Reflecting on 2012

2012, was a great year! Being laid off didn't come at a good time but I knew that God always has a plan. Being able to stay home with the kiddo's during the summer and fall was such a blessing. I wasn't able to stay home long with the kids while they were small, so I enjoyed my time home. We were able to swimming everyday and going to the gym (I miss). Finally getting the kids on a good schedule took time but we adjusted. I loved the ups and downs of being home. K started gymnastics!!! The kids and I were excited about our trip w/my family to see my Aunt & Uncle in TN. We had a blast - Looking forward to many more trips to TN. Next time Brian will be able to go. Once I was home for a few weeks I started to reflect on past jobs and I knew I would have to go back to work. I started praying about what I wanted for our lives and what I wanted for our kids. Looking back on what I loved about the last couple of jobs I had I knew I needed to go to school. I love being an admin but I need something that sets me apart and having a degree does that. So I talked to my mom who had just graduated from SAM HOUSTON with an HR degree,knowing she put herself though school while being a single mom to 2 kids. I knew I could do school + work + be a mom + be a wife (my plate is full!!). Continuing to pray about school and our family's needs I decided to go to school. Starting school was so stressful, paperwork and filing for financial aid. I'm all about trying new things (expect food-that I try to avoid at all costs)but this scared me. I just knew I was going to be the oldest one in the class. To my surprise I wasn't..... I made a lot of new friends and had a blast going to school. Once we (brian, my dad & I) worked out a plan for letting me study and picking up the kids. It was a piece of cake! I love school and challenging myself to do better. Getting closer to finals I started to worry but I knew I had a good GPA and I had done some extra credit to make sure I passed with good grades. (( ALL B's)) Knowing that I had a great support team made last semester a breeze. Now this sememster with working full time and school full time its going to be a challenge. Knowing that I have a great support team and God with me I know I can do all things. Looking forward to all the good things God has in store for us! I'm truly a blessed wife and mom. I love my life and wouldn't change it for the world.

Starting college!!

Starting College -- Yes, finally something that I've wanted to do for along time. I've been praying to go back for a long long time. Thankfully, It came at a time where it wouldn't affect my family life. Since starting school - its been an adjustment. For the kids its been strange not having me home while they eat dinner,that's one of the hardest no eating with them. Thankfully, I'm home before they go to bed & we get to pray together as a family before they go to bed. While in school I have to take a class that isn't counted but is counted as an A at the end of the semester (EASY A). But while taking this class they make you look at things like what stands in your way to make you not complete school. Or what do YOU want out of school. Our fist homework the teacher asked what was/is a song that relates to you? Mine was "Reba, Is there life out there?" I'm excited about starting this long journey -- it'll be hard and I'll want to give up but I know the end goal is to make a better life for us. I haven't officially settled on my degree. I have to speak with an adviser next month about narrowing it down. I want to personally thank EVERYONE that helps me daily with picking up the kids so I can study & get math help (DAD!!) Or the help I get on papers (MOMMA & Katie) And the Greatest supporter BRIAN - with out him I wouldn't get my homework done on Sunday or support to finish. He is my cheerleader!!! With the support from family & friends I KNOW WE can make it through school. Anyway, I'll post more as the semester continues! Blessings!

Fathers day weekend.....

Saturday - spent all morning having a garage sale. Had some quality time w/my Inlaws. We all agree NEVER AGAIN.....
What did I learn, big pain in the butt. Craigslist is so much easier. I finished up brian's fathers day gift. And K worked on Papa's ( papa you get yours thursday).

I love doing things like this for brian. Its keepsakes he'll have forever.

Saturday afternoon, brian worked on fixing the shower.
I slowly started to get sick and by 6pm I felt horrible. By 8pm there was water coming from the ceiling..... GREAT!
Sometimes, I have a love - hate relationship with owning a home.

Sunday, the ceiling was still trickling water. Needless to say we have to get the ceiling repaired.
I still felt like poop. And Brian had to work..... I promiesed him a "fathers day do over".
I felt bad that he was dealing w/the AC, a grumpy wife & the kiddos.
He is amazing and didn't complain once.
Monday, AC guys fixed the AC and it only cost us a small fortune! But we learned how to keep the lines clean from mold/build up. It could have been worse but thankfully, it wasn't.
I feel better today ( slight headache) but its been a good day!

Waiting to take my hubby to his favorite restarant for his fathers day do over.

making baby food

Its not that hard --- Johnathon eats what we eat.




I use steamfresh veggies & this time we were having mac n cheese.



I use a coffee grinder to puree his food. Works perfect for 1 serving.



if you make extra - just freeze it for another meal.



making baby food is simple!

My new adventure

DIETING....
Starting a new month w/a new plan. I've decided that I wont be a frumpy mom. I want to be the mom in the grocery store that looks amazing and she's grocery shopping. Her hair is perfect she has on cute clothes. One of my 2011 goals ( I don't make resolutions) is to not be a frumpy mom.
1. new hair do (DONE)
2. going to get my nails done (DONE)
3. diet and loss all the baby(s) weight
4. exercise

Today I started on my weight watcher program.I had great success w/it before and I'm praying that I have it again. I want to look good this summer. I've spent the last 2 years PG and now its time for momma to feel cute again.
I can't wait!!!

truly blessed

Yesterday, while Brian was in the ER. A family down the way was saying their last goodbyes. Everyone says it could be worse and it honestly could have. I could have been saying good by to someone I loved right before Christmas.

The first year Brian and I started dating. We sat in that waiting room, waiting to hear if my grandpa was going to make it.
He pulled through that night and every night until he was ready to go home.. On his own terms.
With everything Brian and I have going on and how stressful our life is right now. I know this to shall pass. And in the end make Brian and I stronger. And God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I'm learning I can handle a lot, more than I ever thought.

We are truly blessed w/2 healthy active babies. Brian will go and see the specialist and see what needs to-do done to correct the hernia.

Johnathon's birth story!

Aug 7th -
we got up and loaded up for our day trip to surfside beach. I wasn’t feeling all that well but I wanted to take Kayleigh to the beach. When we got to Lake Jackson we stopped into bucees. Kayleigh laughed every time she saw his face on something.
We got our bucee supplies and headed down to the beach.

Kayleigh got out of the car and RAN to the water. She didn’t have her bathing suit on yet. We got her into her suite and she and Brian were off to play in the water.

I got lunch all out and set up – Kayleigh didn’t want to come to shore and eat.
We finally got her to eat & drink something and we all went and played in the water. Normally, I don’t go into the water. But I wanted to be w/my family and show Kayleigh that the water was fun.
She is totally a beach baby!!
As we were heading home I told Brian “that we had our last trip as a family of 3 and Johnathon would be coming soon. And it would be funny if I had him tomorrow.” As we got closer to our house I started having contractions. Nothing time able or anything just annoying.
We got home and the contractions stopped and I went to bed w/no contractions.

Aug 8th,
Kayleigh woke up at midnight and Brian got up w/her. I woke up at 1am – Brian was putting her back in her bed. I went to the bathroom and I started having contractions again. I laid in bed for over an hour thinking they would stop. NOPE – they were getting close together. Brian kept asking if we should go to the hospital. I wanted to wait a bit more – he just got Kayleigh to bed. My water hadn’t broken and I was still able to breathe through the contractions. But then I started thinking he was breech & I tested positive to the strip B. So I decided that we needed to go just to get checked out. So Brian called my parents and we called the Dr. I didn’t pack a bag b/c I just thought they would stop them again and send me home. My parents got to my house and we headed to the hospital. That was the longest & most painful drive of my life. We get all checked in and get put into the triage room. Hooked up to all the monitors & my contractions were 2 mins apart. The nurse checked me and I was a good 3 Cm dilated. I was still thinking they would stop the contractions and send me on my way. NOPE – the next on call nurse walks in and says “you have 30 mins and were going to prep you for your c-section”. My heart sank and I started to cry. I was hoping w/all I had that Johnathon had flipped. But they did a quick u/s and he was still breech. From that point on it was like time went by so fast…… We had to call my parents again and see if they could bring us our camera. The nurses were telling us we didn’t have time to go home and get it. They started me on terbutaline to stop the contractions; I got 2 doses of it. The drug from hell --- gives you the shakes! I had to fill out a lot of paperwork while shaking like a 90 year old woman. My parents brought us our camera and they brought Kayleigh in so I could see her one last time before I went into surgery. They prepped me for surgery and my parents left so the nurses could get everything ready. When they left, my anxiety hit the roof!!! I started to cry and told the nurse that I wanted to run b/c they had already stopped the contractions I was OK now. She laughed a little and went on w/her paperwork. Brian told me that if his mom could do this 2 times then I could do it. That didn’t help I was still panicking. When they came in and gave Brian his paper outfit it all was going to fast for me.
The nurses came in and unhooked me from the monitors and wheeled me into the operating room. Brian had to wait until my spinal block was done and then came in the room. Those 5 mins seemed like forever. The NICU team was prepping and I could hear the nurse count the tools. I remember there were 40. I told myself REMEMBER that number! LOL!!!
They brought the blue sheet up and someone came in and through something on my legs. I could feel that & the Dr said it was normal as long as I couldn’t feel pinching or pain. WELL, I didn’t want to feel ANYTHING. Dr did a “test” to see if I could feel the pinching and I couldn’t. Spinal feels like your legs and feet are asleep. I hate that feeling!!!
From start to Johnathon coming out was 10mins at the most & from that point to finish was another 15mins.
I remember seeing Johnathon and kissing him for the first time. That made everything worth it!!! He was so small and just so cute!
The nausea and pulling was getting harder and the anesthesiologist just handed me a wand incase I got sick. He sucked!!! Who gives someone w/2 doses of terbutaline a wand to hold and try to make it into their mouth?
Finally, It was all over & my son had made and early arrival. He had some transitional breathing issues. After a while, he was sent to the NICU for monitoring. After a while my nurse took my whole bed into the NICU so I could see my little man.
He stayed 2 days in the NICU and finally the NICU Dr signed off so he could be in my room.
We were released 1 day early….. I hate being in the hospital and away from my little girl.

Thankfully, we have awesome parents. My parents took Kayleigh until we got home & my in laws took Kenzie (dog ).


We have such awesome friends that came to visit us in the hospital. Thank you to everyone that came out.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm.If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is 'Congratulations!' with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase 'my baby'.

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it...

4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight...ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is 'You look fabulous!'.

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.

7) There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren't invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won't be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8) Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents' home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to 'help out'. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

Sincerely,A

ll the Pregnant Women in the World

7 months

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.



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Last monthly Appt, Now I go every 2 weeks.
At my appt yesterday I only gained 4 lbs
Blood pressure was good
My GT was all good - Dr said I was sweet but not to sweet ( LOL!)
and Johnathon is still breech.

Dr assured me J had time to flip. Time isn't my issue its room.... there isn't much left for him.
I also asked if I could schedule my induction - yes. He said people do it all the time - I just have to be 39 weeks. Great!! One less thing to worry about unless J decides to be like his daddy and come early.

Since Kayleigh was head down I never got jabs or full head movements. I can recline in my office chair or recliner at home and watch him move all around. Yesterday, J was moving alot (enjoying pizza rolls) - I told Brian to come look. He saw J's head moving a little and said it was weird.
Every pregnancy is definitely different!

Next appt is July 5th & the week after I go have another U/S done. I love seeing that little man!

Lesson we learned - last night!

Last night after eating dinner. Brian & I took K outside to play.
I went in & out a couple of times and on my last trip out I locked us out.

The handle is old and we've been meaning to change it but we just haven't.

Note: we don't hide keys.

We stood outside thinking of ways to get into the house
1. open window somewhere - NO, I check everynight.
2. Brake the glass and fix it once we get in. - Wouldn't break (seriously, we tried everything to break it)
3. Old school - break the door down - again, didn't work
4. we tried a screw driver - still Nothing.
5. Brian got a rock and beat the handle off. - we got in.
An hours later -- were in!

next stop Lowes - new handle.

Lesson: give a key to a family member :) --- everyone will have thier own keys this weekend. And its a pain in the butt to break into your own house.

Anatomy Scan #2 / Johnathon update!!

Johnathon is doing great!!
He is still breech - I'm praying he flips soon.
The U/s tech was able to get all the pictures she needed of his heart.
She went ahead and looked at his other organs, just because she wanted too.
Still a boy and only one :)
He weighs about 1 lbs now and getting bigger.

I started doing my bump pictures (last week - my bad) I'll start posting those weekly.

Plan for this weekend -
pedicure, since I can't really reach anymore.
Get my flat tire fixed
Need to go look for fabric for J's bedding.
Find a bathing suit that looks decent on me

Then sunday is Mothers day!

Busy weekend!! But I need to start being more productive on weekends.

22 weeks & counting

Weeks 21-24 (Month 5): Papaya

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

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Last Appt: April 29th

Next appt: May 27th

Total weight gain/loss: last appt - I lost weight

Maternity clothes: YES

Stretch marks: No new ones

Sleep: whats that?!? I sleep good until about 2 then I have to pee and get something to drink.

Best moment this week: we get to see our little man again.

Movement: Yes, HE is getting more active. But not alot

Food cravings: Lemon water

Gender: BOY!!! Johnathon ( John was my late grandfathers name)
Scott ( Brian's middle name)

Belly Button in or out: its smooth

What I miss: being able to do simple tasks

What I am looking forward to: seeing my little boy Thursday

Milestones: still being PG

18 weeks

Your baby has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

We go Friday for our gender U/S & make sure everything is OK.

17 weeks

Your Baby: Week 17
Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.


*****
Next appt: Tuesday 3-30-10

Total weight gain/loss: last appt - I was the same

Maternity clothes: YES :( -- I can still wear my regular pants w/a longer shirt over.

Stretch marks: No new ones

Sleep: whats that?!? I sleep good until about 2 then I have to pee and get something to drink.

Best moment this week: Feeling movement more

Movement: Yes, not alot but I can feel him/her

Food cravings: Orange juice / skittles / anything sour

Gender: finding out soon!

Signs: No!

Belly Button in or out: In - getting shallow

What I miss: I miss the occasional glass of wine or beer

What I am looking forward to: Seeing my baby and find out the sex / Kayleigh's b-day party

Milestones: I'm starting to show a real bump this week, not just bloat!

Our family blog

So we have Kayleighs blog and Our family blog.

As of this week I'm 14 weeks & the baby is the size of a Lemon
Your adorable little baby is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

I think every once in awhile I can feel it move around.
Last appt I still hadn't gained any weight. But the nurse couldn't find the heart beat.
That 5 mins seemed like forever. She kept saying "its" moving around to much so I knew not to worry. But I couldn't help it.
So w/the help of the Ultra sound tech we got to see & hear it clear as day.
Still at 158 beats.
I decided I didn't like my OB - so I found another one that my cousins use. He delivers at Memorial in The Woodlands. I didn't like my OB in college station & this time I really want to like the person that is going to deliver my baby.

Next week - I'll be in OKC, Training on the computer program the company uses.
This is going to be hard b/c I have a hard time not seeing Kayleigh daily. But I know she is going to be really busy w/her daddy & grandparents.


Next month I have to start getting everything together for Kayleigh's first b-day.
I can't believe she is almost 1. Where did the time go?
Seems like yesterday the nuse walked into my room and told me that she was sick w/jaundice.
She is perfectly healthy now! Praise God!!!

Anyway, I'm going to add a little to Kayleigh's now.