Cake

So I was very brave and decided to try making a tiered fondant cake for my mom's 70th birthday. I had never made a tiered cake. I had never even made a round cake...wait no, I made one in high school. Anyway, I have only made fondant one other time (for Cambree's birthday). I blame Ace of Cakes on the food network. Mike and I are addicted to that show. They make it look so easy. So, I started making plans for a cake. My first step was to spend lots and lots of money on pans. Really I didn't spend a lot. I bought a set at JoAnns and used my 40% off coupon, so they were $28. Plus I bought a few other supplies. I tried a practice cake last week. It was a white chocolate cake and raspberry buttercream frosting. It wasn't very good. I used a raspberry extract...not good. So, I decided to make a almond butter cake with Almond Buttercream frosting. I didn't make a practice cake to see how it would turn out. Very brave. I think it turned out great though. I spent the whole day friday trying to put it all together. My abs are so sore from kneading the fondant for hours. It is a pretty good workout. There were a few things that were not quite as easy as I thought they would be, but for my first cake I think I did pretty good. I have learned a few things so the next cake will look even better. So if anyone needs a cake, let me know.

Hello World

Wow, it has been way too long since I have updated this. Not that it really matters. So I just thought I would get on here. A lot has happened since April (last post). We put our house on the market only to not have a single showing. We are currently putting up a wall in the basement to make a 3rd bedroom in hopes of attracting some buyers. Plus it would be really nice to split the kids up. Last night we put the kids in bed (oh, they both just fall asleep on their own now...it is a big miracle). Anyway, we could hear Hudson saying "Cambree, Cambree wake up...wake up...Cambree).
So the kids are doing great. Cambree started walking the beginning of August...yes, a little late. Now she can walk backwards and run. She still doesn't talk. She makes a monkey, elephant, dog and dinosaur noise though. She says uh-oh and uh-huh. She loves to get dirty and will play in anything that will get her dirty...i.e. ashes from the fireplace, bag balm, syrup.
Hudson is the same old cute little boy. He loves to play video games and would play them all day if I let him. He is starting to be nicer to Cambree and it is so stinking cute when they play together. We thought about putting him in preschool this year, but after evaluating the cost have decided to wait until next year.
Mike is always busy with work. He gets a lot of overtime, which is good for the pocketbook, but not so good for family time. Sometimes he goes several days in a row without seeing the kids.
I also am just doing the same old thing. I keep trying to do different things to keep me sane, or maybe they make me more crazy. Right now I am planning a birthday party for my mom who turns 70 next week. I am going to make a 3 tiered cake and decorate it with fondant. I will take tons of pictures of either my success or failure. I have only done one other fondant cake for Cambree's 1st birthday, but it was just a 1 layer sheet cake. So wish me luck.
Well, you are all officially caught up. Not really, a lot more has happened since April, but I need to start cleaning, so peace out.

Cambree's first year

I can't believe that tomorrow is Cambree's birthday. It really doesn't seem like it has been a whole year. I still vividly remember bending over to pick up Hudson's diaper when my water broke one year ago today. Mike and I had joked about it happening all day. Mike was working a hockey game that night, and Hudson and I were on our way to watch the game. Mike had joked with his co-workers that his wife was going to go into labor. He was in the little boys room when I called him. 35 minutes before the game. Nobody believed him when he came back in and said that he had to leave because his wife's water had broken. I probably should have let him work the game. Nothing really happened for a long time. I guess a good way to celebrate Cam's birthday is to tell the story of her birth. So at the time I was baking the Rhode's loafs of bread every couple of days. Of course on this day I had one rising. I took it with because I didn't want it to sit on my counter for 2 or 3 days. I gave it to my sister-in-law Brandie who met us at the hospital to take Hudson. I don't think she baked it. I am sure it wasn't any good. My water broke at 6:20 pm. I arrived at the hospital at around 7:30. We checked in and of course the nurse, doing her job, was giving me crap about "are you sure your water broke". Yes, I was sure. When I bent over it felt like a water balloon popped in me. Plus the constant leaking after that. I knew I was there for the night. It was a very busy night at the new hospital. I had to stay in the check-in room until around 11. Finally they moved me to my own room. I was group b strep positive, so I had to get 3 doses of antibiotic before they would give me pitocin. Oh, I still did not have a single contraction and did not until they gave me pitocin around 1 am. About half an hour to an hour later they came in and took me off pitocin because they had a bunch of people come in and they couldn't monitor me like they needed too. I was pretty upset because things were finally happening. I was starting to feel very little contractions. I tried to get a little bit of sleep, but couldn't because I was uncomfortable and I was so excited to meet my little girl. They finally came back in around 4:30...I think to start me back on the pitocin. The first dose did nothing. So they came back in an hour later and gave me a stronger dose. It worked. I started having really painful contractions really close together. So, Mike and the nurse suggested the epidural. I was in so much pain that I didn't really think about it. Doesn't make sense, I know. So I got my epidural. The first dose didn't do a thing. I was still in sooo much pain. So the anestesiologist came back in. The guy was a jerk. He was so rude to me and I really just wanted him to feel the pain that I was in. He gave me a second dose. It still didn't work. The nurse had me turning over and changing my position, but it was still so painful. I didn't really want the 3rd dose because the guy was such an a-hole, but the nurse convinced me that if I was still in pain I should get it because I was getting really close to pushing. So one more dose from the a-hole. Right after he left the nurse checked me. She said I was probably around 5-6 centimeters and it would take a while still. She noted that on her computer and did a couple other little things in the room. Right before she walked out I told her that I felt a lot of pressure...down there. She didn't want to check me, but did. I was very glad she did. I had progressed to a 10 in just a couple of minutes. So in rushed the doctor. Two contractions and three pushes later I met my beautiful baby girl. Words can not even explain the rush of love and happiness that flooded me the moment they laid her on my chest. I am so lucky to have my two beautiful babies. They give me so much joy every day. I love them so much.

frustrated

So I really need to vent. Sorry to anyone who reads this. You can stop reading now. Why is it so hard to lose weight? For the first time in my life I am truly trying my hardest...doing everything right. I haven't drank mt dew for 6 weeks. That is a freaking miracle. I haven't had anything but water for 6 weeks. With a couple of special occasions...like Mike's birthday. I had cherry coke. I have cut back quite a bit on my cheese consumption. Yes, I love cheese. And I can't cut it out completely. It is pretty much my only source of protein...since I have cut out peanut butter. I am eating more vegetables. I eat a bowl of cereal every morning instead of toast with peanut butter or waffles. Plus I use to drink hot chocolate pretty much every morning and I haven't had any. I try not to have sweets, but Mike is the devil and tempts me with ice cream and cheesecake. I haven't been religious on the treadmill, but I get on it at least 3 times a week. And then I am on there for at least 20 minutes. Plus I have been taking the kids on walks pretty much any day it is warm enough to venture outside. So here is my real problem. The first 3 weeks I lost 5 pounds. I was so happy. Yes, it is slow, but I am doing it right, and 5 pounds in 3 weeks is pretty good. Well, the last 3 weeks I haven't lost an ounce. Not one. I am getting so discouraged. I have talked to people who stop drinking their favorite soda and without doing anything else they lose 15 to 20 pounds. I was hoping for that, but I wasn't expecting it. I was expecting to at least lose something. I had a goal set for at least a pound a week. But nothing for 3 weeks. Mike is getting pissed at me because I am focusing so much on the number. I really am not focusing on "the number". I just weigh myself to see some kind of reward for the work and sacrifice that I have been doing. I am seriously so close to giving up. I know that genetics are really really against me being skinny, but it can be done right? Or am I just going to be fat no matter how much I work? I know that everyone hits a wall in weight loss, were they stall for a little while, but I always thought it was much later in the process. Not after 3 weeks and 5 pounds. Sorry for anyone that just read that. I am glad that I can vent somewhere. Mike just gets mad at me.

Lately

It has been a while since I have been on here, so I guess I should catch everyone up.
We went to Vegas a couple of weekends ago. Hudson, Cambree and I rode down with my brother-in-law Pat. Mike went down there for work ( for a whole week), so he was already down there when we got there. We went down because Jeff and Christina (my bro-in-law and his wife), from South Carolina, were going to be there. Poor Pat. I don't think he wants kids anymore. I was so dumb and forgot my stroller. Dumb. We walked a lot in Vegas. Hudson walked a little and wanted to be carried quite a bit...totally understandable. Anyway, it wore the poor little guy out, so by the second day he was pretty cranky. I don't think Pat had too much compassion and like a lot of people do, forgot just how little Hudson is. Yes, he talks better than a lot of 5 and 6 year olds I know, but he is only 3 and his little legs are only 3. Anyway, Hudson pitched a couple of fits and I think Pat regretted taking us with him.
Anyway, so down in Vegas we were able to see Mike for a little while and Hudson got to see what daddy does for work. He was able to take a couple of hours off to go to dinner with Jeff and Christina and then we walked to the Bellagio. I loved seeing Jeff and Christina. I wish that they lived closer. I hated leaving Vegas. I almost cried a few times just knowing that I was getting further and further away from Mike. He was going to be down there for 5 more days. Pretty pathetic, I know. Sorry I don't have any pictures to post. I hate our camera. I didn't even take it because I hate it so much. I took a couple of pictures with my phone, but still have not figured out how to get them off my phone.

We bought an annual pass to the Living Planet Aquarium. It is ok, but after going to the aquarium in Charleston, SC, it wasn't that great. I was very surprised that Hudson put his hand in the water to try to feel the fish and the stingrays. And he did touch a starfish. I think we will definately use the membership since it is about 2 blocks away from Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Well, that is what has been going on lately. I wish that I had something profound or exciting, but really my life is full of dirty diapers, cartoons and chicken nuggets.

smarty pants

Hudson is 3. At 3 he is much too smart. I bought him a new pair of pants at the old navy baby sale. So yesterday I was putting them on to see if they fit and adjusting the tabs. I had to pull the tabs out 9 notches on both sides. Yes, he is really skinny. He has the "Chipman Butt". That means not there. I said to him "where is your butt? It is missing". And that was that. About an hour later he was being mean to Cambree ( nothing new) so I said " I am going to spank your butt". He turned to me and said, full of sarcasm, "mommy, my butt is missing. If you can find it, you can spank it."

running

So I finally bought a treadmill. I have been looking for one since November. I thought that if I tell the world that I plan to loose some weight maybe I will stick with it. Wish me luck.