COCKA-DOODLE-DOOLEY

New Blog Address! Deleting This One!

cockadoodledooley — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:48:19 +0000

We switched over a couple of months ago to blogspot & I just want to make sure everyone gets us changed in their blogroll. I miss hearing from some of you & found out today a lot of my blog buddies still have this address saved, not the new one so they have no idea we have had new posts. The new address is www.dooley-daze.blogspot.com Please update us on your lists. I would love to hear from all of you again! Peace & love.

Moving On

cockadoodledooley — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 07:32:47 +0000

Dear WordPress,

It’s time for a change. You don’t allow me to explore my creativity & I need the freedom to do that. It’s been a great year and I’ve enjoyed our relationship but I’ve found someone new. Someone fun, exciting, and well, more attractive if I’m being honest. I hope we can still be friends.

Love, Shannon

www.dooley-daze.blogspot.com

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice

cockadoodledooley — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:11:21 +0000

It’s a GIRL!

This is our baby girl’s very first photo shoot. She was a little angel and let us get a few profile pictures immediately before she started squirming and kicking. We are so excited to welcome a girl into the Dooley household. She already has Daddy wrapped around her little finger and she’s not even out of the womb yet. We have decided to name her Brooklyn Mae. Mae was my Grandmother’s middle name. She was my best friend and one of the most influential women in my life. Grandma passed away when I was seven months pregnant with Chandler. I promised her that if Chandler was a girl, I would give her the middle name Mae. I am holding true to that promise with this baby. July 3rd can’t get here quick enough! We are so excited to meet little Miss Brooklyn!

Brooklyn's little profile

Her tiny spine

The doc said there is zero question that this baby is a girl

Home Sweet Home

cockadoodledooley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:04:14 +0000

We are finally settled into our beautiful new home & we couldn’t be happier. It has been so fun giving it personal touches and making it “ours.” Chandler loves it so much that often times we will ask him if he wants to go somewhere, Grandma’s house for instance, & he will say “No. I stay at Chan Chan’s new house.”

The people who lived here prior didn’t leave it in the best condition (to say the least) so we have had to put a lot of work into it and there is a lot more still to do but to be honest we are enjoying every minute of it. It’s so fun to see my husband in his element constructing and designing things, even fixing things. Seeing Chandler “help” him is even more of a thrill. It has been a great bonding experience for all of us.

My eyes have really been opened to how blessed we are during this process. My parents give & give until I think there is nothing more they could possibly do for us and then they give some more. We are grateful beyond words to them. My friend Shaunae spent 24 hours painting & our realtor, who happens to be a very good friend, even got in on the action. My best friend Ashley drove 4 hours strictly to help get our house in order and paint, even when she had a move coming up herself and only had one more weekend to finish packing. She, her husband, & her Mom were a huge help. I lost count of all the friends that helped us move. We could not have done it without them all & we definitely could not have done it in the short amount of trips it took to get everything here thanks to all the trailers & big muscles. Words don’t even begin to express our gratitude. Friends & family have already helped to make our home sweet home all the sweeter.

PICTURES TO COME SOON!

And the ugliest is….

cockadoodledooley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:46:02 +0000

Our friend Hunter hosts an annual ugly sweater party in which admittance is $5 or a toy to give to Toys for Tots. This year he raised close to $300 & about 10 toys to help out a family in need. Each year, the person wearing the ugliest sweater is awarded the coveted traveling trophy which is itself adorned in an ugly mass of brown fur. I waited until the last minute to buy an ugly sweater and the thrift shops were sold out so I headed to the dollar store and bought ornaments to make one myself. Jared borrowed a holiday sweater from my Mom. I took first-runner up to a man wearing a belly sweater, tights, and a Santa Clause inspired thong. Like my Mom said, any man brave enough to wear that costume deserved to win.

My proud Mama snapped a bajillion pictures like we were headed to our high school prom

1,2,3….1600 Jelly Beans!

cockadoodledooley — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:36:03 +0000

We really should have bought a lottery ticket the night of my hard working husband’s company Christmas party. Jared entered a raffle and won the exact same tool set he asked Santa for & then about an hour later we won a flat screen TV for guessing the correct amount of jelly beans in a jar! It was a great night! And not just because of the freebies, but because we got to spend the evening with some great folks & dine on a fabulous prime rib dinner.

3 teams had plates filled with small bells. They had to race each other around chairs without any bells falling off. Jared helped lead his team to victory.

Nicole, Kelsey, & Melanie… amazing friends.

Our due dates are 4 days apart... the race is on!

Dancing the night away... (ok, truthfully, my pregnant body only lasted until about 10pm but that's late for me nowadays!)

All Hallow’s Eve

cockadoodledooley — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:45:55 +0000

I am a bit delayed in getting Halloween pix up because I had to wait on a cable for my camera to arrive but as the adage goes, better late then never! I took Chandler to Boo @ The Zoo where he got to see the animals & trick or treat to all the different booths. He had fun but was frozen stiff by the end. Even after I bundled him up in his heavy winter coat, covering his Batman costume. That’s Halloween in Idaho for ya. Halloween night Jared, my parents, & about 30 friends attended the Qwahitas concert at the Brownstone restaurant. As usual, they were amazing & we had a great time. Jared & I dressed as punk rockers & my parents were oh so boring and came dressed in normal attire but we were just glad to have them there. I don’t think my Mom & I had spent a Halloween together since I was probably about 11. It’s nights like this that I am thankful to have such a fantastic, fun, & talented group of friends!

Update On My Friend & Her Heavy Battle

cockadoodledooley — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:55:17 +0000

I wanted to let you all know that my dear friend with the eating disorder took a courageous, bold step & entered into an inpatient eating disorder facility in a nearby state. She will be there for up to half a year getting treatment and improving her health. The pain & fear she is going through right now is difficult but she is handling things well & is excited about taking a new step toward recovery each day that she is there. I am so proud of her.

I would also like to thank each of you who contacted me personally about your own struggles with ED. My heart is saddened & overwhelmed that so many of you are dealing with this. Women that I would have never imagined in a million years are fighting this battle. It just goes to show, ED does not discriminate. Rich, poor, old, young, it makes no difference. Thank you for being so candid in your stories and trusting me enough to spill your hearts. Each of you are in my prayers daily. Please feel free to contact me anytime if I can help you in any way.

Wishing all of you love, health, & contentment!

Knocked Up!

cockadoodledooley — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:25:49 +0000

Hey ya’ll,

After much praying & getting feedback from you guys, as well as doing some studying, I decided against taking Lupron. However, I made an appointment to start other fertility drugs this Thursday. I am thrilled to say though, that won’t be necessary! I took 2 pregnancy tests last night & both said “Way to go Jared! You did it!” Ok, really, they just gave me 2 pink lines but it’s basically the same thing, right? Hip hip hooray! I cannot even begin to express our excitement & joy. Whomever said the power of prayer doesn’t work needs some serious prayers said for them! What are the odds, we would go through everything we’ve been through & two days before I am to start fertility meds, we would find out there is a bun in the oven? God is so great you guys! Last month the doctor was telling me my odds were at 50% and decreasing therefore I need to be put into early menopause, and this month I am pregnant. I am in love with the circumstances in my life right now. I appreciate this gift so much more given everything we have been through. It is still a waiting game given our miscarriage history but we are remaining hopeful and optimistic. Please keep us in your prayers while we soar through the first trimester. Love to you all!

Lupron & Endometriosis

cockadoodledooley — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:22:31 +0000

I’m writing this post with the hopes that I can get some advice so even if you are a visitor to my blog, please feel free to leave me a comment. Every word is appreciated.

As most of you know I had surgery 6 months ago to remove endometriosis. It has now been a full year of trying to conceive since our miscarriage with no luck. My doctor asked me to come back in yesterday & has said my only option is to be put into menopause for 6 months with a drug called Lupron. It consists of monthly injections & a whirlwind of side effects, as you can imagine while forcing my body to grow through “the change.” It will temporarily disolve what is left of the endometriosis & after 6 months the hope is we’ll start with a clean palate & be able to conceive. My endo is more severe than I had originally understood. My doctor said that after every cycle I am decreasing my chances of ever becoming pregnant. Right now I am 50% less likely to get pregnant than I was a year ago. Therefore, if I wait another year without treatment who knows what my odds will be. However, something in my gut is telling me this Lupron isn’t the answer for me. And maybe that’s just because it scares me (especially after the horror stories I read online about it causing permanent menopause in your 20′s) or maybe it’s something more. All I know is when I have gone against my gut in the past, I later regret it.

If anyone has thoughts, suggestions, or personal testimonies, please please please let me know. There are a few endomitriosis specialists out there in other states who cut the endo out permanently rather than burn it off. From my understanding it is extremely expensive though & hard to get insurance companies to pay for it. I have horrible insurance for myself which makes me extra nervous.

Sorry my past 2 post have been nothing short of depressing. Sometimes when life sends pain & trials all it once, it’s easiest to type them up & get it off the brain so that I can move on to focusing on all the great blessings in my life like my one in a million husband & my little angel Chandler. Thanks for taking the time to read them & I promise to get some happier stuff on here soon! I love you all!