd be lying if I said otherwise. Although I am constantly amazed at how many religious people disagree with me... I always figured that religious people would be more liberal because of the love and compassion we are taught to have for others. 10. If so, how? I believe they make me more liberal and in more favor of social programs because I feel like it is our responsibility to take care of those in need. 11. Do you consider yourself, conservative/moderate/liberal? And why. Hardcore moderate... (I do believe I invented that term... can I get that patented?) because I am so middle of the road on most things. I can see both sides too easily so I am always going down the middle. Plus I don't like discord (except for in music... sometimes it's eerily beautiful). 12. Do you watch the news? If so what network? I try to catch the news if I wake up before my children I will flip back and forth between CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. I also like to watch the Today show and Good Morning America... however I can't stand CBS for some reason... heck, I don't even know what their show is called. 13. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Extrovert for sure. 14. For the area you grew up in, what economic class where you considered? (ie: lower, lower middle, middle, upper middle, upper) Lower Middle but I think some people thought we had a lot more money than we did. 15. What do you consider yourself now? Probably lower middle to middle... danny makes decent money, but we have four kids and I stay home! Random 1. Favorite Color? Why? Kelly Green, it makes me happy! Every time I see it I smile! Plus it looks awesome on me! 2. Favorite Number? Why? I don't really have a favorite number anymore, although I prefer non-prime numbers that are divisible by five (I know, crazy huh?) 3. Vanilla or Chocolate? Dark Chocolate! 4. Pizza or Pasta? Pasta! Spaghetti with Marinara or Chicken Parmesan (from the Cheesecake Factory, delicious!) 5. Ice cream or Popsicles? Popsicles! 6. Car/Truck/Suv? SUV, I totally want a Toyota Seqouia and a Range Rover 7. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper or Water with Sonic Ice 8. Something (song, quote, poem, whatever you can think of) that describes/reminds you of your past? Every long lost dream led me to where you are Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars Pointing me on my way into your loving arms This much I know is true That God blessed the broken road That led me straight to you I think about the years I spent just passing through I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you But you just smile and take my hand You've been there you understand It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true 9. Present? I can almost see it That dream I am dreaming But there's a voice inside my head saying "You'll never reach it" Every step I'm taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking But I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb 10. Future? Dear Mom and Dad, I'll send money, I'm so rich that it ain't funny. Well it oughtta be more then enough to get you through. Please don't worry cause I'm alright, I'm stayin here at the Ritz tonight, Whaddya know we made our dreams come true! And there are fancy cars and diamond rings, But you know that they don't mean a thing, Well they all add up to nothin compared to you, Just remember me in ribbons and curls... I still love you more than anything in the world Love, Your Baby Girl 11. Sporks... genius/stupid? Genius! 12. Chopsticks... love 'em or hate 'em? Love 'em! 13. For women, do you wear high heels? For men do you like women in high heels? The taller the better (well at least they will be as soon as I get my back fixed!) 14. Any names you hate and cringe when you hear them? Why? Tonya... just cause 15. Hate someone? Why? meh... probably because they think that what they say is more important than their boss. 16. Desktop or Laptop? hmm... both have their benefits and drawbacks... but I'm gonna say laptop... can't sit in the recliner at a desk :D 17. Pens(fine point/medium point/thick point?) or Pencils (.05mm/.07mm/.09mm?)? Medium point pens, .07 for pencil lead. 18. iPhone, Blackberry, Flip, or Candybar? Gonna have to say blackberry solely because it has the keyboard, but I still think the iphones are pretty awesome! 19. Spiral notebooks or loose leaf paper? 20. Mac or PC? Mac! Introspection 1. Where do you hope to be in 5 years? Back in school and hopefully living in California/Boston/Utah/DC (one of those places) and Danny will either be in med school or have his own studio. 2. Did your best laid plans succeed or fail... or somewhere in between? somewhere in between, on the most important things I've succeeded, but on the things I want for purely selfish reasons I've failed more. 3. One habit you wish you could break? Biting my nails 4. One habit you wish you could start? more diligent in personal studies and prayers 5. One character flaw? I tend to hold grudges (I know that's a surprise huh ;D) 6. One thing that makes you awesome? Nothing makes me awesome... I just am! 7. If you had to live without one sense, which would it be and why? ( smell, sight, taste, touch, hearing) I would have to say... smell, even though I love the way my husband smells, then I wouldn't be so tempted by yummy smelling food either (plus it affects taste so it would help me stay skinny). 8. Alzheimer's or loss of mobility? Obviously neither but I think I fear the loss of my mind for than the loss of mobility. Although both would suck something awful! 9. Who do you want to live longer? You or your spouse? I'm selfish... my spouse... I don't think I could live without him... but he better not get re-married, or I'll haunt him and his new bimbo! 10. Do you practice what you preach? Not nearly enough!

I just want to cry!

I hate not being able to sleep. It happens more often than not, and it's so frustrating. I just want to be able to have a normal sleep cycle... what I wouldn't give to be able to fall asleep anytime, anywhere, like Danny. 

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance." -Franklin P. Jones

Things I tell my children not to do but if I'm too tired or it keeps them quiet I will sometimes pretend like I don't see:

1. Climbing on top of the table.

2. Jumping off of the couch.

3. Hitting each other (don't you judge me!)

4. Bella or Tripp sucking on a pacifier they found. 

5. Playing in the toilet (again don't judge me! I have the clorox tablets in there so at least they are playing in bleach water!)

6. Unrolling a whole roll of toilet paper, paper towels, or pulling out every single baby wipe we own till it looks like a paper factory of some sort exploded in our living room.

7. Throwing food on the floor

8. Coloring on the wall (don't worry with both the food and the coloring on the wall I turn them into a learning lesson for the kids and make them clean up after themselves, I think only a few more times and they will have learned!)

9. Sneaking cookies

10. Playing with the trash can.

You know you want to send me a Mom of the Year award huh?

Go right on ahead! 

Naomi Stephens

P.O. Box  I need to get off my lazy butt and do something

McLazyville, Ok 

12345 (cause I was too lazy to come up with anything more unique than that lol)

Glad to know customer service still exists!

So within the past few days I bought a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos... these are mine, to be consumed by me only unless I am feeling particularly generous with my children and give them 2 or 3 chips of their own (and I literally mean 2 or 3 chips, no more!) They are my addiction, I love licking the seasoning off both sides before eating the chip, then when I'm done with my little bowl full (I have to put them in bowls or a cup so I don't eat the whole bag in one sitting) I get to lick the seasoning that has accumulated on my fingers, so delicious! I've always been that person who prefers salty to sweet. In fact there are two candy bars sitting on our counter that a friend gave me, that are just waiting for Danny to get home because even though I'm hungry I would rather not eat than to eat a candy bar. The closest I get to a candy bar is a huge bar of dark chocolate that I will break a piece or two off of occasionally and I don't know if dark chocolate quite counts as candy or not. Anyway so I open this bag of doritos last night expecting all sorts of ranchy goodness but they tasted burned. Yuck! I was all prepared to get on here and call the company Frito Lame or call them Lame Ranch Doritos but I decided to call the 800 number Frito Lay provided. I was expecting a long wait or even no one to answer since it says they close at 4:30 central time and it was 4:14 when I called but I wasn't even on the phone for 30 seconds when a very helpful and nice sounding lady answered. Apparently the proper term for what I was tasting is scorched and after giving her a few numbers off of the bag and the location where they were purchased along with my name and address I was off the phone and eagerly awaiting my coupon for a free bag of Cool Ranch Doritos! Yum! They are my favorites. Now to trick Danny into picking some up on the way home from work while making him think it was his idea... hmm Anyway so there is no need to call them Frito Lame because they are quite good at customer service, they deserve $4 of my hard earned money (well Danny's hard earned money) every week. They probably just bought themselves a customer for life as well as a customer for life for an as yet unknown cardiologist, but that is another post all together (and hopefully about 40 years in the future!)