'Tis the Season to be Jolly

My dear BFFFFF (Shad recommended we call each other that primarily because we can spend hours with each other on the phone, but really because we truly are best friends forever & ever & ever & ever - maybe she should be my BFFE), Angela has provided me some of the best phrases in life to live by. One of those phrases is: Enjoy the season you're in.

Lately, I've found that I'm in such a hurry to travel to wherever Shad's located that I hustle through my time at home. Then, while I'm away, I hustle through the time I'm spending with Shad. And in all my hurriedness, I forget to focus on the here & now & just enjoy it.

I am so blessed to have a beautiful home, live in a great city, have such a marvelous schedule, a precious little boy, a wonderful husband, some truly remarkable friends (not to mention a pretty great BFFE), in addition to having the opportunity to travel every month. Does life get any better than that?

I remember driving by the subdivision we live in now & dreaming of buying a home in here. I loved the area & I loved the diversity of all the homes. And, of course I loved the pool. But here we are now & I am already thinking of what I want in our next home.

I do understand that it's often important to be ambitious in life & strive for greater things & set yourself up with bigger goals. I'm just concerned that I'm not spending enough time enjoying what I have now because I'm ready to move onto the next phase or chapter in life without thoroughly enjoying the current season.

So, with that being said -- I challenge you all to make every season the season to be jolly, not just Christmas. And may we all have a little belly that shakes when we laugh like a bowl full of jelly. (I'm just kidding about that last part.)

And with that, here are some jolly memories we've made throughout this summer season:

Beautiful Bozeman

Amara & Cashe in Bozeman, MT

Shad & Cashe at Strands Beach in So Cal

Enjoying the view from Grandpa's porch in Coeurd'Alene, ID

Wine tasting with the girls in Temecula, CA

Mount Shasta in Oregon

Hanging out with Matt & Alan in downtown Portland, OR

Hanging out with Ryan in Lake Elsinore, CA

Petting the goats at the Dodge City, KS Zoo

Family Photo at Strands Beach in Dana Point, CA

Trip to Target in Lake Elsinore, CA

Lovin' on Auntie Angela & Amara in Bozeman, MT

Cashe's 1st plane ride to Dodge City, KS

Lunch with a long lost friend I hadn't seen in 6 years -
Dustin & Jenny Stanley with the good ol' Nyquests in Temecula, CA

He pulls himself up now!

... And entertains himself too.

Breakfast Bloody Mary with bacon! Portland, OR

Child-proofing the house has begun

... And we play games every day too.

Relaxing after a beautiful baby shower

Hiking with Dana to Salt Creek Beach in Laguna Niguel, CA

Cashe's 1st haircut

Merry Summer 2010 to all

... & to all a good night.

Won't the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?

Yes, we've hit that milestone. Cashe is now a crawler & might I add, has quite the crawl. Auntie Kelly calls him, "Jack Sparrow" because he crawls with one leg & drags his peg leg along the floor.

He does this undoubtedly because he's all that not interested in crawling. This kid would much rather stand up & start walking than mess around with crawling. (I moonlight as a children's mind reader, for those of you who didn't know.)

Nonetheless, he's motoring around the house & hotels like a tiny Jack Sparrow suddenly turned Slim Shady. (Go ahead & say it, I'm a horrible mother for referring to my child as Eminem's alterego.) Once he's up, he's up -- he holds onto whatever it is he pulled himself up on for dear life & his smile just gets bigger & bigger until he's 100% confident his feet are secure.

We've got some baby-proofing ahead of us as I follow him around the house with a notepad:
Outlet cover here, outlet cover there, outlet covers for the road.
Gate goes here, gate goes there, disinfectant wipes for the road.
Cushion goes here, cushion goes there, haul the couch cushions to the fitness room while on the road.
Good grief, this is exhausting. I know, I know -- it only gets worse.

(Forgive the fuzzy camera phone photos -- I don't have my adapter with me.)

Anything will work.

Lots of smiles & ... bounces & bounces & bounces ...

Who me?
This is also a new one --
he grabs his diaper while I'm changing him, quickly rolls over & crawls away giggling,
... wooden peg leg & all.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye.

I just started reading this PHENOMENAL book by Beth Moore called, So Long Insecurity-You've Been a Bad Friend to Us. Kind of cheesy title if you ask me, but SO SO SO enlightening.

I'm reading it with my sistas (anytime I say that, I think of Sir Mix Alot's song, 'Baby Got Back' when he says: "Give me a sista, can't resist her. Red beans & rice didn't miss her." ... whoa, I derailed. Back to the book.) There are questions we all answer each week & have a discussion too. What a breath of fresh air to read word-for-word what I am thinking & have thought for years AND discuss it with my sisters in order to understand someone else's real perspective. Because, trust me, we're NOT all the same when it comes to this stuff.

And for those of you who know my reading history -- I kid you not when I say, I cannot put this book down. I do not fall asleep while reading it, nor do I find my mind drifting off into the abyss while trying to determine what's on the agenda for the following day. (You're all sold now, aren't you?)

Where do I start?

I've been wanting to blog about this for 11 chapters now & haven't had a minute to sit down & do it. And now that I have the time to do so, I can't think of what I wanted to write. Mostly because there's so much "meat" (I hate that word sometimes; it reminds me of a bloody steak when I say it) to this book.

So, please hold while I collect my thoughts ...

Okay, ahem ... I'm ready.

Without giving away the details, what I've learned so far is this:

Everyone has insecurities. Men & women. Everyone. Everyone. Here are a few of my own examples: (1) Oprah's loaded, but I can guarantee you she's insecure about her weight. (2) Donald Trump is loaded & isn't overweight, but I can guarantee you he's insecure about his hair.

Seriously -- my insecurity may not be the same as yours. So, for me to look at you & think, "What have you got to be insecure about?" may just diminish the fact that your insecurities are just as important as mine.

Another thing I've learned is that there are roots to everyone's insecurities, whether it be an insecure home, culture, or pride -- your insecurities stem from somewhere.

In addition, men's insecurities are obviously different than women's, but believe it or not, they DO have them. And to assume that they don't does them a disservice.

All of this puts things in perspective for me & undoubtedly has for all the girls I've been reading this with. Interaction I have had with anyone & everyone changes a little because you start to view everyone as human instead of being on the defense because whomever it is you're interacting with is acting a little too "high & mighty". Chances are, they're insecure about something.

I'm not encouraging you all to start analyzing everyone you come in contact with to determine what their insecurity roots are, but I do encourage you to read this book. (Beth owes me big time.)

By the end of it, the goal is to be secure with who you are. Who wouldn't want that?

My 100th Post!

I better make this special.

It's basically just a big confession that may make all you other mom's breathe a sigh of relief that you're not the only ones.

Or it may make you feel pretty darn good about yourselves for sticking to your guns.

Or it may make all of you who know me grateful that I'm finally chilling out a little.

I was just sitting here today thinking, I swore I would never do some very specific things as a parent & I think I've done almost every single one of them.

I swore I would never let Cashe have sugar until he was much older. Then, I introduced him to frozen yogurt. Justification: he's a good eater regardess of what he eats, so I can trust that he will continue to eat his normal food, not just sugary foods.

I swore I would never let Cashe sleep in bed with Shad & me. Then, he cried all night in a hotel & the only thing that soothed him was laying in bed with Mom. Justification: Shad needs to make a living & provide for us, so he needs the sleep & we need not be booted from the hotel.

I swore I would never let Cashe watch TV until he was two. Then, I turned on the TV in the hotel room & his face lit up when he saw Elmo. Justification: He's one darn happy baby, so if this makes him happier, so be it. We'll just limit the TV. And besides, we have no cable at home, so Elmo is a "traveling treat" when we don't have access to all of our toys at home.

I swore I would never let Cashe have juice because it too was too sugary. Then, he refused to drink from a bottle or a sippy cup, especially if it was just water. Justification: If it gets him to drink & not be dehydrated & have turds the consistency of tiny boulders, it'll have to do.

Bottom line: I've got a happy baby boy, & it's okay to bend the rules. I'm learning little by little to be less rigid & undoubtedly, Cashe will be thankful now as well as later. So, bring on the TCBY, Elmo! We're there.

The Follow-up News ... & then some.

I wanted to provide all of you readers with a quick update on how Cashe is doing ... & one other thing.

So, after the renal exam last Monday, we had a follow-up with Cashe's Urologist on Thursday & she said things look really good, BUT they want more of our money. That's my pessimistic, glass half-empty side speaking. She just said that she would like another ultrasound of his kidneys so they can use it as a gauge at a later date to determine if he was getting any better/worse.

We went in Friday for the ultrasound & he did so well! On a super-quick-proud-mama-side-note, Cashe is such a happy baby. We have gotten more compliments on his demeanor, personality & fun facial expressions than I could have ever imagined. He's such a doll. I know I'm just his MOM, but he is a very good baby.

Anyway, so as he flirted away with the Ultrasound Tech a bunch, we learned that the dilation has not gotten any better, nor has it gotten any worse. His kidney continues to grow at a normal rate & because the blockage looked good in the renal exam, he's good. However, this is something that needs to be monitored until he's two. Ugh. Oh well. It doesn't seem to bother him & I've saved a bunch of money ... on our Geico car insurance AND because I decided against hiring my earlier-mentioned staff, if we have a few exta medical bills, we'll survive.

It's not the fancy dancy news I had hoped for, but good news overall, especially after such a long week of doctor's appointments.

The doctor's appointments did not end there though -- today was Cashe's 9-month appointment & sadly, he's no longer in the 100th percentile in everything. He's not the hulk we thought he was. Dang. He's just the huNk we knew he was. He's dropped from the 90th percentile into the 64th for weight, 76th for length & 85th for head.

He is crawling ... he uses left knee & pulls his "peg leg" (a.k.a. his right leg) around the house now. And, ultimately, if he could skip the whole crawling business, he would. He tries to pull himself up on everything & always acts as if he just wants to walk.

I was scolded by the Pediatrician for a few habits that still need to be broken. I'm embarrassed to say what they are because all you perfect mothers undoubtedly don't have the issues I have (which I blame primarily on our travel schedule), but pat yourselves on the back if you've never been scolded by your Peditrician & you can go ahead & close your mouths now from all your gasping -- I know, I know, Nicole's not perfect. (I'm joking.)

And on a side note, Shad asked that I not make a big deal about this, & I'm not, but if you've read this far into this blog post, you might as well keep reading about how incredible my husband is.

Shad's boss called him last week & asked him to put together an outline for a conference call of how he is so successful in his markets because the VP of Marketing & all of the Regional Managers want to pick his brain. They all want pointers to give their sales people in order to increase sales in their regions. My first question was, "Shad, doesn't Ron remember what you look like? You're hot. Paris Hilton hot. That's what gets you sales!" BUT, I don't think that's the flattery he was looking for. It's like when Jennifer Aniston was upset because she was most known for her hair rather than her acting capabilities. Oops.

Well, regardless of whether he thinks his looks play a role in his success, I sure think they do AND he's just brilliant & determined & ambitious & driven & fabulous at what he does! Way to go, Love!

Now Hiring

I'll be accepting applications through August 13th & expect to have someone hired by COB (close of business) on August 13th. I am looking for a nanny, a cook, a personal trainer, a maid, a Psychologist, a massage therapist, a seamstress, a manicurist, a limo driver (which means you must also own a limo because I don't own one), & a lottery winner so I can pay everyone's salaries. Unless, of course, you all want to work for me for free.

I love my life & I have no complaints, but man am I up to my neck in duties (not to be confused with doodies).

Welcome to motherhood, Nicole! Hello? You signed up for this. You prayed for this & God blessed you with everything you've asked for. Accept it & be joyful about it. You are now a nanny, a cook, you sew your own buttons back on your pants, you are your own personal trainer, maid, Psychologist, manicurist, & limo/taxi driver. Shad is your "massage therapist" & you need to start purchasing lottery tickets if you expect to win the lottery.

Shad's next market is in Southern California. Guess what that means?? We have things to do & people to see! Yahoo! The problem is, do we have enough time to see everyone AND do we have enough money to do Southern California things? California's expensive. We can make it work, but that means I have to think.

Dave Ramsey, I don't want to think. I want to cheat & I want to spend, spend, spend. That's the little red devil sitting on my left shoulder. The winged angel on my right shoulder says, "You'll get to go back in a few more months & you've paid off the car, silly! Keep up the good work!"

Shad flies down to his markets a week prior to Cashe & I going, so that means I need my limo driver to take us to the airport & pick us up. With as often as we travel these days, I hate, hate, hate asking someone to pick us up/drop us off every few weeks. How annoying. (I'm not hinting, I swear. Please do not post comments offering to take us to the airport. I'm just venting.)

While I'm juggling this bigger event in our lives, I've got the iron plugged in (but I'm preoccupied by whining to you all through my blog -- aka my psychological "therapy"), I'm attending a conference call for work, the washing machine is running, the dishwasher is running, Cashe is napping, the crockpot's cooking, & I'm doing some butt squeezes in my chair (just kidding -- that's gross). I guess I'm doing okay ... as long as Shad's preppin' himself for my shoulder rub after this call, I can forgo hiring my staff.

... Although, I am still looking for a manicurist who can paint my right hand because I'm not left-handed (& I wind up with nail polish all over my knuckles by the time I'm finished). I can offer you some of my home-cooked crockpot food as payment OR, I can sew loose buttons back on your clothing (don't ask for anything more because that's as far as my sewing skills go). Benefits include: Shad's shoulder rubs or advice on better butt-squeeze-techniques.

Hydronephrosis or Tourette's Syndrome?

Cashe was diagnosed with Hydronephrosis when he was in the womb. Hydronephrosis is when there is an obstruction of urine flow somewhere along the urinary tract. In Cashe's case, one of his ureters is dialated.


Normally, urine flows from the kidneys down through the ureters and into the bladder. But, if there is some kind of a blockage that prevents urine from draining properly into the bladder or out of the bladder, the kidney overfills with urine and hydronephrosis occurs. Again, in Cashe's case, the blockage is only partial, letting urine pass, but at a slower rate.

Therefore, this means we need to be proactive about taking care of the issue before it leads to kidney disease later in his life.



So, in addition to the several ultrasounds I had when I was pregnant with him to monitor this, he had several of his own ultrasounds when he was tiny. Because there was no change in the dilation of the ureter, he had what's called a VCUG.

The VCUG examines the kidney & bladder function through an x-ray exam. They gave him a catheter, filled his bladder with a contrast & watched it empty. They were watching to make sure the contrast did not reflux (abnormal backward flow) into the kidney.

Thankfully, Cashe had no reflux; however the ureter was still dialated & the urine drainage was slow, so onto procedure #2, the renal scan. (I think that's what it's called -- for all you medical people, I'm sure I sound like a moron, but for all you non-medical friends, I sound like a genius!)

Regardless of my intelligence, he had a test on Monday to determine how BIG the blockage was & what our next steps were: 1.) Do we remove it surgically? or 2.) Will it dissolve on its own?

The procedure was pretty much an all-day thing. He was not allowed to eat that morning (& he did surprisingly well ... with as much as this kiddo eats, I didn't think he'd make it long).

We got to the hospital & they registered us, sent us down to the Radiology Dungeon & got us all set up in our room. Cashe wore the cutest, little hospital gown & played & played in his bed until the nurses came in with the IV materials. Uh oh.

The IV went as well as could be expected, I suppose. I know it was uncomfortable for him, mostly because he had no use of that arm for a few minutes. Shockingly, they found a vein through all of his chunk & before long, he had his sedation meds.

The nurses said Cashe could sit up while they administered the meds, but there was a chance he would fall asleep so quickly, he would collapse. I was prepared for him to fall back in my arms, but he resists naps, so I had a feeling he would resist this sleep too.

We were also warned that he would act as if he had had one too many drinks. And sure enough, he did! He had us all in hysterics! He would get super serious & focus in very intently on one of the nurses with his furrowed brow & YELL, "DAH!" Then he'd settle a bit & say, "Dah, Dah, Dah" & look at the same nurse again & YELL, "DAH!" I was almost in tears I was laughing so hard. The nurses were too.

Within maybe a minute, he was asleep & that's when I lost it. Never does this child go to sleep that well on his own. He fights every sleepy urge he has so he can stay awake & not miss a thing, so to see him so peaceful with the lights on & voices still going, made me a little loopy & I started to cry. Something just didn't seem right.

Our nurse was incredible though & put her arm around me & told me it was very common for Moms to feel this way. She handed me the Kleenex box & we walked him down to the Radioactive Room & let them carry on with his procedure. I cried all the way back down the hall to our room & then pulled myself together so we could have some lunch in the cafeteria.

All went well though & he was such a little trooper. He slept through the whole procedure & woke up just at the end they said. His eyes were wide open when they wheeled him into the room. You could hear him still randomly YELLING down the hall, "DAH" as if he had Tourette's Syndrome.

I held him & nursed him back to sleep for a few more hours while he recovered from the procedure & all the excitement.

We have an appointment tomorrow with the Urologist to find out what the results are of the test. I'll keep y'all posted.

Much love & many thanks for all your prayers.