Lucky For YOU!!!

Lucky for you, Facebook is not allowing me to upload photos still. I'm not sure why. Anyone else have this trouble? Anyways. In the mean time, I thought I'd share, in pictures, Alexys' first trip to the zoo. We're off to a baby shower for Cadence today, so I need to get my butt in gear and get ready to go!!!

kortney elise xoxo

PS: I know it's not the greatest zoo in the world, but it's a good walk around and a great way to get out in the sun...we bought season passes which really pay for themselves in just two and a half visits (not 3 like we thought), because it includes parking and free train rides. Score!

Does it surprise you that this was pretty much the only animal Alexys looked at? Well, and some birds, but they were making a lot of noise. She liked this peccary, who is very much like a pig (except not). Probably she was thinking, "Mmmm, bacon!"

"My parents took me to the zoo, but I prefer to look at my toes, thanks."

A family picture on the train - this was Alexys' favourite part and she sang the whole time!

"Hi, MOM!"

These are the birds. She likes birds..."Mmmm, chicken!"

Just talking to my Dad about the Zoo. I was explaining to him that the other kids cried when the peacock let out a large screech, but I know that I yell louder than that thing anyways, so it didn't bother me.

"Ready to go guys! And I am a MOVIE star. Trust me!"

School is Fun

I know, I am probably the only dork in the world who feels that way, but I can't help it. I'm having fun doing my schoolwork. I'm learning so much, and it's actually interesting to grasp. It's the perfect course for me, and my only regret is not taking it sooner (like as soon as I got home from CLBI). I love having strange hours, like whenever is convenient, and sitting in front of the computer with purpose. I love typing. I need to work on my posture while I type, but that's another day…

I really love how "deep" I am in the medical field at the moment. It's the perfect depth. I imagine the medical field like a lake. The further in you go to the lake the more work it becomes. Doctors are out in the middle working the hardest at figuring things out, etc…me? I can just tread knee-deep in the water, and come out before it's too much work. I get to be nosy and learn about strange medical conditions, and crazy people (literally…people go into the ER for the strangest reasons!), but I don't have to worry about ever meeting those people, dealing with those people, finding a cure, etc. It's perfect. I'm getting paid to be nosy.

I've had an array of medical problems in the past. Some good, some bad, but nevertheless quite a few conditions/operations/tests…to name a few:

• Laparoscopy for endometriosis/adenomyosis
  
• Kidney Stones/Infections/recurrent UTIs including CAT scan
  
• Arthroscopy for meniscus tears including MRIs and arthrography
  
• Pregnancy/Labor including fibroids and ultrasounds
  
• Wisdom teeth were pulled (in the hospital)
  
• Colonoscopy (Gross…I admitted that on my blog)
  
• EKG/ECHO when I was having breathing problems
  
• Upper and Lower GI barium tests when we thought I had IBS/Crohn disease
  

I'm sure I'm missing a few, but those are the major ones I can think off the top of my head. Quite a lot of tests for a fairly healthy girl, right? I think so. The point, though, is that when my Canscribe counselor called the other day to ask how I was doing, and she pulled up my grade book, she was shocked. Not only am I three months ahead of schedule, but my grades "outstanding." She proceeded to ask me if I've had previous medical experience. She was again shocked when I told her no…but that I'd had a lot of medical problems. Truly, having all these tests done in the past, makes things easier.

The biggest troubles I'm having with school is that medical transcription is all done with American spelling…and I've always been very adamant about spelling the Canadian way. Oh well. That and the fact that commas are used differently in transcription for medicine than in regular everyday writing. Much more sparingly than in everyday writing. I'm already comma happy at the best of times, so I'm struggling a bit with that. It'll come with practice.

Well, off to shower while my daughter is still amazed with her swing mobile.

kortney elise xoxo…who should probably check the weight limit on the swing her hippo baby is presently in!

PS: I added this adorable picture of Alexys I took this morning just for your viewing pleasure...Facebook is being silly and won't let me upload anything. Lame sauce.

Figures

They always choose the rich, bad girl right? Right.

I don't know if you've heard the news, but Archie picked Veronica after all these years. Perhaps it's a sign of the recession. Perhaps it's just because they always pick the bad girl. Whatever the case is, every poll I can find online has at least 80 percent in favour of the good girl.

Lame.

kortney elise xoxo

Sweet Site

Click over to my friend Kirsten's new blog to see her link to make your own fabulous wordle print!!! Her suggestion is to use them for scrapbooking and I think I will do just that :) I love scrapbooking and haven't done much lately, and want to get back on that boat!!!

Here's my wordle print based on Alexys' birth story!!!



Sweet deal :)
kortney elise xoxo

PS: I did some measuring of my sweet little girl, and she is approximately 17.5 lbs and 27.5 inches. She's SO tall!!! That puts her in the 95th percentile for height, and in the 85th for weight. What a cute little moose I have!!!

Remember?

Remember when I posted about schedules and how I didn't like them? Remember how I knew to expect change in Alexys' schedule? Well, it's happened, and I think I liked a schedule better. Now I don't know what to expect. Yesterday and the day before she had one long nap after lunch, and then a little snooze in the evening, but was up till 10:30 at night. But then, she slept through the night till 6:30. Today so far she was kinda showing signs of being tired and grumpy a bit ago, so Alexys is presently in her crib "trying" to nap. No luck so far - she's more interested in trying to roll over (which she only does in her crib). I figure she's having some tummy time regardless if she naps (she used to sleep on her tummy for about half the night...the past week or so she won't sleep on her tummy). I knew Alexys' schedule so well last week and now I have no clue.

Me and my big mouth.

The only thing worse than a schedule is change ;)
kortney elise xoxo

Much Ado About Nothing?

Phew! Alexys slept last night and I feel much better for it today. She slept from 9:30 until 9:30, waking up once at 4:15 for her soother and then at 6am to eat. I can handle that. I think it's because I told her last night when she went to bed that Mommy needed to have a good nights sleep. Mind you this napping process hasn't gotten any better today, but that's okay. If I've had a few good hours of sleep I can handle it.

We're having a family day today! Once Jord gets home from the gym we're going shopping to all those great stores in White Rock and then down to the beach. Alexys has never been to the beach so we'll take some pictures and hang out in the sun. I don't know who I'm turning into but I don't mind being in the sun. I still don't like just laying outside and I still really hate being hot, but I feel like if I'm getting a tan it's okay. My burn from Parksville turned into a tan, save for one peeling shoulder (but that's the shoulder that hurt), and I've been smothering "Save the Tan" lotion all over in hopes I can build on it. It makes me feel better to be tan.

Oh, and you may have noticed me wearing my hair curly in the past few weeks. Well, I may have a "mom cut" (thanks Kim) but wearing it straight sure proves just the opposite. I don't like to take the 45 minutes to straighten the bottom (that is still curly), but I can't just wear it down. So I wear it in a ponytail. I've taken pictures to prove my point, because some have said they don't believe that my hair is straight.

Hair down with gel (see my frustration):
How I wear it instead (with a bump into a curly ponytail):
I have, however, noticed that my wispies at the front are a little fuzzy. Maybe my hair only grew in straight WHILE I was preggo, and now it's coming in curly. All I know is that it needs to be 100 percent straight or 100 percent curly. Not in the middle. I'll either get a perm or a chemical straighten. I can't handle 50 percent of each.

Anyways, off to find a place to put Alexys while I shower, seeing as though she's not going to nap before her 12:30 lunch. What do you do with your awake children whilst you shower? I normally shower while she's napping...

kortney elise xoxo

Those Days

The past few days have felt like Daniel Powter's song "Bad Day" over and over – or at least I keep singing that song over and over. It makes me feel better. I don't really need to divulge information here about the little things that add up to overwhelm me, but let's just say the less sleep you have, the worse everything seems. I don't know if it's teething, growing or the full moon, but something has made Alexys into a crazy woman – the non-sleeping kind…the kind that won't nap for longer than 30 minutes twice a day, the kind that went from sleeping 12 hours with one brief wake at night, to 9 hours with 4 or 5 longish wakes. Needless to say I feel like she's a newborn all over – but it's harder now because I was getting used to more sleep. Anyways. Less sleep means everything seems worse and is easier to respond to emotionally.

I had decided last week I wasn't going to skate synchro next year. I can admit this because a) Danalee, my coach, doesn't read (at least I don't think) and b) I've changed my mind. I had convinced myself I didn't need to skate anymore, that it was being selfish, etc. There were lots of reasons. I had even written to our treasurer and asked her to empty my fundraising account. I still planned on skating, but just by myself finishing up my skills and dance.

And then I had a bad day.

At the end of the day do you know what I had? I had synchro. And I really didn't want to go. I wanted to mope in my bed and drink the slurpee I made my husband go buy me. I wanted to snuggle my little girl and let her fall asleep in the bed with me, giggling. And then a friend called and asked for a ride – and I said yes. So at 8 o'clock, when I had to leave, I left a crying Alexys with her dad, because she was overtired and cranky. I left a half-drank slurpee on the counter, and my covers in the dryer. I put on my big girl pants and went skating. And you know what?

I needed it.

It's on those days that I need it most. And I realized that yesterday. I skate because it's for me. You can only be superwoman so many days in a row, and I'm not a bad mom if I leave Alexys for a couple hours each week. I need to have time to myself or else I'll end up in a ball of tears on the couch watching a sappy movie (which is okay sometimes too). I need those couple hours to be with friends. I need those couple hours to feel the wind in my hair when I skate. I need to put everything out of my mind and just skate. Just because. I need the music. I need the connection. And skating by myself on those days doesn't cut it. There's something about synchro that I need, and it's not being selfish.

In fact, it's just the opposite.

I think that if I hadn't skated last night I wouldn't be able to rationalize today. I'd be worse off perhaps. For sure, actually. I had time to not think about anything, time to relax. I felt better when I got off the ice last night. And I'm not perfectly cheerful today, but I feel better for going. For being able to have a good laugh about things that don't matter. It makes me a better mom, a better person, to have just those few hours to myself. I needed yesterday to happen to prove that it's okay. And it is. I'm skating next year, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it.

And know what? I got my snuggle and giggle with Alexys this morning anyways.
kortney elise xoxo

A thought

I have a lot of blogs semi-started and I swear I'll get to them soon-ish. Look for lots of new ones.

One question for the masses - someone always comes to my blog by googling "Kortney Storey falling leaf" - except they spell my last name wrong and they're from Ontario...and it's killing me - who is it? Anyone gonna fess up?

kortney elise xoxo

Reading

I signed up for a Book Club a little while ago for Alexys - it was a pretty good deal on books - with shipping it was just over $28 dollars. I got five books (all hardcover), with only the commitment of buying three more books in the next two years. Easy, peasy. Their regular priced books are pretty cheap. If you want to join let me know - I get free books for referrals! (If you join, you have to remember to reject your monthly offer - they DO send you a book every month if you don't reject it, and then you're charged. But it's not hard to reject the book, takes just a second. And if you forget and they mail it to you, you CAN send it back and not get charged for it.

Today I got my books and I'm so excited. My mom came and read two with Alexys this morning, and Alexys LOVES to read. I hope I can pass my love of reading onto her as she gets older. The books we got:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
• A Dr. Suess collection (13 books!)
• A Berenstein Bears collection (six or seven books!)
• If You Give Collection (you know...If You Give a Mouse a Cookie...) - there's four books, and this one also came with all the books on CD (I just about said cassette, oops!).

That's all. It was really exciting for me.
kortney elise xoxo

Happy Birthday Little Girl

Well, happy five month birthday, Alexys May. I truly cannot believe she's five months today. I know it's cliche, and I know it's always what you read, but I cannot imagine life without Alexys anymore - I can't remember what it was like, nor do I want to imagine what it would be like. Cliche, but so true. Someone said something to me the other day, whilst meeting Alexys for the first time, though...and I wanted to share it. A day past mother's day, but oh well. She said, "You never knew how much your mom loved you until you had Alexys, did you?" SO true. You think you could know, you think you could imagine, especially as you get older. But you can't. I love you Mom.

Anyways. I have much to blog about and I forgot until about 15 minutes ago that it's Monday (and therefore Not Me Monday)...but seeing as though I forgot that it was Monday, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Or else not until next Monday. We'll see. Let's start with the story of my little mooselet and her music classes we started today at the rec centre.

I was daring and decided to sign up for a class at the rec centre with Alexys. I knew it would be "those" moms mostly (and I was right, but that's another blog all together), and that I was being daring doing it without anyone...but I'm glad we did it, and Alexys and I had fun. That being said, I have a funny little girl. Quirks:

• Alexys doesn't laugh like the other babies. Oh, don't worry...she does laugh. And she has had a few laughing fits, but unlike other babies who find the same thing funny over and over, Alexys laughs once or twice and then is ready for the next joke. It's like "Mom, that was funny the first time, and now you look like an idiot doing it again. So stop." The other babies laughed and laughed looking at themselves in the mirror today. Alexys smiled, did a laugh, and then was done.
  
• The games in front of the mirror were fun, EXCEPT I was the smallest mom with the biggest baby (save for the 11 month old). For real. We had to hold our babies in front of the mirror and swing them back and forth under their armpits. Which is great if you signed up for excercise class (which I purposely did not). It's also great if you are strong, or if your five month old doesn't weigh 17 pounds. Except I'm not strong, and my five month old does weight (at least) 17 pounds. Needless to say I was the only mom who left with sweat marks. Classy.
• Alexys is a funny girl. She honestly was twice the size (or so it seemed) of the other two girls who were five months old. She was the same size as the seven month old little boy, and thankfully smaller than the 10 and 11 month old kids. It's funny to watch kids of the same age and their milestones. The two other girls that were the same age as Alexys were rolling all over and grabbing their toes. If you lay Alexys down she'll grab for her feet but she's got this belly in the way, and can't reach so she gives up. Apparently she got her parents' flexibility. However, the other two girls were no where near sitting by themselves, and Alexys can most of the time all by herself now...and stronger everyday. The other two little girls sat on their moms lap and were shy and just chewed on their toys. Meanwhile Alexys just wanted to bounce and rock, and smiled at everyone who looked at her. Ham. It's funny to watch.
  

Anyways. I could probably go on and on about Alexys. Obviously. I'm a mom to the most beautiful baby in the world ;) Anyways, Alexys loved Baby Play class - and we go again on Monday (mmm, next NEXT Monday...this next one is a holiday). We sang songs, and played games. Alexys really likes Row, Row, Row Your Boat...she's got the hang of rowing down.

That's all. Follow me on Twitter if you have it. I'm slowly going to be addicted, and you should be too.

kortney elise xoxo

For My Mom...

I know Mother's Day isn't until tomorrow but who knows if I'll have a chance to blog - my blogging is sporadic at best these days it seems (even if I do have good intentions).

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

Mama,
This poem says it all (well, except the part about animals - I don't like animals much), and I just wanted you (and the rest of the world) to know that I love you very, very much. You're my very best friend and I don't know what I'd do without you. I can only hope that I'll be half the Mom to Alexys that you are to me.

I love you always,
kortney elise xoxo

This post is part of a world wide blogging tribute to Moms led by TheBlogFrog

A Prayer Request

I have a prayer request, ladies and gentlemen (is there gentlemen reading this out there?)....for this sweet baby girl, Lauren Cassidy Miller, and for her parents Tony and Paige. Little (well, average size, actually) Lauren was born on April 23rd at 8:04pm - she was 7lbs 8oz and 21 inches long. She was long awaited by her parents...who I know through Jordon's paintball I suppose. Jordon knows Tony, and therefore I know Paige. We started talking online first before in person, but whatever, right. Paige likes Pogo, too :)

Anyways, can you pray for them? Everything was fine when she was born, but I got a message a couple days ago saying that they had been medivacced to Childrens' and Lauren was in the NICU there. They're not one hundred percent sure what's wrong, but the night after they brought her home she wasn't eating and throwing up large amounts. She started having seizures at the hospital, and the doctors thought that maybe she wouldn't make it. However, things have begun to take a turn for the better - she hasn't had a seizure since starting the medication, and things are definitely looking up. However, it's definitely been hard on her parents and they're in there until next week. That being said they don't know what's wrong with Lauren, and they won't know for months - some of the tests take a while to come back.

If you could remember to pray for the Millers today that would be fabulous. I know that they're fabulous parents' and are so excited to finally have Lauren! Pray that they can figure out what's wrong with Lauren, how to fix it, and that they can all come home safe and happy as soon as possible!

kortney elise xoxo

A Contest For...

I'm sure I have lots of readers with babies 16 weeks or under...and I know a few of you who are into "babywearing" or carrying your darling baby in a sling. Anyways, thought I'd post a link for you to enter a contest - you need to have the want/desire/ability to tweet three times a day for 30 days, your baby must be 16 weeks or younger in June and you must carry your baby in a sling.

Just putting it out there if you're interested. Alexys is too old, or else I'd be all over it. After all, I love entering contests.

http://www.slingandswaddlejourney.com/submit.html

kortney elise xoxo

Not Me

I need to start this blog out by saying thanks for praying for Stellan if you did. His mom, Mckmama, was the creator of Not Me Monday, and for the full story, you should click over to her blog. Stellan is at home now, and not healed, but it seems he’s doing well. Praise Jesus!!!

What is Not Me Monday, you ask? Well. It’s a carnival of blogs linked through Mckmama’s site, wherein people can not admit to things they didn’t do this week. You know? Get them off your chest. Put them on a shelf. And after all, no one can judge, since they didn’t really happen!!! (Some of the these not me’s have been collecting the past little while, but I don’t remember from when. I wasn’t so dumb all in one week). Where to begin?

Well, I can say that there’s not baby food sitting in the blender, in the fridge, that I intended to feed Alexys with four days ago, but ended up going to my mom’s and so couldn’t use it. I know that I won’t (for real, that part’s not a joke!) feed it to her (it’s old and kinda turning a funny color), so I obviously cleaned it right away. Or maybe it’s been five days. Or six. It doesn’t smell, at least. I don’t justify it by saying it’s only one serving (because I’m one hundred percent frugal. All the time). Not me.

I haven’t clicked over to Bellies and Babies at least 500 times this morning. Not me.

I didn’t fully intend on redesigning a new blog yesterday, and then utterly fail and go to the baseball park instead. Not me. I always finish what I start. And I didn’t leave my blog a mess, because I clearly saved the other template. That’s why it looks so, uh, ghetto fabulous right now.

I don’t have Easter things hanging out on my kitchen table packed and ready for storage. Easter wasn’t three weeks ago, and it doesn’t take just five minutes to walk down to the storage area in our condo, so obviously Easter things were long put away. Obviously!

I didn’t turn off the monitor and ignore Alexys in her crib this morning for 15 minutes in the hope that she’d give up and go back to sleep (she was only calling out and not crying…for real). Obviously she’s such a perfect baby that she listened to my request and went straight to sleep. Hrm. Right. I didn’t chug my cup of coffee black just so my eyelids would open. This whole 7:30 waking thing is going to take a while to adjust to when she used to prefer 9am. Stupid sun.

There’s not visible dust on my kitchen table that I can see from this here laptop. On half the table. Like someone wiped half the table and then stopped or something. Not me. It’s not justifiable to think it adds a little colour to the brown table. I don’t think that way. After all, it only takes two seconds to wipe the other half of the table.

I don’t let Alexys watch Dexter with Jordon and I at dinnertime, sometimes. This is really creepy and we’re probably instilling something in her. This show better be over in the next few months, because we’ll have to wait till she’s in bed to watch it. Oh, and I definitely don’t enjoy television series’ about murderers, blood and serial killers. Not me. That’s creepy and disturbing.

I don't presently have a hickey on my neck...from my daughter. Apparently rocking her at 2am, whilst not really being fully awake doesn't result in such things.

I'm also not feeling a little sick with stomach acid overload right now...and that feeling is definitely not from chugging a cup of coffee black. I didn't drink my coffee black because my hubby obviously didn't drink all the milk in his cereal.

What are your Not Mes? Take the plunge and post ;)
kortney elise xoxo

Holy shmoly!!!!

You really need to click over to the side of my blog (I know, I know...it's messy and ugly, but I'm going to fix it, I swear! I started playing with HTML and designs and got no where and then went out...I'll fix it this week sometime). Anyways.

Actually. Know what? I'll make it easier for you.

CLICK HERE.

It's a photographer's blog/website. Barbara Casey, you're amazing, and we can't wait to get all our photos back. My daughter is a star :)

kortney elise xoxo

PS: Look forward to the return of NOT ME Monday tomorrow!!!

Bad Blogger

How to soothe a teething baby 101

I'm a bad blogger. I think I have nine started posts. The trouble is that I blog at inopportune times:

• Near the end of Alexys' naps. I know she's going to wake up shortly, start a blog, save it and never post it.
• At night...after my schoolwork is done. I get too tired, don't finish and go to bed.
  
• Right before Jordon gets home from work. Then he wants the computer.
  
• I hate restarting blogs in the middle.
  

Those are my options/points. I'm REALLY tired right now, but Jord is at the movies and Alexys is in bed, so schoolwork must be done. This is my mini-break. My mini blog. That's all.

I promise I have a blog coming soon. I'm a bad blogger because if I blog about the subject I want to blog about, I can be entered in a contest. I like the subject, but still. You'll see. Here's some other thoughts rambling and jingling around in my brain:

• I have an audition to be in the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Olympics next Sunday. The problem is it's in Vancouver from 5:30 to 8:30pm and no one (not even Alexys, I asked), can come into the building with you. This is a BIG problem, because if you recall here, she won't take a bottle. Still. Or even a sippy cup more than a few sips. I can hold her over for a while if it's over dinnertime and she can have her (solid) dinner...but her bedtime is 8pm, and she always nurses before bed. I'm not sure how I will solve this problem, or if I'll forfeit the audition. We'll see.
  
• I have messages in my Facebook inbox I've been meaning to reply to since January. JANUARY!! It's May. Oops. I really do have the best of intentions, but I just get lazy or something.
  
• Mom brain sucks. Last spring I learned an entire level of skills, tested and passed it in eight weeks. This spring I haven't even learned the whole level. It's my last one and I REALLY want to test it in the summer. Actually, I really wanted to test it in the spring, but I overshot that one.
  
• Alexys has been doing this thing at night where she cries out. I don't know if it's nightmares or whatever you want to call it, but I'm really, really bad at judging when to interfere. It's not a cry, it's definitely a callout, but it seems the times that I get up to put her soother in, she goes back to sleep, just as I reach her door. If I don't get up and think she's just gonna fall back on her own, those are the times she ends up waking up...because I've left it too long by that point and now she IS crying. Perhap's this is more of good ol' Kortney's Law?
• It's probably really odd, but I'm excited to pick up my nightguards next week.
  
• We start Baby Play music classes next week, and I cannot wait. It's at the local rec centre and I have no idea what it entails. It was the only class that allowed children under 6 months, so I signed up for it. I didn't really read the details, except that there's music and games. I want to be one of those mom's, and I cannot wait for swimming lessons, gymnastics, ballet...the whole nine yards.
  

There's probably more but my breaktime is over now and I'm going back to schoolwork.
kortney elise xoxo