Mama's Girl

So its been like 2 or more weeks since I have last posted, but i have excuses! First off we were without internet for a WEEK! it was hard (probably more for dave b/c of fantasy football, then for me) but still it was pretty rough. And then during the day I literally can not sit down and do anything. Dakota is a huge mama's girl and if I am not holding her, feeding her, or playing with her, she is screaming!!! and i am barely exaderating (sp?) so i have been having a hard time getting much of anything accomplished, let alond posting. so i apologize to all my readers. I have cute christmas tree cutting pics, and a video of Dakota, that i will eventually get up. but if I don't post for another month, at least now you know why.

Its been a while

So its been a while since I have posted. We had a really good thanksgiving. We drove to Texas to see Dave's mom and brothers. It was a good time, and the girls were spoiled silly! I don't have any pics cause I am a horrible mom and forgot to take some! The girls did really well traveling, and the van is freakin awesome!! Cheyenne loves the dvd player, and dakota was really good. she would just sleep for a while, and then just sit and play with her toys. We only had one incident where Cheyenne got car sick. it was on our way home, and we were only 10 minutes from Fulton! We were so close! Poor girl. Well I am at work and I should get back to doing what I am suppose to be doing. Hopefully soon I will post a video of Dakota crawling. she is sooooo close.

Our Life

Well a lot has happened this week and it is only Tuesday!! For starter, we are proud owners of a new van! YEAH! we purchased it yesterday (well the bank purchased it yesterday) and it is great. it is a 2005 Crystlar Town and Country. It is super nice, and we got a huge deal on it. Dave and I are happy. On the other hand Cheyenne is not to happy. Last night Dave picked up the girls from the YMCA with the new van, and poor Cheyenne would not get in. She was so terrified and scared of the van. She was screaming and kicking and punching Dave. She wanted nothing to do with it, the poor thing. Dave kept trying to calm her down saying she was safe and that nothing was going to happen. She finally got in. but still today she whines when she has to go in the van, she wants to take the car instead. We are hoping that this won't last long, seeing as we have to take the van to Texas on Saturday.
On another note, Cheyenne is making great strides in potty training the last two days. She used to refuse to put big girl panties on, but today she went potty and put them on afterwards, and ran around the house all excited, and didn't even want to put pants on!! She did have an accident, but hey it was her first time! So things are finally starting to progress. I just pray she keeps at it. I finally found the secert --- dum dum suckers!!!!
Here are a few pics of Cheyenne. One is of her first ever cheeseburger, and the other is of her big girl panties!!!!

Big Helper

Cheyenne has finally warmed up to Dakota, and wants to help me do everything! She is always wanting to play with Dakota, and talking to her about everything. But she also does not like it when Dakota takes one of "her" toys or tries to pull at her hair, or get to close. It is so fun to watch them interact. I posted a video of Cheyenne being a "big helper" at feeding time!

No TV

So this week I have made it a goal not to watch any cartoons with Cheyenne. She has started being like addicted to the TV and that is what she always asks to do. Constanly she is saying "Mommy, I watch movie?" or "Mommy, I watch Clifford" and so on. and i usually give in at let her watch some TV everyday. which isn't bad I don't think, but then at Day care, that is all she does, and so the addiction was getting worse, and since she's not in daycare this week, I thought I would try it. Let me tell you the first day was Hell!!! She asked almost every 5 minutes, and threw fits when I said no, and we kept having to find things to do to keep her busy, but we made it, and since then it hasn't been as hard at all. She has started really liking to read books, which before, she barely ever did, and we have been playing outside and doing new things around the house. Overall its been a pretty fun week. Every now and then she will ask, but its not as often, and she usually knows the answer, so there is no fit throwing. Overall its been a pretty good week. We will have to see how the next couple days go!!!

Pictures of Van

So you experts out there, does it look totalled???



that seat was where Cheyenne was sitting. Look how close to door got to actually hitting her!!

Crazy Halloween!!!

While Halloween has come and gone, and let me just tell you it will be one I will remember forever!! It started off as another normal day, I was running really late for work so I decided to take the van rather then the car because I didn't have two extra minutes to get it out of the garage. Dave dropped the girls off at work on his way to work, and just left me with the van for some reason. (usually he takes it cause he likes it better) so I work till about noon and get off and start taking the girls home for lunch-Dave was waiting for us at home to have lunch together. Well I was about 4 blocks from my house when someone ran a stop sign and totally t-boned us in the intersection! It spun the van around a complete 180 and the other car veered off and ended up hitting a tree. It was so scary. most of the impact was on the driver side sliding door, right where Cheyenne was sitting!! Both girls were screaming and I was just shaking like a leaf. I had to climb out the other side of the van, since my door was jammed, and quickly got my girls out to see if they were okay. A kind neighbor came and took Dakota well I helped Cheyenne. Dave came with a bottle, cause Dakota was more hungry then hurt, so the neighbor lady fed her the bottle while I helped Cheyenne. She just wouldn't stop crying and kept saying that her neck hurt. So to be on the safe side the ambulance took both girls to the hospital, and poor Cheyenne needed to wear a neck brace. She was so scared, and kept saying she didn't want to be in "the big truck" Everyone ended up being okay, Cheyenne just had a little whiplash from the straps of her seat, and was shaken up a bit, but she is just fine, and Dakota was barely phased. It was such a mirlcle that we were in the van that day rather then the car. The van is pretty much totaled, but God was really looking out for us yesterday. Everyone was so fine that we went trick or treating at night. Cheyenne loved it and the only thing that scared her was a bill clinton mask!! It was a crazy day and I cied a little putting the girls to bed. God is so great andit reminded me how muchI love my girls even when they drive me crazy!!!

Emotions

So Sunday night at girls night we did a devo about emotions, and how to control them, and how not to let them run our lives. I feel like I really need that devo this week. I have been kind of depressed lately about myself. I have always had low self-esteem...chalk it up to years of toture in school....but anyway this past week I just can't seem to get over it. A older lady at coffe break said that it looks like a I have a few baby pounds to kill (which I do) but u don't tell someone that. and then last night at work, a guy asked if I was expecting. (who does that!!) and NO i am not pregnant (thank God) but it really got me down in the dumps. I work my ass out almost everyday and try my hardest to eat healthy, but I guess its not working. and I work at a health club for goodness sake!!!! I know you all don't care about this, but I just need to vent, and I also use this blog as a memoir for me too. anyway I feel lately that I have just let myself go since having kids, and its not that I did it intentionally, but I just don't seem to have an extra 20 min in the morning to do my hair and make-up, I am so busy!! Which leads to the next thing that has gotten me down. We had a bad experiance with the night babysitter at the YMCA and Dave feels like I should cut back or maybe quit all together to spend more time at home. He feels, and I guess I agree a little, that our kids are being neglected, and work and church are coming before them. so that made me feel bad to, althoug he didn't intend it to hurt. so yeah i am just a mess this week. but enough crappy stuff. I am gonna go now. Next post i will put some cute pics of the girls in their halloween costumes!!!

Dakota "Crawling"

Now you have to agree with me that she is just way to young to be able to do this!!

OMG!!!

Well I apologize to all my faithful readers (if there are any) that I haven't posted in a while. This past week and so just seemed to fly by, and I never really found myself at the computer. Life here is just moving right along, I was hoping to have pics and videos of Dakota, but I can't seem to find the camera right now. She is growing sooooo fast, to fast if you ask me. She is already strating to crawl! I know crazy right, she is only 5 months old!! but she does this cute little army crawl, and she can get where she wants to go! now thankfully, she can't got very fast so I can do damage control, but still! Cheyenne didn't start really moving like this till like 6 1/2 months! We are also working on sitting up, but we aren't quite there yet, but getting close. Its a whole new world now-she won't just stay on her blanket, which means i need to vacume EVERYDAY! (stupid dog hair!!)
Other than that life is just about the same over here. We are in a pretty good schedule right now, and just coasting right now. Next post I will try to have to pics and videos of the kids.

National Cupcake Day

Today is National Cupcake Day. Everyone is encouraged to bring cupcakes to work, or school, or whereever in honor of all the babies that were aborted and therefore do not get to have a birthday. I think this is such a great idea, and some of our youth group kids brought over 100 cupcakes to school today to pass out. It was so awesome to see them take chrage on an issue that they care about, and do something about it. So take a little break today from all your business and eat a cupcake and remember all those babies who don't get to have a birthday.

The Pumpkin Ranch

Yesterday was a rare Saturday that we didn't have any plans, so we decided to go the pumpkin farm to get us some pumpkins. Well it turned out to be a beautiful day and the kids were in pretty good moods, so we were excited! Well silly us didn't do much research before we left, we just tried to remember from last year. When we got there it wasn't even open yet, so we went to Wal-Mart and got some lunch at Culvers. I decided yesterday that Culvers is probably my favorite "fast food" place to eat. it is just so yummy and Cheyenne gets free ice cream ever time we go, and she can never eat it all!!
After some shopping and lunch we headed back to the farm. We had a good time looking at all the animals and chasing the kitty cats all around. We tried to do the corn maze, but of course that scared Cheyenne- so it wasn't much fun. We were going to go on a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, but the hayrides didn't start till 2:00 and we started having meltdowns around 1:30 so we just picked out some pumpkins from the front and called it a day!
Cheyenne didn't care one bit about the pumpkins, all she cared about were the kittys. she would chase them, and then pick them up and just walk around with them. but the bad thing was she would just grab those poor cats by the nect]k and serioulsy almost strangle them! It was so cute to watch her, and you can guess how she reacted when she found out she could take a pumpkin home, but not a cat!! Overall it was a pretty nice time, next year we will have to time it better so we can go on the hayride!

On her Way!!

SO I think that Cheyenne is finally on her way to being potty trained! Lately we have been keeping her potty in her bedroom because our bathroom is tiny and it easier to sit in there for ever while she sits on the potty. Anyway last night I put her to bed and went and sat on the couch to watch Heros (great show by the way) about 15 minutes later I hear that potty music. (it plays music when u pee) and I thought Cheyenne was playing with it. So i go in her room ready to tell her its not a toy, and to get back in bed. Well instead I found her buck-naked going potty! She had taken off her pjs and diaper and had actaully gone potty! So I got her dressed again, praised her, but then firmly told her it was time to sleep, and went back to Hero's. 10 minutes later I hear the potty again! She had done it again, and had actually gone again! (she had a lot of juice yesterday) And today she has gone twice! YEAH! I know most of you don't really care, but it is a big deal for me, and I am getting excited!!

Dakota's eating cerel!

Today I gave Dakota cerel for the first time. She was acting really hungrey today and the doctor had said to start anytime, so what the heck, I choose today. The first video is a little boreing and a little long. At first she didn't really know what to think and was just confused, but by the second video she is grabbing the spoon and trying to just shove it in. It is just so funny - at least for me it is. She screamed everytime I tried to stop feeding her, and then finally when I said we were down, she just passed out and slept for an hour and a half!

Who Knows!

I thought it was time for an update, but i really don't have much to talk about. So here is what really bothered me this week. So if u know me well u know that i really only follow 4 tv shows. Heros, Prison Break, One Tree Hill and Grey,s Anatomy. So this year I am so excited for new shows and it turns out three of those shows are on monday nights...AT THE SAME TIME!!! now that is totally not fair!!!aww man the drama of my life! i need to get rich and buy a tivo!!

She's a Chunk!!!

Dakota had her 4 month check up today, and she is doing great! She is a really big baby weighing in at 16 lbs!! Cheyenne was only 14lbs at 4 months! So Dakota is a CHUNK!! but she is doing really well, and has learned to roll over. She had to get 4 shots today, and didn't like it one bit. She had a nurse at each leg, holding her down and sticking needles in her. It was so sad to see but I know it is going to keep her healthy! Well thats it, we are off to Cheyenne's swimming lessons!!

Bummer

Well I am very sad to report that the sleeping through the night has not continued. I will just have to tough it out a little longer, and hope that once she starts on cerel she will just zonk right out. In other news I have been doing a lot of thinking about whether or not I should leave the YMCA. My hours have got cut again, and there is really no interest in personal training. It is pretty sad but I have come to the realization that personal training is a big city job, and that you just aren't gonna get people to pay for it in small town. they just don't have the money. Everyone that lives here either works in the factories, or in the schools, and that is about it. So I am looking to get some sort of other job part time just to help pay the bills. (unless u know of a really rich person who can pay off our loans, then I will be a stay at home mom) Anyway, the sad thing is this is a small town, and there is no where to work. So now I am even more torn on what I should do. AHHHH sometime I hate living in the country and really want to move back to a city. Oh well I will figure something out. Everything always works out in the end someway, so I will just keep ya posted!

SLEEP!!!!

I am so excited to tell everyone that I and Dakota slept through the whole night last night! She went to bed around 8 and got up at 6:30!! I on the other hand went to bed around 10, and besides a thunderstorm that brought Cheyenne into our bed around 1:00 I slept till 6:30 also!! It was so great, and I am praying that it continues! Sleep is rare around here, and usually comes in two-three hour increments, so lets just say I was hitting the end and really needed a good night! THe pictue below is a good indication on how I used to get a little shut-eye, now I am optimistic that I can get back to sleeping in MY bed at NIGHT!!!

Happy Birthday Dave

Yesterday was Dave's 26th birthday. Overall it was a good day, we got to go on a dat at night, which is always great, because it barely ever happens. The thing Dave liked best about the day is that way Cheyenne got so excited that it was his birthday. She was singing the song all day long, and telling him happy birthday every time she saw him. It was so cute! Here is a little video of it. If you can't understand what she is saying, she is singing happy birthday to you

Something to do in Fulton (while Clinton)

So this weekend there was actually something to do in our little town. While to be fair it was across the river in Clinton. There was an old World War II Navy Ship that was taking a trip down the Mississippe and it stopped in Clinton, and you could go take a tour of it. It was pretty cool, and it was one of the ships that was actually invovled with D-Day. NEway it was pretty fun beside that fact that we forgot Dakota's pacifier and Cheyenne got sick :) (we have decided that untill they are older we are just gonna do nothing, cause it always ends up being a pain in the #$! )

Ode to Cheyenne

Here is a post totally dedicated to Cheyenne. She is really starting to grow up and has quite the personalitly!! It is so fun to watch her play and figure things out, and respond to the world around her, and I really love watching her play with other kids! She is pretty great, and there are lots of times when I have to remind myself of that because she has inherited the Gort trait of stubbornness and is also the definition of a terrible two! but when you catch her during her good moments, she is just an angel!!
She is really turning into a Daddy's girl. She loves her daddy and always wants to be with him when he is home
She is starting to learn about the potty and all that goes with it, but for now all she really does is sit on it occassionally (when she is in a good mood, or when it will delay her from going to bed.)
She is finally being able to tolerate the water, although she will only go in the pool if no one else is in. Good thing I work at the Y as a lifegaurd and have acess to the pool pretty much whenever I want!! Yesterday she even jumped in and went all the way under. (don't know if she intended to, but she did! :)
and finally occassionally she does sleep, which is such a great time for me! although I hate to say it, but she is starting to out grow her naps, which can really make for some long days!! :)

Well thats all, I should go know, Dakota is crying on the floor, cause she can't see me!!

Here are a couple videos of the girls. Don't really ask me what Cheyenne is doing in the first one, cause I don't really get it. The only thing I know, is that when she watches it, she just laughs sooo hard, and she has been doing it allday long - such a weird child! Enjoy!

Grandma's Visit

So it is really bad when I only get pictures when someone comes to visit. I really need to try to take more pictures myself during the day. But here a bunch of pics my mom took when she was here a couple weeks ago. She came down because I had to cancel my trip to MI and the beach because Dave's grandma passed away.

Done.

WARNING: this post is just a rant and rave of my frustrations, to get them off my chest. Read at your own risk
So right now I am totally done being a mom. My word it is soo hard. I love my kids and everything, but I have reached a low point. Dakota is STILL not sleeping through the night, sometimes getting up three times. Cheyenne is the definition of a terrible two, always whinning and complaining, and having the attention span of about 3 seconds, not to mention she just talks and talks and talks and doesnt stop repeating stuff till i respond. its like 'tractor mommy, tractor..i see tractor mommy" untill i say "yes a tractor, cool!!!" oh man all i want 2 do is watch the oliympics but i pass out on the couch every night before anything good happens. i am sooooo tired! well i just have 2 make it through today n tomorrow and then it is off 2 six flags!!!!! no kids and a day full of roller coasters, and a jordyn sparks concert!!! the countdown has begun!

Here are just a couple random pics from our crazy days. Cheyenne is quite the girly girl and got a hold of some lipstick when mommmy wasn't looking, and then she insisted that Dakota wear sunglasses too, just like Cheyenne. And then there is just a cute one of Dakota! Enjoy!!

First Hair Cut

So I finally cut Cheyenne's hair a little bit. A lot of you have been asking and asking when I was gonna do it. And last night she had a HUGE knot in her hair from twirling it all day in the car. (we drove home from MI yesterday) and with all brushing, combing, washing, and conditioning it just would not come out! So I decided to cut it out, and then proceeded to cut the rest of her hair a little bit. now I have never done this before, and it is very hard to her to sit still, so it did not turn out very good, and I think she looks even funnier then what she did before..but hey she is still cute, and I will get it fixed soon. Here is a pic, she didn't want her pic taken, so its not the best, I will try again later when she is in a better mood

Babies, Babies, and more Babies

Well I just want to update you all on all the babies that have been born around me lately. Congradulations to some friends from church with the birth of their baby girl Emily Sue, and two friends from playgroup, one with a girl Abigal, and the other friend with a beautiful baby girl Kora Jean. (I started a trend in Fulton with all these baby girls!) And two of my cousins just had babies also. To my cousins Brad and Kimberly a baby boy, Oliver Bradley.. and to my cousins Sharon and Kevin a baby girl Emily Diane. So much new life around here, it is just amazing! As my sister puts it, there isn't anything else to do in Fulton :) Literally its true LOL 7 of my friends here have either just had a baby or are pregnant. Crazy huh. CONGRADULATIONS TO ALL THE NEW MOMS AND DADS!!!

Summertime is Busy!!

SO a lot has been going on in the Grigoletti household lately! Okay not really that much, but I am seeming to keep pretty busy (for a stay-at-home mom...blah no jobs yeat) Anyway I am making some positive changes to help me better live with the fact that I am pretty much unemployed. First i have changed my waredrobe. Now most of you know that I am totally not into fashion at all and that my main oulfits were jeans and a t-shirt...well that is no more! I have decided to grow up!! Joy and I went shopping well she was here, and I got a lot of new clothes. So I a proud to say that I have not worn t-shirts or sweat pants for two weeks (except when working out) It is amazing how dressing nicely makes you feel better all day long. (sorry maria I haven't yet gotten to wearing dresses and skirts for the fun of it! :) ) Secondly I have sort of started my own business. The Y has agreed to let me use their building for any personal training and I wouldn't have to pay rent or give them any sort of percentage. (i think they feel guilty for what they did to me) So now I am trying to get the word out there that anyone can hire me as a trainer. Right now I have two clients, but I am hoping for more. I made up some business cards and I am looking to run some advertizing in the paper. We will see where it all leads. and thirdly, I am trying my hand at cooking! I am gonna try to make something different every night this week. Tonight it is Fajtia Chicken and Rice!! Well thats all for now..just wanting around to hear if my friend and my cousins are gonna have their babies this week!! I'll keep ya posted!

Forth of July!!

Sorry I have been kind of slacking on posting. Dave went on a trip with the youth group over the 4th, so my sister Joy came and stayed with us. It was a lot of fun, and it was nice to have someone around helping out with the kids! On the 4th we went to 'RiverBoat Days' which is a big carnival in Clinton. It was alright, the best part was the food and watching mud volleyball!!! Here are a few pics from the week. I am posting them all on facebook if you want to see all the pics Joy took.(dave had my camera with him)

A Night Out!!

So last weekend Dave and I went to Louisa and Brian's wedding. It was soooo much fun to see old friends and get away from the girls, if it was only for a little while. Louisa looked absoluty stunning, and I actually cried when I saw her right before the wedding...dang I don't know what got in to me! It was such a great night, and here are some pics for you all to enjoy. Frances and I decided that it is so stupid that we didn;t see eachother for a YEAR!! so heres to keeping in touch better, and making time for old friends in our new lives!!! Congrats Louisa!!!

Birthday pics

Dakota watching everything going on

Blowing out her candles - she actually got one by herself!
YEAH PLAYDOUGH!