A star in the making!

Ugh...it's been a rough start to the week. I got sick on Saturday with the cough, runny nose, I want to puncture-my-sinuses-and-let-them-drain-feeling, achy, fever, YUCK YUCK YUCK. I hate being sick. I have been so lucky the last few years that I haven't been too sick but this seemed to knock me down. We were suppose to go visit our friends the Pedersen's on Saturday and I had to cancel. Thinking I would feel better Sunday, I told them we would come up then. Well, I woke up Sunday feeling and sounding worse! ugh!!

I finally feel better today. I am still blowing god-awful gunk out of my head but I have my voice back (which I lost Monday afternoon) and Garrett and I made it out of the house. Of course, where did we go...Target. heehee! Where I found the cutest clock for our kitchen! It's a faux cuckoo clock but I love it!! Oh and we've gotten about two feet of snow over the last two days. We're making up for lost time.

We have a new toy...a basketball hoop. Brian went out and bought Garrett a basketball hoop because Garrett has been taking all about basketball lately. He has a dance he does that he calls 'basketball' too. It's really funny. He's pretty good. He gets baskets from across the room...it's funny!

My sister Stacey is a wee bit competitive when it comes to sports and she and my cousin Nathan have had this rivalry on Easter where they play one-on-one basketball. It's the funniest thing to watch. So we taught Garrett to use her slogan. He says: "Bring it on Auntie Stacey!" You'll have to play him next time you're visiting! ha!

Congrats Brian!

An update to our hopes and wishes...Brian got word on Friday that he got a promotion. Yeah! He is now the East Coast Network Integration Executive for Abbott Laboratories. He interviewed for this new position a couple of weeks ago and we have been hoping he would get it. He put a lot of hard work into his presentation and interview and impressed his boss. I am so proud of him. It is with Abbott, whom he has worked for 10 years+, which has been good to him. We are thankful he got it so we wouldn't have to start over with a new company. This new position will be more sales and he still traveling but it is par for the course in this industry. He is still President's Club eligible so he has the chance to win a very nice trip if he works hard! We've already been on two of these fabulous trips and believe me, I am hoping for more! So if you talk to him be sure wish him Congratulations!! Yeah! {it's also a step in the right direction for us to get closer to new England}
*fingers crossed* Congratulations Sweetie!!!

waiting...

I applied and interviewed for a new job almost a month ago. It is with the department of pediatric endocrinology at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital here in Cleveland. I would be working with children with Diabetes. I think I am the perfect candidate for the job~life long experience, love the kids, and truly believe that teaching kids they can live a perfectly normal life with diabetes (with a little extra hard work and dedication). I liked the people in the department-- I had to interview with 12 (yes, 12) people. They have 8 attending physicians and 4 nurses. It was alot intimidating but I thought I did great. By the time I met with the last 2 docs I didn't know what to say. When I was asked if I had any quesitons, I laughed and said No-- I haven't had any questions since around 2pm-- it was now 4:30pm! I was then asked to come back for an observation day in the Endo clinic. I was excited since this was actually my third time meeting with them. It went great and I loved being in that environment. Working numbers, talking to patients--I could actually talk to patients, in the operating room--I don't talk to patients--they sleep! I loved it. Now it's been two weeks and I haven't heard a word. I am nervous and scared and being the Nicole I am -- starting to think the worst! Ugh!! I wish they would call me and just tell me either way.

So, as I sit listening to American Idol and the beginning of season 7 (Oh my gosh I have been watching this sad sad show {or is it me that is sad sad sad ha!} for seven seasons and think I can judge them like the best of them but can't carry a tune if I try. Anyway-- the Rocker Chick Rocks! Amanda Overmyer-- wow!

And today I made a small poster for Garrett. Well-- I will back up and tell you that I made picture cards of our whole family when he was about 6 months old. They are 5x7 pictures with their names on it. I have them hung on a ribbon across one of his walls and we say Hi and Good night to them every day. Our family lives in NH-- a mere 700 miles away-- so I wanted Garrett to recognize and know everyones faces. And Boy does he! He talks about them like they are here with him. So,at Christmas, I took a picture of the kids {all 6 of them} on the top of a hill while we were sledding one day. I made it into a small poster for his room today. It is really neat-- he wanted to hold it of course but we decided to put it on his shelf so he could look at all the kids.

I love how it came out. We have been taking a group shot since Garrett was born and this year we didn't get to The Picture People so this was what we got. It's all of them the way they really are. Cute!

Well, I have been rambling on and on tonight. Brian has been gone all week and I am ready for him to come home. It is hard when he is not here and I am doing it all-- cooking, taking care of G, cleaning and laundry--yes I did that this week-- and everything else that goes into our week. I even did the dishes before midnight (or the next morning). I know it's hard for him being away all the time too but I am feeling the stress this week. Waiting for word on a new job, waiting for word on his new job, life, and missing my family. Just the usuals. :) I wrote a note on the board at work the other day~ Happy thoughts, positive outcomes! Keeping my chin up!

Keep me in your prayers that I get this new job!

I {heart} Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day was filled with surprises from the mailman. Garrett was so excited to open presents from Mimi and Papa, Auntie Stacey and Uncle Dave and kids. He knew there were M&Ms inside before we even opened it...I think he can smell them out a mile away now. He just loves all the things he got. He has slept with his new "bear" since he arrived in the mail too. Thank you Mimi! Brian was sweet and gave me the sweetest card and a new Vera bradley bag. It is a cool style-- sort of like a messenger bag but without the flap that goes over the top. It is brown with bright flowers. I still love her bags (I think I have 5 now). I thought I was getting sick of them but now with a new one...I love it!

Hoping everyone had a nice Valentine's Day! with lots of love. xo

He's got an Agent!

Lots of people have encouraged us to submit Garrett to a modeling agency. Well, I decided to try it out after the New Year (with some help from my cousin Jennifer). When I did, the agency told me it could take up to 2 months for a call back and sometimes not even then. A week later we got a call that they wanted to meet Mr. G. I was excited thinking they really thought my baby was cute enough to model! Wow! So, we went in for our 'meet and greet' last week. Wasn't Garrett the TOTAL HAM when we went in. He was all smiles and flirting with the girls (He insisted on wearing his Red Sox hat so I knew we had good luck on our side-ha!) When we left it was, don't call us we'll call you. Garrett gave me a high-5 and off we went. :)

Tonight we got an email from the agency asking us to come in for a Parent meeting because they would like to represent him. He's got an AGENT!

He will be doing still photographs not acting but sometimes I think he might be able to act! We'll see what it all brings with our parent meeting and who knows maybe you'll see him on the box of a Little Tykes toy! heehee!!

Grammy's visit

Brian's Mom, Grammy, came out this week to help me while Brian was in California. This is the first time I have asked anyone to come out and help me but I thought it would be fun for Garrett as he has been asking if he could go to his Grammy and Grampa's (as well as Mimi and Papa's, Auntie Rita and Uncle Oliver's, Oh and Uncle Jim's) house to play with the "kids" (his cousins). We had a great time having Linda here. It was so nice to see how fun both she and Garrett were having together. It was cold all week so they spent a lot of time running around in the house, playing hide and seek, riding bikes in the basement (cellar) and scaring each other. :) It was also nice to have her here to talk to at night. We sat and chatted and laughed and talked about the "someday" when we will move closer to 'home'. Thank you for coming Linda. We enjoyed having you. Garrett loved having you here and will be talking about it for a long time to come. Thank you!

Got Mimi

After my day of mourning the Patriots loss, I am ready to face the world of blogging again. What a game! I was definitely on the edge of my seat biting my nails, on the edge of profanity (although none was used) but saddened by the outcome. I am and always have been a DIE HARD New England fan and will rival the best of them if anyone wants to talk! :)

So-- onto something more fun and cute. Last week as I was making dinner, Garrett was at his little play kitchen making "hot soup". In the middle of making his soup he turns to me with his little finger up and says "Be right back, Mama. Be right back". OK I thought and just watched as he went into the living room. He came right back and put a picture of my mother on his kitchen.
"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Got Mimi, mama. Got Mimi" he replied.

I guess he wanted Mimi to watch him cook his soup.

GO PATRIOTS!

We're in the Super Bowl! We're all excited for the game today. The nachos are ready to be made, the beer is being bought as I write this-- Brian is out buying singles. Well, since it's just the two of us watching the game and I am the ultimate in light weights...he said I have to have one for the tradition of the SuperBowl...whatever! I will probably have one and then switch back to the usual...water!

Garrett is dressed in his Pats shirt and keeps saying "Go Patriots, Papa!" (My Dad has has a lot of influence with sports even being 700 miles away)!

So-- at 6:17pm we'll be ready for KICKOFF!

Go Pats! Kick some NY BUTT!