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I'm purging my friends list of dead journals. So if you still read my journal, but just don't update yours, let me know so I don't delete you.

The little brother and I collaborated this afternoon with a song I wrote about how much I hate serving. Blake was the musical genius, while I "sang," although I use that term very loosely. I have many nice qualities, but singing is definitely not one of them. We don't have a video, it's just the same picture over and over. But I wanted to share the song. We'll try to make a real video soon!

Let me know what you think!

Hah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you'd like the 4th annual Fike Family Christmas card, just comment with your address. I've got a handful of your addresses already, so some of you are going to get cards whether you'd like to or not. Also, if you got a card from us last year, but your address has changed, let me know!

Comments are screened.

Hah! Thanks to everyone who sent Peppy an "impregnate Deanna" email. He got over 20! I really wasn't expecting that. :) He said that in the end it's always going to be my decision anyway, and that he needs to just learn to trust what I think is best because I haven't led us astray yet. So there!

I do worry though. What if spending time with another baby somehow makes the intense connection Gage and share begin to slowly fizzle? I know I couldn't live with that.

Yesterday the three of us went to Harmony Park Safari, which is this drive through zoo. We had never been before, but it was really fun, and Gage had a blast! We bought a bucket of feed and Gage was ecstatic about feeding the animals from the car window. None of the animals were shy at all either. They would basically try to stick their entire heads into your car if you would let them.

Tomorrow Peppy and I are driving to Louisville, Kentucky for another Decemberists show. They are also playing in Nashville in September, so we may try to hit that one up for Peppy's birthday. We haven't decided if we are going to drive (four hours) back home after the show tomorrow night, or find a hotel. My dad said the antique car show was going on in Louisville this weekend, and I remember years back when my family went to Six Flags the same weekend as the car show and we couldn't find a vacant hotel anywhere. For the most part we would rather drive home in the middle of the night while we've still got some concert adrenaline in us, rather than dread the drive home the next morning.

This will be the first time Gage will spend the night with Peppy's dad, so I'm a little apprehensive about that. It's not that I don't trust Brian, it's just that he doesn't listen to anything that I tell him about watching Gage that would make his job 100x easier. For instance, one evening Peppy and I went to a play and Gage went to stay a few hours at Brian and Sigi's house. I told Brian that Gage would not fall asleep if the lights were on and when we came to pick him up he was WIDE AWAKE because Brian had laid him down to go to sleep in front of a window, which was right in front of a streetlight.

Nevermind. Brian called as I was ending that paragraph and he will be staying the night with Gage at our house. I think this will be best for all parties involved.


( Animal pics. )

Alright all you savvy mamas out there, what is the best kids' sunscreen? Gage usually naps during the hottest part of the day, so sunscreen hasn't been a top priority. We used Coppertone Water Babies whenever he needed protection, but it basically sucks. It's too watery and just runs everywhere, and Gage ends up rubbing it into his eyes and going crazy.

What do you use on your kids? Also, has anyone had any luck with the sprays?

And just because....

I haven't posted an entry solely about Gage in a long time. So here's whats up.

I cannot believe how much he has learned just since turning two. He is really becoming a little man, and it's so amazing to actually be able to hold a two-sided conversation with my child. Sometimes I feel like he absorbs and stockpiles all this information and then just breaks it out at the most random times. He walks up to any(and every)one and tries to start up a conversation. He must think Peppy and I are way more popular than we are, because he is constantly asking us, "Who's that?"

He is such a loving and funny man. Always doing things to try and make us laugh, and randomly smothering us with hugs and kisses. He also has a huge imagination and will often eat his dinner on the floor while pretending he is a dog or cat, but if he's sitting at the table eating something mushy he will use a truck as an eating utensil, using the bed to scoop up food. Speaking of animals, he loves them ALL and can imitate most animal sounds. He also loves any sort of vehicle, whether it be boat, aircraft, or car. He doesn't discriminate. Other favorites include butterflies and fireflies, balloons, birds, fish, watches and clocks, flashlights, tents, and sports equipment.

Gage loves to dance and sing. In fact, he can sing Twinkle, Twinkle completely unassisted, as well as the ABC Song with a little bit of help. He is so used to us listening to live music and hearing people clap and cheer at the end, that he stood up and cheered after the invitation song at church yesterday. He can also count to 10 and knows most of his colors and shapes, although he ALWAYS confuses red and green, so I think he might be colorblind. He loves to read, and will sit and listen for as long as someone will read to him. He is also very good with "please" and "thank you."

For a while Gage was an extremely picky eater. While he still has his favorites like Carrabba's lasagna and hotdogs, he is beginning to branch out and try new things. He loves onions and bananas, and absolutely hates mustard and pickles.

We haven't had any successful trips to the potty yet, but he does attempt to stand there and pee, only to give up and wet his diaper AS SOON as we put it back on. He also tells us whenever he poops, and he can communicate with you that as a reward for using the potty that we will go to Walmart and buy cars, trucks, and safety scissors-that he really, really wants.

Gage is my handsome, intelligent little man. He is the biggest mama's boy ever, and every once in a while gets really jealous if he sees me hug or kiss Peppy. He'll push in between us and try to give me hugs instead. I love that I get to be home with him for the majority of the day. He's only going to be small once, and I feel so grateful that I get to experience everything with him.







He did this to himself.

In other news, I think I am ready to try for number two. I am 90% sure it's not just an impulse or my biological clock this time. And for the most part, I think I've convinced Peppy that it would be ok, and that our life would not, in fact, be over. We are such wonderful parents to Gage, and I would love for him to have a sibling. I think I want a whole brood. Haha! No one is more surprised than myself.

Have a great week! I can't wait until Friday when we leave for Pensacola!

-Deanna

Today is Gage's 2nd birthday. Well, technically he won't be two until 5:02 pm central time. Right now I was probably just in labor.



Where has the time gone? I feel like I only brought him home from the hospital. I am simply in awe at how quickly he is transitioning from baby to little boy. His mannerisms and expressions have changed in mere weeks. He is constantly picking up new phrases, and while he looks more and more like Peppy every single day, his personality is a mirror image of mine.

Being a mother has transformed me into this amazing woman that I love to be. My life was pretty self destructive before I got pregnant, and I don't want to think about where I might be if Gage hadn't come along. Everything I do is now weighed by how my child would be affected. Having Gage in my life has also renewed my love and faith in God. I didn't want this child and even prayed to not be pregnant, but my pregnancy prevailed. Someone knew that I needed Gage. And now I can't imagine my life without him.

I never would have thought that when I was twenty five my best friend (aside from Peppy) would be a two year old. But he really is. Our connection is so much more deep than mother and son, I feel as if we are kindred spirits, and that somehow our souls are actually intertwined.

I'm sure there are many mothers who love their children as much as I love Gage, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that no mother loves their child more.

I want to share one of my favorite Iron and Wine songs with you. It makes me bawl like a baby every single time I hear it. It's so moving to me, and I truly think that mothers of sons are given the most perfect gift. My favorite version is on Iron and Wine's live album, Norfolk, but I couldn't find a video of that one.






Mother, remember the blink of an eye when I breathed through your body?


( Two years in pictures )

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I've been super busy with working on stuff for Gage's party. I promise I won't be a sucky el jay friend for much longer! Just though the weekend!

-Deanna

Me, only a week or so old.



For the life of me, I cannot understand why my parents wouldn't have this hanging in their living room!!!

It's ok to laugh. Trust me, I have. I was such a cute toddler, although I don't know how it came from this.

My poor parents. My mom was so excited to have a baby girl, and this is what she received. Hah! Thank goodness my forehead has shrunk a little since then!

Today is my 25th birthday. Peppy is making me chocolate chip pancakes right now. 25 is going to be a good year. I just have this feeling. I had a very nice Independence Day, and I'll probably write about that later.

Before I forget, I want to give a big thanks to nukko for the awesome birthday package she sent me in the mail, which included note paper made from elephant poo! I kid you not. It's so Deanna. I have the most amazing friends, and some of them I have never even met. Perhaps one day....

Pancakes are ready. Today is going to be all about me. Holla!

:-D

-Deanna

TADA! I'm pretty pleased with how everything turned out, although when I first started painting out the words I thought maybe I was in over my head. Not to sound too boastful, but I don't think the picture does it much justice. It's pretty spiffy. I free handed it all and I didn't use a ruler or map out anything, (as you can probably tell.) I finished it five minutes before Peppy came home last night. On some of the spaces I ran out of room and had to leave off the 's' or 'ed' on the end. Hah! Friday night our electricity went out for four hours, so I was really afraid I wouldn't be finished in time for Father's Day. When the electricity came back on we realized our A/C unit had died. We get it fixed tomorrow morning, and I have been very grateful for ceiling fans lately.

If you're not familiar with Radiohead's Hail to the Thief, this is the album cover I was trying to recreate, only I did it more along the style of one of the posters for the album.



Peppy was really excited. He knew I was painting something, he just didn't know what. He kept telling everyone in my family how awesome it was. That made me happy. :)

My dress was too low in the back to wear a regular bra today, so I broke out my sticky tits.



These things creeped me out until I tried them. Now I really like them. Strapless bras never stay up on me, so this is my solution. Anyway, Gage walked in as I was putting them on and said, "That's mama's........eggs?" He was so confused. I couldn't stop laughing.

My mom and dad were nice enough to watch Gage for us tonight. We were going to go camping this evening, but stayed with my family a little longer than we anticipated. So we're just going to hang out here and relax. It'll be nice to just spend some one on one time together.



I like this picture because my teeth are one of my favorite features. Growing up I was so self conscious and rarely smiled because I had the worst gap between my top front teeth. I could stick two nickels or even a cheerio in between them. Finally when I was fourteen I was able to get braces (after having my 7 remaining baby teeth surgically cut out.) Yep, so the first six months that I had braces I only had like 14 teeth. And these were not molars either, they some right in the front. They resembled something from Wrong Turn*. Needless to say, I was a pretty awkward teen. (To say the least!) Definitely a late bloomer. I'm pretty proud of my teeth now. I laugh and smile all the time.

Anywho, Peppy is finished watching golf so we're about to start our two person party.

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies!!

-Deanna

*If you haven't seen Wrong Turn, this is what I was referencing my teeth to. They weren't pointy, but aside from that they're pretty accurate. I need to upload a real picture sometime, but until then, this should do.

Be honest!
I always put it back no matter where I park. But that's just how I roll.



Poll #1415903
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 56

Do you take you buggy to a cart return after you've unloaded your groceries?

So my child just did something so sickeningly adorable.

I have this mason jar on my kitchen table filled with Jelly Bellies. Gage never paid much attention to them until my MIL stayed with us and ate some. For some reason he thinks they are nuts though, and refuses to call them jelly beans.

Anyway, he pointed to them and said, "nuts." I asked, "What do you say?" (He's usually very good with 'pweeease' and 'tanks'.)

He looked up with the most sincere expression and replied with, "I wub you."

Ok. So that works too. :)

This was actually the first time I had ever heard him say that. Peppy told me that he said it earlier while I was at work, but this was the first time for me!

What did I do to get such a sweetie(for the most part) as a child?

Earlier today Peppy and I had appointments at the eye doctor. Let me just mention that Gage was so much of a doll that he got to pick out two matchbox cars when we went shopping. He's probably got 100 of them already. And he gets so very excited to pick out a new one. He understands that we can only buy one and a time, and takes selecting a new car as a very serious task. They are really helping him learn his colors too. He didn't seem to care about the differences in colors at all, but now he'll tell me this is his "white car" or his "purple van."

Anyway, I didn't get to pick out my glasses until after my eyes were already fully dilated. I honestly have no idea what they look like. I've narrowed it down to either brown, green, or maybe gold. Now that my vision is normal I'm certain I couldn't pick them out of a line up, even if my life depended on it.

I found what I thought were really cute frames, keep in mind that not only were my eyes dilated, but I also didn't have my contacts in and my vision is 20/100. The very nice optometrist assistant (what are they really called?) sounded worried and said, "Oh honey. Oh no, no." And even called the receptionist over to tell me how badly they looked on me. So obviously, my judgment was a little skewed.

I'm kind of excited to see what my new glasses will look like in two weeks! I (think) I like the ones Peppy got for himself. But I guess we'll see! I hope that whenever my next eye appointment is I remember to pick out my frames first.







It makes me sad to look at him in only his diaper because he looks so big. :-/ He's growing up too fast.



Bragging rights! I don't care if it was only on medium, it's Kansas! And Peppy got pwned! You should see my Rock Band character. She is hawt. Actually, I change her appearance every week, based on my mood that day.

Have a marvelous week!

-Deanna

I love onions. I could eat them whole, like an apple. I've never actually done this, but I'm pretty sure I could. Sometimes I'll cut them up and eat them in strips. You know, just like onions petals or rings, only without the batter.

I bet I have sneezed at least once and hour since I woke up this morning. Maybe even more. Let me calculate that. Sixty minutes in an hour. I've been up for thirteen hours. Let's see....780. Sheesh. Basically I hate pollen. We have this standing vendetta.

I'm eating a salad right now, but because I'm so stopped up, everything tastes like nothing. And every once in awhile something will taste like snot. Generally I love eating salad. However, tonight I imagine all the people who hate vegetables and call them 'rabbit food' and say lettuce tastes like grass, and I assume this is the experience they get when they eat a salad.

Anyway, the point of this entry was neither to profess my love of onions, nor to complain about my allergy ailments. Instead, I wanted your addresses. Often when I'm out and about I will see something that reminds me of you or your children, and I think it would be fun to send you all packages occasionally. Any(and every)one is welcome to participate!

Comments are screened if you'd like to receive some snail mail lovin' from yours truly! I promise I'm not motivated enough to stalk any of you. But even if I did, wouldn't it be a lovely surprise to find me at your doorstep?