Jess's Wedding

You know ...

Sometimes I wonder how I make it through my day without punching someone in the face ...

Yuck

Well, we are all sick. It started with Emily. She started getting sick a couple of weeks ago. Nothing serious, mostly just a runny nose. But since she didnt feel good, she would only sleep if I held her all night. She sucks her two middle fingers when she is tired/sleeps, and through the night she would take her fingers out of her mouth and put them in mine. Yes, it is even more gross than it sounds. So I started getting sick, Dave doesnt feel good AND Sarah is sick. She was running a fever of about 102 last night, but she is doing better this morning. I on the other hand, feel absolutely horrible today. I am just praying I make it though work so I can go home any rest.

Fairly uneventful weekend. The girls got some new shoes on Saturday. They both needed shoes for the winter. Emily got her first pair of shoes. They are the same first shoes Sarah got (the pink and white K-Swiss). Danville doesnt have a lot of options in infant shoes. Sarah got two pairs. The first pair, her daddy picked out. They are hot pink Converse high tops and they are adorable! They arent very practical for everyday use, however, so she also got a pair of Nikes w/ velcro. We prefer New Balance, but again, we didnt have a lot of options.

Emily also got a new car seat (finally!). She is officially out of the baby seat and now in her big girl car seat. She is so cute - I will definitely have to get a pic of both girls sitting in their big girl seats and put it on here.

Yesterday we had Mary's baby shower. She had a good time and got lots of adorable gifts. I think I am finally done with showers for a couple of months. But soon I will have Jessica's, Theresa's and Sandy's. Lots of work, but totally worth it.

Our weekend

Well the Chef's Auction is finally over. In spite of few minor glitches and the evil old lady who runs the banquet center at Turtle Run, it went off pretty well. We didnt raise as much money as I would have hoped, but something is better than nothing. Hopefully if we have the event in Danville again next year, we can raise at least twice as much. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the March of Dimes.

Friday was a boring day. I went to work and then came home and just relaxed - for the first time in a long time. I can't begin to explain how busy we have been the past few weeks. It was nice to just lay around and then go to bed early.

Saturday started off on a sad note. Kristi's grandma passed away last Wednesday and Saturday was the funeral. It was a beautiful service to honor a beautiful lady. I am glad that I had the opportunity to know her. And more than that, I am honored that the Noggle/Burress family has allowed me to not only be their friend, but to be a part of their family. They are a large and close family and they may never know how blessed I feel to be a part of that. When you dont have much family of your own, you never take for granted being a part of what they have.

Saturday night was much lighter. Dan and Gail and Doug and Sandy joined Dave and I for my birthday dinner at 88 Broadway. If you havent been, I highly reccomend it. We had fondue and a few drinks and enjoyed the show. Dave and Doug had fun before we even left - here is a picture of them. Sometimes I wonder ...

Happy ... nevermind

I went to the Pick Your Purse Party last night. I took my mom. We had only been there about 5 minutes when they gave away the first door prize ... and my mom won! She won a $100 gift card to Meijer. Unfortunately, niether of us won the purse. What a bummer - you all know how I love a Coach!! But mom was nice enough (or maybe I just nagged her enough) to share her gift card with me. We went to Meijer after the show and bought presents for everyone. Mine was 4 bottles of wine (which is fine cause the only thing that I like almost as much as Coach is alcohol!).

Well, I woke up this morning and it was my birthday! But then on my way to work, I got some really sad news. Krisiti's grandma passed away at 3:20 this morning. I am very sad for her. "Mammal" as they call her is/was a very sweet lady and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Potty Update

Sarah did not want to wear a pull-up to bed last night, so we let her wear underwear. Not only did she not pee her bed (or our), but she went potty this morning and was still dry when daddy took her to daycare. She is a super big girl and I am super proud.

Tonight I am going to Champaign with my mom. I won tickets to the 94.5 "Pick Your Purse Party." Wouldnt it be awesome if I won the Coach purse? It is my birthday eve - and I do love a good Coach!

We are on the home stretch for the Chef's Auction. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped and or donated. I think we are going to have a fantastic event on our hands this year. I'll let you know how things go. Only two more days!

The good, the bad ...

We had a good weekend. I think it is safe to say that Sarah is officially potty trained (other than a pull up at night). She even wears underwear for her nap. We are so proud of her!

The Cubs clinched! Enough said.

We are still rushing around to try and get ready for the the Chef's Auction. There are just a lot of last minute things we have to do. The auction is Thursday. I hope all of you who can come out and see us. It will be fun and for a good cause.

Just a friendly reminder - Wednesday is my birthday. I will be 21.

I also went to a bachelorette party this weekend (here is a picture of the bride from dinner - congratulations, Kami!). We went to Indianapolis and had dinner at Buca, and then went to a show at Crackers. It was lots of fun! Then we went next door to Tiki Bobs and drank too much. And something really weird happened that night - I ran into a girl that I went to school with in the third and fourth grade - how weird?? Now we are myspace friends.

Now for the bad ... my best friend called me this morning with some very sad news. Her grandma has been in the hospital since Wednesday and is probably not going to make it. It breaks my heart on so many levels. Kristi is pregnant with her first child, and I know she would give anything to make sure her grandmother could see her. Also, I have been best friends with Kristi for a long time and I think I can safely say I am considered part of her family - I know I consider them mine. I love her grandma as if she were my own. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Please Join Us!

Next week is the Danville Signature Chef's Auction to benefit the March of Dimes. Here is an article from the Commercial News about the Auction (with a few quotes from me, of course!). It will be an awesome event, and just by purchasing a ticket or bidding on an item, you will be helping to save babies!

Cooking for a cause
Area chefs gather for March of Dimes eventBY BARBARA GREENBERG

DANVILLE — The youngest and tiniest of people have been able to count on the March of Dimes for 70 years, and so have their parents.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, stricken with polio himself, helped establish the organization to prevent the disease from afflicting others. With the support of the March of Dimes, Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine that prevents the disease.

According to Kristina Oncken-Cortez, community director for the organization in the Champaign area, the March of Dimes next focused its attention on birth defects, including encouraging increased consumption of folic acid as a preventative measure.

The group also raised awareness about the dangers to the embryo of pregnant mothers smoking and drinking. Today, the emphasis is on decreasing premature births.

Twelve local chefs from some of Danville’s best known restaurants will join with the March of Dimes to continue raising funds for this cause.They will offer samples for the dinner portion of the fourth annual March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction as well as items for the live auction.

David Quick, one of those chefs, will provide hundreds of slices of his restaurant Charlotte’s chocolate Bavarian torte cake prior to the auction.“It’s one of our customers’ favorite desserts,” Quick said. “I challenge people to guess the secret ingredient in the chocolate.”Quick’s restaurant also will donate a prize package of one whole cake or pie a month.

Shirley Sloop and Lisa Burke, Signature Chefs Auction co-chairs, have amassed a long list of local chefs and auction items. Those participating include: Applewood Foods Catering, California Catering, Country Time Catering, County Market, Crave Espresso Bar, Fat Boys Subs, Green Jade, La Potosina, Mustard’s Last Stand, Provena United Samaritans Medical Center and Turtle Run Banquet Center. The event will be at Turtle Run.

Good food may call for champagne during the evening. Downtown Diamond and Pawn will sponsor a champagne diamond raffle, which includes a raffle ticket with the purchase of a glass of champagne. The winning ticket brings with it a 40 point brilliant cut diamond valued at $1,500.

Packages available in the auction portion of the evening include weekend getaways, season tickets to local arts groups’ performances, sports-themed items and even a beach party.

One family each year serves as the March of Dimes Ambassadors in the area. The Pettigrews of Danville will fill that role. They are eternally grateful for the group’s help for their daughter Sarah, who was born eight weeks premature.

“Her birth was my introduction to everything,” Alicia Pettigrew said. “Not just being a mom, but the whole experience of a premature birth.”

Pettigrew explained that she and her husband planned to deliver their first child at Provena Covenant in Champaign to be safe.“There’s no high level NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) in Danville,” she said.

“We didn’t even know she’d be premature. When she was, we didn’t know that we would be allowed to stay in the hospital as long as she stayed. We were in the room right there for 11 days,” she said.“Sarah was just fine by then, and we were all able to go home. She’s been fine ever since,” Pettigrew added.

Sloop, a veteran Provena United Samaritans Medical Center nurse, said, “When I first started working (in this field), a baby born at seven months would have survived, but he or she would have been handicapped.”

Having experiences like that, or just hearing about them, make people grateful for the gains made thanks to the support of the March of Dimes.

Oncken-Cortez said, “Sixty percent of the money raised stays in Vermilion County. The other 40 percent goes to research, so essentially, it’s coming back here, too.”

IF YOU GO

The March of Dimes will present its Signature Chefs Auction at 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at Turtle Run Golf & Banquet Center. For sponsorships and ticket information, call 359-3730.

Now THIS is the cutest thing I have EVER seen ...

The girls' pictures are now posted. I had to fight back tears looking at how grown up Sarah is. To see the pics, go to www.smcduffee.com, scroll down the page until you come to Pettigrew and then click on the link. The password is pettigrew08. Tell me what you think!

Exciting News

Well, I have been dying to write about a couple of things - and now that they are no longer secrets, I finally can! Two of my BESTEST friends are having babies - and I found out about both of them on the same day!!

Last Wednesday, my friend Theresa called me to tell me she is pregnant. She and her husband had been trying for a long time, and I was so excited when she told me that I cried. The only bad part is that she is living in Tennessee now, so I dont get to be there with her while she goes through everything. I told her that she had to give me all the details - even the nasty ones!

Here is a picture of baby Fitzsimmons - I think it is a girl and it looks just like Theresa!

Then Wednesday night, my friend Sandy told me she was pregnant! She and her husband had also been trying for a long time. Luckily, Sandy only lives about 2 blocks away from me, so I will get to be around more with her.

I cannot tell you how happy I am for both of my friends. They are wonderful people and will make fantastic moms - and now I think I'm gonna cry again!

I've been tagged by Jen

1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?
I was still living at home with my parents, dating Dave (the current Dave, not the former) and bartending at the Barrel. Basically, a whole lot of nothin'!

What are five things on your to-do list for today?
1. Go to work (done)
2. Make a veggie tray
3. Go to VCM picnic
4. Play with my babies
5. Take a nap

What are five snacks you enjoy? (Should be what are five snacks I don't enjoy ...)
1. Cheese
2. Ice Cream
3. chocolate (just about any)
4. beef jerky
5. cheesey poofs

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?-
1. Open my own Gymboree store
2. Give LOTS to charity (especially March of Dimes and Ronald McDonald House)
3. Buy important stuff for thost important to me
4. "Take Care" of my children's futures
5. Hire a live-in nanny (an old lady, not a hot young thing for my husband to enjoy)

What are five of your bad habits?
1. biting my nails
2. eating junk food
3. cursing (like a sailor)
4. my soap opera
5. shopping

What are five places where you have lived?
1. North Vernon, IN
2. Indianapolis, IN
3. Lafayette, TN
4. Edwardsville, IL
5. Danville, IL

What are five jobs you've had?
1. Abercrombie and Fitch girl
2. Bartender
3. Project Manager for a publshing house
4. Maintenance Management Coordinator for Walgreens Help Center
5. Service Technician for Time-O-Matic

Five people I tag: Kayte, Jennifer and anyone else who wants to do it. I don't know that many people with blogs!

Quite Possibly the Cutest Thing I Have Ever Seen

You'll have to excuse the poor quality (it was taken on a camera phone) but this picture is adorable. Sarah found mommy's pink glasses ...

Long Time No See

Wow - I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last entry! Time flies when you are super busy. Kristi's baby showers are finally over. That was a lot of work, but it was fun. I am so happy for her and Beau and I can't wait for baby Maitlyn Rebecca (Dawn) to get here! Now it is time to start working on the baby shower for my sister-in-law. Her baby boy will be here around the same time as Maitlyn. We are super excited about meeting him too!

We also went to Summer Slam a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who don't know, that is wrestling (yes, there is a little redneck in all of us!). We went with Jill and John Lubinski and had a fabulous time. We went to dinner at Buca, went to the show, had a few drinks afterward and then stayed in Indy for the night. It was a lot of fun. Thanks for going with us, guys!

I spent most of last week in Green Bay. It was my first time there. I was there for work, so I didnt do too much. Did a little shopping at the mall, bought some cheese and beer (of course), saw Lambeau Field, and worked a lot. It was a good trip - even though I missed my family like crazy and it was a loooong drive.

We went to Bloomington over the weekend. Our friend Chris turned 30 and his wonderul girlfriend, Laura, threw him a surprise birthday party. It was a lot of fun and we were very happy to be able to help Chris celebrate. On a side note, we decided to stay overnight in Bloomington Saturday night and had made reservations at the Holiday Inn Express. We got there to check in around midnight. When we got up to our room, I noticed that there was a do not disturb sign on the door. I used the key and opened the door anyways and there were beer bottles on the bathroom sink and it looked like there was someone in the bed! We went back down to the front desk and they had no idea what was going on. After about 15 minutes, they finally just upgraded our room and let us go to bed. We found out the next morning that the room just never got cleaned. It was a pretty funny experience.

Emily started her new daycare yesterday. She is now going to Laurie's house with Sarah. We are so happy. Sarah is so much happier and relaxed, which of course makes us happier. She doesnt even cry when we drop her off anymore. And she loves that Emily is going with her now. She really loves her baby sister. And we love Laurie and are so very happy to have found such a great person to take care of our girls while we work.

Emily also went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago. She weighed in at a whopping 16.5 lbs! I always think she is super fat when I see her, but I punched her weight into a growth calculator and turns out she is in the 48th percentile for weight. But remember, all I have to compare her to is my tiny little Sarah Joy!

This weekend I am having a rummage sale with my friend Somer. We have TONS of stuff - especially kids stuff. Girls and boys both, so if you have kids or know someone who does, you should definitely come by. I will by so happy when it is over. Rummage sales are a lot more work than you realize.

Also, dont forget that next weekend is the charity rummage for our friend Debbie who has ovarian cancer. I am not sure where they are holding it, but I will post more info when I have it.

We have also been spending lots of time and energy helping prepare for the March of Dimes Chef's Auction. It will be here before we know it! It will be Thursday, September 25th ( the day after my birthday!) at Turtle Run Banquet Center. I believe we have 13 participating Chef's this year and TONS of items up for auction. Thank you to all who have donated and PLEASE come out and join us for the event. Let me know if you want some more information. It will be a lot of fun and, as always, you will be saving babies.

Hopefully the girls are getting their pictures taken this weekend. They are supposed to go on Sunday. I tried confirming with the photographer and I haven't heard back yet. Hopefully she hasn't forgotten about us.

Here are a couple of pics of the girls that Dave sent me on my phone when I was in Wisconsin. They aren't the greatest quality, but they are still adorable!

Sorry for the long entry. I will try and not go so long between entries next time so you dont have to waste so much time catching up on our lives!!

Randomness

I don't think I ever realized how boring my life had become until I started this blog! Oh well. It might be boring, but I am very happy.

Sarah started her new daycare yesterday. She was upset when Dave left (she kept saying "please don't leave me daddy") but Laurie said she only cried for about 3 minutes or so. She was pretty quiet all day. She carried around her cup and a stuffed Barney all day. She is just so shy - she will warm up. I think she is going to be happy here. Just a few more weeks and Emily can start too. Whew!

Last night was award night for the kids run. Sarah was very excited to get her trophy. We ran all 7 races this year! She was laughing out loud all the way home. She kept saying her trophy was funny. She carried it around most of the night. Next year we will have two little girls with trophies!

Thursday is Jacob's birthday. It's hard to believe that he is going to be four years old!

I am planning another big fundraiser. A guy I work with has Leukemia and we have been working on a "Ladies Night" to benefit him. We are going to have several different vendors (Mary Kay, Partylite, Pampered Chef, etc.) at the Java Hut on September 15 from 5-7. A portion of all purchases made that night will go to benefit him and his family. We will also have several prizes to raffle off. Come join us if you can.

Exciting things

There are a few changes happening in the Pettigrew house. Emily is almost crawling! She can get up on all fours and bounce - but then she gives up and falls down and just rolls across the floor to get to where she wants to go. It's adorable.

We found a new daycare. We are so happy. It is Laurie's Angels and it is here in Danville. We went there yesterday to check it out and Sarah loved it (even though she fell off a swing and scraped her face - what a first impression we made!). Emily won't be starting until September 1, but Sarah gets to start Monday. What a relief! Thanks to our friend Heather for recommending the daycare!

Our friends Adam and Lisa just had twin boys yesterday. They are adorable. Lance and Landon. I can't wait to hold them.

Thanks to everyone who is helping with our efforts to raise money for the Youhas family. I appreciate all the rummage sale donations and also everyone who bought a basket. A special thanks to our friend Jill for offering to donate her profits.

Just my opinion

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how important it is to help each other. No one ever plans for something bad to happen to them or their family, but the fact is that things happen all the time to people everywhere. A couple of years ago, my friend Dan was diagnosed with oral cancer. Just as he was finally getting better, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Sarah was born 8 weeks early. This young guy I work with has Leukemia. My friend Debbie has ovarian cancer. These are just a few recent examples of how bad things can happen to good people. But good things can also come out of these situations. Sarah is healthy and I know more than ever how special she is and how much she is loved. I look at Dan and Gail and think about how some marriages could have fallen apart with everything they went through, but I think they are stronger now than ever. The place where I work has pulled together to help raise money for the guy with Leukemia. Lots of friends are trying to raise money for Debbie. I guess my point is that no one can get through everything in their life alone. If you know someone who could use a little help, whether it is money or time or just someone to talk to, take the time to be there for them. You will be glad you did. And you never know when that person who needs help could be you.

Merry Christmas

Yesterday we took Sarah to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. She had a really good time. DACC sponsored a bus trip down there and Dave's dad volunteered to drive the bus. We got there right around Sarah's nap time, so she was pretty tired most of the day. We rode a couple of rides and then had lunch. Then it was super hot, so we headed over to the water park. We played there for an hour or so, but she was a little intimidated by all the people. So we went back and rode some more rides. All the rides in the Christmas Land section are for little kids, so she was able to ride them by herself. She loved it. Then she played the duck game and won a stuffed duck. Then she said she wanted to ride some more rides, but before we got over there (and it was not far), she fell asleep. So Dave and I watched a dive show and then headed back to the bus. Sarah was so good on the bus. It was almost a 4 hour drive, so I was worried. She slept for about the first half of the drive home. Then we stopped and got something to eat and she was wide awake the rest of the way home. But she was happy and we played and everything was fine. We forgot our camera so we had to take pics on a disposable. I will post some when we get them developed.

On an unrelated note, my babysitter told me the other day that she is not going to keep my girls anymore after Christmas. She is pregnant and only wants to stay home with her baby now. So, if anyone knows of someone reliable and who will love my girls like her own (or his own!), let me know. We are currently looking.

If you have a prayer to spare ...

I forgot to mention that last week we got rid of our dog. I was kind of sad to see him go, but it was for the best. With two girls and jobs and all the other activities we do, we just didnt have time for him. We found him a great home with a lady who adores him and treats him like a baby. She only works 2 days per week, so he gets LOTS of attention.

We had a low key weekend. I was on call Friday and Saturday, so we just stayed home Friday night. I ended up having to work for about an hour. Then Saturday, I went and got my hair done and then we took Sarah to the mall. She rode some rides, threw a fit, and ran around. It was a normal trip. Then that night she spent the night with Grammy.

Sunday we went to gamestop and bought Guitar Hero III and American Idol with our store credit. I am so excited. Dave is mad cause I am so much better than him at Guitar Hero. Then we went to Marcies and hung out at the pool. And later that night I went to my mom to take her some shoes and make-up, and she sold me her Wii Fit! Dave says we need to take a week off work to play all of our new games.

I have some sad news though. Our friend Debbie Youhas, who has been a family friend for many years, has ovarian cancer. She had breast cancer several years ago, and now this. It sounds pretty bad - the cancer has spread outside of her ovaries and she is having surgery in St. Louis this week to remove several organs and parts of organs. My mom is organizing a rummage sale so that we can give all the money made to Debbie and her family. If you have any stuff lying around that you have been wanting to get rid of, please consider donating it. I would even come and pick it up (assuming you live in Illinois!). Even if you have nothing to donate, please just keep her and her family in your prayers.

Here you go

I put it off long enough - it's time to post again. We had a pretty good 4th. We spent the day at Marcie's house. It started off kind of cool and rainy in the morning, but the weather cleared up and it was a beautiful day. The kids had fun playing and swimming, and I just kind of hung out. Then that night, Sarah and Emily stayed with Grammy and Dave and I went out (separately). One of my bestest friends whom I miss like crazy was in town for a visit. Theresa and Garett had to come home for a wedding, so she made time to go out with me for a while Friday night. I had a good time. Dave was supposed to go out with his friend Jason who was also visiting from out of town, but instead he just ended up on the deck at Doug and Sandy's. He still had a good time though.

Saturday we went to Mohomet to visit our friend Kayte and her twin boys Will and Luke and watch the Cubs game. We had a good time even though Kerry Wood blew the save in the 9th. Also on the subject of the Cubs, Sarah's favorite song is Go Cubs Go! I have it on my phone and when we were in wal-Mart the other day, she kept making me play it for her over and over again. She will come up to me sometimes and tell me she wants to "listen to baseball on the phone" and she means she wants to hear the song. I hope it can't be considered child abuse that we are raising her for a lifetime of heartache and disappointment as a Cubs fan ...

Sunday we took the girls to Champaign, mainly so Sarah could ride the "horsies." She loves the carousel at the mall and she rode it twice. Then on the way back home, we stopped in Catlin to visit with Dave's family.

I am happy to report that Sarah continues to do fantastic in gymnastics. On Tuesday, she went with Miss Barbara all by herself and she didnt cry at all. I am so proud of her.

Well, I started a diet on Sunday. I decided that since Emily was almost 5 months old that it was time to stop blaming being fat on having a baby. Wish me luck!

Go Cubs!

So good news! Sarah did such a good job at gymnastics on Tuesday!! All the way there we had our little talk about how she was going to go by herself with Miss Barbara and that mommy was going to wait for her. And then when Miss Barbara came to get her, she cried as usual. But she stopped almost immediately and went through the whole class without me! I was so excited. We went to McDonalds to celebrate.

Sarah LOVES baseball. She will come home and out of the blue tell me she wants to watch baseball. The other night I had to watch a stupid Cardinals game because Sarah wanted to watch baseball and that was the only game on. We took her to a Dans game the other night and she had a great time, especially playing with Grandpa Jim. We went to another game last night and she kept talking about how she wanted to watch baseball with Grandpa. But then she was really disappointed when the game got rained out, so we went home and watched the Red Sox until bed time. If you ask her who her favorite baseball team is, she shouts "Go Cubs!" She can also say Fukudome better than most adults - and saying Fukudome makes Emily giggle.

I dont know what her deal is, but she is going through a phase where she is really scared of imaginary stuff. The other morning she completely FREAKED OUT and told me a bear was coming. She was so scared she was shaking and screaming. It even scared me. And now she is scared to go to bed because either a monster, a bear, a bunny or a turtle is going to get her. I think she must be having nightmares or something - who is scared of a bunny?

Emily is doing well too. Just the same old happy baby. She eats, sleeps, plays and poops. She is healthy and adorable.

We have a busy weekend ahead of us. Marcie's tomorrow for the fourth and then tomorrow night I get to see Theresa (and I miss her like CRAZY so I cant wait). Saturday we are going to our friends the Holleman's for a cookout and then maybe to a Dans game that night depending on how tired everyone is. Sunday we might go to Doug and Sandy's, but I am not sure. I better find some time to start making baby shower decorations though ...

50 for Jen

Jen Carlson posted a new blog with 50 facts about herself. Then she challenged me to do the same thing. So, here are 50 facts about me that you never wanted to know.


1. I was born on September 24, 1980 in Columbus, IN.

2. My full name is Alicia Dawn (Wentworth) Pettigrew. My aunt Barbara came up with my name.

3. My mom was so set on having a girl that she didnt even pick out a boys name. She said she would have cried had I been a boy.

4. My parents got married a month before I was born - I think they got divorced when I was 4.

5. When I was born, I had four grandparents and five great grandparents. Now, I basically have one grandparent - all my great grandparents have passed, my mamaw passed away, and I dont speak to my dad's parents.

6. I was on my 9th school by the time I started high school.

7. Each of my parents are on their fourth marriage.

8. I have 5 half-siblings: Jamie is 20, Hollie is 18, Timmy is 14, Jared is 9, Jacob is 3.

9. Timmy was hit by a truck when he was 5 and suffers physical and mental damage from that accident to this day.

10. I got a full academic scholarship to college. I attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and majored in Mass Communications.

11. I have been engaged three times.

12. The only sport I ever did was gymnastics. I was okay. Sarah is in gymnastics now.

13. I played the trumpet for about six months.

14. Sometimes when I am drinking, I start to think I can sing and like to do karaoke.

15. I am addicted to ebay.

16. My oldest daughter, Sarah, was born eight weeks premature.

17. I am a dedicated volunteer for the March of Dimes.

18. My first job was at Walgreens accounting center when I was 16.

19. My first job out of college was as a Project Manager at Sports Publishing.

20. I had a crush on Dave from pretty much the first moment I met him. We were friends for several years before I finally talked him into dating me.

21. The last guy I was engaged to (or seriously dated before my husband for that matter) was also named Dave. We refer to him as Dave the former.

22. I am still best friends with several peope I went to high school with.

23. I hate milk.

24. I have never been out of the country.

25. I love baseball and going to baseball games. Nothing like an Old Style at Wrigley or a miller Lite at Victory Field - or even a bud lite at Danville Stadium!

26. I have been to Fenway Park, but they wouldnt let me up on the green monster.

27. I have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House.

28. I currently take anti-depressants and have been in therapy before.

29. I had bad post partum depression for about a year after Sarah was born (hence the therapy).

30. My favorite color is green.

31. My two favorite movies are Gone with the Wind and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

32. My favorite musician is John Mellencamp.

33. I still LOVE New Kids on the Block.

34. I won my school spelling bee in fifth grade.

35. My favorite TV show of all time is The Office.

36. I have a real Coach purse.

37. My oldest daughter was born on Groundhogs Day and my youngest was born on Valentines Day.

38. I've had two C-sections.

39. I had my "tubes tied."

40. I love rummage sales.

41. I have never broken a bone.

42. I suck at softball.

43. I have two tattoos - a ladybug for good luck and a red bird in honor of my mamaw.

44. I love to read and will read just about anything.

45. I live less than a mile from my mom.

46. I watch wrestling (WWE, not the real stuff) every single week. I am even going to Summer Slam next month.

47. My favorite color used to be green, but ever since I had kids I have started loving pink!

48. I was voted biggest flirt in 8th grade.

49. I am addicted to diet pepsi and drink way too much of it.

50. I use WAY too many post it notes. I use them for everything at work - even to take notes on when I should really just use a notebook.

Do unto others ...

Things have been pretty calm lately. Tuesday Sarah went to gymnastics. All the way there we talked about how she was going to go with Miss Barbara by herself and mommy was going to wait for her. She seemed to be fine with it - up until the moment Miss Barbara came in and told all the kids to line up. Then the fit came. But she went by herself for the first part. Then I went in with her again during the bars and beams stuff. She did better. She didnt insist on holding my hand the whole time. She seemed to be content just knowing I was in the room watching her. Maybe next week will be even better.

We took Emily to her very first Dans game on Wednesday. She slept, then ate and then cried because she was hot. Sarah had a good time though. She ate a hot dog, drank some soda and ran around with Grandpa Jim. Dave took the girls home about 8:00 and I stayed at the game. It was fun.

We got some exciting news Wednesday - Dave's sister is going to have a little boy. And just as exciting, Kristi is going to have a little girl (and her middle name is SUPPOSED to be Dawn)! I went last night and started buying baby shower stuff. I have LOTS to do.

On a not so happy note, a guy that I work with was just diagnosed with Leukemia a couple of weeks ago. I guess it's pretty bad - he even has some cancerous cells on his brain. He is in the hospital now and will be for at least 4 weeks to start. He has insurance, but I guess they are estimating his insurance will run out in about 3 months. His wife is a stay at home mom, so they dont have any income right now. We are trying to do some stuff here at work to help them out. One thing we are doing is having a blood drive on July 7th from 10 to 5. I guess Jeremy has to have about 2 pints of blood per day. We found out that for every pint of blood that is donated in his name, regardless of the blood type, that that is one pint of blood that he doesnt have to pay for. So, if you are in town and want to help, please stop by TOM and donate. Or if you are in Champain, or you want to donate on a different day, just stop by the blood bank and let them know that you are donating for Jeremy Dinger in Carle hospital. I dont know Jeremy very well, but I know that I would want people to help me and my family if I was in a similar situation.

Catching up

Good morning readers! We had a good weekend. Didn't do much on Friday - I was on call, but I don't think I got any calls. Saturday was busy though. I had a lot to do to help get ready for the Relay for Life. Plus I was on call again and ended up getting several calls. But we had a great time at the Relay and Team Time-O-Matic raised over $1,300!

Emily went to the doctor today - she is so big!! She is catching up with Sarah and will probably pass her before long. She is 25 and 1/4 inches long (tall?) and she weighs 14 pounds and 7 ounces. I told you she was fat!

Mom is liking her new job. While what happened to her sucks, I think it was all for the best and she will be happier in the long run. I am really proud of her and the way she has handled everything. Walgreens loss is Chitticks gain.

Here is a picture that I took of the girls this morning. I am so glad that Sarah finally loves her baby sister.

An oldie but a goodie

So, if you look over at my list of favorite blogs, you will see The Carlson House of Twins. Jen Carlson has twin boys and she had a rough pregnancy and the boys had a rough start. She decided to post a blog entry recounting her experience. She did it for a couple of reasons - so that the people who read her blog and don't already know the story could read about it, and also so that she would have it in writing to look back upon as she started to forget the details. I have decided that that was a great idea, so I am going to do the same thing. So, in case you don't know, or maybe just forgot, here is Sarah's story.

In the summer of 2005, I had been sick and throwing up for several weeks. Call it denial or just being naive, but I had no idea what was going on with me. Finally, I decided to take a pregnancy test on August 8, and I discovered I was pregnant. After some initial freaking out, Dave and I were so happy to be having a baby.

Right from the beginning, I could tell that I was not going to be one of those women who love being pregnant. At first it was just the regular stuff - LOTS of throwing up, being extremely tired and of course moody (moodier than usual). Then as I started to show, things started getting worse. Nothing too horrible - I had a bladder infection, a kidney stone, a weird rash, failed my glucose test, and lots of ligament and back pain. But still nothing that was totally out of the ordinary.

As things got further along, I just felt awful. I was in so much pain most of the time that it almost brought me to tears to walk across the floor. I tried to tell people how bad I felt, but everyone pretty much just thought I was being a big baby. Mom told me that I was a wimp and that I hadn't even gotten to the bad part yet. I just kept thinking that if things were going to get worse, then I was not going to make it.

At 32 weeks I had a regular appointment. I was sitting there with my midwife, Lori, and I was almost in tears telling her bad I felt. I told her that I felt like a big baby, but I just hurt so bad all the time. She was really wonderful. Instead of looking at me like everyone else had, she wanted to do some monitoring of me and the baby just to make sure everything was okay. She hooked me up to this machine that monitors me for contractions and also the baby's heartrate. After about 30 minutes, she came back and looked at the readout and told me that I was having contractions. She checked to see if I was dialated and I was not. They decided to give me some IV fluids in case I was dehydrated and that was what was causing the contractions. They ran the fluids and then put me back on the monitor. Lori came back to check on me and said that I was still having contractions. She was also listening to the baby's heartbeat and I noticed that it was really slow. It was beating more like my heartrate than a baby's. Lori said not to panic, that sometimes they grab their cords or something and that will cause the heartrate to drop. After a couple of minutes, the heartrate went back up. She told me that they were going to send me to the hospital to get a shot to stop the contractions. It would just be an overnight stay. Before I went, they wanted to do a sonogram to check the fluid levels. Everything looked fine - except that the baby was breach. Not a big deal, just meant that I was going to have to have a C-section.

I got to the hospital and got my shot. The contractions seemed to stop shortly after that. It was an uneventful night and I was sure I was going to go home the next morning. Shortly after I woke up, my doctor came in. She said that there were several times during the nigth that the baby's heart rate dropped below 70 bpm. They were really worried that the baby was in distress. She said that they were going to give me a steroid shot to speed up the lung development and that I was not going home until I had the baby. The goal was to keep her in for 48 hours so the shot would have time to give it's full effect. I was devestated. I had tried so hard to do everything right during my pregnancy and it didn't even matter.

As the day went on, there were more times that the heart rate dropped. Then the neonatologist came in to talk to me - I cried the whole time. He said that the baby would probably weigh between 3 and 3 1/2 pounds and that she could be in the hospital for up to 8 weeks. Next, they decided to give me a catheter and told me that I could no longer get out of bed and that I should move as little as possible. It seemed whenever I moved, it made things worse. I had a tough time falling asleep that night. I remember staring at the hear monitor and praying it wouldn't drop again. I think I fell asleep shortly before 11. About 15 minutes or so later, I woke up to two nurses standing over me. I looked over at the heart monitor and it was reading 64. I heard one of them say it had been down for 7 minutes. I started crying. The nurses lowered my head, rubbed my belly and even shocked my belly a little to try and get the heart rate up. Nothing worked. One nurse ran out and called the doctor and then ran back in and said we had to deliver. I was so terrified. They woke up Dave and before he could even get all the way out of bed, they were wheeling me out. I was crying so hard and I just remember telling him to call my mom. As they wheeled me into surgery, it was like a nightmare. I was praying and crying and trying so hard to wake up. They wheeled me into this all white sterile room and I just laid there crying, staring at the ceiling. I just kept saying "It's too early." There was nurse in there with me who held my hand the entire time. She was so wonderful. The anesthesiologist came in and was talking to me and gave me an oxygen mask. He was really sweet too - he kept lifting up the mask to wipe my tears. That was the most horrible, terrifying few moments of my life. Then the dr came in, and I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I was totally drugged. I looked around and saw a nurse and asked her if my baby was okay. She told me that she was beautiful and she cried when she was born. Then she went to get Dave and my mom. After making sure I was okay, they left and went to see the baby. They came back and told me she was beautiful. She was not in an incubator (just on a warming table) and she was on oxygen, but never had to have a ventilator. She weighed 4 lbs 9 oz and was 17 1/2 inches long. They wheeled me through the NICU so I could see her, but I was so drugged that I don't really remember it. When I got back to my room, we decided to name her Sarah Joy.

The next morning, I finally got to go see my baby. She was so beautiful. The nurses told me that she was perfect, just tiny. We were in the NICU for 11 days. The NICU is a hard place to be. It is hard to see your baby lying there and feel like she is not really yours yet. I could hold her and change her, but I couldn't take her home. I couldn't make any decisions for her. I felt more like a bystander than her mom. It is hard to explain what that feels like if you have never been there. She was so amazing though. The only problems that she had was learning how to eat. She was so tiny that she would get tired so fast and could not stay awake long enough to eat. She would eat a little through the bottle, and then the rest through feeding tube. When we were able to leave, she was able to eat a little less than an ounce about every 3 hours. (If it tells you anything, the first time we fed Emily a few hours after she was born, she sucked a two ounce bottle dry - at 11 days, Sarah couldnt even eat an ounce).

We had a couple of scares after coming home. The first couple of weeks they sent nurses to my house 3 times per week to check Sarah and weigh her. The first week, she wasn't gaining any weight and they thought she was going to have to go back to the hospital. Luckily she started eating a little better and she had gained a couple of ounces by the time we went back to the doctor.

Then when she was about 6 weeks old, I noticed that she would stop breathing for several seconds while she slept. I freaked out and took her to the ER. They kept her over night on an apnea monitor, and it turned out that she had sleep apnea. They sent us home with a monitor and she had to wear it to bed every night for a few months. When she would stop breathing, it would go off. It was the loudest thing I have ever heard and a terrifying sound to hear in the middle of the night. She eventually outgrew the apnea.

Sarah is now a perfectly healthy two-year old little girl. She is tiny for her age, but she is

developmentally right where she should be, if not a little ahead. She is super smart (which makes her super bratty sometimes!) and she is my miracle baby. I thank God for her (and her sister) every day.

We're getting there

Gymnastics went a little more smoothly last night - not perfect, but better. When Miss Barbara came in to get the class, Sarah started crying so Miss Barbara carried her. She told me that if Sarah didn't relax, that I could come in with her later. I heard Miss Barbara tell Sarah that if she stopped crying, then mommy could come see her in a few minutes. So after the first section of class (the trampoline part), I got to go in with her to do the bars and beams. She did MUCH better. She didn't cry at all and did everything she was supposed to do. Then when it was time to go do the obstacle course (that is what I call it anyways) I left her again. She cried a little but then did fine and even lapped a few of the other kids. That's my girl!

Sarah did her race on Monday night. She had to hold my hand still, but she ran super fast and finished ahead of most of the kids. It's not competitive, but I am glad to see that she is keeping up with other kids her age.

Not much new to report with Emily. She is as cute as ever. She mainly just eats, sleeps and poops. Oh, she did start laughing this weekend. I was tickling her neck and she started giggling out loud. It was adorable.

Nothing new

Not much going on in the Pettigrew household lately. The weekend was pretty tame. Saturday, the girls spent the morning with their Grandma Marilyn while I went to the Catlin rummage (and then took a nap) and Daddy ran the race out at Lake Mingo. They had a really good time. Emily ate and slept (as usual) and Sarah helped Grandpa ride on the lawn mower and he took her out to see the kitty's five times. They wore her out.

Sunday we had a good Father's Day. We got up and went to Church in Catlin and then went to visit with Great Grandma for a little while. Great Grandma got Sarah her very first Barney doll and she loves it very much! Then we went out to Aunt Mary's house for a cook out. Sarah was so tired when we left that she was asleep before we got half way down the road.

Last night Sarah ran her race at Lincoln Park. She is super fast.

Wish us luck at gymnastics tonight - hopefully Miss Barbara is there and Sarah doesn't cry the whole time.

Adorable

Here are the girls' "school" pictures. Sarah's by herself weren't very good - she looked miserable in both of them. But we weren't going to get them anyways since she just had her picture taken. we are going to get these two though. They are adorable!!

Superstar

For those of you who didn't catch it (and you had to be paying attention!), Sarah was on the news last night. I went to high school with Tinisha Shade and she asked if anyone knew people who had a lot going on in their back yard. Of course I mentioned mom and Marcie. So the news crew came out and did a cute little story at Marcie's house about vacationing in your back yard. If you were paying attention, you could see Sarah sitting on mom's lap in the background. There was a lot of Jared and Jacob though. It was cute!

Was it worth the wait? (probably not ... )

Since I was getting in trouble for not posting, I thought I better get to blogging!

Not too much has happened since my last entry. Our weekend was good. I ended up going out with a few of my friends on Friday night. I learned how to play spoons (only we played with forks). It was fun, although way more violent than one might expect. Just look at this poor fork!

Saturday morning I was looking forward to going to the Catlin rummage. For those of you who were up at 6:00, you know that there was no way that was going to happen. It was poring down rain. I was so sad. Luckily for me, it was moved to this coming Saturday. I was supposed to work, but someone is going to work for me. Whew.

Sunday we spent the day at Marcie's in the pool. At first, Sarah was scared of the big pool and only wanted to play in the baby pool. Finally she agreed to get in this inflatable turtle toy and ride around. She didn't want to let go of my hands, but she had fun anyways. She kept telling me that she liked the little pool, but she liked the big pool too.

Sarah still isn't too sure about this new gymnastics class. Last night was our second class since she moved up. She wasn't going to like it anyway, but it got worse when we got there and found out that Miss Barbara took vacation this week and a lady that Sarah didn't know was teaching the class. They let me go in with her since she was so upset, but she still cried most of the time. I think she would have been okay if Miss Barbara had been there, but a new class and a new teacher was just a little too much for her. We will see how next week goes. Wish us luck.

On a side note, I wanted to tell everyone that I am very happy for my friend, Somer. After too many years, she and Matt finally got engaged last night! They probably won't get married for 10 more years knowing her, but I still really happy for them. Wish them congratulations if you see them!

Looking good

Sarah went to the doctor yesterday. It was just for a follow up visit for all her issues (pooping, allergies, etc). She is looking good! She now weighs 24.4 lbs. Still tiny, but getting there. I thought that one of her tubes had fallen out a few weeks ago, but the doctor said they are both still in there. She still has to stay on her medicine to help with her constipation issues, but once she is potty trained, we can scale it back to three times per week instead of every day. She also still has to take her Zyrtac every day for allergies. She goes back to the ENT next week, so we will see what he has to say about her tonsils and her ears still running.

Last night was Sarah's first night in the big girl class at gymnastics. In the other class, I always went with her but in this class, she goes by herself. Miss Barbara came into the viewing room to get the class and Sarah looked up at me and said "Mommy go with me?" It broke my heart when I told her no and she just sobbed. But she made it through the class and didnt do to badly for it being the first night. And she wasn't too traumatized because when I asked her if she was going to go back next week, she said yes.

Nothing much new to report with Emily. She is as fat and cute as ever.

In March of Dimes news, we have started planning the Chef's Auction. It is a really fun event with food, drinks, and a live and silent auction. If anyone has anything they would like to donate to the auctions (goods and/or services) let me know. All donations will be appreciated! Right now, a couple of people I know are going to donate some Mary Kay items, another is going to donate some Longaberger pieces and my friend Doug is going to donate a simple will. I will keep you updated.

Growing Pains

Sarah is almost pottied trained. She peed in the potty several times yesterday (and even pooped once!). She is doing so well. I think once we make the transition from daycare to Natahsa's house, it will be smooth sailing. I hope so, cause I am going to get tired of washing 6 pairs of underwear a day while Sarah learns how to do this.

Emily slept in her crib for the first time last night. I think it kind of freaked Sarah out. Sarah went to bed about 8:00. I laid Emily down in her crib about 10:00 and then I went to get ready for bed. Before I went to bed, I snuck back into Sarah's room to make sure that Emily didnt wake her up or anything, and Sarah was just standing beside the crib, staring at Emily with a really distressed look on her face. She looked up at me and in a really stressed voice said "Mommy, get Emmy out, Get Emmy out." I'm not sure if she was upset that Emily was in her room or if she was worried about Emily laying there by herself. Either way, Sarah slept with mommy and daddy so she could relax.

Ouch

Not much to report from the homefront - things are still pretty normal around here.

I gave Emily some baby food for the first time the other night. She had some peas. So far so good - I will probably give her some more tonight. Sarah pooped in the potty yesterday (just a little, but it still counts!)

I think I am getting old. I played volleyball last night with some people from work and my arms are all sore and bruised. I used to play volleyball a lot and I NEVER remember coming home with bruises or my arms hurting this bad.

This weekend is pretty busy. I am meeting some people at Snappers after work tonight. Then tomorrow I am going to some rummage sales in the morning, then to a birthday party for my friend Josh's son, Jacob, then to a baby shower, then to Rick Edwardson's house to see Johnny Birt. I need a nap just thinking about all of that. I'm glad we dont have anything going on on Sunday.

Boring

Things are slowing down in the Pettigrew house, so not much new to report. We had a good weekend, even though I ended up working a lot. I had a Mary Kay party Friday and then we went to Marcie's for a cookout on Saturday.

Sunday we went and saw Indiana Jones with Herb and Jared, Mary, Andrew and Lainey. It was pretty good, but I was a little disappointed with the storyline.

Monday was just kind of a lazy day. I did some stuff around the house and we just hung out. We did take the girls (and Mitch) for a walk in the evening.

I am really proud of my sister, Hollie. She just graduated high school and walked away with all kinds of scholarships. She is going to IUPUI to become a pediatric nurse. She gets it from me :-)

We're outta there

Well, it's official. I gave our two week notice to daycare this morning. Natasha will officially start watching the girls on 6/9. She kept them yesterday and everything went great. Sarah came home happy and with painted pink toenails! She was the one I was worried about. She doesnt always take well to new people and new situations. But when she got home, she said she had lots of fun and she said "I like Tasha." We are very excited.

I was a little sad this morning. Except for feeding her for a minute yesterday morning, I did not hold Emily at all yesterday. I left for work about 5:45 and didnt get home until almost 7. When I got home, Emily was asleep. She was still asleep when Sarah went to bed at 8:00 and Sarah wanted mommy to go lay down with her. So I did and then I fell asleep. I picked Emily up this morning and she was talking and smiling. At least she didnt forget me. I guess all this working is starting to wear me down a little bit. This will be the second week in a row I have worked over 60 hours. And that doesnt even include Mary Kay or March of Dimes stuff.

I need a nap

We had a pretty busy weekend. Friday night we all went to dinner with our good friends Dan and Gail. We went to La Potosina. While we were there, Sarah said she had to go potty. Dave took her to the bathroom (I was on a call for work). When they came back, Dave said she didnt potty. A few minutes later she said she had to potty again. I told her that she couldnt go because she just went (I thought she was just having fun going to the bathroom so she could wash her hands). Dave ended up taking her anyways. AND SHE POTTIED! I was so surprised that she told us AND went in a public bathroom. I dont even like going in public!

Saturday morning Sarah pottied again (and that was all the potty action for the weekend). Sarah wanted to go to Grammy's house, so we dropped her off and Dave, Emily and I went to Catlin to visit with Mary and Lainey and Andrew. We took Mary my old maternity clothes. Then we went next door to see Grandma and Grandpa Pettigrew.

That night we ended up dropping Emily off with my mom and we went to dinner at our friends Doug and Sandy's house. Dave and I had a good time and spent some much needed time together without the girls. I love my babies, but sometimes I just really miss my husband.

Sunday we went grocery shopping and then I went to a couple of open houses. Nothing that really sparked my interest. Then the four of us went to Champaign to Hessel Park to meet my friend Kayte and her adorable twin boys Will and Lukas. We had a great time playing at the park and then went to dinner at Dos Reales. It was a good time, but we were all very tired when we got home.

This week is pretty busy. I am working a lot of overtime right now. And tomorrow Sarah and Emily will go spend the day with Natasha. Hopefully things work out and she will be our new babysitter - wish us luck!!

The next Mary Lou Retton

Not much potty action at the Pettigrew house last night. We are still working on it though. I think this weekend when we have more time, I am just going to let her run around the house wearing underwear instead of a diaper or a pull-up. I think that will do the trick.

So - Dave told me last night that my baby is growing up! Right now, she takes gymnastics at Midwest Gymnastics downtown. She has been doing since August and she is in the "Mommy and Me" class. That means Dave or I go with her and stay with her during the class. She is the youngest one in the class. Well, as of June she will be moving up to the big girl class!! She is already the youngest in the baby class and she is still moving up. I am so excited - she is so talented (she takes after her mommy).

Tonight Jacob is coming over after school (daycare). For those of you who dont know (my friend Jonathan says I have to explain these things) Jacob is my three year old brother (weird, huh?). I have a Mary Kay thing in Urbana tonight, so Dave thought Jacob might want to come over and play with Sarah while I'm gone. So that means I have to pick up three kids at daycare tonight. Wish me luck - sometimes I barely make it with two!

I went after work and got my hair done last night. I think I like it. It is red and shorter. But more important than the new hairdo is what happened when I got home. Sarah had a surprise for me - she PEED IN HER POTTY! She even left it in the potty so she could show me (gross, I know, but if you have kids then you understand). She is getting so big! Before I know it I will only have to buy one set of diapers at the store.

My Little Punk

Potty Time!

I forgot to mention the most important part of my day yesterday - Sarah POOPED IN HER POTTY!! Yesterday morning we were getting ready to go to church. I was blow drying my hair and Dave was in the shower. When I finished drying my hair, I looked down the hallway and saw Sarah's diaper lying on the floor in front of her door. I yelled for her and said "Sarah, you dont take your diaper off." She looked at me said "I pooped mommy." I thought that she was just telling me that she took her diaper off because she pooped - she has never done that, but I know kids do those things. Then I hear Dave yell from the bathroom, "Schmoopie, she did poop!" So I go into the bathroom and I see a piece of poop on the floor in front of her potty (yes, I know it's gross) but then I looked in her potty and there was poop in there too!! I was so excited!! We made a huge deal about it and she was so excited. She hasnt done anything else in the potty since, but it was a big step. She sits on her potty, but can't really figure out the peeing part. She loves suckers, so she knows she gets a sucker if she pees in the potty. Wish us luck!

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, Team Pettigrew didn't quite make top team, but we did make most improved team and we are very proud of that. Last year we raised over $500 and this year we managed to rasie over $2000! Thank you so much to everyone who donated. I will be hitting you up again next year!

Mother's Day was good. We went to Church in the morning and then had lunch at O'Lelary's with both Dave's and my family. It was really busy, but the food was good and so was the service. Sarah and Emily both made me adorable cards at daycare that made me cry. I am so lucky to have both of my little girls - especially Sarah. Not that she is more special than Emily or that I love her more (because I don't!) I just feel so blessed to have her since I so easily could have lost her. Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that when she is throwing a fit!

Of course I was a little sad. I was picking out a birthday card for my mom (yesterday was her birthday too) and I saw a card that I shouldnt have read. The first line said something like "Grandma, I learned more from you than I ever learned in school." I shouldn't have picked it up, but I did - and of course I cried right there in Walgreens. I miss my Mamaw so much. Not just for me, but for my mom and for my daughthers. She is always in my heart.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day.

We're (trying to be) # 1!!!

Our March for Babies team is doing great! As of this afternoon, we were in the running to be the top team in Vermilion County! Please help us be #1 and help to ensure that all babies are born healthy!

The March of Dimes is a fantastic charity that touches everyone - everyone was a baby at one time, has a baby or knows someone who has a baby, or just loves babies! Support the MOD all year, but especially now during March for Babies. It is their biggest fundraiser of the year. Please visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/alidawn924 to donate.

Go Team Pettigrew!!

Maybe I am just too sensitive ...

So, my morning is totally ruined. I was at the gas station this morning and as I was walking out, two women came in. They had parked right beside me and as I got in my car, I glanced over at theirs. The car was running, the windows were down - and their baby was in the back seat in his car seat screaming! He could not have been more than 18 months old. I was so upset. I looked in the store to see if they were maybe just running in to pay for gas or something (not that that is okay) but both women were just standing by the coffee machine, taking their time! There were two of them - why did they both have to go in and leave their child in the car alone? It bothered me so much that I actually took down their license plate number and the make and model of their car and reported them to DCFS. Children are so precious and it kills me that so many people take them for granted. Maybe I am sensitive because of everything I have been through, but what I saw this morning really bothered me.

Busy Busy

We've been pretty busy the past few days. Friday, Dave and I stood on the street corner for 6 hours begging for money. We were collecting for the March of Dimes. We did pretty well though - we ended up with about $600. Total, our team has raised almost $15oo. We still have a few days left, so go donate!! Visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/alidawn924 to donate.

Saturday I went with my mom and some friends to Indianapolis for a girl's night. We had a really good time (I will have to post some pics once I get them from Marcie). We went to lunch at the Palomino and then we went and spent the evening and Howl at the Moon. It was so much fun. Sunday we did some shopping and then just came home. Dave kept the girls and they got along just fine.

Last night was gymnastics. Sarah is doing really well! She was able to walk both balance beams and only fell off once. She is definitely one of the best kids in her class and she is the youngest by several months. Plus, the best part is that she really looks forward to going and has a good time.

Think Pink

Yesterday was Emily's first day of school. She is such a big girl. I went and held her on my lunch hour, but she didnt really wake up. She was a good baby and she was "nice to her friends." I think she missed me though because when I went to pick her up after work she was all smiles. She loves her mommy. I also think Sarah liked showing Emily off to her friends. When Emily and I went into Sarah's room to pick her up, all the kids ran over to see Emily and Sarah was very excited to have her there.

Last night was my first Mary Kay event. It was really fun. There were several people there and I think everyone had a good time. I may have even found someone to watch the girls so we wont have to head into the poor house due to daycare. Have I mentioned that it is now $255 per WEEK? Ouch. We'll see what happens. We are all going to get together on Friday to discuss it.

Here are a couple of more random pictures for your enjoyment. See ya soon!

School Days

Well, Friday night was Emily's first overnight stay at Grammy's house. All went well. I thought we were going to have problems because Sarah was not happy about Emmy going to Grammy's with her. When I asked her if she wanted to go to Grammy's, she was very excited. When I asked her if Emmy could go, she gave me a dirty look and said "NO!" But Sarah played with Jacob and didnt even really notice Emily. Dave and I went out with some people from TOM. We had a good time and it was nice to be able to sleep in!

Saturday was a nice relaxing day. When we got home from Grammy's, Sarah took a nap and then we all (me, Dave, Sarah, Emily and Mitch) went for a walk with our new double stroller. Emily slept through most of it, but Sarah enjoyed it.

Yesterday was a busy day for me. We got up early and all went to the grocery store. Wal-Mart isnt as horrible if you go first thing in the morning. We had to use cart with the giant blue extension on the front now that we have two kids. It was interesting. After that I went over to Champaign to check out the half-price sale at the one week Boutique. I got quite a few summer clothes for Emily for just about $40. We have to buy her extra clothes because she is going to be so much bigger than Sarah was, so she will be outgrowing Sarah's hand-me-downs before long. After shopping, I met up with Kristi and her mom and her sister-in-law and we went to lunch with Nicolette. It was the first time we had seen her since she got engaged. Her ring is beautiful and we are all so happy for her. It's about time she found someone who deserves her.

Today is Emily's first day of "school." I was actually pretty sad when I dropped her off. I didnt think it would bother me since I had been back to work for two weeks, but it was still a little traumatic leaving her there. She is in good hands though.

Here are a few random pictures since I havent posted any for awhile. Enjoy!

Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Sarah Gone?

I am starting to think that I have three children. And no, it is not what you think. You see, I have the new baby Emily, my sweet little two year old, Sarah - and then there is this demon child that comes out every now and then. She looks just like Sarah, but it can't possibly be the same kid. Either way, she came to visit last night.

Mom and Marcie went to the Duck Out (I decided not to go because I missed the girls) so I agreed to pick up Jacob from daycare and take him home with me. Everything was fine on the ride home, but when we got out of the car at the house, I found that I had lost my good girl and picked up this little devil instead. For some reason she threw herself down on the sidewalk in front of the house and refused to come in. I had to go down and carry her against her will into the house. Then for the next 2 hours, she screamed and cried over everything. Every single toy that Jacob touched, Sarah wanted it. I tried time-out for a little bit, and she eventually stopped screaming, but almost as soon as I let her up it started all over again. It's funny because Jacob and Sarah really love each other, but you never would have known it last night. Finally she relaxed and they were able to play together for a little while before mom came to get Jacob. Then she took a bath and went to bed just like a little angel.

This morning things were back to normal. Sarah was as cute and as sweet as ever. She is spending the night at Grammy's house tonight. Good luck with that.

My New Most Prized Possession

I had so much fun last night!! Mom, Sandy, Gail and I all went to the Working Women's Expo. When we got there, we got to go in early and get a tour of all the booths. Then we went to our hotel room and there were all kinds of gifts in there for each of us. We got a couple bottles of wine, several gift cards, Vera Bradley pajamas and slippers and more. But the best part of the night was when my mom bought me a new purse. It's a Coach - NOT an assistant Coach, but a REAL one. I LOVE it.



The girls are doing well. Sarah loves her Papaw Herb. She saw him at daycare last night when he went to pick up Jacob and cried like crazy until he finally just had to take her home with him. Emily was in a really good mood this morning. She was smiling like crazy at her daddy. She is going to stay with Aunt Kristi today and tomorrow. Kristi needs the practice to get ready for her own little girl (hopefully). Kristi, her sister-in-law Jennifer, and Dave's sister (Mary Jo) are all due around the same time. It is going to be a busy fall!

The long road ... to Grammy's

Last night I thought it would be a good idea to put Sarah in her wagon and Emily in her carrier (the thing you wear like a back pack, only in the front) and walk to my mom's house. It's only a few blocks, but it seems like a lot further when you are carrying two kids! But we made it nonetheless (is that one word?). We had a good visit with Grammy - thanks to Daddy who was nice enough to go to our March of Dimes meeting alone so I could spend some time with the girls since that was the only night this week that I was going to be home.

Tonight is the Working Women's Expo in Champaign. I wasn't planning on going until I got a phone call on Monday morning telling me that I won a Golden Ticket to the event. It is a prize package for me and three friends. I am taking mom, Sandy and Gail and I am way excited. It should be lots of fun!

Hopefully I will have some time this weekend to get some new pictures on here. I know you are dying to see some!!

Fatty

I got this idea from my friend Jonathan. His girlfriend's sister has twins and started a blog on here and I thought that this would be a great idea to do so our friends and family can all stay updated on the girls! So I am going to give it a try.

Emily went to the doctor today for her two month check-up. She is huge (relatively speaking - remember, the only thing I have to compare her to is Sarah)! She weighs 11 lbs 4 oz and she is 23 inches long. Sunday when I got her dressed, I put her in a 6 month outfit and it fit her perfectly. I think Sarah was about 9 or 10 months old before she wore it. I don't remember how much Sarah weighed at two months, but I know at her four month check-up she was 9 lbs. My girls are definitely different!

Sarah is doing well, too. She is growing, though still on the small side. She is starting to like her baby sister. I no longer have to worry about them being alone in the same room. She even hugs and kisses her on occasion. She is talking non-stop and is super smart. And even though the terrible twos are upon us, she is still a pretty good kid.

I am going to try and keep this updated on a regular basis so you can all see how the girls are growing. Leave us some comments and let us know what you think!!