Saturday, November 14, 2009

Here you go...

It's been quite a while since I've last blogged! Have you missed me? :)

Oh my, where to start?
My Ella Bear is growing up way too fast. Has it really been almost 4 months? Her little personality is showing up in new ways every day. Ella loves people. She is perfectly content to sit in your lap and carry on a conversation with baby coos and sweet gummy smiles. She hates being alone (unless it's naptime) and doesn't seem to like her carseat very much as of recently. She loves her brother. My heart melts to mush when I hear Aaron walk up to her and say in a high-pitched-love-voice, "Hiiii Sugar Bear!" Ella returns his affection with a big smile and occasional giggle.

Aaron. Oh my. He has become quite the busy boy lately. I don't know if it's the newness of having a baby in the family or just the fact he is 3 years old, but he has become increasingly LOUDER over the past couple months. He has two volumes: loud and louder. Oh yes, and the second his eyes pop open in the morning, he is on the go. He is alot like me when it comes to thriving on a schedule. He always asks me, "What are we doing today Mom?" and he will hold me to that schedule. New pastimes of his include: digging in his sandbox, painting with water-colors and helping me cook (cracking eggs is his favorite!). Potty-training finally lies in the past. Ahhh...FREEDOM!!

Me. Recently, I have been cooking more! And I love it. There is something about sitting around the table as a family and eating together. You talk, you listen and it just feels sweet.

Thomas. My husband has such a eye and vision for new business plans or ideas. I have to remind him to turn off his brain at night because I can literally feel him thinking. Have you ever felt that as a wife? I know that there is a calling on his life in the marketplace. It's exciting for me to wonder what our lives will look like in 5 or 10 years...but at the same time I am really learning to support my husband and encourage his dreams-not quench them. I am such a realist and a detail thinker! When living with a visionary, I have to be SO careful to not let his ideas stress me out by sorting though all the possible scenarios. We are good for each other. It's just tricky sometimes trying to find a good balance.

The holidays are coming!!! OOOHHH, I love this time of year!! The fireplace roaring, baking yummies, comfy sweaters, cute socks and slippers, trying to keep hats on squirming children....fun times are coming!

Thanks for reading!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Our trip to San Antonio

We had SUCH a wonderful time this past weekend celebrating Aaron's 3rd birthday with friends and family in San Antonio.

I pricelined (as usual) our hotel in downtown San Antonio a few weeks ago and got rooms at the St. Anthony Wyndham Hotel. After checking out TripAdvisor I was horrified to see nothing but BAD reviews for this hotel, including poor air conditioner, squeaky beds, no ice, mold in bathrooms, etc...I even called Thomas crying because I was sure I totally ruined this trip by booking a bad hotel. (With Priceline, you bid on rooms and once the bid goes through, it's non-negotionable.) It was supposed to be a 3 1/2 star hotel, so I was really suprised to see such bad reviews...
Anyways, turns out the hotel was absolutely gorgeous and we had a very pleasant stay! No complaints at all. It was a "historic" hotel and didn't have all the amenities as a modern Holiday Inn, but that made it unique to us! The room was HUGE. It had 2 full bathrooms with oversized tubs, a giant walk-in closet and high post beds.
Photobucket
Our air conditioner DEFINITELY worked. We always crank it down as low as it will go so we can pile on the blankets, but at the lowest setting it was WAY too cold for us. That's saying something!!
The lobby was emmaculate. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and beautiful paintings and gold statues adorned the hallways. There was a heated outdoor pool on the 6th floor with a neat view of the city's rooftops. I even thought the classical music inside the elevator was cool. It felt like a step back in time, and the "little girl in me" loved it.
Photobucket
Friday was Sea World day. Amanda was my hero for bringing a double stroller!
Photobucket
The boys had so much fun together. Aaron even rode this huge water ride. I was trembling as I watched my little baby boy plummet downward on a raft 100 feet above the ground, but as you can see, he loved it!
Photobucket
Saturday we went to the Children's Museum that we found as we were walking around downtown. It was just one block away from our hotel!
Photobucket
Being in San Antonio, you HAVE to eat nothing but Mexican food! :) We ate some every day. Yes. Every Day. Casa Rio on Thursday, Pico De Gallo on Friday and Mi Tierra on Saturday. My tummy is still recovering!

Such a fun trip! Ella did wonderfully too. She rode in the truck with Opa and Oma while the Martinez's and us rode in the Accadia. Being out of our typical schedule and away from her crib didn't phase her one bit and I'm very thankful for having a flexible baby. Trips are just so much fun to me! I know they wear out alot of people, but I always get home and am ready for the next trip!
Hopefully we will be heading up to Norman, OK soon to see Preston, Ashley and the twins!

I hope you all are having a fabulous October! Thanks for reading...

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Long time no blog!

Just have a few minutes... (hah...that's the story of my life now!!)

Fall. I love it. I love change, especially changing seasons. Everything feels new and fresh and different. I used to hate change with a passion. It scared me and it was incredibly intimidating. When I threw caution to the wind and embraced change, I felt totally liberated. Why not trade in old habits, old mindsets and old things that are out of season with something brand new? It just makes sense. Sure, I may want to wear that old comfy sweater that was the PERFECT FIND, but after 2 years it's starting to fade and honestly, it doesn't fit the same as it used too. Will I ever find a sweater JUST LIKE that one? Probably not. But there are so many NEW THINGS now that I will find just as cute, and most likely, I will end up enjoying the new sweater more than the old one. It will fit me for the season I'm in now. Maybe next year it will be too big or too small (hopefully not the latter...) and it will be time for sweater shopping yet again!

Catch my drift?

Never stay comfortable with where you are at. Always be moving up. Embrace change. You can be intimidated with not being able to see what's directly in front of you, but turn that fear into excitement and anticipation. All long as you are sumbitted to the Lord and submitted to HIS plans for your life, there should be no worry about what's next. He'll never give you any more than you can handle and He will always give you the strength you need for a new season in your life.

Enjoy this changing season!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Proposal

5 Years ago the man I love asked me a very special question. I love sappy love stories, so do you mind if I share mine with you? :) I'm going to start at the beginning....

When I was little, we lived in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for about 9 years of my life (from 2 years old to 11 years old). My fondest memories there are of playing in the woods, discovering new "forts", peeling bark off the white Birch Trees to write secret messages on them, long bike rides with my family and most of all, walking down the beach at Plum Island. Plum Island is a barrier island off the northern coast of Massachusetts where the Parker River and the Merrimack River flow into the Gulf of Maine.
Anyways, it's a beautiful beach. I used to tell my parents that one day I would get proposed to on that beach. I would daydream with stars in my eyes and envision walking barefoot hand-in-hand with a handsome man. In my childish fantasies, everything was perfect. My long curly hair (yeah, I wish!) would be flowing in the wind and I would be romantically swept off of my feet when he would kneel down and say those beautiful 4 words...."Will You Marry Me?"

Fast Forward

September 7th, 2004- Thomas and I had been officially courting for 6 months and we were in Boston for:
1)A KGM (Kindom Global Ministries) conference
2) Scott and Brooke Sailor's Wedding-(Larry Titus' granddaughter)
3) A Rangers/Red Sox game at Fenway Park
and 4) A week with my parents at my family's cottage on the river outside of Newbury, MA.

Thomas and I had planned a "6-Monthiversary Date" for that special day. After a relaxing morning at the cottage and swimming off the dock in the FREEEZING river, we got all fancied up to eat at a beautiful restaurant called The Kiwi Grille (now called The Mission Oak Grill). This restaurant is located inside a renovated, old, New England Church and is a very "la-dee-dah" kind of restaurant. You know,the kind where they put the napkins on your lap, there are no prices on the menu and the food looks so pretty, you don't want to eat it!
After dinner, we left the restaurant and Thomas began driving toward the coast. When he told me he wanted to go walk the beach with me, I remember my heart pounding because the only good beach around was...you guessed it! Plum Island! Thomas swears to this day that he had no idea of my childhood dream.
We walked over a creaky wooden dock and stepped off onto the soft, damp sand. The beach was completly deserted on that cool evening. The weather had been very cloudy and overcast all day, so the setting sun was hidden behind grey clouds and there was a thick, romantic fog in the air to add to the private ambiance. And get this! Because of the extreme humidity, my hair (which I had straighted that day with my CHI), had magically transformed into pretty curls! I've never been able to get it to do what it did that night...Boo.
Anyways, I held my breath because it was almost too perfect! Everything I had every dreamed about was happening. And I promise, nothing is exaggerated for dramatic effect. :)
After walking hand-in-hand down the beach for several minutes, we found a large log that had drifted up from the ocean and sat down to watch the waves for a while.

Then, he starting talking. He told me how much he loved me and how he had prayed for his wife for years. He spoke of qualities and standards he wanted her to have and how I met each and every one and suceeded his expectations. He told me that he wanted nothing more than to share the rest of his life with me and then...got down on his knee to say those amazing 4 words. And I said "Yes!"

Mushy, huh? I am still amazed at how everything I every hoped for came true that night. I truly believe that the Lord will give you all the desires of your heart if you seek Him for them......

This pictures are pretty grainy, but fun to look at...

Photobucket
Dressed up for Scott and Brooke's wedding

Photobucket
At the Rangers/Red Sox game. Can you guess who won? :)

Photobucket
Harvard Square

Photobucket
On a cruise around the Boston Harbor

Photobucket
The view from the back deck of the cottage

Photobucket
The Kiwi Grille (Now, the Mission Oak Grill)

Photobucket
Plum Island (ignore the arrow...)

Photobucket
Plum Island, the day after he proposed.

Photobucket
The backyard of the cottage

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

getting back in the groove!

This week, I began a NEW SCHEDULE!! I love having a plan, a to-do list and an organized week, so I try to keep somewhat of the same schedule for a semester at a time. The big SIX WEEK mark is on Friday so I thought it would be a good week to begin!

Monday
• Gym
• Home, Shower, Misc.
• Lunch HOME
• Kids Naptime/Make grocery list/Meal Plans
• Grocery Store/WalMart
• Dinner
• Softball Game
Tuesday
• Aaron to school @ 8:50
• Work 9-12:00
• Lunch OUT
• Car Washed/Errands (if needed)
• Pick up Aaron from school @ 2:30
• Home, Laundry, Misc
• Dinner/CTV/Gym
Wednesday
• Gym
• Home/clean upstairs
• Lunch Home
• Naptime
• Clean downstairs while kids sleep
• Shower
• Church/Connect Group
Thursday
• Aaron to school @ 8:50
• Work 9-12:00
• Lunch OUT
• Errands (if needed)
• Pick up Aaron from school @ 2:30
• Home/Misc.
• Dinner
Friday
• Gym
• House Projects
• Lunch Home
• Kids Naptime
• Family Time (park, zoo, bike ride)
• Date Night

So far, it's been SO nice. I got a membership at the gym and I am hoping these extra 7 pounds will shed away. I don't remember having this much annoyance in losing the pregnancy pounds with Aaron. With Ella, the scale did a nosedive down 30 pounds and just flatlined after that. It hasn't budged in 2 weeks and it's quite frustrating to only have 2 pairs of pants that fit. Ugh. BUT I refuse to buy any clothes at this point. That's my motivation. Ha.

Aaron began "school" on Tuesday and did wonderfully! I was SO mad that I forgot to bring my camera! I'll take pictures tomorrow... Anyways, he didn't fuss at all and the teachers said he was very polite and well behaved all day. Sweet music to a Mom's ears!

My office schedule at the Church will be lighter this year and I'm quite glad about that. I still have a passion and heart for being involved on staff there, but I need to make sure my focus doesn't shift from being a Mother, first and foremost. It's nice to have 2 1/2 hours with just me and Ella Bear before we pick up big brother from school.

So that's that! It's been so delightful to wake up everyday and have a "plan" for the day. I just function so much better that way. :) Oh! By the way, Miss Ella slept 8 hours the other night! She has been doing 6 hours steadily then 4 hours after that for the past week. So, she is officially out of our bedroom bassinet and sleeping her crib every night. Also, it just happens that both children nap from 1:30-4 so I get a silent house for 2 1/2 hours most days. Ahhhh...

Another note: Aaron's birthday is coming up next month and I'm trying to decided what to do? We are heading to Sea World with Opa and Oma that weekend, but I love giving my little man a party with his friends. We've done the Gymnastics Sports Center and that was SO nice. I'm not a fan of Mr. Gattis or Chuck-E-Cheese (giant casinos for children that make them bounce off the walls or scream and run from the huge rat...) and the Jump Around is just not very clean looking! Any other ideas? Can't believe he will be 3!!!! Ahhh!!!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

life at 2:00am

Every night for the past week my head has hit the pillow at 10:55pm. It takes me less than 2 minutes to fall asleep until I hear a cute little grunt wake me up at 2:35am. I roll over and reach into Ella's bassinet to pick her up for nighttime feeding #1. Usually, the feeding/diaper change process takes about 20-25 minutes and she is back to sleeping contently in her bed until 6am for feeding #2.
Last night at feeding #1, it wasn't quite so...oh, what's the word?

2:28-I hear Ella start squirming and grunting. I begin feeding her in our bed. I'm sitting up with two pillows propped behind me and my head is falling forward as I try to stay awake. * ALL YOU NEW MAMAS-RAISE YOUR HANDS!! *

2:31-Thomas rolls over and touches my leg. He's always been sweet about giving me little "love pats" to acknowledge that he appreciates me getting up to take care of our kids. Anyways, I always am extremely thirsty when I wake up, so I ask him to bring me something to drink. I remember that I left a nice cold Powerade in the fridge last night. Mmmm...that sounds good!

2:35-I chug half the Powerade as Ella finishes her 1st half of her feeding. I reach over and put the sports drink on the nightstand then turn back to my baby. THEN, I hear a "glug-glug" sound and feel cold liquid soaking me through my shirt.
I had placed the Powerade bottle on top of a pair of earrings and it was tipping over onto our bed, nightstand, carpet and stacked up pillows on the floor. Great. Thomas offered to change Ella's diaper while I attempted to mop up the red, sticky mess from our bedroom ensemble. Oh, and did I mention that I just got the carpets shampooed last week?

2:41- I hear a baby grunt, a baby squirt/toot, then my husband groaning, "awwwggh, Ella!!"

2:57- Ella is sleeping soundly. There are strawberry-red stained towels around my side of the bed. Thomas is still washing his hands from the diaper explosion and I can't help but smile a little....gotta love babies!!!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Bubble Head

Here's the laugh I got last night from the boys having a bit too much fun with the bath bubbles....
Photobucket

2 1/2 Weeks

Life is returning to a somewhat normal state now! I actually have made several outings by myself with my two children and PRASIE THE LORD the outings have been uneventful and easy! The first trip to WalMart was a big obstacle crossing for me. I had imagined trying to juggle a potty-training toddler and a newborn in Wally-World would be a nightmare, but it actually wasn't much different than before....at least this time!! :)

Update on our sweet baby girl: Ella is simply wonderful. She is a "by the book" baby and eats every 3-4 hours. She actually did a 5 HOUR stretch the other day! She sleeps wonderfully and has yet to mix up her days and nights. Her overall personality is pretty chilled. I can tell, like Aaron was, she will thrive on a consistant schedule. Just yesterday, we got "off" a little bit and I could tell by the end of the day that she was overstimulated and a bit cranky. With a schedule of feeding her, letting her have some "awake time", then falling asleep for a couple hours, she seems perfectly content with life!
At last week's Doctor's appointment, she was 9lbs 1oz (just 3oz shy of her birth weight) and grew 1/2 inch since her birth.

Me: It's one thing to be getting up every 3 hours at night to nurse when you are perfectly healthy...it's another thing to be doing that while trying to recover from your tummy being cut open! :)
Now that I am able to successfully get out of bed without pain, life has been much easier! I no longer need a nap, so this has been helpful in using Aaron's naptime to catch up on any church work, housework or phone calls. Since Ella's birth, I've lost 32 out of the 38 pregnancy pounds, and I'm very happy about that. My ankle bones have surfaced once again and my wedding ring is back on my finger! YAY for no more swelling! I'm still really itching for that 6 week "green light" for exersise! Ah, I want to swim laps and run and attempt to do a sit up SO BAD.... and....*ahem* yes, that too! :)

Life as a family of 4? It's really fun! I know how fast time flies with kids so I am doing my best to enjoy every moment.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Ella Claire

Ella is sleeping contently in her swing and sweet Thomas is putting Aaron to bed.
We are home. Ahhh...it feels absolutely wonderful to be home.

Ella Claire...my daughter is finally here. The one word I can find to describe how I feel is: complete. My family feels so complete now! She fits perfectly with us and the transition has been incredibly easy. Aaron is an adoring brother and has shown nothing but pure affection, gentleness and tenderness. He always wants to hold her and any time she wimpers or even make the slightest noise, he rushes to her side and makes sure she is OK. I get so emotional, because it couldn't be better....
Thomas is amazing. Watching him hold Ella in his strong arms just melts my heart. He uses the same "love-names" for her and he does for me and I just MELT! (Sugar Bear, Sugar Baby, etc...) He dotes on her constantly and I can already see his fatherly protection beginning to form. She is amazingly blessed to have such an incredible Daddy. ....ahhh! I'm crying already!

The C-Section went smoothly on Friday. There was such peace that morning. Thank you so much for your prayers for us.... We went in, got hooked up and prepped and before I knew it, I was feeling the doctor pull a small life out of me! That first day went well. Pain pills helped tremendously. Friday night was a little more rough due to some catheter complications, but that worked out and I was able to rest. Saturday morning they took out the catheter and IV and I made that first painful walk. Overall, the recovery was good. Not as easy as my first pregnancy/delivery, but it could've been worse. I had alot of what the nurses referred to as "gas pain". I think that term does not give NEAR as much credit to the pain that it actually was. They were sharp searing pains in my shoulder and excruciating cramps in my abdomen that would follow with animal-like sounds rumbling in my stomach. "Gas pain" sounded so...whatever....but, whoo...they were painful! I also had a mysterious fever that would spike up to 102 a few times over a 24-hour period accompanied with chills and uncontrollable shaking! Sunday night, it was getting so intense, I was really having to fight off fear of it being something other that normal recovery stuff. Pastor Richard and Thomas prayed stongly over my body and rebuked any scheme of the enemy that would try to enter in. They prayed and prayed in the Spirit boldly and confidently and sure enough, the fever broke an hour later and never came back.
That last night at the hospital (Sunday) I slept wonderfully. Ella nursed every 2-3 hours so I was only awake twice for her feedings.

Thank you all so much for your love and support! We feel blessed to have such amazing friends and family that love us and are always available for us.

PS-I'm so excited for my sweet friends that will be holding their bundles of joy in the next couple weeks!! Jennifer, Katy, Brooke...you sweet girls are going to be such amazing Mamas...again! :)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

8 hours away...

I have just a few minutes to blog before needing to get to bed. Thomas is finishing up some work on his laptop for the weekend and we are both hoping to be in bed by 10:15 for some much needed rest before THE BIG DAY tomorrow!

Today was fun, busy and exciting, yet very peaceful.
Aaron and I headed out of the house at 10am, stopped by Smoothie King for my beloved Pineapple Surf smoothie, picked up dry cleaning, gassed up vehicle and hit Wal-Mart for some final items. After lunch, we played the Wii together before he went down for his nap from 2-4. I used those couple hours to straighten up the house, do laundry and mop. Thomas and I went to the hospital at 4:30 to pre-admit and dropped Aaron off at my mom's house at 7:00. Now....I'm packed. The house is clean. Laundry done. And I am getting sleepy.
Aaron was just precious today. He would randomly come up to me and tell me "Mama, I love you SOOOO much", then grin and go back to whatever he was doing. Also, when I would casually ask him to do something, he would reply, "Yes Ma'am!!" Ahhh...sweet music to my ears. The months of prompting this reply have finally begun to pay off. We talked about seeing Baby Ella tomorrow and he informed me how he was going to "give her kisses and hugs and gentle hands." Too sweet.

We go in to Abilene Regional tomorrow morning at 5:30am and the C-Section is scheduled to begin at 7:30. My doctor told me that things should stay as scheduled and Ella will be shown off by Daddy in the nursery by around 8 or 8:15! I'll be back in my room by 8:30 or 9:00. They say the 2nd C-Section is alot easier and quicker recovery than the first, so I am happy about that. Really, the first one was a breeze...so maybe this will be even better!

I love visitors so please come see us if you want! Most likely, I will be pretty groggy that morning/early afternoon...so don't mind me if I start talking funny or telling you random things. Morphine...good stuff! :)
My doctor also said that we should be able to go home on Sunday afternoon.

Aaron is being well taken care of while we are in the hospital. He will be staying with his grandparents and I know they will keep him very busy and happy....and spoiled! :)

Feel free to call mine or Thomas' phone...we will have them on silent if we are busy or sleeping. I'll try to have him send out a mass text or FB status tomorrow with her details! Any bets?? :)

Goodnight! Thanks for all your prayers and support. Tomorrow I will be holding my sweet baby girl!!!!!!

Love you.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

potty training updates.

I figured it out. Boys are just plain l-a-z-y! :)
Every mom of boys that I know have told me, "Wait until they are 3 years old...it will be MUCH easier!" Of course, I dig my heels in and am adamant about my son being out of diapers before sister bear arrives. But, I can say with relief that the past 3 days have been wonderful dry pull-up days!!

What do I do? NOTHING!! When we are home, the pull-ups come off and my son runs around the house with a shirt on. That's it! The UPS delivery man was caught off guard when Aaron went to the door to receive a package with his twig and berries exposed. I just smiled, thanked him and informed him that "We're potty-training." :)

Without the security of a diaper or pull-up, Aaron will run to the bathroom without needing to be reminded by a timer or by me! Oh my...it's been SO nice. Last week I was in tears and at my wits end with that boy. He simply did not care. He would walk around with a wet pull-up on all day until it leaked and not have a care in the world about it. I tried using normal big-boy underwear, but he still would wet those and then I would have extra laundry to do. No time for that!!

So today, I am still in my pj's and my son is happily playing with his trains...bottomless. He has pee-peed consistantly all day and doesn't even ask for his typical M&M reward. (Which is good, because it's hard for Mommy to resist chocolate when I give it to him!)

When we go out and do errends, he does great! I make sure to take him right before we leave the house and periodically while we are out and about. I appreciate clean public bathrooms more than ever! Khols has won that award with a sparkling clean FAMILY bathroom. It's complete with an adult potty and a little boy potty, a sink that is reachable to kids and paper towels instead of a loud obnoxious hand dryer.

So for now, that's what we are doing. Pull-up in public, bare-booty at home. What I see happening is that he gets so used to "going" by himself, we can graduate to underwear next week at home....we'll see.

Friday, July 17, 2009

wide-awake

Can't sleep, again. Between mild contractions and Ella kicking inside of me, I tossed in bed for an hour before deciding to get up and give my husband a break from my tossing and turning. Poor guy. He's been so incredibly busy and is totally exhausted. I didn't have the heart to keep him up any longer. So...I will blog! :)

A mature Pastor's wife once mentioned to me that I would have to develop "tough skin" being in the ministry and being married to a Pastor. The thought didn't set well in my mind at the time. When Thomas and I were first engaged/married, I was extremely sensitive and self-conscious of the way I was perceived as "a Pastor's Wife". I hid my outgoing and too-talkative personality around "church-people" and made sure that I never stuck out. I desperately wanted people to view me as a grown-up! Not as a silly 18 year old child. My husband was (and always has been) an encouraging and empowering spouse. He constantly reminded me of the giftings the Lord has placed in me and encouraged me not to shrink back from them due to my age. He has a way of taking me from feeling like a small girl to a regal queen.
Anyways, I sure didn't feel like I had "tough skin". Any negative word spoken about me was taken to heart, even if it was unintentional or joking. Even during our marriage preparation, I got so sick and tired of the typical reaction to our engagement. Instead of gushing over questions about what our wedding colors would be, when the date was or even how I was proposed to, I got: "You're getting married? How old are you?" Followed by a haughty sniff and a critical stare. Oh, and the classic from old high school friends, "She must be pregnant."

Of course, these came from people that had no idea the uniqueness of our courtship and relationship. Everyone close to us and everyone that had opinions that actually mattered to us were 100% behind us and supporting our marriage. And of course, here we are 4 1/2 years later!! :)

The first year of our marriage was a lonely time for me as far as not having many girlfriends. As all my friends were preparing for prom and college, I was putting away my wedding dress, painting our first home and planning meals for my husband every night! I poured myself into my home, my husband and work and began noticing a gradual change in myself. There was a wall being formed! New relationships began, but only went so deep. I wasn't sure how to let my personality shine through, afraid of what others might think. A couple years later, after a specific extremely hard and critical season, I completely put my guard up. My trust was broken toward relationships and I was going to make sure that didn't happen again. Sure, I had my 1 or 2 really close girlfriends that I could confide with and be completely open and honest to, but that was it.

Fast forward. Two weeks ago, the speaker for our Women's Summer Bible Study talked about breaking down walls we've built up around us. At the end of the study, she asked us all to have some quiet time with the Lord and ask Him to reveal any walls that we sub-consciously built up. I was running the sound system that night and found myself sighing as I heard her say that. I sat back in my chair after flipping on some dim lighting and "soaking music". I could already feel emotions rising up around the room. It was like a heavy dew. Get a group of ladies in one room and ask them to dig up old, forgotton feelings of inadaquecy, depression and rejection and you might as well ask for a bawling session. Sad to say, but I didn't really participate as much as I should have that night. For about 4 minutes, I prayed and asked the Lord to reveal my "walls" to me, but shut down when I heard His gentle voice whisper in my ear. Ugh, I didn't want to go there! So I pushed it away and left early.

Fast forward to tonight. I was lying in my bed and a word kept repeating over and over in my mind: Tenderness. Where has all my tenderness gone? Then I remembered the advice about getting "tough skin". There's got to be a balance. 5 years ago, I was young, open, a little naive and very trusting. I also cared too much about what others thought and was willing to change my personality to minimize any critical judgements.
Today, even nurses at the hospital complain of how "tough" my skin is! Literally! It takes 3 nurses and 10 different pokes to get an IV going in me. No joke. But seriously, I don't let my mind wander anymore about what others think about me or look for approval from anyone other than my Maker. I know I am right where I need to be and doing what I should be doing. I am confident. But as I was lying awake tonight, I was saddened at the lack of tenderness I have shown lately. I want to be transparent and tender. It's so hard for a woman to do that. It's hard for me to do that. It's like I have to take a deep breath and risk people seeing the raw me. It's easy for me to put on my Sunday face and look like my life is perfectly fine and I don't have a concern in the world, but incredibly hard for me to let my guard down and say, "This week was hard! I'm hurting and heartsick." Then I realize, hello Amity! You are human. Better yet, your are a woman not a robot!

Tonight the Lord gently lifted a curtain from my eyes. I asked Him to restore that child-like innocence, trust and tenderness. I also began lifting up a wall that has been building up. I don't think it will all happen overnight, but it will be a process. I think, little by little, my Father will show me where those bricks in the wall came from and I can break them down from there.

Now, I get to chew on all of this and try to sleep!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Tuesday

I'm sitting here smiling while I watch my tummy bump every few seconds. She has the hiccups again!

We had our last sonogram yesterday and it was absolutely breathtaking to see our baby girl. The detail was incredible and we saw her chubby little face perfectly! Her hand was also positioned in a "thumbs-up" way and I thought that was cute! It was like she was saying, "OK Mom, I'm ready whenever you are!" Since today I am at exactly 37 weeks, I gave her full permission to arrive at her earliest convenience. So now, it's just a matter of waiting. Dr. Anderson measured her and announced that she will be at the 9lb mark by next Friday and casually referred to her as "A King-sized baby". It made me think of her as a candy bar. King-sized! Ella the King-Sized Twix....lol.

Speaking of Ella...I thought that we were set on her middle name, but we're not. As I was lying awake the other night, I couldn't get her original name out of my mind. Ella Beth. It means "beautiful House of God" and Beth (Lafuente) is a woman that I deeply admire and respect and was a mentor to me before Thomas and I were married. I love the name Ella Claire, but I just keep thinking it might not be "us". I don't know though! Which is SO crazy because I usually make a decision and cannot be swayed from it! I honestly don't know what her name is going to be. *sigh* Thomas feels the same way...he likes both, but doesn't necessarily have a preference. SO! Her middle name is still yet to be decided...we have 10 days, so hopefully we will nail it down by then. Hopefully!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Everyone is happier when Mommy sleeps!

That's right! Codeine became a new friend to me last night. :) My lower back was just aching and aching last night, so I caved in and took those pain meds. Wow. In 15 minutes the pain was gone and I was feeling soooo relaxed! Sleep was wonderful. I didn't just sleep, I was out like a baby. Ahhh...I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman.

Feeling great today! We all went to the pool over lunchtime for about an hour and the water felt amazing. I gently swam a few laps and loved feeling (almost) weightless in the water.

Aaron's taking his nap and I am debating on tackling sweeping/mopping the downstairs OR propping my feet up and watching a chick-flick I DVRed yesterday...hmmm.....

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

36 Weeks and ready

July 24th could not come sooner! :)

With late pregnancy discomforts kicking in high gear, I'm finding myself longing for the next 17 days to pass speedily. Ella has officially "dropped" and I think her head is about 2 inches away from falling out of me. The "waddle" has begun and I can tell you with confidence that it takes exactly 19 steps to get to the bathroom from my bed. (Which, by the way, that trip happens about 10 times per night these days.)
Contractions are a new experience for me in this pregnancy. With Aaron, (Mr. "Head jammed up in my ribcage until 40 weeks") I never experienced any kind of contractions until the day he was born. The nurse informed me as they were prepping me for the C-Section that I was having contractions every 5 minutes, but I never felt a thing...
Last night (and the past several nights), I've been up for hours with these uncomfortable contractions that come every 3-5 minutes, along with pressure and back pain. My doctor put me on some Codeine (sp?) and an antibiotic for Group B Strep and said that should help with those icky contractions.

To pass the time, I am trying to find small projects to do every day until Ella arrives. Yesterday, I washed all her clothes, bedding and blankets then packed her diaper bag for the hospital. That was fun!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Lincoln & Maddox

Preston and Ashley came to town for a few days this week! The twins are growing up so fast (3 1/2 months old already!) and are as handsome as ever. We got to see a little more of their personalities this time. Maddox seems to be a bit more stubborn and feisty (in a sweet way, of course!!) and Lincoln seems more chilled out and laid back. I got to spend alot more time with Maddox this week. We're buds now!
Photobucket
(in this picture, I'm holding Lincoln and Thomas has Maddox)

What warmed my heart the most was seeing Aaron interact with his cousins. He displayed such amazing love, affection and gentleness around them! He absolutely LOVED getting to hold them,
Photobucket
and help feed them bottles, give them their pacifiers and just watch them! He is going to be a fabulous big brother.

Oh yeah, and it was fun seeing Preston and Ashley as well! :)

Today was THE DAY. I said "adios" to these heavy locks:
Photobucket

and said "HELLO" to this new "do":
Photobucket

When I went into the salon (Oak Creek Salon on Barrow), the receptionist lady looked at me suspiciously and asked why on earth I cutting off my hair. I simply answered with a laugh, "It's time!"
And it really was!! When we got married, my hair was almost as long as it is (well..was) now. The day after we got back from our honeymoon, I chopped it off and enjoyed the change! Change is usually dramatic with me...I never have done baby steps. Isn't that interesting? Personality? Don't answer that....lol.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

another Monday!

Sea World was fabulous! Check FB for pics, because I am too lazy to upload them on here right now. :)
It was so nice to get away for a few days and spend time with my family. After a rough couple weeks for my Mom and the kids, we all welcomed some fun away from Abilene. Aaron absolutely loved Sea World and we plan to go back the weekend of his birthday in October with Oma and Opa. Everyone asked what his favorite part was and I am honestly stumped on that question! He loved Shamu, the dolphins, the waterpark, the Pirate Show...everything! The only thing I was less than impressed on was the show "Cool Vibrations." It was advertised as "a fast-paced show that includes daredevil skiers performing many water ski elements including pair, swivel and solo skiing."

Ha.

Amity's advertisement would read "scantily dressed bikini girls singing and dancing flirtatiously with half-naked beach boys singing about 'partying in the summer' and 'summer romance' along with a little boat/water ski action in the distance." Boo.

Overall though, it was a wonderful trip! We made it 3 days with NO NAPS for Aaron...which is amazing, considering he still takes 2+ hour naps every day. And I think I drank my body weight in Sierra Mist both days at Sea World! :)

Onto a different note! I'm 34 weeks today. Time is flying by and I still have to remind myself that Ella Claire will be here in just a few short weeks! Aaron talks about Baby Ella/Baby Sister with adorable affection and I cannot wait to see the expression on his face when they meet for the first time. *little tear*
I'm experiencing some braxton hicks, but nothing too uncomfortable. Once I lay down and put my feet up, they go away.

Tonight we head to the pool again for picnic, swimming and relaxation. Aaron has a newfound interest in the sand volleyball court. He loves bringing buckets and trucks to "play in the dirt" with. It's amazing what simple things will keep kids entertained for hours and hours! :)

Monday, June 15, 2009

Monday

Haven't blogged in awhile, but this week has slowed down tremendously so I'm once again finding time for the important things in life! Like BLOGGING!! Or FACEBOOK!!

Ella's stoller arrived at our doorstep last week and it's so cute!
Photobucket

Everything is pretty much ready for her arrival in July. As of now, the scheduled date is July 27th. Thomas has said from Day 1, that he thinks she will be earlier than that. Originally, I thought that was crazy! Especially after me being so sick the first half of my pregnancy. But now, for some reason, I think he may be right!? We both may end up being completely off base, but here's some of our thinking on why she may come earlier:

1) We just "have a feeling"! :)
2) Dr. said she is measuring above average and that I'm carrying her low.
3) Pressure. Lots and lots of pressure already.

Like all Moms-to-be, I am itching to hold my sweet baby girl, but all I really care about is that she comes in God's perfect timing and not a day before she is completely and fully developed and prepared to live outside of me.

Today was a sweet day. Aaron slept until 8:30, giving me some nice extra sleep. I made some delicious tuna sandwiches (with dill relish, apples & raisens) along with fresh apple slices and...ahem...Cheetos! Aaron and I met Thomas up at the pool for our picnic lunch then Katy and Deron joined us for a nice cool dip in the pool. After that, we came home and I was able to get alot of work done from the house while Aaron took a good 2 hour nap. Seriously, is there anything better than a silent house for 2 straight hours? I think not! :)
After a trip to WalMart for some much-needed groceries, I made some yummy Swiss Chicken. If you know me, this is one of our favorite family meals. And it's SO simple! Quick recipe:

2 1/2 lbs of boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
4-6 slices of fresh swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (i use fat free...)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Grease pan. Place chicken in pan. Cover with cheese. Mix the soups and milk. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook 45 minutes. Uncover and cook another 15 minutes.
Serve over white rice. Goes great with broccoli or garden fresh salad!

Tonight, I am listening (via monitor) to Thomas "putting Aaron to bed". His version of Aaron's nightime routine is quite a bit different from mine. I can hear lion roars during a hard-core wrestling match, bubble water being splashed all over the bathroom floor and the most animated version of "Where's Waldo" being read over silly giggles. I don't mind though...Daddy time is so good for him!

So now, I am craving something sweet.... a chocolate cake with rich buttercream frosting sounds amazing...but as I look through the pantry, I just might have to settle for sugar-free chocolate jello pudding.....*sigh*

Our big trip to Sea World is coming up in a couple days...more about that next week!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

it's coming along

The two Handy Mannys put together Ella's crib this week. Aaron loves helping Daddy "fix" things.
Photobucket

Photobucket

So here it is! All done! The bedding is still a bit wrinkly because I haven't washed it yet. I was so excited to put it on to see how it all looks with the colors we picked....I like it! :) Although, I do feel like this wall needs to "soften up" a bit. Maybe some satiny/sheer drapes/canopy thingy around her name? I don't know...
Photobucket

Here is the changing table. Not organized yet...
Photobucket

And her closet...our sweet little girl aleady has too many clothes! :) YAY! Now I just need those matching bows and headbands...
Photobucket

You can see her diaper bag here. I'm going to get "Ella" monogrammed in brown on the flap.
Photobucket

We are putting up a cute storage container/dresser/thingy this weekend...will keep pictures coming.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

if you insist....

tagged by KT love....

8 things to look forward to:
1. finishing setting up Ella's room
2. Seeing my sweet baby girl for the first time!
3. being done with potty-training!!
4. getting my crazy bangs grown out where I can "swoop" them again...ugh.
5. going to Sea World in a couple weeks
6. re-doing our master bathroom...someday...over the rainbow...
7. being molded and shaped into a more mature wife, mother and friend
8. going on a cruise....again...someday...maybe...

8 things I did yesterday:
1. ordered some final things for Ella's room (lamp, diaper hanging thingy, mobile)
2. ate Dante's with my boys and ran into an old friend
3. supported my parents on a hard day
4. got a SUPER CUTE new diaper bag at Kids Village!!!!!
5. had heartburn for the first time...lol...because of Dantes!
6. went to WalMart and got keys made. now we finally have 2 sets...(long story)
7. watched my son hit 4 line-drives in a row (playing baseball in the backyard)
8. went to a Mom's Prayer Group and enjoyed encouragment,fellowship and prayer....and too many chocolate chip cookies! :)

8 things I wish I could do:
1. draw/be more artistic
2. walk up our stairs without becoming out of breath! :)
3. get a pedicure every other week. can you say, "Cha-ching?!"
4. buy my husband a boat
5. get better at writing people notes/cards for no reason except to say "I'm thinking about you"
6. be a more patient mommy
7. be a more serving wife
8. be a more listening friend

8 shows I watch:
1. LOST...but that is losing it's thing for me...getting a little too much.
2. Who's Line Is It Anyways? OK, I know this show is ancient, but I just started recording it and I LOVE it! One of the only shows that actually makes me laugh out loud.
3. What Not To Wear..ha...doesn't really inspire me much during pregnancy..
4. Jon & Kate Plus 8
5. anything on Playhouse Disney (with Aaron...)
6. Dancing with the Stars (when it's on...)
7. Here Come the Newlyweds
8. A Baby Story. I cry every time...

People to tag:
1. Ashley S
2. Rachael N
3. D'nae
4. Jenn B
5. ?
6. ?

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

We hit the road to Weatherford yesterday afternoon to trade this:
Photobucket

for this!

Photobucket
2009 GMC Acadia

After a truly awesome trade-in, we started making our way toward Arlington to make a 7:05 ballgame. What we didn't expect was to run into a HUGE hailstorm a few miles outside of the dealership. Hello! New car. Hailstorm. Not good. Thankfully, my husband (an aspiring meteorologist) was able to read the clouds ahead of us and we pulled over for about an hour to let the storm go ahead of us. We were all STARVING so we stopped at a McDonalds for perhaps the MOST DELICIOUS buger ever. It was a fun family meal...

Photobucket

When we got back in our wonderful "new-car smelling" vehicle, we checked the radio to see if the game was postponed. Sure enough it was pouring in Arlington, so they were delaying it. We continued our drive East and pulled into Arlington at 8:30. Hearing that the game was going to begin at 9:30, we had a decision to make: Take our tired toddler (who usually goes to sleep at 8:00) to a nice hotel room and call it a night? OR Somehow find/buy tickets to a LATE game? Can I get the Cool Mom Of The Year Award? Yep, we chose the latter option! :)
As we walked down the walkway toward the stadium we were preparing for the fact that we would just pay $15 each for tickets in the nosebleed section. No biggie, because we probably wouldn't stay the whole game anyways. Uh-uh! A family of 4 were walking away from the stadium with tickets in their hand. As we passed them, I casually asked, "You guys leaving the game?" The Dad spoke up and said, "Yeah, they are starting at 9:30, but it's too late for us...you guys need tickets?"
I love favor. :)
Synopsis of the night: Aaron was literally on the edge of his seat for the 5 innings we stayed for. He cheered & booed, but mainly just watching intently from our seats directly behind home plate.
Photobucket

Photobucket

We got back to our hotel at midnight and it took a total of 30 seconds for Aaron to fall asleep.

Next day we drove over to Grapevine to see Preston, Ashley and the twins. After a visit to Bass Pro Shop, we met up with them at Armend's Pizza & Pasta (like an upscale Joes...).
Photobucket
The boys slept the whole meal, but I got to hold Maddox toward the end! They are both doing wonderfully. Healthy and strong and HANDSOME!!!

We hit the road back to Abilene after lunch and Cito was out before we even left the parking lot.
Photobucket

Will post pics of the new car later!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Friday

FYI- M&Ms are a wonderful reward to a potty-training 2 year old. On the other hand, they are a nasty temptation to a preggo Mama! We keep a tupperware container full of M&Ms for Aaron in our upstairs bathroom. I've caught myself twice today sneaking a few in my trips up and down the stairs. :)

Ahhh...a day of nothingness. This week has been jam-packed with work, work, work! I've been close to throwing my phone in the pool in utter frustration due to my "reminders" going off every 10 minutes.

*DING DING* Pack $2 for Aaron's pizza party at school today! ("Hmmm...all I have is a $10...)
*DING DING* Interview lifeguard at 4:00 today
*DING DING* Call so-and-so back
*DING DING* You have 50 new emails!!!
*DING DING* Finalize lifeguarding policies/checklists
*DING DING* Don't forget to go get your glucose lab work done this week!! (Oops...)

Today my phone is sitting on the table in front of me with a black screen of silence. Haven't had any phone calls today and only 2 emails...
I am still in my sleep shorts and T-shirt and intend to stay this way as long as possible!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

beat that, Target!

Project Letters is complete!

I headed to Hobby Lobby this morning and found exactly what I was looking for!

Letters-$2.99 Each (no painting required!)
Roll of Ribbon-$1.50

Actual project time: 30 minutes!!

Finished Product= CUTENESS!

Photobucket
The ribbon has pink polka-dots on it...kinda hard to tell in this picture.

Photobucket

Monday, May 11, 2009

more updates

I can breathe a sweet sigh of relief once again. It a girl. STILL!
You know, you hear of those stories about people preparing for a certain sex and then the day comes where the baby is born and it's NOT what they thought it would be? I think that would be horrible!! But today we saw litte Ella and her "hamburger" was quite visible. :)

I put on 8 pounds this month, but it feels more like 20 lbs to me! I like to joke with my husband that I have rock hard abs...they are just rock hard in a "rounder" kind of way. Ella weighed in at 2lbs 13oz and my docotor warned me that she was looking to be "another large baby!" (Aaron was 8lbs 12oz) She was already head down, which was different from Aaron (breech baby) and that explained some different cramping that I've had the past several weeks. LITERALLY EVERYTHING has been different with this pregnancy...it's amazing!

We finished the painting/wallpapering/crown molding in Ella's room and now we are excited about beginning to fill it with her things!
Photobucket
We'll use Aaron's crib and changing table (both white) and I'm on the lookout for a dresser. A friend of mine told me that you HAVE to have a dresser when you have a girl. I guess for leggings, bows, tights...umm...what else? Anyways,I'm on the prowl. Garage sales anyone?!

This weekend, my hubby is going out of town for a Men's Retreat and I am taking on: Project Letters.
Photobucket
Each one of these letters cost $20. That means our 4-letter baby girl's name would cost a grand total of $80!! No way. So I am headed to Hobby Lobby/Michaels this week to find some cute letters, paint and ribbon. Will post pics of the finished product and let you know MY final cost.

Wylie Swim Club opens up in 2 weeks. I have been extremely busy with all the various pool preparations, new memberships, lifeguard interviews, etc. Whew! This summer will be different from last because we had last summer to learn and this past winter to prepare. But it's still crazy busy!!

One more note: The twins are doing WONDERFUL. Thomas and I had the chance to go over to DFW last weekend and see the little guys.
Photobucket

Photobucket

Both are growing quickly and have doubled their weight since birth! Ashley, however, has had alot of pain recently and the doctors determined it was her gallbladder. She is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning, so please keep her in your prayers over the next week or two. I can't even imagine having 2 little babies and dealing with an ordeal like this! She's one tough lady!!

Monday, April 27, 2009

faithfulness

Today's "fruit" is Faithfulness.

(For those who are just now reading up on my blog, I have been practicing the Fruits Of The Spirit for the past week...)

Thomas and I really try to live a faith-filled life and I believe that the Lord has truly blessed us from it. Living by Faith has become a natural lifestyle to us. It's become so easy! I heard a wise man once say "Make it easy on you and hard on God!" How do we encorporate living a life of Faith on a day-to-day basis? Simple.
1.We don't worry.
2.We know that God will provide everything and anything we need. No questions asked.
3.We tithe. Therefore, our finances are blessed.
4.We speak positively, even when circumstances seems impossible. (..."with God, all things are _______??)
5.We speak things that are not, as though they are. Read that sentence again.

This morning when I began spending time with the Lord, He spoke to my heart about what part of Faithfulness He wanted me to focus on. My mission today was to focus on the "devotion, thoroughness & loyalty" part of it.

Devotion & Loyalty: My heart's desire is to be %100 devoted to my Savior, and to rely on Him not just as Savior, but Lord. I long to be wholly devoted to Him. To hear His Heart and act upon it with such obedience and dedication.

Thoroughness: This is something I can learn from my husband. He has such a gift of being thorough. He pays attention to detail and accuracy to the point where it drives me absolutely nuts! Don't get me wrong! I get things done well, and usually very organized! But my heart's intention has a tendancy to just say, "Hurry up. Just get done with the basics so you can move on to another project." My prayer is to be sensitive to things that don't just matter to what I want, but rather to what others need.

Friday, April 24, 2009

patience

Today has not been half as challanging as the past three days. As a Mother of a 2 1/2 year old, I have had a bit more practice with this particular "fruit".
(See below blogs...)

I looked up "Patience" and here is an interesting list of synonyms.
"...composure, stability, submissiveness, sufferance, qualities of calmness, and persistent courage in trying circumstances."

I like the last one the best!
"Persistent Courage in Trying Circumstances"
Photobucket

Thursday, April 23, 2009

joy & peace

Ask me if I knew what I was getting into? Answer: no.

Have you ever seen the movie Evan Almighty? If not, it's a must-see. Clean, funny and heartwarming. One of my favorite scenes from this movie is when the wife is talking to God at the diner (not knowing He is "God"). She is frustrated with her husband and with her life. Here is a golden tidbit...
Photobucket
God: "Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

Man, oh man. That is a mouthful.

Yesterday's fruit was Joy. At 7:00am I rolled over sleepily and began to rub my eyes and begin my day. I had meditated on Joyfulness before going to bed the night before. I was ready!! Ha. I wasn't awake for 30 seconds before a sharp & excruciating Charlie Horse (leg cramp) took over my entire right leg. As I (very maturely) pounded my pillow and bit my tongue from screaming obscenities, I felt anything but Joy. To make matters even worse, as soon as the sharp cramp began to wear off, I tried to shift positions in bed causing yet ANOTHER cramp to come on! Needless to say, I limped around the house all morning and STILL am sore from the ordeal. Am I a wimp? Maybe. But IT HURT BAD. Thankfully, the day went smoother and I was able to restore some joy to my life. :)

Today's fruit was Peace. It was the most un-peaceful day ever. Isn't this sad!! I know God has a sense of humor, but really? Halfway through the day I began to question whether this "fruit a day" was a good idea. I was doing great 4 days ago. Now...it's been a battle every day! But it's good for me. I am growing! It hurts and it stresses me out, but....

"I would rather feel the pressure from the Potter's Hand than no pressure at all" -Mary Forsythe
Photobucket

I had several opportunities to get anxious & frustrated. (I won't even get into the details of my day!! Haha...) Each time something came up, I had to keep reminding myself.... of peace. Peace that passes ALL understanding. Yes, I had a short meltdown at around 5:00...but I made a decision to get my emotions under control and rely on the Prince of Peace. When I did that and put it all into perspective, everything that seemed as big as a mountain suddenly became an ant pile. I can deal with that.

Tomorrow is Patience....I'm going to bed early. :)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

love

Last night, when I was spending time with the Lord, I decided I would take the next 9 days to work on the Fruits of the Spirit. I'm taking one a day and asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me on how to better use those gifts on an everyday basis. Some flow naturally, but others I really want to get better at!

So today I started with Love. My first "love" test began at 1:30am this morning when my darling son would not stay in his bed. Ever since Aaron got sick last week, his schedule has been thrown off and he has been getting up multiple times at night. Usually, he goes to bed and stays asleep all night (unless to go potty). He's always been an easy kid when it comes to bedtime. Praise Jesus! BUT, the past several nights have been rough. Really rough. He's been waking up, coming in our room and crawling up into our bed. We have always been anti "kid-in-the-bed" so we just pick him up and take him back to bed. Well, let's just say we tucked him back in his bed about 14 different times last night between the wee hours of 1:30-5:00. Back and forth we went until we were both utterly exhausted. Finally at 5:00am, we caved and decided to let him lay down with us. It didn't even take him 2 minutes to fall fast asleep between us.

As I was getting ready this morning (with dark circles under my eyes), I pondered on Love. How could I show more Love today? Different scriptures came to mind.

...and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us (Eph 5:2)

....Love your neighbor as yourself

How could I truly put aside all selfishness and love others with a Pure Love as God loves me? How could I better communicate unconditional love to those around me?

If you've ever asked the Holy Spirit to constantly speak to you about something throughout your entire day, it's pretty amazing. It seemed like every minute I would hear Him whisper gently to me.
"Just email her and tell her you love her."
"Compliment that person's outfit."
"Reach over and touch your husband and tell him how much you love and appreciate him."
"Hold your son when he starts whining, instead of being harsh and corrective."
"Think about what that person may be dealing with today and have extra grace for them."
"Substitute encouraging words instead of being witty and sarcastic."
"Say that in a gentler way"
"Don't speak, just listen"

Love, love, love!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

potty updates!

Well, we did it! Aaron poo-pooed in the potty yesterday all by himself!

In the afternoons, I let him run around the house/backyard with a shirt and pull-ups (no pants) which makes this easier for him to go potty by himself. It has become exhausting for me to go back and forth to the bathroom, squat and help a 2 year old unzip his pants, stay in squat position while he does his business, and continue to squat to help him get his pants back on! So, we ditched the pants and he is able to go to the bathroom by himself, with the exception of me helping him put his pull-ups back on.
ANYWAY. Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch checking my emails and I noticed he kept making funny faces and running to the bathroom. He would sit for just a couple seconds, then get up. This went on for about 10 minutes and I began to get the idea he was "baking a cake." Sure enough, I walked toward the bathroom and saw him cringe and let a little yelp. I help him sit on the potty (because he didn't want to move) and not 2 seconds after his butt hit the seat...PLOP! :)

I squealed and cheered so much he said, "Mommy, no screaming!" (In my defense, I wasn't screaming...just got really excited!!) After rewarding him with 2 M&Ms, we called Daddy to celebrate the big accomplishment in the Humphries Home.

He has stayed dry all night for three nights in a row and dry for naptime as well. He'll occasionally have an accident in his pants, but overall is doing wonderfully.

...M&Ms are getting low...need to stock up again!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

bored

Thomas got home from "Man Trip" with some guy friends last night and I am being a good wife and letting him sleep in for his birthday...so I'm downstairs in my pjs at 9:30 and thinking, It's a good time to blog! :)

Well, I am feeling Ella kick and punch me like crazy now. She (just like Aaron) is most active at about 11pm and 8am. Basically I go to sleep getting kicked in the bladder and wake up getting kicked in the ribs. I stopped using "weeks" and started saying "months" when referring to how pregnant I am. 6 Months sounds good. Can I make it? YES I CAN! (Bob the Builder is on....)
Unfortunately, I had to refill my Zofran medication due to being sick every day this week. I take it before I eat a good lunch and it keeps me feeling good until about 9:00...so I've been eating extremely light for dinner (Cereal & Fruit or Juice...mainly). No biggie.

I had the HARDEST time finding Aaron some brown summer sandels this week! No joke, I went to 10 different stores before finally finding some at Shoe Carnival (it's BOGO there...so stock up, ladies!!!) He wears a 9 1/2 and has a THICK foot. Half the shoes he tried were too small in the thickness of the shoe...not the length. Needless to say, I was very pleased to find some good shoes yesterday! :) I also got some cute cute cute black flip-flops for myself at Carnival. Swollen feet and closed-toed shoes don't mix. I literally stretched a hole in my favorite black flats because of my puffy feet. The three body parts that grow immensely for me during pregnancy are: boobs, feet and the obvious...tummy! :)
Anyone know of good CHEAP pedicure places in Abilene? Gotta have cute toes....even if they do look like mini sausages!

This weekend is going to be amazing...I LOVE Easter Sunday. We have some special things planned for our service at Champions. I cannot WAIT!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

the secret to getting away with anything!

...Is being pregnant! How else can you get away with some of these things! If you did this and you were not pregnant, people would label you as weird, socially awkward or a gluttonous pig.

1. You can order pineapple and green pepper pizza and people think it's cute.

2. You can puke your toenails out in a public bathroom and people stop you at the sink to offer to buy you a sprite out of pity.

3. You can accidently let a little fart or your tummy can make crazy noises and people just smile at you.

4. At a birthday party, you can confidently ask for seconds on cake and people will be proud of you.

5. You can wear the same outfit several times a week (because it's the ONLY thing that fits you right now!). And no one cares!

6. You can gain 40 pounds in 6 months with no guilt or shame!!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Potty-training update....

ALERT: This is a "Mommy Blog" and "potty" words are used frequently in this post. Beware.

We are now in full-time pull-ups during the day! AND, because Walgreens carries cheap but GOOD pull-ups, we are not having to spend almost $10 a week. Praise Jesus! :)

Aaron is doing really well! If I am consistant on having him sit on the potty every hour, then he goes! We are still working on "going" all the way and not just a little at a time. I give him 1 M&M every time he pee-pees. He only gets candy when he actually "goes" and that seems to help him get the point of going potty! He is even pottying in public places (Wal-Mart, etc...) when we are out doing errands.
We have not mastered poo-pooing...I guess I haven't caught him at the right time yet.

This method seems to work best for my Aaron. He hates being rushed and needs a laid-back environment in order to accomplish something different. I'm very proud of him. :)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

this is too funny...

Last night was an exciting game for the Champions Church softball team! After the 1st inning, we were down 12 runs and came back to beat them by about 12 runs!! Yay! We are 4-0 after last night! Go guys!!
Photobucket
I have to share this story...so hilarious.
Aaron came with me to the 6:30 game last night and I was truly impressed at how much attention he paid toward the game. For the majority of the time, he just sat next to me on the bleachers, watching the game intently, and cheering when they made a hit! It was funny to hear my 2 year old shouting out phrases like,
"All right!"
"Home Run!"
"Ooooh, Almost!"
"Good eye!" (Don't think he really understands that one...)
He has always LOVED sports and he will watch almost any sport in fastination. He is amazingly talented at all the Wii Sport games and hits a pretty hard line drive from his T-Ball stand! Gotta brag... :)

Anyways, at one point during the game he got up from his seat and walked over toward the dugout. I kept my eye on him as he approached one of our player's bat bag hanging outside the dugout. Something in it caught his eye and he reached up and pulled it out. A cup. Yes, a cup. A "pee-pee protecter cup", if you will. Trying to be discreet while the other Mom's were stifling giggles, I sweetly (but sternly) called to Aaron, "Oh honey, that's not yours! Please put it back right now."
Aaron kept turning it over in his hands, trying to figure the contraption out! Now here's the funny part: Faith Quinonez was standing near Aaron and when she saw his newfound discovery she skipped over to him and informed him in her Motherly tone, "Oh Aaron! That's a nose proctector! See?" And then she proceeded to place the "nose protector" over her nose to show him how to correctly use the device.
All of us Moms nearly fell out of the stands because we were laughing so hard. While Faith put the "nose protector" back in the bag, I was scrambling to find my hand sanitizer in my purse.

Oh what innocence! :)

Monday, March 30, 2009

that funny little feeling...

Uh-oh. Spring is in the air. My windows are open. Time to CLLLEANN!!!!

There is something about Mondays that always send me into a crazy organization project. Today I completely took apart Aaron's booster seat, washed the fabric, hosed off the crusted cereal crumbs/fruit snacks that were embedded beneath the fabric and spent about 2 hours trying to figure out how to put it back together!
I also got the car vacuumed & washed. Yay for clean cars and carseats! I am now contemplating on how to dust our master-bedroom ceiling fan blades (which are hung about 12 feet from the floor....hmmm...)

Thomas and I bought a new juicer last week.
Photobucket
I can already tell a difference in my energy level from drinking a cup of juice a day. We made a decision last week to really make an effort at healthier eating. So we have been juicing for one meal (usually lunch) and having a small high-protein/low fat meal for the other. "Juice" usually consists of 1 apple, 1/2 orange, 1 or 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk and maybe a random broccoli or cantalope in there...
I LOVE juicing real citrusy fruits like grapefruit/lemon/apple and my personal fave is strawberry/kiwi/apple. Those are more like desserts than meals!! Ha! Watermelon is also really good, but I prefer to just eat that.
Anyways, tonight's menu consists of talapia, steamed rice and broccoli. (....not in the juicer...lol)

...and for those of you that noticed on FB....I did cheat today and make HOMEBAKED sugar cookies. Hey, at least they are low-fat!!! ;)

I will be 22 weeks tomorrow. Everything has been going much more smoothly. I've only been sick about once a week for the past 3 weeks. YAY! We have pretty much decided on "Ella" as our baby girl's name. Not quite sure on the middle name yet...but we have a couple we are debating over. My next appointment is on the 13th and I think I get to do the wonderful glucose sugar testing thingymabopper. Mmmm... I love me some sugary orange soda! ;)

Well, that's all for now! I am going to take advantage of naptime to get a few more things done around here...ceiling fan HERE I COME!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

i'm loving this...

Here's the bedding I have picked out for our baby girl's room. When I saw it, I just knew-this is the one!!

Photobucket

and matching lamp...
Photobucket

and wallpaper border...
Photobucket

and pretty little baskets!!
Photobucket

Monday, March 16, 2009

a whole new world

The past several mornings I've awakened to sharp cramps and what feels like indigestion. This morning at 4:00am, I couldn't go back to sleep because of that nagging discomfort. So, after tossing and turning for a couple hours, I decided I must be experiencing Braxton Hicks. I went ahead and called my doctor at 9:00 just to ask the nurse if these cramps were normal. I didn't expect her to tell me to go ahead and come in at 1:00! So I got dressed, went to WalMart and did a few errends. The nag never went away, but it was never really unbearable or anything...just sharp and mainly annoying!
Thomas was able to get out of work to come to the appointment and I am SO glad he did! My sonogram was suppose to be next Monday, so I was surprised to find out they wanted to go ahead and check out the baby today!!! On the way to the doctor's office, I joked with Thomas, "I'm wearing a bright pink shirt today...is that a sign??" We laughed. Haha.

I knew that everything was fine with our baby, but it is such a wonderful feeling to actually SEE the heart pumping and beating. As I watched the screen, we saw all 10 fingers and toes, arms stretched high over a perfectly round head, and....nothing in between her legs. "Looks like a girl, at first glance!" the doctor announced to us. I laughed, "Now, when you say 'looks like', what percentage would you say?"
"I would say 90-95% based on what we are seeing here." He replied

Stunned. That was the only emotion I felt for a few minutes. I didn't believe him! No way.....

I guess I am still a little bit in denial even now!! Calling my family and saying the words "she" and "her" was so foreign to me. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that we will have a sweet daughter along with our little boy, but I was just SO SURE....

Anyways...because the appointment was so last minute, he was moving quickly through the measurments. He did say he was very pleased with the way she was measuring. We got a picture of her feet and hands....will post later! Turns out the cramps I was feeling were stretching pains because I am carrying her so low. They said it's possible she might be pushing on a nerve as well...

Oh my word. A little daughter. I cannot wait!! Girl clother are wayyy cuter than boy clothes and I cannot WAIT to go buy some cute outfits with matching bows and shoes...ahhh. So much fun!!!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

i never know what to put in the title...

Today is the last day of our Spring Break. Oh, how I wish it was longer!!
We decided VERY last minute to get out of town on a much needed family-time vacation. Using my mad priceline skills, I got us a gorgeous room at the Sheraton in Arlington for an el cheapo rate of $40.00!
Photobucket

Photobucket

The original plan was to drive in on Wednesday morning, see Preston and Ashley, go to the Omni, stay the night, go to the Dallas Children's Museum, go home. We ended up having such an enjoyable time together we stayed an extra night and went to the Parks Mall. I think that was the first official "family" vacation since Aaron was born! We have traveled as a family, but usually to stay with friends and family. This time it was just US. We did whatever we wanted as a family with no time restraints or schedules. It really warmed my heart to just be with my boys.

Tomorrow is back to reality! I have Monday to get my grocery shopping, laundry and phone calls done before Aaron heads back to school and I back to work on Tuesday. Oh by the way, potty-training didn't happen this week. Go figure. He has shown a little more interest lately and sometimes stays dry during the night and during naptime! No rush...I just would love having a short "no diaper" period between kids...

I'll be 20 weeks on Tuesday and I love reading the pregnancy week to week calendars online. (www.pregnancy.about.com)
This specific website stated that at 20 weeks, my baby is measuring around 9.8 inches and weighing approx. 10oz!! That seems a bit hard to believe that my baby weighs the same as a steak I ate a few days ago. Amazing....I'll be excited to know MY baby's measurements next Monday. Every now and then I still have to pull out my pills at night to keep the nausea away, but that's down to just a few nights a week. PRAISE GOD!
I was sad this morning when I got out my black Express slacks to wear to church and the button no longer reached. So I'm down to my last pair of pants that fit. My good ol' jeans. Hopefully, this weather will warm up and stay warm where I can get out my capris, skirts and shorts! Until then, if you see me wearing the same pair of jeans every day...well...sorry!