Life With Gracelynn

We have MOVED!!!

2010-05-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Over the last several months, our little family has undergone some changes and so has our blog! Complete with a new name! You can check us out now at The Princess and the Pork Chop!

(Credit goes to Mrs. Leigh for the adorable nickname!)

Coming Soon!!!

2010-04-27T13:20:00.001-06:00

Check out our new blog on May 1st!!!

James and a Banana

2010-03-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

Enjoy some photos of James eating his first real piece of banana. He wasn't so impressed (he only took a few bites/licks).

Circus Fun 3.27.10

2010-03-30T09:00:00.004-06:00

So this past Saturday night, Gracie and I got to spend some time together while James stayed home with a friend from church. We got to go to the circus with my aunt Gail, Katylin, and my sister Kayla! When I ordered the tickets from ticketmaser, I totally felt like the tickets I bought were not too far from the stage, but a good distance off the floor.
Boy was I shocked to discover, upon our arrival to the Coliseum, that our "VIP POD" seats were DEAD FRONT ROW!! This was Gracie's second trip to the circus, but her first "big" circus, and we had a blast! Here are some pictures.

Random Dozen

2010-03-16T19:27:00.002-06:00

Stolen from Amy...

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet? I have a big chunky pair of black strappy shoes that I probably bought eight years ago or more...

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety? I bought two boxes of Samoas. The only Girl Scout cookies worth buying. And unlike Amy, I do not price my cookies. Eating them is much more fun!

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to? No. But it might be fun!

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager? I didn't get into a lot of trouble until AFTER highschool. Which is a blur of alot of stupid mistakes, but that is all in the past!

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see? It depends on what movies are Oscar-nominated...where is the list?

6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself? I tend to flinch when they take blood, so I ask them to hold my arm down until they stick me. And then I'm okay to watch the blood.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why? Sunday. I get to spend most of the day in God's house.

8. Do you miss anyone right now? My mom. Terribly.

9. Do hospitals make you queasy? Not at all.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Target or Children's Place.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items? most of the time I buy generic, but certain name brands I tend to buy are certain cereals, toilet paper, and shampoo.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels? Probably telling someone how I feel.

Fun Photos

2010-02-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

James has two teeth. Because James has two teeth, he can tend to be fussy. What helps? Gerber biter biscuits. Just ask James. He'll tell you.

James also has to start learning to use a sippy cup, because his daycare will introduce one very soon. So in order to ease the transition, James received a NUK sippy cup - the spout is just like the nipples on his bottles. James seems to like it.

And award for silliest baby photo ever goes to Mr. James Edward Nelson!

Splish Splash, I was takin' a bath!

2010-02-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

James discovered something besides his toys since he started sitting up in the bathtub! He figured out last night that he can splash the water!

Because of the problems I'm having with the herniated disc in my back, continuing to bathe him on the counter is easier. However, it leaves a huge mess of water when he gets excited and starts moving around! So we might have to work out alternative bathing methods..

Note: There is no baby nudity in this video, and the voice in the background is his big sister, "talking" to her toys in the big bathtub!

Jumping Bean

2010-02-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

LOL

2010-02-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

You might want to prepare yourself...in order to make James laugh, Gracie and were being pretty loud!

Baby James Trick #1

2010-02-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Boy, what a difference a few months makes!

2010-02-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Okay so it is very hard to look at this picture....

...and think that this is my little boy because....

THIS is what the little monster looks like now!!!

I can NOT believe that is the same child in both pictures. Because of his "little" size, Baby James has received numerous adorable nicknames: Pork Chop (thank you Mrs. Leigh), Fat Man (me and big sister), and Bubba J, as he's affectionately called by his Mawmaw.

And since I've been slacking on updates, be prepared for some videos coming soon that show you just how much my "Little" Monster has learned to do!

Snow Day 2010

2010-02-19T14:08:00.002-06:00

Okay so the day we got snow I had to work until lunch time, but Tina stayed with Gracie and James and took some pictures of Gracie playing out in the snow!

Several updates coming!!

2010-02-19T11:54:00.001-06:00

I PROMISE!!!

Look what the kids can do!

2010-01-23T16:14:00.004-06:00

I've been MIA I know. Forgive me? I wanted to share some new pictures.

Gracie's new haircut!
I just got so sick of ponytails and ponytails and fly away hair and static, that I decided on something drastic. The picture I took was much different than the end result, but it gives her hair more body than it had and it also leaves room to still style, use barretts, or even ponytails if we want.
And we decided to do the haircut the morning of a very important day/event...

The day she was the flower girl in my friend,Brooke's, wedding!

And not to leave out James (AKA "Pork Chop") look what HE can do!

I apologize in advance for the snotty nose (it seems he's had it since birth!) and the upper body nudity. Hey, at least he's sporting a diaper!

Anyway, if you guessed he was sitting up - you'd be right! He only lasted long enough for me to snap these two pictures, but who cares?? He has also learned how to roll over! Now if someone would talk to him about kicking that 2AM bottle, we'd be set.

Happy Birthday, Tina!!

2010-01-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to wish my baby sister (far left) a happy birthday today. I can NOT believe she is 18 already. Time has gone by so fast and she is so grown up now...I remember when she was still a little girl!

Tina is the "neglected" child (or so she tells it) because she only has TWO professional photos of herself from birth to age five, and we just recently found the only home video of her first year of existence. Sadly, her name is mispelled and she is given some terrible nicknames in the video. There is also evidence of my mom and I torturing her by feeding her cheerios! But we LOVE you Tina!

I'm not excited about her graduating this May because it's just means I'm getting older...but I love her very much and she'll always be Gracie's F.A.T. (Favorite Aunt Tina).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA!!!

Baby James' dedication

2010-01-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I'm saying this, but these are photos from James' dedication last year. That just sounds so strange.

Anyway, it was at our church on December 27th, and we had a whole pew full of family who came out to witness it. My favorite part of the baby dedications at our church done by our sweet, wonderful pastor are when he takes the child from the parents and walks down the middle aisle of the church. It's as if he's not only showing the baby off to the congregation as he talks, but letting the baby sort of "meet" or be introduced to the congregation. Although James is a familiar and very loved baby at our church.

I know that this simple act also means a lot of Brother Bruce, and did this particular Sunday because he had a minor accident over the holidays and injured his knee - so he was afraid he might not be able to carry James down the aisle. Thankfully, he was able to. And we were also blessed to have Lori Mercer with us to photograph the event!
(I promise to post more photos when I receive my disk from her).

Mama's boy

2010-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

When Gracie was born, I could see some similarities in her that kind of reminded me of myself and of Bryan. We've had lots of people (over the last four years) who say she looks like me, or she looks like Bryan, or she's a really good combination of both of us. There are some first photos of James that there is no denying he is my son.

I just wanted to share some comparison shots of baby photos of me with photos of James. I really enjoyed flipping through old photo albums at my Granny's house during Christmas, and reminiscing with my sisters.

These first two look more alike than the second two...

But I love this picture of James anyways!

Do you have old baby photos of yourself you'd like to share on your blog? If so, here's my challenge: Show us how similar your own children are to your old photos, or how different!

Christmas Photos Part 2

2010-01-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Gracie with some books from Nana

Anniston opening a gift (she had a blast with the paper!)

Anniston in a box!

Nana's best gift! It says "Grandkids welcome (Parents by appointment)". Tara gave it to her!

Gracie, James, and Anniston

Christmas Photos Part 1

2009-12-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

James in his spankin' new high chair (courtesy of Santa!) and Gracie

Gracie showing off James' "My first Christmas" photo album

Gracie and James

Gracie with her Hello Kitty rain boots Tina got her

Tag books from Aunt Jessie

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T15:30:00.003-06:00

Some random pictures of the kids during the Christmas holidays...

This is James and his "not so happy" face.

Back: Katilyn and Zoe
Front: Addison, Emma, and Gracie

Addison and James

The reason for the season

2009-12-25T07:00:00.001-06:00

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
-- Matthew 1:23, KJV

I also wanted to share this beautiful song with you...enjoy.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you are not a member of a church in your area or your church is not doing a Christmas Eve service, I'd like to invite you to Glynwood Baptist Church to attend our Candelight Service at 5:00pm. We went for the first time last year and Gracie really enjoyed the simple, low key (but beautiful) service.

Then we will be having dinner and spending time with my family. On Christmas Day, we will be celebrating with Bryan's family. We will also continue our Christmas tradition of seeing a movie on Christmas Day. It's up to Gracie to decide if she wants to see the Chipmunk Sequel or the Princess and the Frog.

So because we'll be spending time with family, I'd like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas.

The Christmas Pickle

2009-12-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm sure, if you're like me, you have a wide variety of Christmas ornaments on your tree. We have a "married couple" ornament, a baby's first Christmas ornament, some ornaments that Gracie has made at daycare/church over the years, a brand new ornament for James his teacher made at daycare, a "our new home" ornament...the list goes on.

But I bet we have an ornament you don't. We have the Christmas pickle. The small card on the pickle encouragements a kind of game among family members: be the first to find the pickle on Christmas day, and you are rewarded a small prize.

If you'd like to know more about the Christmas pickle, you can read about the tradition here.

Christmas is about a lot of things...

2009-12-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

....I just wish someone would tell my family that.

I won't make nice about it or mince words: There is and has been for quite some time a lot of bad blood amongst my family. Mainly my extended family, branching out into aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. I won't relive all the tales and stories and fueds because frankly, this isn't the time - or season - for it.

But I wish with all my heart and pray repeatedly that someday, somehow, my family could make peace among themselves. Sometimes I get so mad at God and want to know why he won't change my family. And then, as if reading my thoughts, God (or Max Lucado, actually) dropped this email in my mailbox: Dealing with Difficult Relatives

I don't want to post the entire email here, but some things that really caught my attention:
Does Jesus have anything to say about dealing with difficult relatives? Is there an example of Jesus bringing peace to a painful family? Yes, there is.
His own.
It may surprise you to know that Jesus had a difficult family. If your family doesn't appreciate you, take heart, neither did Jesus'.

Having your family's approval is desirable but not necessary for happiness and not always possible. Jesus did not let the difficult dynamic of his family overshadow his call from God. And because he didn't, this chapter has a happy ending.

What if Jesus had disowned them? Or worse still, what if he'd suffocated his family with his demand for change?
He didn't. He instead gave them space, time, and grace. And because he did, they changed. How much did they change? One brother became an apostle (Gal. 1:19) and others became missionaries (1 Cor. 9:5).
So don't lose heart. God still changes families.

I think I've shared this story before, but the signifigance of the chocolate covered cherry in the photo above is a reminder of what Christmas used to mean to me - not about this nasty tasting concoction that most people enjoy about the holiday season.

It reminds me of one person, my Granny Cole, who made Christmas special every single year, regardless of her own circumstances. Who went out of her way no matter what to make sure we all had something special from her. She is the one person my heart aches for on Christmas. Because no matter what, her love was always there. Whether it came in a box of chocolate covered cherries or a simple pair of socks.

So instead of pleading with God and praying him to change my family and the circumstances we are in, I'm going to pray for them instead. That God will warm their hearts to let go of the past. To forgive others as he has forgiven us. So that with each year that passes instead of growing further apart, we draw closer together and love one another.

Favorite Holiday Foods

2009-12-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Okay so technically this would go much better on Cheese Grits and Jesus, but I am posting it here anyway. I'll link to the other blog as well.

One of the girls I work with reminded me yesterday that she loves the holidays because I tend to bake alot - not just cookies and cakes, but also bread - and last year, we had Amish Friendship Bread starters passing through our church like the swine flu (ah, a joke!)

I'm sure anyone from church who encountered one or begged others to take a starter off their hands understands my pain! Even so, I thought I might share this recipe for those who've never heard of it before.

And now I'm tossing around the idea of making some myself.

But first, I'd like to have some volunteers who want a starter for themselves.

Favorite Christmas Song #2

2009-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Love, love, LOVE it!

Favorite Christmas Song #1

2009-12-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

Quick note: I just realized that when I visited my blog, the wrong video is up for my favorite Christmas song! It's been fixed now! Enjoy!

I don't care who says what about boy bands. No really, I don't. I openly admit to being a fan of the Backstreet Boys. I even traveled all the way to California to meet up with some friends for some of their concerts. But that, my friends, is another blog and another post.

This is one of my all time, absolute favorite Christmas songs - and this particular version is awesome too.

Enjoy!If boy bands are not your cup of tea, skip it!

The Sing-Off on NBC

2009-12-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

Okay so if you haven't seen this show, you've already missed all the fun. These are not JUST acapella groups - but groups from all over the place who make their own music. Literally! My favorite group on the show got voted off on Tuesday night.

If you missed Noteworthy's performances, you can check out my favorite right here:

I am shocked to learn that two girls can actually beatbox - AND they are good at it!!
I want to learn how to do that!!

But since they got voted off on Tuesday, my vote is for the guys who refer to themselves on the show as "The Bubs."
Check out my favorite performance from them here:

If you haven't seen the show, which aired Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the season finale is Dec. 21st. The last three groups (Bubs included) will perform for a load of cash and a record contract.

RSV isn't fun enough.....

2009-12-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

H1N1 has infected our home, just in time for Mawmaw's arrival.

Gracie is the infected child this time. Her baby brother, who is still fighting off his RSV, was given Tamiflu only in the event he develops symptoms. Cross your fingers and say a pray that this flu will pass him by....and that the rest of us don't come down with it.

And when can a Mom catch a break around here?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-16T07:00:00.002-06:00

Some pictures of RSV baby during the week when he was a little happier!

He seems to function better elevated in his bouncy seat, where he can grab onto the toys dangling in front of him.

Small Things

2009-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

It amazes me on a daily basis the people who touch the lives of my children in such small ways. Some of them do this in such small ones. One of the sweetest and kindest ladies handed Gracie a bag while we were in line for the church fellowship the other night. The bag contained nothing more than a simple children's book "Christ the Savior is Born", but it was SO much more to Gracie.

This very simple children's book uses biblical references to tell the story of our Savior's birth to children in a way that they can understand it. And when I read it to Gracie before bed last night, she wanted to take it to school today and share the story with her friends. I asked her if she knew she was being a missionary by doing that. "Missionaries tell others about Jesus!" was her answer.

On the way to school, she told me that we couldn't have Christmas if baby Jesus had not been born. She is right, but there is so much more than that. If it weren't for that sweet little baby in the manger who gave his life on the cross for our sins, we'd all still be lost souls.

I am so thankful for my church family who touch my life and the lives of my children just by being the wonderful people they are. And in a world of commercial Christmas and Santa Claus, I am glad my daughter understands the real reason for the season.

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!

2009-12-14T15:56:00.000-06:00

Okay so I am auto-posting this post so that by the time it actually posts (how many times can you say post in one post?)

MAWMAW WILL BE HERE!!!

Not that we're excited or anything. Her plane is landing at 4:56pm in Atlanta.

3:56pm for Alabama folks.

Homecoming pictures to be posted later...

The Best Christmas Present Ever!

2009-12-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Okay so Gracie's Christmas Musical at church was Dec. 6th, and she did an awesome job again this year!

A shot of the whole preschool choir.

Gracie and her good buddy Jackson

Another shot of Gracie and Jackson

They only did two songs, but they were absolutely adorable!

Baby Food Fun!

2009-12-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, we cheated! We didn't wait until James was EXACTLY four months old before giving him baby food. He had his first bite of sweet potatoes on Dec. 4th, and sweet peas followed a week later. Which, if you are taking notes, James loves sweet potatoes. Sweet peas? Notsomuch.

Four Months Old...and RSV

2009-12-12T09:22:00.006-06:00

So James turned 4 months old on the tenth (Thursday) and decided to end off a really bad week by being diagnosed with RSV! Can you feel the sarcasm in that comment?

The only difference for James is that number one he received no inhaler or liquid steroid as treatment, AND he waited a month past the same age his sister was when she had it! Gracie also seems more prone to have a small cough turn into a respiratory infection, so we usually treat coughs with Mucinex at our house.

RSV often times sounds more serious than it is, but it CAN be serious. It usually affects children under the age of two, and can sometimes be a need for hospitalization. It is HIGHLY, HIGHLY contagious but in older children it only presents itself as cold symptoms.

It's taken more seriously in children under two because their airways are much smaller and it makes them have more difficulty breathing. Thankfully, James' RSV was caught in the early stages (wheezing and high fever are the later stages) and he was only running a low grade fever with no wheezing. Happy four month birthday to James!

James is having an extra hard time because the antibiotic he is on causes a loss in appetite and vomiting, which he has already done twice. He's just not getting enough food, but he seems content with the 3-4 ounces he will take.

So here is just a snapshot of what my dresser now looks like....

My at-home medicine counter!
1.The packages to the left are Pulmicort Respules and Xopenex that I have to put in the nebulizer to give for his breathing treatment.
2. infant's tylenol
3. Bactrim (an antiobiotic)
4.a nasal aspirator and saline drops
5.C-Phen Drops
and
6. Puff the Penguin Nebulizer
You can see the neonate nebulizer attachment in the background. James has been grabbing at it and trying to play with it.

His four month photo
And ladies and gentlemen, we learned a NEW trick!

These are first photos of James actually grasping/grabbing something. Now if he could just figure out how to let go....

Pictures with Santa

2009-12-12T08:48:00.002-06:00

So we took the kids last week to Bass Pro Shop to visit with Santa. I was a little nervous because it took Gracie a while to warm up to Santa last year. But she sat on his lap like a big girl!

Baby's First Picture with Santa

Gracie told Santa she didn't know what she wanted for Christmas...Bryan liked his expression in this picture!

Both the kiddos with Santa!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

So the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Gracie's preschool had a "Thanksgiving Feast" for the kids - to which they were permitted to bring two guests. Thankfully, Bryan was able to go into work at noon so we both got to go eat lunch with our daughter at her school. Which was a big deal for her.

Gracie and I showing off her Thanksgiving Placemat (which has found a new home on Nana's refrigerator in her new house!)

My sweet big girl

Showing off her placemat again

The day of Thanksgiving I had to work until 11am (oh, the joys of retail!) and then we went to my grandparents house for lunch. We got to visit with a lot of family members we don't see very often, and it was really nice to get to see everyone.

James with my Granny

James with my Pawpaw, who is one of his name sakes (my grandfather's name is James also)

Sleeping off the turkey - yeah, right!

(More) Birthday Party in Pictures

2009-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Singing "Happy Birthday"

I'd like to introduce you all to (this is Gracie's name for her) "Kayla who tried to take my lunchable." We have SO many Kaylas that we know, this is the easiest way to keep up with them. We have "My Kayla" which is Gracie's aunt Kayla (my sister). Then we also have "Miss Leigh's Kid, Kayla" and a few other, I'm sure. BTW, she's holding Baby James.

Nana Kay with Baby James

4th Birthday Party 11.07.09

2009-12-01T08:45:00.002-06:00

Gracie's fourth birthday party was at the YMCA Play Place on Nov. 7th. We had a lot of her friends who were able to attend. Miss Amy A from church (no relation to Amy Wade) helped us pull of our princess theme by loaning us her punch bowl and some other glass dishes to give us that "elegant" feel to the party. You can see most of the table decorations below, which was pretty much the only decoration we had just to keep things fairly simple.

I was not certain about what to do about the birthday cake. The YMCA goes through a local bakery/catering service to do the cake. And for $20.00 extra, the cake lady offered to do a Cinderella cake (Gracie is Cinderella obsessed since her aunt Jess went to Disney and brought her a picture of the castle at night). Anyway, I feel like I honestly, truthfully, and totally got my money's worth on that cake. It was AWESOME!

Gracie and Noel

Miss Maddie Grace

The Birthday Princess

Whoa baby!

2009-11-23T17:10:00.002-06:00

I just realized it's been a long time since my last post! I never even got around to posting Gracie's birthday party pictures! And I totally overlooked sharing a photo of James at 3 months (and he's now approaching his 4 month birthday) and we've got Thanksgiving coming up!

I promise all of this is coming very soon. Possibly this week.

And speaking of Thanksgiving, can I just tell you how nice it was that my 4-year-old daughter wanted to share with our church last night that she was thankful for her baby brother? Considering the fact that she cried about it when we broke the news to her (right before we shared it with all of you) I'd say we've come a long way.

And speaking of coming a long way.....MAW MAW is coming home in TWENTY ONE DAYS!!!

And we're not at all excited. Nope, not us.

Birthday Dinner

2009-11-08T07:00:00.001-06:00

Gracie has two favorite restaurants: O'Charley's and Cracker Barrel. I don't know what it is about these two specific places, but whenever we mention eating out those are her two picks! Always! So on Monday night when Pawpaw was in town and took us to dinner at Olive Garden, we discussed getting together Wednesday night for her birthday. When asked where she wanted to celebrate, she said Cracker Barrel. The cake you see in the photos is one I actually made at home, complete with princess sprinkles! When I called Cracker Barrel, I was disappointed to find out that they don't "do" anything for birthdays outside of singing. So I opted to bring my own cake and they were fine with that!

I was suprised she didn't start crying when they were singing to her! But she enjoyed it!

This was when she opened her Hannah Montana barbie doll that Pawpaw got her. I don't know what it is with this child and Hannah Montana, but she LOVED the doll! She also got a bag full of clothes, but the bag was so big none of the pictures turned out right.

Baby James and Anniston also received gifts (the cutest little sea horses with light up tummies - they remind me of Glo Worms). Gracie was not too happy about sharing gifts on her birthday, but she was when I told her she could open her brother's gift for him.

While Gracie opened her brother's gift, Tara opened the one for Anniston (Anniston is hidden behind the bag!)

James with Pawpaw

The birthday girl and her Pawpaw!

Pawpaw had to go home on Friday afternoon, but Gracie really enjoyed the fact that he was here again on her birthday (he was also here last year!) We are glad we got to spend time with Pawpaw while he was here on business!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-07T07:11:00.004-06:00

So on Friday we went to downtown Prattville to do the candy walk and then over to First Baptist of Prattville for their fall festival. Saturday night we went to Millbrook Baptist for their fall festival, but I forgot the camera in the car. Here are the pictures from Friday night. Enjoy my little monkey and fairy princess!
My little Monkey Man!

My Fairy Princess

And speaking of my fairy princess, I have (coming soon) pictures from her birthday dinner! And this afternoon we are having her birthday party, and there will be pictures from that as well!

My Birthday Princess

2009-11-04T12:37:00.003-06:00

Although her birthday isn't official until 3:35 this afternoon, please leave a comment for Gracie and wish her a very happy fourth birthday. Her party is on Saturday but tonight we're having dinner with Pawpaw at Cracker Barrel (one of Gracie's favorite restaurants).

So I'm wishing my birthday princess a happy birthday! She is my firstborn, my beautiful baby girl. She's the one who has the infectious laugh and the vividly wild imagination. She is my super sensitive girl who gets her feelings hurt very easily. She has a big heart that is filled with love for her aunts, her baby brother, and Jesus (and she'll tell you that).

She loves to sing, to look at books, and entertain her baby brother.

She went from being this little creature who was totally dependent on me to developing into her own little person.

My baby, my big girl - no matter what, she is mine. And I thank God every single day for bringing her into my life.

James' 2-Month Check Up and More!

2009-10-25T13:23:00.003-06:00

So I am totally slacking in the post department! I was doing good on maternity leave to try and update every day and then I went back to work October 15 and the bottom fell out!
Anyway, James' 2 month check up was on October 20th and here is his info (compared to Gracie's):

James' Stats:
Height: 24 3/4 inches
Weight: 13 lbs, 14 oz

Gracie's Stats:
Height: 23 inches
Weight: 12 lbs, 5 oz

So by month two he has already outgrown his big sister!

Speaking of his big sister, her fourth (OMG) birthday is coming up on November 4th! It's going to be at the local YMCA, and I've already met with the catering company who works with the Y for these parties and Gracie is getting a Cinderella cake that will look somewhat like one of these cakes.

I was telling Bryan last night I can't believe how big she is now! I had her in my lap last night and I remember when, like James now, her whole body fit on one of my arms. Like the length from my elbow to my fingertips was how long she was. Now she can physically wrap both arms and legs around me! And she's so big! When I look at her, I'm just amazed to know she was as small as her brother once. I think she has grown several inches in the past year, too.

James is still continuing to babble, coo, and smile at us. He is enjoying daycare and his teachers all rave about how good a baby he is. That makes me happy to hear! He is also enjoying his night time bath, and he splashed so much the other night Bryan had to mop it up with a towel. But he loves his bath time! He's just like his big sister in that area!

Other than Gracie's birthday, we do have Halloween coming up. I almost posted pictures of their costumes the other day and decided against it - you'll have to wait and see! Gracie and I put James in his costume the other night and laughed hysterically for a good bit before taking it back off! Can you guess what he's going to be? If you already know, don't give it away....

Come to think of it, I may have posted about it a few weeks ago! Hhmmm..we'll see!

Today....

2009-10-13T08:23:00.002-06:00

Today, I sent both of my sweet babies to daycare. Both of them, for the first time. And no...I don't want to talk about it.

James - Two Months

2009-10-10T10:32:00.003-06:00

James at one month.....

and James at two months!

The first few physical appearances I notice: his face is not as round anymore. He is getting longer (I can tell by comparing the area of the bouncy seat he covers in each photo). His hair acts like it is starting to thin out, and I really am beginning to think that his hair is going to be curly (any time he gets it washed or he gets sweaty, it curls up in the back).

Other milestones:
1.I got my first official smile at 1AM on Sept 24th!
2.He slept through the night for the first time on Sept 27th (although he hasn't done it since then! Did anybody else have this problem with one of their babies? Gracie slept through the night at 3 weeks old!)
3. He is more vocal - babbling, cooing, whining (crying but it's just noise, no real crying) and hates it when you stop talking to him.
4. He is staying awake for longer periods of time and developing some kind of schedule I can follow
5. He is starting to like his swing more! YAY!
6. He has started to notice that he has a tongue, and that if he moves his arms and legs - THEY WORK!
7. He still prefers to be swaddled when he's going to sleep, but I think that's only occasionally now
8. He seems to have outgrown his colic/it's not as bad at night anymore. Whoo hoo!

He will get the last bottle of breast milk that I have on Monday, and then he starts daycare on Tuesday. I go back to work officially on Thursday. Pray for me, I'm already dreading it!

Cheese G.R.I.T.S and Jesus!

2009-10-09T14:08:00.002-06:00

Stop laughing.

And don't ask questions.

What do Cheese G.R.I.T.S and Jesus have in common? GO HERE and find out!

Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-07T22:33:00.006-06:00

So this year, Bryan and I decided to skip the Alabama National Fair and take Gracie and James to the Pumpkin Patch in Clanton, which is about a 45 minute drive from where we live. This was the first time I had ever been, and it was an absolutely perfect day for it - not too cool, not too hot, and there was a little bit of a breeze.
We also had my aunt Gail and her daughter Kaytlin go with us (you'll see Kaytlin in some of the pictures).

Some of the festive fall decorations outside the Big Red Barn (where we bought a pumpkin carving kit, a pumpkin cup, and a small cross for the fridge).

James on one of the photo-op locations at the pumpkin patch!

I swear, this kid sleeps through everything!

James and me on the Twactor Train.

Gracie and one of her funny faces on the Twactor Train.

Gracie and Kaytlin

Gracie on Sugar, one of the ponies at the pumpkin patch.

Gracie and Kaytlin on the hayride. The kids have the option of going on a hayride to pick out a pumpkin, and Bryan got off to help Gracie pick out hers while James and I stayed on the wagon. I will post pictures once we carve the pumpkin.

Gracie on the same photo-op James was on earlier!

The girls enjoying some ice cream before we packed up to head home.

This might become a family tradition for us! Gracie had a lot of fun and so did the rest of us, and it was nice and not crowded at all (once the two school groups left, we were the only people there!)

CHEESE!

2009-10-07T07:18:00.002-06:00

We got a smile on camera!

And then some other random pictures....

Family Fun Day in Pictures!

2009-10-05T09:12:00.002-06:00

Our awesome youth performing "Awesome God" (they form a cross at the end, which is really cool!)

Lacey, Brittany, and Kayla at the end of drama performance for "He Is"

Kayla during the drama "He Is" (Leigh, I told you this was a good picture!)

James wearing his "Id rather be eating cookies, cake, and candy!" bib

Gracie enjoying a cupcake!

Family Fun Day & Gracie vs. James

2009-10-03T00:00:00.001-06:00

FAMILY FUN DAY @ GLYNWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH IN PRATTVILLE!! 10/03/09 10AM-2PM!

JOIN US FOR FOOD, FELLOWSHIP, AND FUN!!

Okay so I went to look through some photos of Gracie to compare to James at each month, and I noticed this particular photo:

And it's similarity to this one I posted yesterday:

Both of these were taken close to one month old. It's funny because I notice some differences, but I also notice similarities. What do you see? What's the same, what's different? (Besides the fact that Gracie's photo was taken with a crappy camera!)

Doctors, Flu Shots, and Weddings!

2009-10-02T11:26:00.005-06:00

Ok, so not all in that order!

The picture above is baby James with my OBGYN, Dr. Joseph Desautel.

What is neat about this picture is:
#1 - He delivered both of my children via C-Section and
#2 - I have a photo similar to this one of the doctor with Gracie! It is actually posted as her birth announcement among the ones tacked up on boards at his office.

I visited my doctor for my 6 week follow up on Sept. 28th, and it was neat to compare my 6-week follow up with James to my follow up with Gracie.
Total weight gained with Gracie: 25 lbs.
Total weight lost at 6 week follow up: 55 lbs (baby + 30 more lbs.)

Total weight gained with James: 32 lbs.
Total weight lost at 6 week follow up: 47 lbs. (baby + 15 more lbs.)

Different in weight gain with James compared to Gracie: 7 lbs.

I had fun looking at Gracie's baby book and then looking at James, so I might start making comparisons in height/weight and photos when he has his 2 month appointment.

Then there is this random photo of James, since he likes to sleep during most of his photo ops!:

I also got my flu shot on Tuesday, which I was not too thrilled about. My arm still hurts in that spot, but it was hurting more Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

So that's my quick jumbled post.....but before I finish it up, I want to wish these people (AKA Karen and John Guthrie!) a life of happily wedded bliss since they got married this past Saturday!

Change of Plans

2009-09-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

Secretly, I am glad my daughter is only (about to be) four years old. Because a four year old mind can remember and hold on to certain things you tell them. As in, they honestly and truly never forget. But their understanding of time (when you say "a long time" or "a few years") isn't really developed yet. So when I announced back in May of this year that our family was planning a trip to Disney World next March, that was before Bryan and I began to dig into how much a trip of that magnitude would cost.
And also the fact that our now one month old son would only be seven months old. And how much fun could a seven month old (or his parents and older sister) really have at Disney World when he'll probably still be taking two naps a day and can't really ride anything? So when I found out last December I was pregnant and then discovered I was due in August, Bryan and I talked about a beach trip. Specifically, a trip to Gulf Shores. We discussed making the trip while I was on maternity leave, because my aunt and uncle have a condo on the beach. But then some other things happened and we didn't end up making that trip.

So instead of spending half of our income tax return to take two children to Disney World next March, we are looking forward to a week-long vacation to the beach. Even if it's too cold to swim in the ocean, the condo we are looking to rent has an indoor pool. Plus this will be our very first official family trip - just the four of us. I even ordered James a pair of swim trunks on clearance! I can't wait to see how cute he'll look wearing them!

We are looking at cutting our vacation cost in half, and this will give us some time away from our lives at home just to enjoy ourselves. I like to start planning super early and it gives me time to look at all kinds of things - restaurants to eat at, things to see and do, etc. So if you've been to Gulf Shores and you have small children like I do - give me some suggestions! We've only been once, and we spent most of our time at the beach. Right now we're looking at the zoo, a dolphin watch, and maybe some other fun family activities. I'm excited already and our trip is still months and months away!

I'm a Winner!

2009-09-23T21:56:00.004-06:00

I WON I WON I WON!!!

Okay so I continually enter contest after contest, be it locally or in the blogosphere. And it never fails that I never win. It's just my dumb luck, I guess. So I've been consigning some of Gracie's clothes at a place called The Kidd Next Door in our area, and they had a drawing the day of their grand opening for a handful of different prizes. One of the freebies was a $15 gift card to Beef 'O Brady's, which we've been to a few times since they opened. I am very excited that my luck finally changed and we get to enjoy a free meal! (And thanks to a tip from Amy, we'll probably be going on a Tuesday when kids eat free!)

You Asked, I Answered!

2009-09-19T20:28:00.005-06:00

So last week I told you to ask me anything. Amy and Lyndsey jumped at the chance to ask me some random stuff. Here are my answers!

Amy asked:
What is your favorite food of all time?
Wow. If I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be popcorn. If we're talking actual REAL food...my Granny's homemade cornbread dressing. Nothing in this world could top it.
What do you see Gracie being when she grows up?
You always want your children to be something wonderful and something amazing....if whatever she is doing makes her happy, then I say that's fine by me. I think she'll be involved in music where ever she goes. I've never seen a child who loves to sing that much! And she learns it quickly. But singing is in her blood. LoL!
How do you feel about arranged marriages (i.e. Gracie and Jackson)?
I don't know. He'd have to get rid of his imaginary friend, Allison, and we'd have to be a little bit more flexible with the whole Auburn thing. We'll talk about it over lunch sometime. :P
Do you think that twitter is highly overrated?
I think twitter is highly overrated and pointless. That's why I never use it anymore.
What are you having for dinner tonight?
Tonight (Saturday) we had homemade chicken carbonara that needed more sauce. I'll post the recipe when you come back from your cruise and we create our recipe blog!

Lyndsey McCrory asked:
How and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging back when my husband, Bryan, and I got married. That blog was called "Life as a Newlywed" and didn't last very long. Neither did the "Pregnant Life" blog that followed after that. But when Bryan's dad (who lives in Missouri) started visiting us and met Gracie, we wanted a way to keep him updated. Then my mom went overseas to Qatar in January of 2007, and it was another outlet for extended family to keep up with us. Now it has become a social network. Who are you if you don't have a blog now?
Do you want MORE babies?? :)
I think we've talked about this on Facebook before - are you asking a trick question? We are done. For numerous reasons, the main ones being (hello???) kids are expensive. Also my age played a factor in James being conceived rather quickly. Although Amy will tell you she got me pregnant. I don't know that she should phrase it that way. Yes, I would like more. But our family is complete with four. I am extremely blessed to have two beautiful, healthy children.
How did you decide on your children's names?
I love this question! Gracie's full given name is Gracelynn Kay. I decided on her name even before I was pregnant with her. Grace is one of my favorite names but I didn't like Grace Nelson. So my mom's middle name is Lynn and my mother-in-law's middle name is Kay. And there you have it! I used both grandmothers' middle names to make her name special.
James Edward, however, is special in his own way. I was positive during the pregnancy with him that HE was really a SHE. It was just the exact same pregnancy! Until they told me he was a boy. I hadn't bothered looking at boy names. So I became inspired and after talking it over with Karen one afternoon, decided to name the baby Edward after Karen's late husband Eddie, who passed away suddenly last September after double knee surgery. Eddie was a very important person (and friend) to me in the short time we knew each other. So after talking to Karen and then to Bryan, Bryan and I agreed he could pick the first name if I could choose Edward for the middle name. Bryan chose James because he had an uncle named James, and my grandfather's first name is James. So it's a family name.Long story but I love that question!
Do you still fix Gracie her "fancy" lunches in her "fancy" lunchbox?
I am a bad mom. Since the summer started, Gracie has been buying her lunch at school. I still use her lunchbox from time to time, and probably will when she goes back full-time (she is only going to preschool right now and being picked up at 11:30 - her school allows new siblings to have "maternity leave"). Anyway, I am not as creative as I used to be. I am hoping to get back on the wagon. She enjoys taking her lunch or buying it. But at least if I pack it, I know when she gets home exactly how much she has eaten.

Well ladies, thanks for the interesting questions! Maybe I'll do this again the future....maybe even an "Ask Gracie" edition!

Picture Post!

2009-09-19T17:09:00.004-06:00

It's almost like wordless Wednesday, only not on Wednesday!
Don't forget to leave a comment and ask me anything. Amy is the only one who left questions, and I don't want to give her the idea that she's special enough to be the only person to ask me anything. Ha!

Oh and speaking of Amy: we are in discussions (ok, which means I flat out TOLD her) that we were doing a recipe blog together. Any suggestions on a name for our blog? I suggested Southern Comfort since Amy said it had to have something to do with the south. Apparently she has a problem with that blog title.....

Anyway, enough about Amy. PICTURES!!

This is the kind of stuff my husband takes pictures of when he thinks he does something funny. Ok, so it's a little funny...

Gracie is all about "take a picture of us, Mama!" right now. I wonder why....

Okay so Miss Leigh made James some curtains for his room, among other things. (note to self: take a photo of the finished nursery). Anyway, the following few pictures are of James. This is what he does, every time, when I change him on his changing table. I don't know if he's fascinated by the color of the curtains or the light outside the window during the day. But he stares and makes cooing noises the whole time. Unless he's screaming his head off because I'm wiping his butt. But that's another story!

I think James is going to be a lot like his big sister. From this handful of photos, he looks like Bryan to me. And Gracie started to look more like Bryan at this age. I think both kids will be a good combination of both Bryan and me.

WARNING: What you see is FAKE! It came out of the 50¢ machine at Applebee's. Saturday morning we went there to support my baby sister and her softball team.

What a show off!

I am working on some new recipes to have for the yet unnamed new recipe blog. For now, enjoy the new photos!

Ask Me Anything!

2009-09-17T09:56:00.001-06:00

I am so stealing from Amy on this one. Then again, ask her how many of her friends I have "stolen" (HAH!).

So leave me some questions in the comments, and I'll post the answers....

I'm no Martha Stewart....

2009-09-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

But Martha would be so proud!

Last night for dinner, I made a casserole that I created all by myself. If you have seen this recipe or one similar to it, lets just keep that between you and me. I was feeling very inspired and creative and down-right upbeat last night. I was cooking dinner, washing, folding, and hanging both of the kids clothes. That still sounds so weird when I say "the kids"! I bet some of you know what that's like...

Anyway! On to share my recipe, which (shocker) even Bryan said he enjoyed! Usually when I attempt recipes we have a bad time with them.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles
3 chicken breasts, boiled or baked and then shredded (I baked)
2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1/4 cup melted butter

If you boil the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 while it boils. If you bake it, do so at 375 for an hour and then leave the oven on.Once the chicken is cooked and shredded, cook the egg noodles for about five minutes (just to soften them up, so they won't get too mushy in the oven!)
Drain the noodles. Mix the soup, milk, and sour cream with a wisk. Combine the noodles, chicken, and soup mixture in a bowl and then transfer to a greased casserole dish. Crush the sleeve of Ritz crackers and mix with the melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. We had our with garlic bread. Yum!

And in other sad news.....

I could watch Dirty Dancing fifty thousand times and only because I heart Patrick Swayze. Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite old movies. It's just a sad, sad day that another one of Hollywood's talented actors is gone.

My Tall, Fat, Big-Headed Boy!

2009-09-14T13:33:00.003-06:00

If by the subject line you can't tell that James had his one month check up today, that is EXACTLY what the doctor said. Okay, maybe that's just what I heard!

Birth weight: 8 lbs, 8 oz.
1 Month: 10 lbs, 12 oz.

Birth Height: 20.5 in.
1 Month: 22 1/4 in.

Birth head size: N/A
1 Month: 40 cm.

That makes for one big baby!
He also had to have his PKU done (where they prick his heel) and he had to get his second Hepatitis shot. Thankfully, he only cried for a second. Bryan said the needle was REALLY long and she stuck it ALL the way in - I don't know, I usually don't watch!
Dr. Winston also advised us of something we already knew - all three of us, Bryan, Gracie, and I will be getting both the flu shot and the H1N1 shot when they are available. I am waiting on a call from my own doctor because I'm mildly allergic to eggs (not serious enough to be hospitalized or anything) so the pharmacist wants me to make sure before I head off to Winn-Dixie to get my shot tomorrow!

And in more Baby James news, we think he might have a slightly mild case of colic. The "witching hour" is normally between 8pm and 10pm, and there is absolutely nothing that can be done to calm this child down. Then again, I'm thankful it's only a 2 hour time frame. I've heard colic horror stories about kids who cry NONSTOP. As in, ALL the time. We asked about medications but our pediatrician does not like to prescribe them. She feels like colic is something that will work itself out. The doctor just advised us to keep doing what we are doing, try the same repetitive movements (walking him, bouncing him) even so much as turning on the washing machine and putting him in it. OH WAIT! She said put him in the carseat and set him on TOP of the machine. My bad :)

I'm hoping it goes away soon....it's not any fun! But I am thankful that we are blessed and that a mild case of colic is our only problem!

Milk & Cookies

2009-09-10T08:45:00.002-06:00

Let's just go ahead and get this out of the way now. I am breast feeding. I am not nursing, and have only nursed about four times since coming home from the hospital. Thanks to a somewhat stranger from a message board I'm on, I am exclusively pumping with a Medela double pump. Anyway, that only has a little something to do with this cookie recipe.

I posted on the previously mentioned message board about having a low milk supply. I've heard of all kinds of herbal supplements that can help like fenugreek, mother's milk tea, and blessed thistle - all things that apparently taste horrible, have disgusting side effects, and often don't even work to help increase milk supply.
Someone on the message board mentioned beer, and in the same post told me to google "lactation cookies".

The main ingredients in this recipe? Oats, which are said to help increase milk supply. Brewer's yeast which (when you open the can the first time) smells absolutely horrific but you don't notice the taste of it in these cookies....

And then there is flaxseed meal which MckMama uses a lot but apparently my good friend Amy thinks is disgusting. I bet she's never even tried it....

Anyway, I only had to buy the brewer's yeast (at your local health food or GNC store), the flaxseed meal (at the grocery store on the baking aisle) and oats to make these cookies. So with my husband's approval to at least give them a go, we bought all the items needed and I made them yesterday afternoon.

I don't know if they work. I've read mixed reviews, mainly ones that say they do work - some women seem to think they work instantly, others it takes a few days or a few batches. The recommended "dosage" is four cookies per day, and one recipe makes between 4-6 dozen cookies. Personally, I think it depends on how big/small you make your cookies. I filled a gallon sized ziploc bag with mine, and then rethought it and put them in airtight containers.

They taste awesome. I've read some other blogs where people have made them just to eat them, not needing the lactation assistance. And from what I've read about brewer's yeast and flaxseed meal, despite the fact that these are cookies - they are kind of good for you!

Happy "official" One month birthday to Baby James!!!

James Edward: One Month Old!

2009-09-07T18:52:00.006-06:00

Here he is, folks! At one month old, James tried to talk to me for the first time last night.

Okay, if you consider trying to "gurgle" at me a form of talking - then he was talking! He and I were on the bed after he had his bottle, and I was talking to him about anything and everything. He had the hiccups, but he formed his tongue a few times and made almost what sounded like a "coo" or "ooh" sound. Too cute!

He is not yet sleeping through the night (I don't remember how old Gracie was, I'll have to pull out her baby book). He does sleep for longer stretches of time at night than during the day. He is becoming more alert! Thursday we had lunch at McAllister's with a friend from work, and he was continually looking around and swinging his arms and legs.

He likes to suck on his fingers when he's taking a bath. He'll also suck on my fingers, when he's hungry. Ha!

So here he is at two days old....

And here he is at one month.....

Okay so looking at the photos before I post them, I don't notice a huge difference. He does appear longer, and as far as his hair it's not as "oily" as when he was born. It is kind of fuzzy when you wash it, and seems to be thinning out on the top. I am excited and nervous to see what happens when it starts getting longer because any time his hair gets wet or he gets sweaty, I noticed instant curls to his hair. Kept short I think curly hair would be cute, but I was secretly hoping for straight hair like Gracie's. Oh well! It will be fun to experiment with it, if it is curly.

We spent the afternoon at Pratt Park after having lunch at Chick-Fil-A, all decked out in our Alabama shirts to get our free sandwiches! Here are some photos of Gracie playing the games they had set up for kids:

Baked Penne and Sausage

2009-09-04T12:30:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I did it. The other night I made a trip to Books-A-Million to purchase the book Crazy Love for the first installment reading of The Bloom Book Club hosted by Jessica Turner and Angie Smith. Anyway, instead of paying $9.99 (plus tax) for a magazine that I can't even remember the name of, I pulled out a scrap piece of paper from my wallet and jotted down the following recipe. I made it last night for dinner, and it was absolutely wonderful!

Baked Penne and Sausage
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced (I sliced mine and then cut them in half again)
1/2 c milk
can of cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 1/2 c cheddar french fried onions (divided)
1/2 c mozzarella cheese (divided)
1/2 c cheddar cheese (divided)

Cook pasta according to directions. In a skillet, brown the sausage. In a large mixing bowl, whisk soup and milk together. Add half the mozzarella, half the cheddar, and half the fried onions and mix well. Drain pasta and add to soup/cheese mixture. Drain sausage and add to pasta. Bake @ 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses and fried onions.

I served this with green beans and crusty french bread! Wonderful!

WHAT'S COMING IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS?
Monday: James will be one month old and celebrating his first Labor Day at Pratt Park for the BBQ! I'm going to post pictures and see for myself (and for all of you) how he looks at one month compared to days old.

Also, I just took an idea from Parents Magazine and created a special chore chart for Gracie that I wanted to share on my blog. I feel like she has reached an age where she can help with certain tasks around the house. And I'm trying to help a friend from church with simple recipe ideas for herself and her brother, so be on the lookout for more recipes to come!

Swaddle Me!

2009-09-02T13:12:00.001-06:00

We've had crying fits lately. Sometimes they last a good 10-15 minutes and include James holding his breath. Sometimes they don't last that long. Last night, after trying for ten minutes to console him (no stinking diaper, no gassiness, he had just eaten) I tried the last thing that happened to cross my mind. I grabbed his blanket and used what I had learned watching at the hospital to swaddle him. In less than five minutes, he was asleep.

I've done it twice since then and it seems to work like a charm, although when he's sleeping in our bed at night he doesn't like it as much.

If you are having this problem and don't know exactly how to swaddle, this link offers two different kinds of swaddling methods.

Best! Cake! Ever!

2009-09-01T14:39:00.003-06:00

I am a cake-a-holic. If I could eat cake all the time and not gain any weight, I probably would. The fact of the matter is the only person who can get away with that in our house is my husband. But that's another blog post in itself....

My sister-in-law Tara is a member of the Prattville Service League. Each year they do a Labor Day BBQ at Pratt Park, and one year I actually purchased a cookbook put together by the PSL at the BBQ. I am a big fan of cook books, but the problem tends to be that I live and die by old tried and true recipes. Meaning? If I know I've made it and my tiny family will eat/love it, I don't usually sway from the old favorites.

But I was looking for something "different" for dessert: Not a homemade cake necessarily, but one that tasted/looked homemade that actually wasn't. I found that in Mrs. Karen's Chocolate Cake: (recipe follows)

1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. crisco oil
1 1/2 c. water
1 package mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Mix together the cake mix and two pudding mixes (all of these are dry mixes). Add in everything else, except for the chocolate chips. Mix well and then add chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour (I had to bake mine for about 1 hour and 20 minutes because it wasn't quite done!). Let it cool in the bundt pan until totally cooled, and then transfer to a cake plate.

I have made this cake three times since my maternity leave started, and it is absolutely wonderful. Quick and easy and even better served with ice cream! Try it out and leave me a comment to tell me what you think. It is super moist and somewhat rich, so have a tall glass of cold milk ready!

First Bath!

2009-08-29T09:48:00.004-06:00

I wanted to share one of my favorite pictures from my entire stay at the hospital before I tell you all about James and his first bath.

And now, for the first bath....

See? Happy baby while you pour water on his belly.

Stop to take a picture of happy baby? See? Crying baby.

Video of crying baby! Yay! FYI: Bryan says he was crying because we were bathing him with a pink washcloth. Do you notice in the video that Daddy is the one handling the pink cloth?

Content baby wrapped in a towel (which included a secure diaper to keep him from "springing a leak".)

He survived his first bath!

Food for Thought: Are you Guilty?

2009-08-27T09:46:00.003-06:00

So as a mom and a blogger, there are certain blogs I pretty much frequent on a regular basis. One of them I became connected to through an online message board I am a member of. It's called Working Moms Against Guilt (or WMAG for short).

They have posted several interesting blogs in the past, including some of my favorites like on Tuesdays where they do quick and easy recipes focused on busy working moms who want healthy meals for their families. Anyway, I've gotten behind recently in my reading over at WMAG because of an *ahem* new member to our home who requires lots of time and attention. And snuggles. And kisses. I digress....

They recently posted a blog entitled Why Guilt for Liking Work? where each of the four contributors to the blog gave her own personal take on why moms sometimes feel guilty for enjoying the time they spend at work (away from their children).

I remember when Gracie was born and I went back to work, how conflicted I was. On the one hand it was extremely nice to go back to adult conversations that didn't involve coo-ing, drool, and stinky diapers. On the other, I missed my baby. At the same time, it was like while I was gone from work everybody had a big party I wasn't invited to. I just felt so out of place and so confused, I think that is the point when all that "post-partum depression" stuff really took it's toll on me.

There are days, even before I went on maternity leave with James, that I hate working. I wish we had the financial stability for me to be a stay at home mom (sometimes). And then often times I wonder if we were in a situation and I could stay at home full-time, would I really want to? There are days when I'm exhausted from work and the last thing I want to do is get down on the same level as my children and play. And other times when I've had a bad day at work or whatever, that little silly smile can make my whole day even better.

I do agree with Tela, in that typically my eight hour shift at work each day makes me appreciate so much more the time I do have at home with my children. I'm sure once I go back to work in October, I'll start to feel that way even more. I'm not knocking the stay at home moms at all, because I'm sure (even staying at home) their workload is just as demanding - schedules, naps, house cleaning, errands, etc.

I guess either way sometimes it's hard to find a balance. I know a lot of stay at home moms who get flack because they don't "do" anything except sit at home and watch TV all day. Knowing the handful of SAHMs I do, I can tell you firsthand THAT is very far from the truth.

So if you work or you stay at home with the kids, what is your take? Share your thoughts with me....I'd love to hear them.

New Look! New Header! Same link...

2009-08-26T09:56:00.002-06:00

Hey guys!

It's just me, popping in to share our new look with you. Okay, so "Nelson: Party of Four" is not the most original of blog names but it makes me happy. And I'm leaving the blog URL the same because so many people know it, and it's in my email address too. They'll still get to our blog, now it's just going to be more family based and not all about the Princess. LoL!

Anyway, an update on the newest member of our family: breastfeeding almost went out the window! But after several kind words of advice and some help from good friends, I have been given a Medela double Pump in Style on loan. I've only nursed a few times, but James is thriving and doing well with both formula and breastmilk. He's getting more breastmilk than formula and loving it all!

He has been unusually awake/alert the last few days, and I'm shocked to think that this Monday he'll be three weeks old. Where did the time go? Normally bedtime is between 11-12 and he'll sleep until about 4:30 and bottle/nurse, then back to sleep until around 8-9. He's a good baby, just like his big sister was!

His little umbilical cord stump fell off sometime yesterday morning (and must be hiding in the mess that is our bedroom right now) so he had his first official bath last night. He cried the entire time, and Bryan said it's because I was bathing him with a pink rag. In an attempt to show me how he felt about the pink rag, my little man "sprung a leak" and tried to soak his Mama. I move too fast for him!

FYI if you care: I am back in pre-pregnancy jeans and have lost almost all of the 30+ pounds I gained during pregnancy! Can I get a "WOO HOO!"

I'll be sure to post some newer pictures of Little Man and the Princess as soon as humanly possible.

Baby James

2009-08-17T10:39:00.002-06:00

Want to see the most beautiful baby in the world?

Click HERE!

Introducing James Edward Nelson!!

2009-08-10T13:09:00.006-06:00

This is Amy checking in to announce the arrival of James Edward Nelson. He was born this morning, August 10th, at 7:51. He weighed 8lbs. 8oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Both he and Miranda are doing great, and Bryan and Gracie are thrilled with their new addition! Congratulations to the Nelson family!

Just minutes old!

His lungs were definitely working!

Bryan watching them weigh James

Father and Son!

Those cheeks are so pinchable!

James' first bath!

I'm not liking this!!!

Rub a dub dub, it's James in the tub!

So sweet and squeaky clean!

Miranda should be heading home on Thursday, but please just continue to keep her and the new baby in your prayers!

70 Questions

2009-07-21T11:40:00.002-06:00

I was tagged by Amy, and because I don't want to be nagged, tortured, and judged for the rest of eternity - I'm doing this stinkin' survey.

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be? Amy says that I nag her, but she nags just as good as me - sometimes better! Bryan doesn't usually call me from work, so if not Amy it would be my sisters or my mom.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? Sometimes. Not always.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? I talk and listen. I can multi-task!

4. Do you take compliments well? I don't think I do.

5. Do you play Sudoku? Ew. No.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? If there is plenty of music to listen to and food to ration out. Sure!

7. What is your favorite number? Right now, it is 20 because that is the number of days I have left to carry this bowling ball around!

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Yes, Girl Scout camp and camping with family.

9. What was your favorite game as a kid? Uno with my cousins

10. Would you slow dance with someone that you knew was married? It depends

11. What is the best/worst movie you have ever seen? I am very much a movie fanatic, so I've seen my fair share of bad ones. But there have also been some good ones! Too many to name.

12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? I think I could date someone, but I don't know about making a lifelong commitment with someone who had different beliefs.

13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued? Amy calls me a lot. Does that count as pursuing someone in a non-romantic way? She only calls because she'd be lost without me.

14. Use three words to describe yourself? sarcastic, caring, PREGNANT!

15. Do any songs make you cry? Right now? I can cry at a TV commercial.

16. Are you continuing your education? nope

17. Do you know how to shoot a gun? No. I don't want to know how.

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed? If Bryan and the kids are already out, photo albums.

19. How often do you read books? I'm hoping to read a few more while out on maternity leave! (Foolish, I know)

20. Do you think more about the past, present or future? I think about the future.

21. What is your favorite children's book? Goodnight Moon

22.What color are your eyes? Brown

23. How tall are you? 5'9-10''

24. Where is your dream house located? I don't have one.

25. If you had to be an animal, what would you be? A hippo. I feel like one today.

26. What is your favorite type of food? This week, french fries. A couple of weeks ago, it was Moe's. Surveys should not be given to pregnant women.

27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? yes

28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? A few weeks ago. Bryan and I went for lunch when he was off on a Tuesday (it doesn't happen often that we're both off the same day).

29. Where was the furthest place you traveled today? To Karen's house to clean

30. Any weird habits? If I drink soda from a can, I swish it in my mouth before I swallow it. Bryan pointed this out years ago.

31. Worst food you ever ate? a pig ear sandwich. DON'T ask.

32. Do you like mustard? sometimes.

33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat? Both

34. Do you look like your mom or dad? Most people say my mom, but if you've seen my dad - I am the spitting image of him.

35. How long does it take you in the shower? 10-15 minutes

36. Can you do the splits? No.

37. What movie do you want to see right now? The Ugly Truth

38. What was the last movie you saw in the theater? My Sister's Keeper

39. Worst song on the radio right now? I hate mainstream radio - same garbage over and over.

40. Do you think The Grudge was scary?I haven't seen it.

41. Do you have a tattoo? I have four that I regret.

42. Do you own a camera phone? Yes

43. What is your favorite color? pink

44. Was your mom a cheerleader? Yes she was.

45. What's the last letter of your middle name? H

46. How many letters in your entire name? 18

47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Between just being uncomfortable and getting up to pee every other hour, not enough. I almost crashed at 7:30 last night.

48. Do you like care bears? sure

49. What do you buy at the movies? Popcorn and a drink

50. Do you know how to play poker? nope

51. Do you wear your seat belt? always

52. What do you wear to sleep? these baggy black capri pants and some kind of t-shirt

53. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Parts of Big Fish (?) were filmed in Wetumpka. Nothing in Millbrook though.

54. How many meals do you eat a day? usually 3.

55. Is your tongue pierced? no.

56. Do you always read MySpace bulletins? I don't use myspace anymore.

57. Best place you've ever visited? Florida. I love it.

58. Do you like funny or serious people better? funny people.

59. Ever been to L.A.? Yes I have! Not as "Hollywood" as I expected!

60. Did you eat a cookie today? no. I have some though.

61. Do you use cuss words in other languages? No. I don't know very many anyway.

62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? I pay for it through iTunes.

63. Do you hate chocolate? I love chocolate.

64. What do you and your parents fight about the most? My dad and I don't have a relationship. My mom and I fight over silly things, mostly. Nothing major.

65. Are you a gullible person? I don't think so.

66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy? nope. I have a husband and 1.5 children.

67. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be? an advertising exec. I like coming up with jingles. It's a secret passion I've had since high school.

68. Are you easy to get along with? I think so.

69. What is your favorite time of day? When I get to pick Gracie up from school.

70. If you could do anything by yourself for a day what would it be? I would get a massage, get a pedicure, and curl up on the beach with a good book.

36 Weeks

2009-07-20T20:27:00.002-06:00

Wow. I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted last. I apologize. For those of you who come to my blog frequently, you probably already know why I haven't blogged - this pregnancy is kicking my butt! I don't remember having this much pain/discomfort toward the end of my pregnancy with Gracie. On top of that, I'm not sleeping well either - which is not a good sign! I should be loading up on sleep to prepare myself for when Baby James finally gets here. Apparently, he has other ideas. And so does my bladder!

I start my leave from work on August 3rd, which I am very excited about. I'm just tired and exhausted and wondering if I can make it the next two weeks. I think I can. Right?

My baby shower is this Sunday at church, and I'm VERY excited. We've been members of this church since April 2006, and while I've been to a few baby showers and bridal showers I've never had one myself. This will probably be my only baby shower, but I'm still excited. I'm excited to have the room ready when we get to bring my little man home. I'm excited about seeing who he looks like - Bryan or me. A lot of people go back and forth about who Gracie resembles more. I don't really pay much attention - I think she's a good combination of both of us.

I guess the exhaustion is causing my post to be kind of scattered and pretty random. Please keep me in your prayers. I plan on breast feeding exclusively when James comes (I breast and formula fed Gracie - breast feeding only lasted a month). I am hopeful that this attempt will turn out better, but also terrified about not taking a certain prescription medication that helps with a chronic stomach problem I have. So these last few weeks (while I'm still on the medication) I'm loading up on foods I enjoy that I know I won't be allowed when I'm breast feeding. It's very nerve wracking for me, but I am hopeful.

Now I'm off to be nosy and see if anybody bought anything else from my Target registry. Then it's an early bedtime for me!

The post that is NOT about Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T15:02:00.002-06:00

I thought you might all enjoy an update on Baby James. I went for my most recent OBGYN appointment yesterday afternoon, and have (thus far) only gained eighteen pounds this pregnancy. My goal is twenty-five (what I gained with Gracie) so please pray that I will reach my goal. That said, I am totally okay with gaining thirty pounds. But I'm shooting for twenty-five.

I am scheduled for a c-section on August 10th. This was a decision my doctor and I discussed at great length. I know some people who have a c-section the first time around opt to do it for repeat pregnancies just because. I made my decision based on the unbelievable heat we've been experiencing lately, and some other medical problems I'm having. Speaking of....

So for the last week, my right foot has been bothering me. To the point that I'm limping and can't really bend my foot in certain directions. But because I was going to my OB appointment Thursday, I thought I'd just let him take a look. Well he did, and suggested that I see a podiatrist - for what might possibly be a stress fracture. Confused? Yeah, I don't know how I got a stress fracture either. My appointment is Tuesday and aside from some slightly bad pain from long periods of standing, I am alternating cold packs and hot soaks to help ease the pain.

And since this post is NOT about Michael Jackson, I wanted to share two of my favorite Michael Jackson related videos:

Jennifer Garner - 13 Going on 30 - "Thriller"

Jackson 5 - "I'll Be There" (acapella)

I am shocked by his death, and yet not shocked by the speculation about what might have really happened. What difference does that make? We have lost a musical legend just the same. Michael's music was timeless and awesome and his presence in the music industry will be missed.

Big News & Baby Anniston

2009-06-16T08:06:00.003-06:00

Ahem. If you haven't noticed the Baby Ticker to the left side of my blog, please pay special attention to it today.

TWO MONTHS (or less) UNTIL BABY JAMES GETS HERE!!!

Not that we're excited about that or anything.

Moving on! Okay so I know I'm slacking in the blog department and I just keep apologizing for it. I noticed today on my camera that I have Mother's Day pictures, VBS pictures, and some random photos that haven't been posted here yet. But I thought you'd find new photos of my adorable niece way more fun!

I asked Bryan not to include me in the pictures. Men apparently don't listen well.

This is the only shot where Gracie's hand is not in front of Anniston's face.

Anniston's full name is actually Elizabeth Anniston. The story behind that is Bryan's Nanny (his mom's mom) was named Doris Elizabeth. Bryan's mom is Elizabeth Kay, and Tara is Tara Elizabeth. So in order to keep Elizabeth a family name, that is where the first name comes from. The second name has just as much sentiment as the first. Tara's father-in-law passed away suddenly not long after she found out she was pregnant, and Anniston would have been his first grandchild. They wanted to make part of her name somewhat of a tribute to him, but it was hard for them to relate something feminine to John. Apparently Mr. John grew up in Anniston, and it has a very nice ring to it so after some thought they decided on Elizabeth Anniston and will be calling her Anniston.Isn't she a cutie?

Happy News Abounds!

2009-06-14T17:28:00.001-06:00

Okay so my last post about Preston? I have good news to share! Preston was returned to my cousin (the family who had him for the last two years plus) the day after he was surrendered back to DHR. Apparently my other cousin (his biological mother) has made her decision to surrender her rights. All we are waiting on is the lawyers to draw up the paperwork. Continue to pray for Preston and for his family, and for my family in general. This whole struggle with him and the custody situation has caused alot of tension and strain.

And in other exciting news...by the next time I post, I'LL BE AN AUNT!!! My mother-in-law called me this afternoon (around three) to let me know that Tara's water had broke and they were at the hospital. So we are patiently sitting on pins and needles waiting for Baby Anniston to make her arrival.

And speaking of babies arriving, I have eight weeks or less to go now! WOO HOO! Gracie tells me at least once a day that she is READY for Baby James to be here. She's not the only one!

Preston

2009-06-04T17:00:00.003-06:00

Please be in prayer for a little boy named Preston, who I have posted about previously. To make a long story short, he is part of our extended family and was in Gracie's preschool class at Victory. To keep his story short and simple, his mother is one of my cousins. She has had five children since the age of 15 and is pregnant with her sixth. The courts will not make her surrender her maternal rights to Preston, and she will not voluntarily give them up - although she voluntarily gave up all but one of her children.
Another cousin within my family has had custody of Preston for over two years, and had to surrender him to the custody of DHR today. She has three other children and needless to say this family is absolutely heartbroken. Please be in prayer for them but especially for Preston.

Introducing....JAMES EDWARD!!!

2009-06-02T14:22:00.003-06:00

In no particular order, here are the photo results from the 4D Ultrasound this morning. Apparently, James likes to put his hand up near his face and is a tad bit camera shy. I think he has Gracie's chin and nose (which would technically be MY chin and nose) but anyway. She had fun watching her brother on the screen, and "Up" actually turned out to be a pretty decent movie.
DID I MENTION I PASSED MY THREE HOUR GLUCOSE TEST?!?! Not that I'm excited. Enjoy the photos!

Straight from the Pregnancy Files

2009-05-29T12:16:00.002-06:00

Just some random news I thought I'd share......

I go for my 4D Ultrasound appointment this Tuesday. My plan is to keep Gracie out of school and take her with me (so she can "see" her baby brother, as I've told her several times recently) and then after the appointment, take her to see Up at the Rave.

I have gained a total of 18 pounds so far during pregnancy. My goal is 25 (which is what I gained with Gracie) and my OBGYN seems to think that is pretty reasonable. I feel as if I'm in the home stretch now, considering there's only about 10 weeks left.

I failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test. This morning, I got the sheer pleasure of having to take the 3 hour test. Somehow I managed to get through it with only a mild headache and no urges to chew off my arm in a fit of starvation. I did treat myself to an awesome lunch from Moe's afterwards, and can now say I'm just seconds away from a wonderful nap.

And the last bit of big (to me) news:

In ten weeks or sooner should I go into labor on my own, I am going to quit taking my stomach medication cold turkey. Please pray for me, that this will work out for us in the end. The issue I have been having is wanting to breastfeed, but the medication can be passed through breast milk and can cause breathing problems in nursing babies. So after my thought, prayer, and careful deliberation with my OBGYN we decided to test run this idea during my maternity leave.
I have been emailing back and forth with a lactation consultant in our local area who has proved to be very helpful in answering any and all questions I've thrown at her.
This medication has become a crutch for me in terms of the issues I have with my stomach, and I'm somewhat nervous about not taking it. But I also look forward to the benefits and bonding time I can expect with nursing baby James. My only regret with Gracie is that I couldn't breast feed for longer. So just keep us in your prayers that not taking this medication will be okay for me and that breast feeding will also be a success. I'm sure we'll still struggle with it, but that's to be expected - nothing in life is perfect!

We're Going to Disney World!!!

2009-05-18T13:57:00.003-06:00

See this lovely photo of Cinderella's castle? Well, Gracie is in love with it. I don't mean the picture - I mean the castle. So much so that almost on a daily basis, she tells me she has to go and see this castle.

For those of you living under a rock, Cinderella's Castle can be found at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. And after several weeks of idle conversation between Bryan and myself, we made the final decision to plan our first ever, very official family vacation (to include Baby James who for all intents and purposes is still in utero right now!).

The plan is to start planning (I'm a little OCD when it comes to that, just ask the mister) and our goal is to aim for the first week of May 2010. We have already ordered the vacation planning video courtesy of the Disney website. I bought a book appropriately titled "The Idiot's Guide to Walt Disney World". I have looked over another highly recommended website and pulled four prospective hotel choices.

And to that end, our planning has come to a halt. I tried to do the Disney vacation website, but it only lets you reserve/make travel plans through December 2009. Bryan and I are planning to use some of our income tax return next spring to pay for the trip. And several of our friends have informed us that you are permitted to make payments on your trip, which is a bonus for us since we won't have most of the funds until the spring anyway.

When I asked Bryan if he was excited about our trip, he answered that he was more excited about Baby James' impending arrival. While I'm also excited about that, I'm looking forward to our first family vacation and letting Gracie see Cinderella's castle in person. And I'm hoping we can snag one of those character meals with Cinderella so Gracie can tell her how awesome her castle is.

A Solomon Story

2009-05-08T12:02:00.002-06:00

Are you familiar with the story in the Bible that involves Solomon, two women, and one baby?

The story goes (in a nutshell) that these two women came to Solomon, claiming that they had both had babies within three days of each other. One of the women rolled over on and killed her baby, and the other woman claims she took her baby. Solomon suggested cutting the baby in half in the hopes to please both women. In his mind, I'm sure (as well as in mine) the baby's real mother would have stepped up and pleaded with Solomon that the baby was hers but to avoid cutting him in half, the OTHER woman could have him.

Believe it or not, there is currently a situation in my family that is much like this. The lesson I take from that story about Solomon is that if you are the real mother, you would want to spare your child any harm at any cost. I may share all the little details later, but here is what you need to know now:

His name is Preston.

His mother gave him up when he was born.
She has had 5-6 children since age 15 and only has custody of one.
She is pregnant again.

Preston is in Gracie's class at Victory Baptist.

He is one of the cutest and sweetest little boys ever.

The family who has loved, cherished, and cared for him for more than two years is about to lose him.

Please pray for this family. If you need specifics, it is a married couple with three children already. At least ten years ago, they lost a little boy shortly after his birth due to a genetic defect.

They are hurting and in pain, and need your prayers. And so does Preston.

My heart aches for this family.

Preschool Program 4.24.09

2009-05-04T15:13:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting, we've been super busy with preschool programs (more to come), church related weddings, birthday parties, trips to Phenix City to watch Jessica play ball, and doctor's appointments for Baby James. The following handful of videos are from Gracie's preschool program. Please excuse the song where she is picking her nose. You should be able to tell in this first video (she is highlighted by a box) which child she is - if you don't know already! Gracie's goes to Victory Baptist School which is a typical Christian school. They learn and memorize Bible Verses and most of these songs are Bible based.

"Zacheus"

"Rolled Away" (AKA "Picking Her Nose Video")

"Bumble Bee Song"

"Kukkaburra"

In Baby James news: I am going May 28th for the glucose tolerance test (yuck!) and then June 2nd I am scheduled to do the 4D Ultrasound. We tried to do that with Gracie but the direction she was laying would not have been good for pictures. So we're giving it another go with her baby brother!
Speaking of which - have you noticed my slightly old but somewhat updated blog header? Thanks to Mrs. Leigh for the picture!

What's that? FREE stuff?

2009-04-23T15:02:00.003-06:00

My cool, outgoing, awesomely wonderful friend Amy Wade over at Wade's World is hosting a bloggy giveaway on her new "Around the Wade's World" review site. PLEASE go check it out and even if you don't win (as Amy so often reminds me) KEEP TRYING!!

What is she giving away, you might ask? Some "Yes to Carrots" lip tints and glosses.

You have until midnight tonight to enter!

Are you watching?

2009-04-22T14:04:00.002-06:00

So this whole post started earlier today when I read Amy's post about Jackson discussing the difference between boys and girls...and then Amy mentioned Dora. And then when I called to discuss with her some of my issues with children's programming, she mentioned something I'd not heard of yet: Do you know about Tween Dora?

Let me back up. I am what some of my family would probably consider an "Over-Done" Mom. Meaning that alot of my parenting, when it comes to Gracie, is different from their own. I don't allow her to have sodas (just recently we started letting her have Sprite as a drink choice when we're eating out) or over indulge in any kind of sweet goodies. One of my cousins even tried to convince me back during Thanksgiving to (her words) let Gracie inhale an entire giant tube of M&M minis "and then just crash." That's just not how I parent! I choose to give my child sweets when I feel she should have them, while she is still young enough that I have a say so in her choices but still give her some room to make an independent decision.
I do believe that children should be respectful of adults or people in authority, so she was taught very early how to say "Please", "Thank you" and "Yes Ma'am/Sir" and "No Ma'am/Sir." I strongly believe that if you teach a child early enough what their boundaries are (in terms of discipline) that spanking should be used as a last resort. We don't use words like shut up, stupid, or anything that might be considered inappropriate.

It just irritates me when because a child wants or makes a request for something that parents give in and let them have it.
Does Gracie get every single item she requests when we go on shopping trips together? No.
Does Gracie get a second helping of ice-cream just because she still wants more? No.
Do I feel as though my child is allowed to make some independent choices while I still get the final decision? Yes.
One example would be the eating out issue - letting her pick what she wants to drink and then maybe deciding what she wants for dinner (mac and cheese or a burger) and then I get to decide if she has fries, applesauce, or baked Cheetos with that choice.

And now that I've got up on my soap box and voiced my personal opinion, I'm switching gears to what this post is originally about: When you allow your children to watch television - are you monitoring what they watch?
We have a handful of movies that some are kid-friendly (I would let Gracie watch unsupervised) and others are kind of kid-friendly with parents watching also (movies that might have scenes that some parents might feel are not appropriate for toddlers).

The reason I bring this up now is because about two weeks ago, for three seperate nights, I believe Gracie was experiencing nightmares or night terrors. The first night I heard her making a phony kind of cry and calling my name. It only lasted about ten minutes and I never got up. The next time it happened, it went on for about fifteen minutes and she was doing the same thing; phony crying and calling for me: "Mommy I NEED you!". So I went into her room where, wide awake, she seemed perfectly content to sit on the bed and talk to me. The dog jumped over the gate and woke her up. I turned on her music, told her that she had just heart a noise, and she went back to sleep about a little more crying.

The third night was the worst, with real crying (loudly) and by the time I got to her room, she was at her door in a rumpled mess.

As a parent, I began to question myself: What had she eaten on those nights that may have caused nightmares? Was she not going to be early enough? What was she seeing on TV that might have been bothering her during her sleep? For Gracie to not sleep through the night is highly unusual. Unless she is sick with fever or an ear infection, she is not one to wake in the middle of the night. So the first suggestion (from another parent) I received was to monitor the TV programs I let her watch. Normally, that would consist or anything on Disney or NOG - Dora, Little Einsteins, Spongebob, and some reruns of Reba that I watch on Lifetime.

Bryan also enjoys watching CSI, NCIS, Law and Order....and then it hit me. From now on, when we watch TV, it has to be something age appropriate when Gracie is in the room. No shows with dead bodies or bloody faces or anything that a preschooler would not understand is only a made up version for television purposes.
It has been about a full week since I started this test run, and so far it seems to be helping. She is not waking in the middle of the night or anything.

It just goes to show (to me as well) that while I might try to stick to what I believe is good, solid parenting - sometimes I slip up and make a mistake too. I want her to be independent and have a voice in making choices for herself but understanding that if it is not something Mommy and Daddy approve of, they might make the final decision for her.

Baby James News

2009-04-21T12:35:00.003-06:00

Okay so remember that ultrasound appointment I mentioned in my post about Stellan and Easter?

Well that was today. And I know I promised ultrasound pictures, but since my computer hates me (read:apparently I can't operate a scanner!) I'll have to update with those later.

Anyway, so I went to this appointment already a little nervous because they had not been able to get a good picture of Baby James' heart. His heart has been causing a lot of trouble since he was conceived, meaning that each time I went to an appointment and they used the small hand-held machine they could not find his heartbeat. And each time an ultrasound was ordered to confirm that his heart was okay. And every single time, they have found his heart beat. Apparently this child is going to be my stubborn baby!

So she locates his heart today and spends about (what feels like) an eternity taking shots of it. When she gets quiet, I start to (inwardly) freak out and ask if everything is okay. Yes, she assures me, she just likes to get as much of the heart as possible. From her end, everything looks okay - nothing stands out to her.

But we got a handlful of more pictures (including one of what the ultrasound tech nicknamed "his baby stuff" and some good shots of his head/face. She said he weighs one pound but I don't remember how many ounces she said.

And with this ultrasound, there will (hopefully) be no more unless we do the 4D Ultrasound. That one is still kind of up in the air but I promise to keep you posted.

And because I know how much you love her and how this blog started because of her, I thought I'd share some more humorous Gracie updates. Her initial reaction when we found out I "might" be carrying a boy was not what I expected. There were tears - and almost a tantrum - because she wanted a baby sister. Since finding out that Baby James is a he and not a she, she will tell most people when asked that "SHE is having a boy" or "she's getting a baby brother" and that she "didn't WANT a baby sister."
I am very excited about the arrival of our newest family member. I know it is a few months away, still, but I'm getting more and more excited. I have nicknamed him the Karate Kid because typically the only time I know he's awake is when I'm being kicked. And that's really ALL he does when he's awake!
I am concerned on some level of how his arrival will effect Gracie. She has been my we-do-everything buddy since she was born. We go shopping together, we snuggle before bedtime, and we've had three wonderful years to spend together. So I'm concerned about neglecting her (not intentionally) and also not being able to spend as much time with her. I'm trying to be realistic and come up with ways that maybe she and I can do things together while Baby James is at home with Daddy. Or maybe she'll be a bigger help to me than I think!

Stellan Update

2009-04-20T17:59:00.003-06:00

"Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go." Joshua 1:9

Please remember baby Stellan in your prayers tonight and throughout the morning tomorrow. As MckMama posted early today, Stellan is scheduled for the ablation at 8:30 AM Boston time. She discussed in great length on her blog the measures the doctor would take before actually doing anything, but she also admits to having a sick feeling in her stomach. I can say with absolute certainty that if I was in her position right now, I would be feeling the exact same way. Some readers of her blog have even decided to wear orange tomorrow, in honor of Stellan and the operation.

Just pray for this sweet little boy, his family, and the doctors who will performing the procedure.

...I will sing about your strength

In the morning, I will sing about your love.

You are my defender,

my place of safety in times of trouble.

God, my strength, I will sing praises to you.

God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.Psalm 59:16-17

Stellan and Easter

2009-04-16T17:49:00.004-06:00

Have you had the opportunity to visit MckMama's blog and fall in love with this little cutie? Some of the pictures of this little trooper bring a quick smile to my face. I have been a follower of MckMama and her MSC since just before Stellan's birth. The same Stellan, MckMama was told, who would not live outside of the womb because of a condition called SVT. If you click on the above picture, it will take you to MckMama's blog. As of today, they have arrived in Boston so that Stellan will be prepared for an ablation next week. This sweet baby boy has struggled and fought the last few months, his family by his side and thousands of people across the world praying for him.
I know that MckMama's desire was to hold off until Stellan was older (maybe a toddler) and he was bigger and his heart was stronger. Apparently, waiting is no longer an option as they have arrived in Boston sometime last night or today for the procedure. Please pray for peace for everyone involved in this little guy's life, and knowledge for the doctors. Pray for patience for MckMama, although I don't really think she needs it. She believes in God and knows that he has his hand in this. He has from the beginning. Please keep Stellan and his family in your prayers, as I have been doing the last several weeks.

The handful of photos below are of Gracie from Easter Sunday. We went to church first thing that morning, and since evening services were cancelled in celebration of the holiday, I decided to cook Easter dinner that evening. Bryan's mom and sister came to see us late that afternoon and his mom stayed to have dinner with us. It was a very nice visit and the food was wonderful - if I do say so myself!

In Baby James news, I know I have not posted the ultrasound pictures from when we found out he was a boy. BUT I have to go back April 30th for another ultrasound so I will hopefully post those. I can't get our scanner to cooperate and I have not had a chance or thought to mention it to Bryan to see if he can fix it. I have had a lot of ultrasounds with this pregnancy for a number of reasons - the first few times it was because my doctor could not locate James' heart beat. When I expressed my concern he said as long as they could locate the heart beat on the ultrasounds (which they successfully did every time) that there was no need for concern.
The ultrasound on April 30th is for the same reason - when the ultrasound was done April 1st, we got good marks on everything the ultrasound tech was looking at - size of the baby, organs, heart beat, etc. The only issue was because he was laying a certain way, when she tried to look at all four chambers of his heart she kept getting the shadow of his spine in the way. So as far as I know, they will just be looking closely at his heart on April 30th. Not that I'm complaining about having extra ultrasounds, but please pray that the ultrasound tech will see what she needs to.
The doctor did tell me at my last appointment that I could expect more movement over the next few weeks (meaning since my last appointment) and boy, have I! James seems to kick whenever I eat something sweet and I don't know if he's telling me he likes it or he's getting hyper! He has been kicking me even as I type this post out. Want to hear something even sweeter than that? When I put my hand on my belly to see if I can feel his movement outside my belly yet, Gracie will ask me what I'm doing.
I have explained several times about James getting bigger, and told her stories about how she kicked me when she was in my tummy-and she has started to scold James for kicking me. She gets down level with my stomach and says,"Baby James, I love you but-STOP kicking my Mama!"
Absolutely priceless.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-14T10:05:00.001-06:00

I am waiting for Leigh to email me some pictures from Saturday before updating my blog about our Easter weekend. I have also still been tossing around the cloth diapering idea, and think I have come to a decision.

I also wanted to post about my thoughts on breast-feeding and also on preparing Gracie for becoming a big sister. More posts to come very soon!

What is Good Friday?

2009-04-09T20:29:00.002-06:00

Wikipedia says: Good Friday, also called Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday, is a religious holiday observed primarily by adherents to Christianity commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Golgotha, an event central to Christian theology. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and often coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover.
Based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most probably on a Friday. The exact year of Good Friday has been estimated as AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon.

Following along with Good Friday comes Easter Sunday, and I wanted to share something that I received this afternoon when I picked up Gracie's things at school. Have you heard of the Jelly Bean Poem? If not, you can google it - it's basically a poem explaining what each jelly bean color represents in terms of Christ. This, however, was something different. It's a ziploc bag with a note attached that says: "My Easter Treasures."

In the ziploc bag are different items (sadly, I don't have my camera handy). I see a nail, a black stone, a plastic Easter egg, a piece of wire, some coins, etc....here is the note attached to the front explaining what each item represents:

My treasyre box reminds me
of what Easter really means.
I look inside my treasure box
and see some precious things:
A tuft of donkey hair-
on a donkey Jesus rode.
A coin like that of Judas -
His soul for money he sold.
A twig from the garden
like the one where Jesus prayed.
A leather strap for all the stripes
upon his back they made.
A thorn like those the people made
to crown the King of Kings.
A nail reminds me how they nailed
My Savior to the tree.
A smooth stone like the ones they used
To gamble for his things.
A piece of gauze like those that wrapped
the precious King of Kings.
A broken piece of stone
from the one that was rolled away.
An empty egg for the empty tomb -
Christ rose and lives today!

Have a blessed Easter weekend. I will be spending time with my little family and my mother-in-law and will hopefully have new pictures to post over the weekend.

The Great Cloth Diapering Debate

2009-04-07T07:34:00.002-06:00

There. I said it. Cloth diapers. You know, most mothers I know would scream and run in fear of those two little words. I myself am a member of a message board where several of the mothers use or have used cloth diapering. And what about super-Mom MckMama who has cloth diapered all four of her young children?

Well, to be honest, on her blog she does explain that she does use disposables. But with the economy the way it is now, the idea of cloth diapering has become more and more appealing to me. I am not fond of doing laundry but from the research I have read it seems that it's not necessarily done that often and more reading led me to discover that cloth diapers have come a long way. Remember these? Most of us might immediately recognize those as burp cloths for our babies! I know I used them for Gracie and when we were done, my mom cut them in half to use them as wash cloths for cleaning and small jobs.

I've talked to several older women who back when disposable diapers didn't exist, they were forced to cloth diaper - and what a task it was! Now check out these bad boys. They look much different - and way less complicated - then learning to fold and pin and then cover in a plastic, waterproof diaper cover to keep them from leaking through.

So I'm still debating about whether or not to even venture into the world of cloth-diapering motherhood. I mean the worst that could happen is I buy a starter kit like this one and after several tries find that it just isn't for me. The only other drawbacks are that Gracie's current daycare (and future daycare for baby James) may be totally against cloth diapering. So he would end up in disposables from time to time anyways.

I'd love for some of you other moms to share your thoughts with me and you can even feel free to post a link to my website and see if other moms might share their thoughts!

The verdict is in!

2009-04-05T12:24:00.002-06:00

First of all, let me apologize several times for not posting the news sooner. Something is going on with my computer and apparently, although my "cookies" are enabled, it will not allow me to log into my own blog or to the blog that the McCrory's have. I can see all the blogs I normally visit so I'm uncertain as to what the problem is.

Anyway, all that aside since I finally somehow managed to log in and get this post up. I noticed that six of you voted that I was having a boy, and only four of you voted for a girl. Well all those who guessed we were expecting a baby boy - YOU WERE RIGHT!!!

We had it confirmed on April 1st (of all days) after being told at my March appointment that (from the looks of things) it was a very high possibility that I was carrying a baby boy.

We have already decided on a name for him, even before the ultrasound confirmed what we had already suspected. James is a family name on both sides. My grandfather's first name is James and Bryan had an uncle (who was called Jimmy as a nickname) who passed away from an aneurism when his mom was younger. After we found out in March that it might be a boy, I met Karen at church to ask her permission for us to use Eddie's first name (Edward) as our baby boy's middle name. She was very touched and told me how sweet it was of us to do that, and how honored she was. I told her again something that I had shared with her at the hospital, when things started to take a turn for the worse: Eddie meant alot to me. I know he meant so much to so many and we all still miss him terribly. In the two short years I had known him, he was a great and wonderful friend and a strong Christian presence in my life.

I apologize for taking the tone of my blog in a whole other direction, but I wanted to share that here. Noel (a friend from church) and I have spent a lot of time during the last few days remembering Eddie and talking about him. I think this is the first time I've openly talked with anyone about Eddie (even Karen) since his death in September.

So James Edward it is, and he is due August 15th as of now. We are very, VERY excited and I had tons of fun yesterday starting my baby registry at Target. It was a real change from shopping for frilly dresses and cute hair bows, but I found myself experiencing the welcome change. I am nervous as to where this path with this new baby will take us, all things considered. I am uncertain how to handle mothering a little boy although from what I hear they can steal your heart. Want to know a little secret? He's not even here yet and he has already stolen my heart.

Exciting trips to the dentist

2009-03-31T11:39:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have no excuses. I am a lazy, pregnant hormonal mess and that just about sums it up. I have made a habit of falling asleep when I put Gracie to bed so my time to myself (read: blogging and surfing the net) is cut short.

And besides that, my blog updates are not nearly as life changing as Amy Wade's potato video but thanks anyway to the four devoted readers who check my blog for updates.

I see that most of you voted for a boy, and we will find out which of you is right tomorrow afternoon. It will probably be Thursday afternoon before I can post the news, due to Sacrifice rehearsals tonight and tomorrow. For those of you who live in our area (and don't go to our church and already know about the Sacrifice) you should come and check it out this weekend!

Gracie had her first trip to the dentist today. I have been absolutely a nervous wreck (when am I not?) because the clinic she would be going to does NOT allow parents to go back with the children. So I'm expecting the worst and of course, my child opts to prove me wrong. She cries a few times off and on on the way to the dentist and then whines when the lady comes out to take her back. But somehow the words "stickers" and "bouncy ball" work their magic and my daughter is ripped from my arms by a complete stranger.

She survived, I survived, and I dropped her off at preschool about an hour later. Like I said, not nearly as exciting as Amy's video discovering of the new "life changing" potato peeling method. But still.

Quick prayer request

2009-03-11T11:39:00.002-06:00

Small note....I added a poll on the side, just out of curiosity, to see who could figure out if we are having a boy or a girl. I'm thinking of doing some kind of blogger give-a-way (never done one before) so watch for my next post for more details.

In other news, please be in prayer for my good friend Amy Wade. If you are a visitor of her blog, you know she just lost her grandmother on Monday. Her grandmother had been facing several obstacles over the past few months with broken legs and repeat hospitalizations for UTIs. And to echo what Amy said, although they knew the end was close - it is still a loss none the less. Please be in prayer for the Wades, for Amy's sister Kellyn and her husband Jason, and for Amy's parents Tom and Soyna. The funeral is today so please be in prayer for them.

Getting things in order....

2009-03-02T20:41:00.002-06:00

First of all, let me apologize to all of my five readers for the lack of updates.

I have no reasons, to be honest, except that other things just keep getting in the way of blogging. Not much has been going on. My aunt and cousin have been coming over just about every night to eat dinner. Plus, with the Sacrifice looming in April we have had several rehearsals at church that take up most of my Sundays.

This post is going to be kind of all over the place.

Gracie had pictures taken at school very recently, so maybe sometime in the near future I can post an updated photo of her. She has become infatuated with all things princess and castles since my sister, Jessica, brought her a photo of Cinderella's castle from Disney in Florida. The castle is illuminated in this blue color, very pretty, but all Gracie talks about right now is dressing up so she can be a princess.

Speaking of Gracie, I did ask her tonight who she thought the baby would look like when it comes out. It's almost impossible to imagine someone who resembles Gracie but doesn't look exactly like her. A lot of people say Gracie is the spitting image of me. I wonder if this other baby will have traits similar to hers, or features - same nose, or maybe the same mouth? Or will this baby look completely different?

I have my next OB appointment this Thursday. And then April 1st is what I'm calling "G Day" around here, or in a better way - Gender Day. I still feel in my heart that this baby is a girl, but I in no way would be upset about having a boy. And the idea of Bryan literally fainting if we find out it's a boy - makes me giggle anyway. I'll need to remember my camera for sure!

Time to put Gracie down for bed....

100 Things About Me

2009-02-05T15:55:00.001-06:00

Okay well since Leigh did it (which actually means she's blogging for a change!) I figured I'd do it too!

1. I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior in April 2006, and was baptized (with my husband) in May 2006.

2. I am involved in every aspect of singing at church: choir, Praise Team, Vocal Ensemble. I feel like that is where I can really minister to others.

3. I have a three-year-old who I thought for a long time would be an only child by choice.

4. I am currently pregnant with my second child and due in August 2009.

5. Both of my children were planned pregnancies. If I felt like my husband and I were not on the same page about having children, we would not have them.

6. I am a germophobe to the nth degree – avoiding sick people, washing my hands constantly, using hand sanitizer when hand washing it not an option, avoiding public restrooms, etc.

7. My co-workers make fun of me because of my germophobia. I even wipe down the phones/computer keyboards/calculators on a DAILY basis with Clorox or Lysol wipes.

8. I wipe down public toilet seats with hand sanitizer and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

9. I am lactose intolerant and have been since teenage-hood. My daughter, however, lives for yogurt and cheese. Go figure.

10. I was a size 12. Once.

11. I used to want to be a teacher or write a children’s book when I was younger.

12. I love to get my nails done every two weeks. I like how nice they look and it is the one luxury I give myself.

13. When I was a few months old, my mother let me roll off the couch and onto a hardwood floor. When Gracie was a few months old, my sister let her roll off the couch and onto the cushioned floor. I told her that Mom let me fall off the couch, and I turned out okay!

14. I am the oldest of four children. There is almost a fifteen year difference between me and my baby sister, Tina.

15. I am very close to my mother.

16. I have no relationship with my father. That was not my choice.

17. I love going to Universal Studios in Orlando.

18. Bryan and I went to Universal Studios for our honeymoon.

19. We bought tickets to a dinner theater on our honeymoon – it was called Arabian Nights and the dessert was actually wedding cake!

20. Bryan has a set of twin half sisters and so do I.

21. Bryan has three sisters. I have three sisters. We both come from divorced homes.

22. I think this second baby is a girl. Everybody keeps telling me I’m having a boy.

23. I have developed a close friendship with a friend from church. Her name is Amy and she blogs about her son, Jackson. She is my Designated Hospital Baby Picture Taker.

24. Amy and I treat each other like family and think we might have been related in a past life. We think alike. A lot.

25. I don’t want Amy to think I love her too much, so I’m going to stop letting her invade my “100 things about me”. No more about Amy.

26. I forgot to mention that Amy is the reason I am pregnant with baby #2 so fast. She rocks at ovulation scheduling!

27. I have been to the Bahamas once with my 10th grade choir class.

28. I had caviar while on the cruise to the Bahamas.

29. I would love to go on another cruise, but Bryan and I think that we’ve seen too many shows about people who go missing on cruise ships. No cruises for us, thanks.

30. We lost our home to foreclosure and were once devastated by it. That was the best thing that ever happened to us!

31. We are “renting” my mom’s house while she is working overseas in Qatar.

32. My mom and I have not been this far apart since before Gracie was born.

33. My mom is hoping she can come back for Baby #2’s birth in August. I am praying.

34. I am a huge fan of the Backstreet Boys. I have traveled as far as California to see them (and survived an earthquake!) and I’ve also met three of them on three different occasions.

35. I have pictures of myself with two of the Backstreet Boys I’ve met – one of them was when I was five months pregnant with Gracie!

36. I saw the Backstreet Boys in Georgia when I was five months pregnant with Gracie.

37. I will be seeing Jeff Dunham in March in Georgia when I am five months pregnant with Baby #2.

38. Bryan and I want a new car for our growing family. Just not a van.

39. I am not close friends with anyone I went to high school with.

40. I haved lived in Alabama, Florida, Germany, Virginia, and Alabama again because my mom was in the Air Force.

41. My oldest friend is from seventh grade and her name is Carolyn.

42. Carolyn and I are pregnant at the same time. She is further along than me, but that is a neat experience.

43. My sister in law is also pregnant. She is due in June. I think she and Carolyn are about the same term in pregnancy.

44. I just found out that one of the girls in my Sunday School class is pregnant and due in September. There is something in the water.

45. I have perfect attendance in Sunday School (not to brag). I am still waiting for my button.

46. I love Target. I would live there if they would let me.

47. I love popcorn. I have not been able to stand much of it during either pregnancy.

48. I did not have morning sickness during either pregnancy. Not to brag.

49. My friend Amy likes to brag about the people who follow her blog. I am hoping she reads this and leaves me a snarky comment. Amy likes to use the word snarky. I have stolen it from her.

50. Amy’s brother-in-law, Jason, prayed her into having a boy. She is going to talk him into doing the same thing to me.

51. Jason and Kellyn are going with us to see Jeff Dunham. So are Alli and Zach.

52. We still have two Jeff Dunham tickets to sell. Do you want to buy them?

53. It will be my first out of town trip without Gracie.

54. I am paying my sister Kayla to stay overnight with Gracie.

55. My favorite Jeff Dunham character is Walter.

56. I work for Winn-Dixie. I have worked for them since 1996.

57. I have a degree in Sociology but have never put it to use.

58. I do not regret going to school to get a degree.

59. My best friend, Kim, and I met at Winn-Dixie in 1997. She moved to New York with her fiancée (now husband) in March 2008.

60. Kim and I love to quote lines from Bill Cosby, Himself.

61. We have seen it so many times we pretty much have it memorized.

62. I have my great-grandmother’s pearls.

63. I wore her pearls on my wedding day.

64. Someday, I will give the pearls to Gracie in her wedding day.

65. It is too soon and I am too hormonal to be thinking about Gracie getting married.

66. I love to read. I just don’t get to do it as much as I used to.

67. I am terrified of driving in the rain.

68. I am terrified of riding in the car when Bryan drives.

69. I don’t mind bugs. Except for crickets. They creep me out.

70. People think I look like my mom. Unless they have seen my dad.

71. I am my dad’s only child.

72. He has seen his granddaughter about four times and not at all since her first birthday.

73. I am the oldest of thirteen grand children.

74. My cousins think I am the favorite grand child to my grandparents. I agree with them.

75. I think my grandmother and I are a lot alike and that is why I am her favorite.

76. I was close to my cousins during childhood, but not so much anymore.

77. I am running out of things to say about myself.

78. I am addicted to Chapstick. If I lose a tube, I just buy another one.

79. I like to keep up with our checkbook and keep it balanced – even though math was my worst subject in school.

80. English was my best subject in school.

81. I just talked to Amy on the phone and told her what I said about her in my 100 things. She said in her defense, she does not brag about who reads her blog (did I tell you that Amy is a compulsive liar?)

82. My favorite color is pink.

83. My favorite food is chicken.

84. Can you tell I am running out of things to talk about?

85. Bryan makes fun of me because when we go out of town – even for a weekend – I have to make a list. For clothes to pack, maps to the places, any tickets we need, etc.

86. We took my mom’s van to Gracie’s first mini-vacation to the Georgia Aquarium last summer.

87. The battery died on the van while we were there.

88. When Bryan and I flew out to Utah when my mom lived there (2001), we left our backpacks in her van. We missed our flight because we had to get them.

89. When my mom came home in July 2008 for a month, we went to Gulf Shores and stayed at my aunt’s condo.

90. Gulf Shores was Gracie’s first official beach trip.

91. The photo in my blog header is from that trip. It is one of my favorite pictures of Gracie.

92. I would like to go on another (small) vacation before the baby is born.

93. I love to take road trips.

94. I love to cook.

95. I don’t like to dust or vaccum.

96. I don’t mind doing the laundry, but I also wash and dry it and never put it away.

97. My wedding anniversary is March 20th. I will have been married for five years.

98. I am excited about a lot of things happening in the spring/summer.

99. I am not looking forward to being totally pregnant in the middle of the summer.

100. I am looking forward to Gracie being a big sister!

That was so much fun until about halfway through. Now that I'm done, I will not be doing that again.

More Updates on "Little Spot"

2009-02-03T16:19:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! Life has just been zooming by us these days. Plus, our church is preparing for our Easter production of "The Sacrifice" and Sundays are pretty much booked all day now with church and rehearsals.

Anyway, last Saturday I was off work (shocking!) and Gracie and I made plans to go to Build-A-Bear at Eastdale Mall. To make a long story really sweet and simple, my mom was living in Destin, FL when I found out I was pregnant with Gracie. On a weekend visit to her house we visited an outdoor mall that had a Build-A-Bear - the first time I'd ever seen one. So Bryan and I picked out a Little Lamb we dubbed "Baby Nelson" and went through the whole process of building a bear (or in our case, a lamb). After explaining that to Gracie I told her that we just had to build one for her new baby brother or sister (FYI on those who guessed on the sex: I am still sticking to my guns that it is a girl! - more details on the gender date below!)

What's next? Why, photos of Gracie building her new baby a bear!

Picking out the bear and loving it!

Dropping in the heart...

Stuffing the bear!

Washing the bear!

More loving on the bear!

In other news I had my latest OB appointment yesterday which also resulted in me getting to leave work early! Yay! Anyhow, Bryan and I had lunch at Logan's and then headed to my appointment. When the nurse came in she asked about my "button nose" and after a look of sheer confusion she mentioned the "little angel" I brought with me last time. She remembered Gracie! Anyhow, she told us we would be able to hear the baby's heart beat today although sometimes earlier in pregnancies that is kind of difficult. But if she tried and had no luck, she would let the doctor try.
She ended up having no luck and when the doctor arrived - he had no luck either. He said something about ordering an ultrasound and making sure "everything was alright" which sent me into panic mode for a number of reasons. I have been stressed out more during this pregnancy. I've also had three nightmares about having a miscarriage, which is not something I experienced with Gracie. So while I felt like the ultrasound could be a blessing (putting my mind at ease about my worries) it was also beginning to freak me out.
So in a total fog I went down to the ultrasound room, trying to control the pounding in my head. It took two seconds of staring at the ultrasound screen before my eyes locked on the baby's frame. Right after that the tech turned on the heart doppler and you could hear it loud and clear - 155 and strong. I explained to the tech what the doctor had said, and she replied with "baby looks fine, heart rate sounds fine too. Everything looks good here!"
Feeling a thousand times better (and clutching updated pics of Little Spot in my hand) I took the paperwork back up to the doctor who agreed with the tech - all was well. We made our next two appointments (one for March 5th, the GENDER APPOINTMENT IS APRIL 1ST!!!). Someone asked me why I didn't change the gender appointment - we actually did that on purpose. Plus, it's the first Wednesday we could go - and Bryan is off on Wednesdays.

And to finish up my post.....LITTLE SPOT! (12 weeks and 2 days)

Time for Change Part 2

2009-01-23T16:20:00.002-06:00

Okay so I accidentally deleted my last post and just do not have the patience to re-upload all those pictures.

For those of you who may have had to log in to read my blog, you may have noticed you came directly to it on this visit.

That is because I have made my blog public again.

I chose to go private for a while for a number of reasons, none of which matter anymore. The point is I enjoy the fact that my blog is public and want to be able to share my life with Gracie (and baby #2) with anyone who has an interest in reading it.

I have nothing against people who have private blogs, I know many who do - it's just not for me.

Thanks for reading and see you at my next post!

FYI: It will probably include pictures of Gracie making a Build A Bear for her new sibling!

Highs&Lows of Pregnancy (Cravings)

2009-01-17T12:24:00.002-06:00

You know, any normal person with a healthy appetite can deal with hunger. A pregnant woman on the other hand? Notsomuch. From about a week after the pregnancy was confirmed, I've had this hunger that will not go away. I mean, usually it does after a good meal - but that's only sometimes. For the most part, I am generally hungry (please don't confuse this with starving!) for almost all day. Until dinner time, which is another story.
Some of my recent cravings:
McDonald's french fries. And I don't do McDonald's. EVER!
Pickles. Especially the ones at Firehouse Subs
Cherry Limeade Slushs from Sonic
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes from Chick-Fil-A
Butterfinger Hearts
Orange Creamslush from Sonic
Honey Chicken and Fried Rice
Cherry Candy - like sour cherry balls or cherry Laffy Taffy

Okay so some of those are pretty random and only the beginning...this pregnancy seems to be unfolding much like Gracie's, in that there is NO morning sickness (sorry for those of you who dealt with it) only a tendency to feel kind of blah and sickly at dinner time. Hence the need to eat at Cracker Barrel repeatedly over the last few weeks - they just don't seem as greasy as regular restaurants, not everything is fried, and they have a good selection of veggies. Honey carrots. Yum!

My only aversions seem to be strawberries (it was tomatoes with Gracie) and Mexican food (also one with Gracie).

When I was pregnant with Gracie I craved a lot of bitter/tart candies and fruit like fresh pineapple. I also had a think for Sonic Cheese sticks, but only for a period. The last three months with Gracie, just about any carb I could put in my mouth tasted heavenly. And I've noticed for both pregnancies that popcorn - one of my food crushes - is just not the same.

I have mentioned to several people that I "feel" this baby is a girl. Mainly because of the similarities in the pregnancies. While I would like another girl, I am not against a boy in any way. I'm just going on my own feelings about the pregnancy. Anybody want to take a guess - based on their own cravings with their children - as to what the gender of Baby Nelson will be? We will find out towards the end of March/beginning of April I believe.

Hello, "Pregnant & Crazy" Calling!

2009-01-15T12:27:00.003-06:00

I work with a lady named Debbie at Winn-Dixie. Debbie and I are very, very good friends and she lives to laugh. Not loves to laugh - lives. Anyway, I picked up the phone this morning to call her and ask a quick favor. What follows is our conversation - her responses are in italics, mine are not.

**phone ringing, click to answer**

"Hello?"

"You know what you should do?"

"What's that?"

"You should come to work early enough, get my debit card, and I will buy you a vanilla milk shake if you'll get me a Cherry Limeade Slush."

"Okay."

"Really? I mean, I'll buy the vanilla milkshake since you're using your gas to get me my slush."

"Okay. No problem."

"Really? That's so great! Hey listen, though, just make sure it's a slush - Kayla messed up yesterday and it wasn't a slush."

"Really? What was it?"

"A regular limeade."

"Oh, okay. Hey, is this Kim?"

**awkward silence**

"Uh, no...is this Debbie?"

"No it's not, I'm sorry. You've got the wrong number."

Needless to say, the person on the other end of the line was NOT my Debbie. And she just carried on the conversation like any normal person! She even sounded like Debbie! When I realized I'd dialed a 1 instead of a 5 for Debbie's number and called to tell HER what I'd done, the laughter that erupted from her end of the line caused me to laugh at my own ignorance.

Debbie's advice? "Just call the woman back and tell her you're pregant and crazy!"

I think she's already figured out the last part of that statement!!

And then there were none...

2009-01-12T16:10:00.003-06:00

So this afternoon at lunch time, I logged into blogger to post some wonderfully exciting pictures of Gracie in her fuzzy white dress from Mawmaw. And then there were pictures of her, decked out in her pajamas and ready to sleep in her big girl bed.

And then my loving, faithful, and yet sometimes impulsive (although well-meaning) husband decided to become frustrated when our computer would not cooperate with our camera program. And so he moved the files from our camera. Which deleted them from the camera. All the pictures. And there was no way blogger would upload the pictures. At all.

So, with less excitement after my frustrating attempts to upload these pictures dozens of times, I present to you the Princess and her new bed. FYI: The pig seen in some of the pictures is actually a pillow, but it is still a pig sporting and a tutu and a tiara.

For those of you who might be interested, the bed was actually donated be Mrs. Diane at church (Gracie's preschool choir teacher). It belonged to one of her children but is still in wonderful condition. The bedding itself (along with Princess Pig) came from Target.

Update on Baby #2

2008-12-31T12:55:00.004-06:00

Meet baby #2! I had my first prenatal appointment (and ultrasound) yesterday. The ultrasound tech said everything looked fine, but by the ultrasound measurements I was actually showing at 6 weeks pregnant and not 7 weeks. Dr. Desautel said that could change with future ultrasounds, but he will be sticking with the August 15th due date (the ultrasound gave an estimated due date of August 19th).
He said everything looked fine, they did a little bit of blood work and we also talked about birthing options. Gracie was planned as a natural delivery but ended up being a C-Section because she had a big head (only kidding. I forget what they call it...pelvic descent?)
Anyway, Big Sister Gracie was VERY excited to see the teeny tiny baby on screen and HEAR THE HEARTBEAT! It was 135, which I don't know anything about but we're planning on a girl anyway. Or at least, I am.
She was a bit confused about why the baby has to stay in my tummy so long and why my doctor doesn't hand out suckers, but I think she had a good time. Plus we had lunch with my sister and picked out a new baby book also!

One more cute Gracie moment....we had been talking to Tina in the car about a baby brother or sister, and I told Gracie "we don't care" what we have. Meaning, we'd be happy either way. When the nurse came into the room Gracie informed her that "there is a baby in my Mommy's tummy". The nurse asked if she wanted a brother or sister, and sounded annoyed, Gracie said "We don't KNOW!" I had to explain to the nurse that what she meant to say was "we're happy either way!"

My next appointment is Feb 3rd in Prattville. I know they aren't doing an ultrasound, but I'll post updates!

And I have Christmas pictures coming, but with my mom being here until Dec 29th I'm kind of slacking on the posting front..sorry!

Six Weeks

2008-12-20T20:52:00.004-06:00

We found out December 11th (via blood testing) that I am pregnant with Baby #2.

My due date is August 15, 2009.

I am six weeks pregnant as of today.

Bryan wants a boy. I'm expecting a girl. Given our family history, the odds just aren't in his favor.