First Blogger'd Update Entry!

Family & Friends,

I thought this update should be informational... educational, even. Change things up a bit. After all, too much entertainment isn't good for you, right? Isn't that what "they" say? Or is it too much TV isn't good for you? Whatever! Anywho... I DO know that "they" say you should learn something new every day! So my goal for this particular update is to at least fill up a weeks worth so you don't have to strain your brain trying to pick up anything else. :) Below I have composed a list of lessons (chapters, if you will, as my updates tend to be novel-length) that you will find highly useful... if not for you, for someone you know and love! Pass the epiphanies on! I can touch the WORLD through these updates, I just know it! Alright... without further adieu... the list:

1. Your husband and a pellet gun is never a good situation.
2. It's okay to cry it out.
3. Letting the laundry pile up is a GOOD thing.
4. Text messages can and will be used against you.
5. Driving just 2 miles can turn into a $650 joy ride.

1. I'm pretty sure I didn't include it in my first email... so its up for discussion now. Especially because we can now all throw our heads back and laugh at the whole situation (namely, my husband), since its over with! It was a super-sensitive subject at first, even though I honestly thought it was funny from the get-go (but sad at the same time I was laughing)... but yeah... husbands and pellet guns are an extremely bad combo. I think this is definitely one of the most important tid-bits I could ever give out to others. I just knew it, too, ya know? Standing in line at Walmart with a $13 plastic see-thru pistol, target included, and a jar of over 500 neon green plastic bb's... this could only be trouble once in the hands of a "big boy." Sure enough, I was correct in my assumption. I was nannying that fateful night... the three boys I've been with since about August. Stephen was home with Tatum (giving me a quasi-break) and I was talking to him on the phone to check in and see how Tatum had been... if he had gone to bed easily or not. Our brand new, LCD flat screen, bought with our wedding money, hanging-on-the-wall TV heard in the background, Stephen briefly told me Tatum had been fine and moved on to talking about how cool his gun was. All of a sudden I heard him say, (and pardon my french - and his!) "Oh, sh**." And I knew. I just knew. You probably know, too - without me even having to say it. So I said, "What happened?" Stephen said, "I'm an idiot!" I said, "What did you do?" He said "sh**" again. "Sh**. Sh**. Sh**." "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" I said louder. He said nothing. So I said: "You shot the TV, didn't you?" He responded, "Yes." Long story short, the tiny neon green plastic pellet hit the very VERY top of the screen to the left of smack dab in the center. Oh, how we marveled about it having been just a fraction of an inch higher and it would have bounced off the FRAME instead of the screen. Let me tell you, those screens are durn sensitive. And after much research we discovered that we might as well replace the whole TV 'cause repairing it would cost almost the same as a new one! I tried to make Steve feel better... I mean, I knew he didn't mean to do it or want to! Who would?? I even continued to watch TV... with the big 3-inch thick black line going down the screen... it was off-center, so it wasn't completely unbearable, ya know? With the TV off you couldn't even tell it was damaged, physically. Stephen, however, couldn't stand it. So, to make this long story short: The TV's been replaced. (And not by anymore wedding money)!

2. After six months of virtually little to NO sleep at all... I couldn't take it anymore!! Tatum was making just a single PEEP, and I was in there, trying to get him to calm down/go back to sleep. He seemed to be having "night terrors" (have you heard of these?? SCARY!!), and after googling zillions of pages on it - he fit almost every single category for having them! Apparently... it was due to LACK OF SLEEP!! If I haven't told you already - its was horrifying to get Tatum to take a nap, thus, leading to his "night terrors." Stephen and I had been wanting to try the whole "cry it out" thing... but were concerned that in our small condo, sharing walls with neighbors... that he could surely be heard at night. And we didn't want anyone pelleting our cars with eggs or leaving their dog's poo on our doorstep, with unpleasantly fragrant flames dancing upward from a brown paper sack. And so FINALLY, I left a note on our neighbors door, inquiring about the possible noise situation. Later that day, our super-nice neighbor lady knocked on the door with her son and informed us that Tatum indeed, shares his bedroom wall with her son's, but NOPE - they couldn't hear a durn thing! Man, was I ever kicking myself for not asking sooner! It was SO on! I immediately went out and bought ear plugs, and we prepared ourselves for the "cry it out" strategy! The first night we let him cry was relatively early, around 9p.m., so we went about doing laundry and cleaning as Tatum bellowed for us from his crib. Amazingly, after about 20 minutes... we didn't hear a thing! So I crept in his room, and peered into his crib. I almost burst out laughing and stumbled out of the room to get Steve to come check it out. Poor little thing was SO tired... sitting up crying... that when he finally crashed, he fell straight forward - right into his lap! He looked folded in half! So after muffling our laughter, we stretched out his little legs and covered him up. And he STAYED asleep! (For at least longer than usual)! Luckily, after a few days of repeated waking and cryin-it-out spells, he got it. Now, for a month or so, he's been sleeping through the night!! He'll go to bed around 9 or so... maybe wake ONCE to nurse... but other than that - he's out 'til around 7:30! Its WONDERFUL! (Okay, so I'd like him to sleep in a LITTLE more, but I can't complain when he now naps AND sleeps through the whole night)! Yay sleep!! :)

3. So... most babies like to play, right? With toys and such. Baby things. Well, not our kid. And please let me know if any of yours were, too. Tatum is obsessed with the dog toys & bones, various laundry items (mainly SOCKS) and the piles of it in the hallway, and boxes of Kleenex. I don't know why or where it came from... but he is OBSESSED! He will drag around a sock with him all day and night! He giggles and rolls around in piles of laundry, buries his little face in it, and is all smiles when he sees it. So... for future birthdays, Christmas, or any other gift time - boxes, socks and dog toys of his very own would have him in heaven!

4. I'd like to advise everyone NOT to send text messages to people that may end up as blackmail later. I TOTALLY made a mistake in sending one to Stephen that he was able to "lock" in his phone so it cannot be erased. (I need this feature on MY phone). He told me he's never deleting it, in case I try to deny saying it. *SIGH* Now, most of you know, I've grown up with cats. As far back as I can remember, we've always had at least THREE cats in our house. I LOVE cats! Well, sadly, I have apparently given up the right to ever own one... I made the mistake of sending Steve the following text message: "Oh my gosh - these digital cameras are AMAZING! And amazingly expensive... but I would give up ever owning a cat if I had one!" Tsk, tsk, Lindsay. Craigslist, eBay. All of which you can find amazing deals on such items. I didn't realize that. Nor that I should have added some "fine print" saying this camera of mine must always be in working condition, etc. or my cat comment becomes null and void. Stupid, stupid, stupid! So yes, looks like I see a really nice Cannon professional quality digital camera in my near future. And no cat. :(

5. So last Friday I was pulling out of our parking spot in our condo complex to head to my in-laws to pick up a package that had arrived for me in the mail. The car felt and sounded kinda funny, but STUPIDLY, I just thought it was a huge chunk of ice in one of the wheel wells, 'cause that's what's typically wrong when it's sounded/felt like that before. PLUS, when pulling out, a HUGE chunk did fall off of one wheel well. So I continued to drive. I pulled to a stop at a light, waiting to turn left, and some lady scared the bajeezus outta me when she knocked on the driver's side window. After catching my breath, I rolled the window down part way and she told me, "Your rear tire is pretty low." I said, "It is?? Thanks!" I called Stephen as I contined to my in-laws. It seriously isn't even a two mile drive to their house. We decided I'd just check it out when I got there. So I did - and "pretty low" was definitely an understatement!! It was so completely flat, it's not even funny. So, long story short again - I learned how to change a tire, and discovered that driving on a tire that flat isn't good for the car... and once you do so, you can't just replace the one tire... you have to replace ALL FOUR. This, we did. Brand new tires? $650. Learning how to change a tire AND learning a lesson?? Priceless. Actually - no. 'Cause it cost $650!! Anyways... I religiously check all four tires now before driving any car anywhere. Yuck.

Final Notes: We had some great vacations as of recently! Tatum & I visited California for a short weekend... and yes, I KNOW, I didn't tell anyone! It's only 'cause the time I was there before I didn't get to spend ANY time with just my family. Seriously. I'm not even stretchin' the truth! Unfortunately, we both got sick - as we always do... but we're better now, so I don't wanna even think about it! After California, we headed a couple days later to Oklahoma to visit the Pawelka family... Jared, Sara and their new baby girl, Mary Caroline. Despite being sick, we had a great time with them. We miss them a lot, so it was nice to spend some time with them! Tatum's favorite part? Mary Caroline's socks. :) (Thanks, P family)! Now we're home, back into our 'ol routines... workin' and such, payin' bills!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow... and our very first anniversary is Sunday!! :) I can't believe it's been a year already! Time really does fly! We couldn't be happier or more in love. ("Awwww")! Seriously... I have the most amazing husband! (And doesn't he have a pretty kick-@$$ wife)!?! Fo' sho'!

Alright, fam & friends... I gotta get to bed! Hope you are enjoying the new way to present updates! Give me some feedback, will ya? Much appreciated!

All our love,

Lindsay, Stephen & Tatum Small