we made it through day one :)

Today was a success!  Andy went off to school at St. Martin's University for the first time.  His classes seemed ok (one of his classes only has 7 other people and they meet at a conference table LOL), Sawyer went to "daycare" (a friend who watches a couple other kids) and did well except a blowout (funny how he only does stuff like that at other people's houses like spit up and pee on their floor), I went off to work on my first day spent doing something other than emails aka starting to fix all that went wrong while i was gone, and i almost made it wifey style.  I was about to cook the ravioli and had the sauce going when my show came and i forgot about it being on Mondays so andy had to put the raviolis in the water.  Almost made it. Well, i have 2 years to figure it out! Overall, good day :)

Sounders! X X X

Yesterday (Saturday) i spent the entire day reading Mockingjay. I forgot it was so depressing and of course more people are going to die (especially since its the last in the trilogy). BUT we had a Sounders game. We went with Jill and Nate but our seats werent close. It was such a good game to watch...very crowd-involved.  Freddie Ljungberg was on the other team and everyone booed when he had the ball. I didnt boo because that is a waste and i dont hate him, i'm just glad we traded him since he didnt really do much at all this season besides yell at the refs. This ref was pretty bad though. He called a handball  which resulted in a PK for Chicago that wasnt even a handball- i was sitting right by it. Some guy kicked it at his body and it went out of bounds...it got them a point for no reason! I thought Andy was going to have a heart attack though because he was so angry all game...there were a ton of bad calls.  Montero headed it in literally in the last minute though and we won! We wanted them to score 3 goals because Andy needs a haircut (you get a free one at great clips if they score 3 goals) but i guess a win is good enough haha. On the way home we picked up Beanie from Destiny's and she had given him a bath and now he smells REALLY good. I wonder what soap she uses. Anyway, here are a couple pictures from the day:

My favorite baby items

I thought i'd make a list of my favorite baby items for anyone that has a baby or is planning to have one or more. These are just my opinions.  Feel free to post some of your favorite if you have any i missed :) I will post a picture with descriptions below!

First is the sleep sack. I love them so much i have 5 :)  I first discovered these with Cooper, he lived with us in February so it was cold out.  You arent supposed to let babies sleep with blankets because they can suffocate themselves, but these are little blankets with arms so that doesnt happen. You can put layers underneath as it gets colder, and they fit from age 0-9 months! I also like that if i change him at night i dont have to worry about putting his legs in leg holes like you do in pants- you just zip around them both!

This stroller is sweet. It moves with ease, is about as compact as the typical strollers, turns on a dime (you can push it easily with one hand), it can cover tough terrain because of the tires, and you can jog with it.  If your carseat doesnt fit in it, you can buy the head rests made for carseats and baby fits perfect!

Sawyer doesnt have much control yet, but he still seems to have fun in this when he does end up hitting the toys. I know there are plenty like this, but this one turns into a tunnel for toddlers to crawl through too.

We have two of these cannisters. You put the amount of formula baby takes in each section, then when it is time to eat you pop the circle tab and pour it in.  We first only used it for travel, but now we have enough for a day's worth.  We fill the bottles up with the right amount of water after they have been washed, put the formula in the tubs, and we are set for 6 bottles!  This is especially convenient at night and we just leave this and the bottles on my nightstand for when he wakes up hungry in the AM.

This is just a normal kitchen tub made for sugar or flour, but we found we can buy the cheaper formula that comes in a box (not a can) and just put it in here to be fresh.

These are just small packets of formula.  These are good to keep in your car, diaper bag (a permanent one in addition to the cannisters), at grandmas, anywhere you frequent that you might find yourself staying longer than you had planned.  I also keep water bottles in the car for this or if i get thirsty :)

This Brita filter is nice because it was hard to get the water to a comfortable temperature at a short amount of time. Babies prefer room temperature bottles unless you get them used to warm or cold ones (they give you room temp ones at the hospital) and frankly it is more convenient to have them used to room temp.  We keep this on the counter for an emergency bottle or for our own thirst

Bottle drier.  This one has little holes for the Dr. Browns bottles tubes and disks. I also like this bottle brush (the nipple brush pulls out of the bottom) and the dishwasher case on the right for when bottle wash time is the same as dishwasher time.  All of them are munchkin brand. The drier sticks fold down flat.

This is more for a little bit older kids, but i've used it. It is a hair rinser for the bathtub. It is easier to use than a normal cup because the green is flexible and shapes to their head so the soap doesnt run into their eyes.

I love this whale tub because it is cute (the whale even has eyes), and the little stopper in the middle prevents baby from sliding into the bottom.  It is removable for when baby gets old enough to sit (then again they are old enough to just sit in the sink at that age lol.

Cloth diapers are great. Not for their bums, but for everything else!  You can use it as a burp cloth, wipe up messes they make, clean your house (from dusting to scrubbing)...my mom still has them from when we were babies.

This bouncy chair is the best. It goes down low enough so that we dont have to strap him in like a lot of other brands (until he is old and can get out), doesnt put pressure on his crotch because of the strap since all the pressure is on his back, buzzes at a comfortable rate (my mom's is ridiculous), comes with an arch to dangle some matching toys, and looks good for both genders.  It is a good place to put baby because they can just fall asleep and it is very movable so you can put it near your bathroom if you think they will wake up when you're in the shower.

The boppy!  This is multi-useful.  You can wrap it around your waist and it is the perfect level to feed them whether you are bottle or breastfeeding (i dont have experience with the later but i've read these are great).  You can lean them on it when they are small and it props them up a little bit so they can see (i put sawyer in this and he can watch me get ready in the morning), and it helps babies learn how to sit up.  I particularly like this boppy cover- it is pottery barn and is the softest but durable fabric and is worth the little extra money.  You can even get their names embroidered on it.

Button-up outfits. It is easy to get them in and out, and if they make a mess out of their diaper, you arent pulling that mess over their head!

This pack n play with the attached bassinet (bottom).  The changing table is plastic so any time they pee it is just caught in a little easy-to-wipe-up puddle.  If they #2, you just wipe it up.  It holds a ton of diapers and a box of wipes on the sides.  The bassinet is perfect for small babies...It comes with a vibration and sounds (including songs and nature sounds) and when they outgrow it you can move them to the bed in its top position and the vibrator can attach to that too.  When they are even older, you can move it down and use it as a play pen.  This is GREAT for babies that you want in your room until they are a bit older and move into their cribs in another room. You can get this at target.  Only like 2 come with the basinett though and it is worth it.

Diaper Genie!  This is great because it keeps all the smells in and holds a ton of diapers before you need to change it.  You just lift the lid, push the diaper under the flap and its gone!

Light Cotton Blanket.  This is great because in the summer it can get hot.  Babies tend to sleep better and be calmed by being swaddled, but you dont want a thick blanket if it is hot.  This is the same as a thin t-shirt material.  I also recently used it to keep the sun off his legs in the stroller, but not make him hot.

These fuzzy blankets can be found at target. My sister in law has every single pattern for Cooper they are that great (she has like 8 of them).  They are so soft and warm and are perfect for cold days.  You can keep washing them and they stay SUPER soft!

All free and clear is free of anything irritating like scent.  This is cheaper than Dreft (the baby detergent) and Dreft still has scent in it so it still might irritate some babies. It is great for anyone with sensitive skin also.

Graco Snugride 35 carseat.  I love this for 3 reasons: 1. Most carseats (including the normal Snugride) only hold babies up to 22 lbs.  Babies have to face backwards until they are one year old, and lots of babies weigh more than 22 lbs before they turn one.  SO many people have to buy another new carseat to use before they turn one, but this is safe for babies up to 35 lbs.  It is a little heavier because of this, but not a big deal. 2. The pattern is cute for a boy or girl, and you can just change the color of their blanket to tell strangers what gender baby is, and we dont have to get a new one if we have a girl next. 3. The best thing is that little cord coming out the front.  You put baby in and pull that cord and it tightens the straps.  You push the button (by where the hole the cord goes into) and it loosens the straps so you can pull baby out. SOOO many carseats adjust in the back so you just have to leave it loose enough to get them in and out, but not loose enough to do it easily. Definitely worth the extra money!!!  I will add that it is also easy to get in and out of the base(you just pull the red latch), but i dont have experience with other carseats so i am sure they have similar easy contraptions. The crack for the belt to use if you dont have a base isnt too bad either.


Ok so those are my favorite baby items so far.  I have definitely got a good idea after only 2 months, and thank everyone for the suggestions on some of these things!  I am always open for more tricks, so let me know if you have something!

birth story (since we are always asked)

I know it has been two months, but we didnt have a blog then. Since so many people ask for it, and it is still fresh in my memory (as much as the whirlwind of a day can be) i will post it to remember. Here is the exciting 3 hour story lol.

It was about 10:30 in the morning. I was 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant. We were laying in bed watching the world cup on a sunday morning.  I felt a pop like how it feels when you pop a bone. It kind of felt like he kicked me really hard. I had plenty of those, but the pop was a little weird (later our sister in law said it was probably my pelvis or something). Oh well. I stood up for some reason or another and felt like i was wetting my pants. I heard that could happen to pregnant women so i told andy "i gotta go to the bathroom" and ran to the toilet (a whopping 15 feet away). It had stopped. I checked the damages and found goo. Anyone informed about pregnancy knows about the "mucus plug". I assumed that is what had happened since it hadnt even gone through to my pants, and the water breaking stories i've heard would definitely wet your pants and possibly the floor. I figured what i had was just a side effect of the mucus plug. I pulled out my "what to expect when you're expceting book" and it said it can happen a few weeks before your baby is coming. Sounds about right- he was due in a little over 2 weeks.

Slowly though, i started feeling this constant pain that was really low. It was kind of getting worse so i took a shower. Still there. Mom called as it was father's day and we needed to know the plan. I told her my situation and basically she said that she remembered contractions being her whole stomach contracting, and i just had a really low pressure feeling, but pain isnt a good thing so call the doctor to be safe.

The doctor didnt answer. Awesome. I guess i'll be fine. Oh wait, i got ahead of myself, that is the doctor now.  He was some guy on call i had never met but as i started to tell him what was going on, he interrupted me and said to just go to the hospital to get checked out to be safe. I told Andy. "Do i have time to take a shower?" umm i guess? He got in the shower and i dried/straightened my hair and put makeup on.

We were all ready to go. "Should i bring the carseat?" andy asked. "Umm no, but we should bring the phone charger in case we have to stay.  I had heard of so many people going in thinking they were in labor and just sent home, and i didnt even think i was. However, i thought something might be wrong and knew i might have to stay if it was.  Plus, the carseat was still in the box.  We werent due for 2 weeks, and everyone kept saying over and over "the first one comes late and labor lasts a lot longer".

It started to hurt more on the way to the hospital. Some times more than others- contractions were starting to arrive. I thought they were supposed to appear a long time before, and be able to time them. This wasnt the case at all. We got to the labor and delivery (luckily on a drive the day before we decided to swing by to see where it was for when the time came) and the lady says "have you pre-registered? Ummmm what? No, we just need to get checked out because i'm in pain. She was young. An older nurse brought me a wheel chair and said i could go lay on a bed and we'd sign papers there.

In the room, nobody came for at least like 10 minutes, then the young girl appeared with papers for me to sign. I said "can't he sign them?" she said no. It hurt and i didnt care what i was signing. "Cant someone come look at me now?" She said "oh yeah i'll find someone".  A nurse finally came in.  She "checked me" to see if i was dilated. "When did you say the pain started? An hour or two ago? I think you are dilated to a 5, its hard to tell, but youre definitely having a baby today."  Uhhhh what???? She asked if i wanted an epidural. YES! She said she'd go get it set up right away and have someone else check since it was hard to tell. Andy went to call my mom and she said call back when i was at a 7 because my grandparents were on their way over.  The next lady came in and said "um, you're at an 8! i'll let you digest this now: you're not getting an epidural and we need to call the doctor now"  I looked at andy and said "i cant do that" and started to cry. I was so scared! He went to call my mom and told her the situation. She left immediately.

The nurses started bringing in all the equipment and i was getting scared, not to mention i was in really bad pain, made worse by the monitors they strapped to me. They kept telling me to breathe, but it was impossible to get a breath in, especially with a monitor strapped around me. I physically couldnt breathe in more than little pants. Suddenly i had to push, and i told them that. They said to wait for the doctor. I told them i couldnt. They said try your hardest. I literally was crossing my legs like you do when you try not to pee but you really have to go but you can feel it start. I thought he was going to slip out!  I asked the nurse if she could catch him. "I can, but i really shouldnt and would rather not, the doctor is almost here"  "ooh shes in the parking lot, 15 seconds!"  Suddenly Dr. Knowles runs through the door sweating, dives into her outfit, and puts out her hands. Well funny, even though the contractions were like every 30 seconds, it was an off time.  We wait a few more. Ok now i get to push!

A few contractions of pushing later (probably 3?) which i admit i was so scared of him coming out i kind of stopped when i felt him get close, and she said he is losing oxygen and i need to get him out next time or they will vacuum him out. Uh oh. Meanwhile i keep telling andy not to watch but he said he cant avoid it because he was holding my right leg lol. The next contraction came a few seconds later and i made sure he came out. Andy goes "LOOK LOOK! HES HERE" and i looked and there was a floppy pale baby at 1:45pm. "LOOOK!" Geez andy, i know. He made a little crying noise. They took the floppy thing and rubbed him in the blanket really quick and set him on my stomach.  He just sat there looking at me. He was all warm and a stranger and i didnt know what to do with him! He didnt cry or anything, just stared at me. It was so weird.

They took him and said "do you have a camera?"  UHHHH NO. We ran out the door. OH we have a camera phone. Andy cut the cord (which was really really short and the reason he was losing oxygen was because it was getting stretched out as he moved down) So we got a pic of her weighing him. 7lbs, 6oz. As I got stitched up (a product of him coming so fast) andy went out to see my mom and destiny & cooper. "He's here!"  They were shocked. He came back in to see me and after i finished getting stitched in came my mom, destiny and cooper, and my dad and grandma and grandpa. It was weird that i had just done all that and they just come in to meet him. I felt weird but they said i didnt even look like i had a baby. I guess it was only an hour or two from the time i had put my make up on to the time he came out.

We had christine bring our carseat, some outfits, camera, and that type of thing.  I can't believe we went from watching soccer in our bed with nothing going on to having a baby in 3 hours.  They said the next babies come faster so i'm going to have to move into the hospital a month before my due date lol. They kept asking over and over "you said this was your first?"  I dont lie ladies! Jeez. :( They also kept asking "youre sure your water didnt break?" and i told them again my little bathroom story before. Again, i'm not lying! They said i'm a baby machine and can have 12 more. Um, no thanks.

EEK- work!

I start work tomorrow! I am only working until one until sept 20th though. Well, that was my plan anyway. As the doctor bills file in and the fact that we pay the babysitter $20 a day, i might want to work longer to make it worth it as time goes on. If i'm only working for 4 hours, and it costs me an hour and fifteen minutes to pay for the babysitter, i dont think i am bringing home much for the day lol.  I am excited because i went in again and i remembered how fun it is to go to work, but EVERYONE (including my boss who covered my job when i was gone) keeps saying "wait until you see the mess of paperwork you have to fix" BOOO. I decided i will probably just spend all of tomorrow reading emails (i DO have 2 months worth) and see what happens. Also depressing- my work clothes do not fit like they used to...eek.

In other news today, i went on a walk with Sawyer and my friend Jordan today. It was 85 degrees, no shade anywhere. We walked from Meridian and Stewart, to our old house, then back. That is like 3 miles, so Andy says (he used to run that). We were DYING. She only had a scone for breakfast, and i had one bowl of cheerios at 10am. It was 4:00 when we went. Worst walk ever- i still feel sick! I was hoping for a tree or something but there were only like 3 little (i mean little) spots the whole trip. Note to self: only walk in forresty trails in hot weather....and bring 2 water bottles. I'm glad sawyer was fine!

Dr. appointment

Today was Sawyer's 2 month appointment, which means SHOTS :( The doctor came in and looked at him, weighed, and measured him.  He is doing very well. He is in the 95th percentile in height (24.5 inches), and 75th percentile in weight (12lbs 10oz) apparently bigger is better when it comes to babies, or so they told me.  She put him on his tummy to see how he does with his head and he really impressed them. She said he is showing really good strength and control for a 2 month old that it was more like a 4 month old :) I was relieved because his head is HUGE so i thought he might have some issues with that, haha.  Then it came time for shots :( He was just laying down looking all happy and wiggling around when the nurse stabbed his leg. He jumped a mile, then proceeded to let out the biggest, longest, red-faced cry i have ever heard. As in one "wahh" lasted like 10 seconds before he took a breath. She had time to stab him 2 more times in that first "wahhh". He "wahhh"ed two more times (short ones), then realized it didnt hurt anymore and completely turned to normal. I felt really bad, but i was laughing so hard because the way he jumped when she first poked him was just hilarious. Call me a bad mother, but if you were there i think you would have laughed too. It was also funny how he was super angry, and turned completely normal in seconds. I'm glad thats over though. The baby next door was screaming too and i said "sounds like someone else is getting shots too". The nurse said "no, she's just crying for the doctor right now, but she has them coming. Be relieved yours didnt cry like that before the shots."  I think Sawyer just likes other people- i dont think anyone else has heard him cry.

Drowsy baby after the shots- check out the band-aids :)

Meanwhile, i've been thinking about nurses lately. When i was at Good Sam having Sawyer, and when he had his surgery at Mary Bridge, the nurses were the nicest people i have ever met! I have heard horror stories of people with bad experiences of rude people in the hospital, but in my 2 encounters, they were awesome.  They always made sure all of us were comfortable and had whatever we needed: bringing extra blankets when we had to sleep on the floor, shower supplies, making sure all of our questions were answered, responding immediately when we called...It makes me wonder if they have been trained so well in that profession that they have learned to be so nice, or if really nice people just have the natural want to take care of people and went into nursing.  I would just like to thank any nurses and say that i am very impressed that they can see people in the worst circumstances and still be so nice and friendly and positive :)

Random thoughts

I had a bunch of random thoughts today, so i am wondering if i can remember them all to post. Here is my attempt :)

-I went into work today to pay for andy's phone (we have to pay for the internet, only the minutes are free on his phone) and everyone was surprised i was going to be back this week.  I looked at the schedule, and it still had "baby" listed for my schedule for awhile. I stopped and thought "Hey, i dont have to come back already- they havent even planned for me" but then i realized that isnt really a good way to go. My paid leave runs out this week, and it would be too hard to try the one-income thing after these hospital bills keep rolling in.  There are good things and bad things about it. The bad thing is, i have to drive Beanie to his babysitter/daycare/whatever everyday.  We have to pay (though not a ton), use up time and gas, and he isnt with us for most of the day.  I would think it will start to get sad seeing him do things without either of us there this is a big negative, but i am encouraging myself with all the good things about me going back to work: he will meet other baby friends at Megan's, we will have a lot more money, good and very cheap insurance, i will get adult conversations in all day (it has been hard enough being with just a baby all day), and work is actually pretty fun.  As i was leaving, Ernie (my co-worker) said "Its been a mess without you, you definitely have your work cut out for you when you get back". Uh-oh. At least its good to feel needed.

-Bean and i went on a walk with "aunt Julie" today and it was fun. I love going on walks and having people to go with!

-Andy starts school again on monday. He is SO excited. It has taken him forever, but he wasnt really encouraged like a lot of us to attend school. In his family it was mostly "go on a mission after high school, and that's all that matters, and we dont really talk about beyond that"...well i guess until you get married in the temple...OOPS...lol well we missed that second one. But he has decided to be an English teacher and is really excited about it. He is just a bit depressed that it took so long, and now our family has to make sacrifices.  I cant blame him though, the troubles to why it took so long were mostly financial, and i had parents that offered to pay tuition for me and i know i was lucky. I am just happy he is finally doing something he wants with his life and is excited for and will make a difference in other people's lives. I am sad that he will be gone all day (he goes to school in the morning, and works until the evening). I think we will survive though. Maybe i can learn to cook and have dinner for him when he gets home :)

-I am going to have a really hard time getting up for work.  My schedule has moved so that i go to bed at midnight-one ish and wake up at like 11am. I'm going to have to get up to take Bean out to Megan's at like 7:30....ugh.

-I cant believe how so many people can be so crafty.  Not that i dont have it in me, but i went to buy some paper to write thank-you notes on and each piece of paper for scrapbooking is $.80-$1.50 for a piece of paper. All of the supplies and cute little cut out shapes were really pricey too! Like as in $5 for a sheet of stickers.  I dont get how people who have time to do all this (meaning they probably dont have jobs because it is very time consuming) can afford to do so many projects. Lucky!

-I am kind of sad that i wont have time to go to the gym now that andy is doing the work/school thing. Well i know i can still go really early in the morning, but i just wanted to do Zumba, and all the classes start between 5-8:00 and he wont be home to watch the baby by then :( I was kind of looking forward to doing that again after i didnt have an enormous stomach.

-We are SOO lucky to have a baby that doesnt cry. I mean he is capable of it, and does if we dont give him a bottle when he is hungry within a few minutes, but otherwise he doesnt. Yesterday he decided to, and he just did now...and he isnt hungry. I am afraid he is going to start.  I dont want him to be one to keep me up at night. As it is now, he just wakes up to eat for 10 minutes, then falls back asleep for a few more hours until it is time to eat again. He does that until 11am or later.

-Bean has graduated from his bassinet in the pack-and-play, to sleeping on the actual floor of it (in its highest position). He is growing up so fast lol. I still dont have the heart to move him into his bedroom though. Maybe when he doesnt have to eat as often.

-So i had ZERO stretch marks when my stomach was huge, but now a while after i have done a LOT of shrinking, i found a couple on my side and i am very angry about them.  I dont know why they didnt show up when i was actually stretched out! If they were there, I would have known. I used to search daily for any hint of one.  At least it wasnt that bad. I attribute my lucky stomach to my daily moisturizing of it, and my young and still-elasticy skin.

Ok, i think that is most of them. I am tired now and andy already went to bed. Thanks for anyone who actually read all of that! LOL

Lazy

I want to make the most of my last weekend before i head back to work, but sometimes doing nothing is nice.  Jenna came over today and we went to Red Robin (as we do everytime we hang out) and then we went to the park.  We just hung out at home all day until meeting with the Webbs for Red Robin part 2 at 10:30pm.

They love each other here :)

Sleepy time

This is the only pic we were all facing forward and we all look funny

Jenna's attempt to feed him while walking...check out his leg placement LOL

Erik's last day

Erik goes back to WSU tomorrow after a short summer.  He got home from WSU, had 2 weeks of summer, went to the research project he got accepted into at Georgia Tech for like 8 weeks, came home for 2 more weeks of summer, then goes back.  They managed to get married before the people did a home visit to see if it was suitable to adopt Cooper and it went well. We hung out for the last time at my parents house today.

Andy, Erik, and my dad ping-ponging in the backyard

Cooper's a gangster (sawyer in the background)

Look at my pretty boy eyelashes :)

Cooper and Sawyer

Cooper, Erik, and Destiny (she wasn't mad at me lol she just looked up at a funny time)

8/19

Today we went to get clothes from Destiny since they were cleaning out the house- the adoption people had to do a "home visit." It was a lot of clothes...pretty sure he is set until he is out of 12 mo clothing:

All that stuff was Cooper's (the floor was clear before)

Sawyer helped by watching

Then we went for a walk at the park by Rogers. I didnt do my hair today.

We matched orange today :)

    

Then we got home and Beanie got a bath finally! We had to wait 2 weeks after we left the hospital so his wounds didnt get infected.

He got to wear his dino-jammies

With dino-feet!

Then we went to my parents to watch the Sounders game since we dont have Fox Soccer Channel. Beanie just played in my mom's baby gym monkey thing. He doesnt look amused, does he?

August 18th 2010

Sawyer had his check-up appointment with the surgeon today and he is great! No more tape on his tummy, and best of all, no more throwing up! She said she is a happy surgeon :) He weighs 12 lbs now which the doctors are very happy with.

We got home and took a nap. (We had to wake up at 8 for the appointment and we normally sleep until 11.) I kept Bean in his seat since he looked snuggly enough and i didnt want to wake him up. I took my spot on the couch.  About a half hour later, my mom calls because she wants to bring something over.  I tell her we are sleeping so she decides to come over later. I get ready to fall back asleep when i hear shouting next door. UGH. This guy screams at his kids 24/7 which is sad because they are like 3 yr old twins and an 8 yr old (guesses).  This time though, it was his ex. It went on for 20 minutes! What i got out of it was that one of the kids threw a tantrum and the ex blamed him for it because SHE NEVER ACTS THIS WAY AT MY HOUSE! After about 15 minutes of GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE! It was getting too much. They started throwing stuff outside and the guy yells at the kids YOU ARENT SEEING DADDY FOR A LONG FUCKING TIME AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED! I'm about to call the cops. The guy slams the door and the lady is pounding on it and says YOU STILL HAVE MY STUFF! NICOLE, CALL THE COPS BACK AND TELL THEM HE WONT LET ME GET MY STUFF. Hmmm i guess i dont have to call them. Nice of her to stick the kids in the middle of it.  The screams continue for about another 10 minutes about how he better not break her stuff or he's going to jail, and him saying to get out of his house, then stop. I think she is gone, but i realize a cop starts banging on the door. It takes forever for him to open because he thought it was his ex. The cop came with a camera crew...apparently they are filming a documentary but the guy says he isnt signing a consent form. I call my mom and have her come now because i didnt want to be alone.  The cops find out the situation (they are separating but he has been using her stuff still) and let her go get all her stuff out.  Lucky for us, it is all on our lawn because it doesnt fit in her car! UGH. Stupid duplexes. I hope she comes back to get it. I heard the guy say "take the money you owe me and rent a u-haul" Hopefully it is gone soon.

On a slightly better note, i learned how to do a few edits for pictures. I am not pro yet, but i am learning. I had no idea it was so complicated to do things like this: