Big boy eating big boy food

some before pics of our house

I'm at my parents' house and am able to post some pictures. So, here's a HUGE update (in photos) on what all has transpired at our place. Enjoy:)

well said

While reading in my newest edition of Parenting, I came across this letter to the editor:

"Calling spanking "hitting" is like saying that surgeons stab people with knives- technically correct, but it's misleading. Just as a surgeon skillfully applies the scalpel, a well-applied and well-timed spanking is safe and effective. Any kind of abuse is wrong, but there's a difference between that and wise spanking."

I don't want to put the lady's name who wrote it, but I thought that was good- so I shared.

Celebrate good times, come on!

My dear girl, age 29.5 months old, may be what some might called "potty trained." But, like Grace said, it's kinda like walking. Even when they know how to walk, they'll still stumble. sigh. cry. shout. My girl is growing up. We told her that she's a big girl now and she said, then I'm gonna get married and have a baby. I'm gonna name him Joseph and feed him off my chest. Who knew it? :) I'm feeling a bit sentimental tonight. For the past two days she's worn "big girl pant&&s" and has woken up from both naps DRY. You should see me screaming for joy- it's quite hilarious. but, I don't care. I may never have to buy another princess pullup. (I recently bought a package of them but haven't had to open it yet. So, if we're ever in desperate need of 15 bucks, I can take it back to walmart;)

Update on the house:

The guys will be starting the painting on Monday. YAY.( The kiddos and I will be spending that week with my mom and dad in Winters. I think we'll have tons of fun together. My mom even said she'd prepare plenty of raw food for me AND treat me to Abuelos in Abilene. :))) We got to order the tile and the color grout we want and our carpet today. We payed half down. ouch. So, we're going to have to be frugal for a while around here. I like to think of myself as already that, but I know there are some things I can change.

Enough for now. I'm off to see who's done some posting... Ok, ladies. Don't let me down...

More pics of the wedding...

Can you believe it's working for me to post pics?? I'm on our laptop instead of our desktop. And it worked! Let's see if it will work yet again.

Our little flower girl

Happy 1 month of being married, Christy! Here's a pic of her with her flower girls. I think it's a sweet one:-).

The inevitable

It was bound to happen sooner or later. We went to Mi Familia tonight for some Mexican food and alas, I left little Joseph's favorite "toy." It was his red little plastic teaspoon. I'm just a bit saddened by it. He loved that thing. He'd clutch it in his sweaty hand and even take it to bed with him. I guess we're moving on. I quickly searched through Mikayla's kitchen toys and found him a white spoon. Not the same, but I guess it'll do the trick.

NEVER take a 29 month old girl who didn't get a nap, and a sleepy/hungry 7 month old boy to a restaurant that just opened and is very popular. NOT a good idea. Joseph (the smaller one) threw my tortillas on the floor. I just gave up, so I boxed up the food and ate here. The good news? It's just about a mile from our house. phew!

Have I ever been reading about Palin. One thing I do know I like about her is her first name. ahem. Grace called me last night and the first thing she said was, "so, what do you think of her?" I can't believe that MY sister would talk politics. She's pretty knowlegable (sp??).

Ok, enough small talk. Tomorrow we're going to a birthday bash and we're super excited. So, I'd better get my rest for that. ha!

good night.

Banana bread kind of day

Isn't it? The weather is so gorgeous today. Living in a bit of a newer home allows me to OPEN WINDOWS and let the air blow in. Very lovely. So, I got some ingredients out to make banana bread- after my nap (which I'm pretty sure is not going to happen...).

We hope to have an estimate turned in tomorrow on what we want done to our home. Hopefully the guys will be able to start on Monday.

I think it's a sign. I got an email today from GENGHIS GRILL with a 20% off coupon. Have you ever been there?? The food there is unbelievably good. sigh. Oh yeah. Grace lives really close to one of those restaurants. hmm...

What's new here?

*Mikayla likes to have the pullups with TWO princesses and not just one. Yes, she's still in pullups. Is she EVER going to be trained??????

*I have to pick a new color of paint for the kitchen and a new color for Joseph's room. They're too dark and it will end up costing us hundreds of dollars more (primers and more coats of paint= more labor= more money). I'd wanted "awning red" for the kitchen and "washed navy" for the other.

*I really like those antibacterial/cleaning wipes. They are GREAT. I highly recommend them. I especially enjoy using them to clean my bathroomS. You don't have to worry about a cleaner and a horribly dirty rag. Wipe it down and throw it away. perfect.

*I'm still reading in Genesis with Mikayla and Joseph. For my own reading I'm in the Psalms and in Nehemiah (an awesome book of the Bible!)

*We finally got our carpet shampooed in the Explorer. To put it mildly, it looked HORRENDOUS. Thankfully, it looks much better now.

*It's almost payday!

Enjoy your day, lovely ladies. The Lord has given us a beautiful one!

A place to call home

It finally happened. We closed on both homes. So now we're waiting on carpet and tile and for some guys to come out and give us an estimate on painting this house and doing some outdoor repairs. Phew!

We LOVE it here! It definitely feels like home now. Once we get it all painted, etc., I can hang up things on the walls and arrange furniture just like I want. (Renee, I loved the oreo analogy- pretty accurate!:)

I've got so many things milling around in my mind. So, I'll put a few of them out there:

*My sweet,sweet sister-in-law Misty is expecting another BABY!! :) Praise the Lord for that wonderful news.

*My mother and father-in-law live in Louisiana and are experiencing some bad weather. Right now they have no electricity. (I think it's been since last night)

*Everyone in our family has/will move this year. (CRAZY!)

*Grace and family are BUYING A HOME. Too bad it's in McKinney, but I'm very happy for them.

*Little Joseph is not so little. He's 7 months old and weighs about 5 pounds less than his 29 month old sister. He's a good eater!! and precious to his family.

*Our Mikayla has just started "talking back." Oh, we used to get in so much trouble for that. Now I definitely see why. Grrrrr... She's very loved and is at a hard stage (doesn't it seem like I'm always saying that??). Thankfully, we have the Lord to help us. Without Him, I don't see how people do it.

*I need to get an eye examination and more contacts. How can a mom go when she has 2 kiddos and nobody to watch children? I guess I need to make an afternoon appt. That makes sense.

*My dear married friend Christy had us over for yummy hamburgers tonight. :)

*The Lord is so good to me.

Good night. so much rambling on, but it's something. right? :)

All moved out; partially moved in

First let me say something. Ouch. My sister-in-law Misty mentioned this evening that I was like Grace with blogging. And for those of you who are not familiar with Grace's blog entries, they're pretty much non-existent. But, I guess it's a good thing b/c it's encouraged me to write a bit.

We're all moved out of 123 Autumn Drive and partially moved in to 618 Longhorn Drive. The houses are about half a mile apart. Most of our furniture is in the garage b/c we're hoping to get new carpet/tile. We'll see after we close on both homes (Wednesday) if we will have the funds to do so. It's SOOO nice having 2 bathrooms and of course, 3 bedrooms. Little Joseph is really enjoying having his very own bedroom;) I can't wait (of course I can) to get Joseph's and Mikayla's room decorated!! Have I got plans!

We have no tv(cable) . I'm not a huge fan of watching tv. In fact, I think it's often a waste of good time that could be spent more productively. BUT, I do miss it. I miss seeing actual people walking around or talking to each other. We set aside Mikayla's dvds and AM I EVER TIRED OF WATCHING THOSE! Felix the Cat, DORA, Care Bears, Popeye. Enough already. After we see how much our new house payment will be, we'll then decide what we can comfortably afford as far as internet/phone /cable/satellite are concerned. I'm ready for that.

So, that's the mighty exciting update for now. Oh yeah. My in-laws are coming for a few days to visit us!!! :) How I love them. I look forward to cooking for them and just spending some good times talking and fellowshiping with them. The Lord has blessed us immenselly with the families He's put us in.

Good night. Hope to SOMEDAY get some pics posted of our new home, which will be ours officially, Lord willing, on Wednesday!!!

I had no idea, Laura

Seriously. I didn't know that you checked it so often. Makes me smile:) Ok this one is for you, my faithful checker.

HPU's homecoming is on my birthday. Can you believe that I'll be 29?! Isn't that like almost 30? Deep breath. Just know, Laura, that you can stay with us anytime. Hope it still works out for y'all to come!

The house we're moving into (Lord willing) is right around the corner about half a mile away. Yay! So, we'll still be in Early, which is really important to us b/c of the school here. We feel it's a good one for our children.

Instead of using my time to clean my house, I'm packing. It doesn't look very nice, but I am getting some things accomplished. I have lots of boxes piled up. fun. My mom's coming tomorrow and will be spending the night. Oh, we have lots of fun planned;) We'll even be able to see Grannybear!!

Did I mention that I LOVE my husband?? And my daughter. and my son. yep, I do!

I'll leave you tonight with a most beautiful verse:

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
~Deut. 33:27
Does it get any better than that??!

Aha!

I bet you didn't think I was going to have a new post when you checked my blog. Am I right? I think it's been the longest I've EVER gone without posting. So much is going on in our lives right now- it's unbelievable. The only thing older than my previous post is Grace's most recent one. Hers may even be dated as far back as 2007. Not to try to hint around at anything, Grace. ;)

BOXES, BOXES everywhere! If all goes well, and we REALLY hope it does, we'll be moving into our new home next Saturday. I've been packing throughout the day and slowly but surely, I'm getting things accomplished.

My best friend Christy got married. And she seems to be enjoying it. I don't hear much from her anymore... My parents moved to Winters. And we still only have one vehicle right now. It's been nice though to not be pressured to go anywhere.

PRAISE THE LORD, it RAINED today!!!!!!!! I really love the rain. sigh. It's soooo beautiful and refreshing for our dry land. It did my heart good to watch our Mikayla just dance and run around in the rain.

Ok, enough. I've not been getting enough sleep lately. Too many late nights. Time to put a stop to that. Good night, sweet ladies.

My baby

We're staying the night at my mom's house. She's moving in a week:( She so kindly has allowed me to select from her many pictures to make an album for my dear husband, who has been patiently waiting for his Father's Day gift from me... I saw this picture and LOVED it and had to share. My mom took it many months ago. I cannot put into words the love I feel for my children. God has blessed me immeasurably.

Dearest Abby

Guess what! My niece Abby (Grace's daughter) is now joining the ranks of the "wonderful 2s." She's the most darling little girl you'll ever see. She's doing WAY better than her older cousin Mikayla in the potty training dept. And for that I say, way to go, Abby!! Happy birthday, beautiful girl. We love you sooooooo much! If you don't know Abby, well, Abby's just Abby. If you knew her, you'd know what I mean:)

ps. we have a contract on a house very near ours. it's a 3 bedroom/2 bath brick home. we think it's quite nice. Lord willing, it will be ours soon! We'll see what the Lord has in store for us.

Lovely!

The Seguin Dodsons' photo session

What a pair they make!

And the best attitude award goes to....

Hannah! Go, Hannah:) She won a fan that lit up. Pretty cool.

Is it just me or does Sarah look a bit disappointed??

Mikayla on the 4th

She was definitely the dirtiest one there. Oh well. She had lots of fun:)

It's almost here!

What? you might ask. Our first ever 4th of July celebration at our house. We are expecting about 40 people. Crazy!, eh? I agree. You're invited to come, too. Just let me know and we'll pick up a few extra hot dogs. :) We're going to have an art show/contest and the winner receives $5. And a cookie contest and the winner will receive the same amount. I'm really looking forward to this! I'm busy trying to get my house in order, get all the last minute things planned, etc. And my husband if OFF tomorrow. That's sooooo neat! I love when he has a day off. Speaking of my husband, I'd better go bring him some water- he's mowing!

Happy 4th of July! (almost)

Mine and Mikayla's memory verse:
"Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
*I THINK that's right...

Isn't She Lovely?

He came, he saw, he conquered, and she's loving it!

Shots- who like 'em?

Not me. Not one bit. But, I guess that's the best (?) route for my children. I know so little about it, so I can't make much of a judgment call on it.

Speaking of my son, he's crying. Probably a bit cranky from his shots today:( He did not like them, and it made me so sad when they held his little leg down, he started giggling. Then he got the shot and it quickly stopped and turned into a huge cry.

Oh, I'd better go rescue that boy.

We got an offer on our home and now we're looking for a place to live. It's CraZy around here. I feel almost homeless. I'm interested to see what the Lord provides for our family.

Hope you all have a good day. I'm thankful for good friends, aren't you? :).

ps. yes, avocado enchiladas do NOT qualify as raw;)

Raw

I know this post seems a little ironic as it follows one about no- bake cookies. Oh well. My brothers Paul and Dan (and about half the time my sister Grace) are huge advocates of raw food.

What veggies do YOU enjoy eating raw??? Please share. I'm trying (sorta) to eat more healthy.

Here are some that we enjoy:

1. carrots
2. red/green/yellow peppers
3. tomatoes
4. avocados!!


ps. and you DON'T need ranch dip. But sometimes it's good, right? :)

No bake cookies

Remember those?? Aren't they so yummy? Well, my dear husband and I made these late tonight for tomorrow's lunch at church. I've been making these for about 20+ years now. gasp! If you've never made them and like the ingredients, give them a try!

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter

Melt first 4 ingredients together and boil for 1 minuute (while stirring).
Remove from heat and add:

1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3 cups quick cooking oats

Stir together and quickly drop by spoonfuls on wax papered cookie sheet OR pour it into a 9x13 pan and cool, cut, and ENJOY. Great with milk or water.

I'll leave you this fine Saturday evening with a quote-

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
~Corrie Ten Boom (what a name!)

This is not sour cream...

I think I'm easily amused. My daughter makes me laugh a lot. Since last week we've been without a second vehicle which means I stay at HOME during the day and get much more accomplished. For instance- potty training. (No, Misty, she's not yet potty trained, but we're getting there) I have a little sticker chart system worked out that when she uses the "big girl potty," she can pick her sticker of choice (there are 800+ to choose from that have very encouraging messages on them) on her decorated sticker chart. So far, so good. Boy, am I getting off the subject here. sorry.

So, I had given Mikayla a bath and all the water was pretty much drained out, and as far as I knew, she was playing with her ducks. I was cleaning the bathroom when I heard her say, "this is not sour cream, this is not sour cream." When I looked into the tub, I saw that Mikayla had gotten a bar of soap (you know the kind that get really soggy and weird from being in the water) and was rubbing it all over herself. It was quite amusing to me. I told her not to do that ever again b/c that's what a mom's supposed to say, right? But, it was funny.

I blog about these things not to try to impress people with my comedic daughter, but I want to remember her little, funny sayings. That's all. Someday I want to print out my blog into a book/journal/something like that.

Have a good one!

ps. Little Joseph has been EXTREMELY fussy these past few days. Maybe I need to lay off the pepsi and broccoli. hmmm...

Baby Fever

While looking at all those pictures of adorable newborn babies, I asked my husband, "what if I get baby fever?"

"Then go look in the corner of our living room (where our 4 month old boy sleeps)."

Ha ha!! I loved that, for some odd reason;)

My 219th post!

It's about time to get something new typed in this white box. This is my 219th post, which reminds me of our anniversary 2-19. Cool, eh? Speaking of my husband, he celebrated his 35th birthday this week. He took some time off work to spend with the family. We sure enjoyed getting lots of time with him.

We spent 2 nights/3 days at Lake Brownwood State Park in a cabin. A wonderful time was had by all. Most of the days were spent walking around, throwing rocks in the water, and just being together. Might not sound like tons of fun, but it WAS. Sometimes it's just nice to do very little.

Then last night, I made my hubby a cherry pie- his dessert of choice- and some cupcakes for the kiddos to decorate. We'd planned to let the kids play in the sprinkler and it turned into crazy fun with some of the ADULTS doing the slip in slide (tarp+water+baby oil). Good times!!! :)

This evening Mikayla made her daddy laugh. She was standing in her room (well after her bedtime) and she pointed to the basket we keep her p$$nties in and she said, "Dora chonies." That's what my mom calls them, so Mikayla's picked up on that. Jody loved it;) And I put the $$'s instead of the **'s because they are SO expensive.

I have an almost 4 month old boy, and boy, is he ever special. I feel like he came at the perfect! time for our family (of course he did). He's such a neat addition. We enjoy that boy immensely.

Hope you're all doing well, my faithful readers. Sorry for the lack of posting. I get a bit discouraged when I can't post pictures, but you know, life is more than pictures, right? Sure.

Good night!

God himself

Last night as I was rocking my Joseph to sleep, I was singing to him. For some reason he likes it. Go figure. Anyway, I was singing this song over and over again. You may be familiar with it:

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ~Revelation 21:3,4

And around the third time singing it, it hit me. "God HIMSELF shall be with them." The great and mighty and holy God HIMSELF. WOW! The One who chose me and loves me and forgave me of all my sins. I guess I think of the word "himself" like this: The President himself is going to be there! But how much more- God himself. I love it!

God is so faithful throughout my (busy!) days to give such precious tokens of his grace and love. I don't always share them, obviously, but I'll try to be more faithful in sharing b/c I think they're wonderful!!!!

ps. It's almost Mother's day! I've nominated my mom for mother of the year, but they (KTAB) haven't called yet to tell me she got it. Yikes, it's probably b/c I'm online. I'd better go. Bye!

Last Pic First, of Course!

One More After This!

Dodson Family Photo!

What are YOU reading?

While getting our house ready for our (non)showing tomorrow, I was straightening up our nightstands and thought, hmmm, I wonder what others are reading...



Here's what we're reading:



When Sinners Say "I do"-Dave Harvey (I think; my mom borrowed it today)

I actually just finished this one. Excellent reading. It was a gift from Aunt Laura and Uncle Jeff. One quote I loved in it- "Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet." SUPER



Morning and Evening- Charles Spurgeon

If you do not have this book, get it as soon as possible. It's loaded with such good, relevant, encouraging, enlightening, applicable truths. I write in it like a diary. It's so good.



The Bible

You have one; read it! If not, I'll get you one:)



When People are big and God is small- Edward T. Welch

I've only read bits and pieces, but so far, so good. Another gift from AL and UJ



The New Strong-willed Child- Dobson

Hmmm....



AND



Parenting is not for Cowards- Dobson

Hmmm.... again. ;)



What's on your nightstand?

Any books you recommend??

Please let me know!

A good weekend

Hi, Grace. Bye, Grace. Yep, that's what it felt like this weekend. I saw Grace and fam for a few moments, then they were right back in McKinney. Hey, no fair! I AM thankful that they came for a visit, and the time spent with them was very nice;)

We got RAIN. I love to see the rain and what it does to the dry earth. It's beautiful! :)

I called 911 for the first time on Saturday. We were on our way to...guess!..Wal-Mart. yes. And across from Cousins in Early a man on a motorcycle was taking a right into Allsups and kinda caught the curb in a weird way and slowly fell over. Very strange. It seemed like it happened in slow motion. I called 911- it works!- and they assured me that help was on the way. The guy, thank the Lord, ended up being just fine. He just couldn't remember what happened. Jody helped, and I was so proud of him.

Our realtor called today and asked if we could show our house in THIRTY minutes. Um, no. Especially not on a Sunday when it's SOOO chaotic and crazy. Outfits, diapers, dishes, burp cloths EVERYwhere. We just try to get out the door on time for church. Phew!

My son is crying. Why is this happening to me??! Just kidding. The dogs on our street have decided to join him. rats.

How was YOUR weekend?? Hope it was a good one.

ps. "God is not looking for extra-ordinary men for ordinary work, but ordinary men for extra-ordinary work." (thought that was a good quote)

pps. speaking of realty, I love when you read that there's a nice house in a "quite neighborhood"

Just a lookin' for a home

like the boll weevill (sp???). Ever heard that song? It was probably before your time;)

Well, we made on offer on a home about 1/2 mile from ours. It's a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom red brick home built in 2000. It has no yard really to speak of, but it has two TOILETS. Does it get any better than that?? Yeah, 3. ha! Our house has to sell first. So, we'll see what the Lord has in store for us. We'd love to be in that house, but our hearts aren't so set on it that if it doesn't work out we'll be crushed. We're just fine either way. It would be nice to have a bedroom for our little guy. Right now he occupies about 6 square feet in the living room. Not ideal, but it works.

Mikayla's doing pretty good with her training, for those of you following the ever-so-interesting saga. She's looking forward to the day when she can wear big girl p**nties all the time just like Mommy, Aunt Grace, Emmie, etc. :) So am I! Potty training is quite a chore. Phew!

I'm so in love with my Josephs, by the way. I need to post an udpated photo. The smaller Joseph is growing like crazy!!! He's about doubled his weight since birth, and he's not quite 3 months old. unreal.

Hopefully, I'll be attending an AI party tonight at Christy's. Looking forward to that. She does know how to throw a good party;)

Off to nap world, I hope!

We finally have a mama's boy!

Kiss?

While sitting at my computer getting my 3 seconds online, I asked my daughter (who was standing on a stool behind me), "Kiss?"

She answered, "maybe later, mom."

Oh. I guess she's growing up.

:)

ps. she gave me many kisses a few seconds later!

Abby has officially stolen the spotlight

Yikes! It's been too long since I've posted and WAY too long since I've had a good nap. I plan to do both very soon.

So, we've been working on potty training with Mikayla. Not the funnest thing on earth. I have a book called Potty training in a day or less. I'll take the less. Is that an option? They tell you to get a doll that pees and pour water into it, then Mikayla can watch the doll empty her liquid into the potty. Sounds great on paper. Then you're supposed to give them cokes (!), and juices and such- beverages that they like- and stay by the pot all day long. Phew! I just don't have that kind of time. Oh well.

Anyway, Abby, Mikayla's cousin who is 4 months younger than Mikayla, is going potty like crazy in the big girl potty. She always! has to be better than my daughter. Just kidding, of course. Abby is SUCH a sweet girl and is liking the new pant''s we brought for her on our trip to McKinney.

Get this, Grace. Mikayla is now sleeping in her BIG GIRL BED. Top that! ;)

ps. NOW I'm ready for that nap!

Starting potty training

First of all, thank you all for your sweet comments on my previous post. I really enjoy taking pictures of people. Esp. Grace and family:-).

Mikayla is wearing pant**s for the first time today. I told myself that once little Joseph starts sleeping through the night that I'd start her training. Thankfully, Joseph has had 3 nights in a row that he's gone 7-8 hours between feedings. It's been SO nice to get some rest. awww. Hopefully I will have the patience required for the process. I can just see it getting really frustrating really fast. I'll keep you updated. After all, she is TWO (wow!) and I think she's ready- finally.

We're in the process of trying to sell our house. And what a process it is. We're wanting to get a larger home to house our growing family. It's a funny feeling to have a For Sale sign in our front lawn and to have people come look at it. We know that whatever happens, the Lord will provide for us.

Joseph had his 2 month appt yesterday and got his shots:( talk about breaking a mommy's heart. He did great, though. He weighs over 13 pounds now and has grown 4 inches. Yes, we have a big boy. And I love it!

Our 3rd photography class is tonight. They are so much fun, especially when taking it with my mommy:))) Speaking of her, she gave me a $30 gift card to get me started with my CVS shopping. (Lookout, Rebekah! :) I had a "fun" first go of it. I got very confused and had to cancel an order and then do it right. Phew! (Ok, now she's in a pull-up; you can imagine what just happened. Oh, the joys of motherhood! :) My husband was so impressed with my good deals. I felt like taking a picture of all my goodies sitting on my table, but alas, you know how it is with me and pictures. But, I did get lots of deodorant, lots of body wash and lots of wipes. YAY! :)

Hope you all have a most wonderful week. The Lord has made this day and what a beautiful one it is!

Ledbetter family photo shoot

My favorite of the bunch

My other favorite:)

Good times on the dirty equipment

WHEEEEEEEE!

It never hurts to throw in a candid, eh?

Is this going to work???
Am I going to have pictures on my blog??

ps. I have a TWO year old!

gettin some joseph lovin

Joshua was the first of our boy's to hold the baby. He wasn't escared. Both of our boys love their cousins so much. I am so thankful for that. Neither are too cool to enjoy a cuddly baby or a toddling niece. :o)

I interupt this blog to bring you the next child prodigy, Mikayla Dodson. Her wonderful Auntie Laura (that would be me) prepared her palette in an array of colors, drew her water, handed over the brush and Voila! The rest is history. She had a few messy artistic moments but those were quickly taken care of by her attentive Aunt.
We are sooo happy the Early's could come for a visit. Y'all are welcome anytime.

Who needs a Maytag repair man anyway?

Not me!

We were having some serious issues with our refrigerator- it was leaking and getting water, water everywhere! Instead of calling for help, my husband fixed it right up. I'm terribly proud of him:)

It's been many moons since I've posted, eh?

I'm still frustrated that I have like 6 cameras and can't post a single picture. sigh. It's like poetic justice or something. Like that Twilight Zone where the guy who LOVED to read finally got his wish and was surrounded by tons of books. Then he accidentally broke his glasses. I feel just like that;)

I got treated to lunch today. My mom's the greatest. Chicken Express has some dee- lish strips. So tender and good. Poor Grannybear is not doing well. She basically said she's ready to die. And while it's good to be ready to die, it just makes me sad to hear that.

Tomorrow's ladies' lunch out @ the Turtle. If you're reading this, you're more'n welcome to come join us. Mikayla's not invited. Instead she's going to spend some time with my dad:)

Off to the bbq. I'm bringing fruit salad. Hope you have a good eve!

Slightly frustrated

So, I've tried to post pictures and I'm not succeeding. Grrr. Sorry you couldn't see my last one. I'm not doing so well with updates due to my lack of time/sleep. But! I love my family and am truly enjoying my new son. Sigh. He likes me! :) I tell myself that- ha!

I'm taking yet another PHOTOTGRAPHY CLASS starting next Thursday!!! Wheee:) I really like those things, for some reason. My mom is going to join me, along with another gal. How fun! Jody asked me how it'd work with feeding (Joseph). I told him that I'd make it work.

Our house is almost ready to sell. Anyone interested? ;)

AND, last but certainly not least, Jody and I have a date night planned for Friday. My dad so kindly volunteered my mom to watch Joseph and Mikayla while we watch the HPU girls play in the finals at the Bwd Coliseum (sp??). Anyone want to double date?? :)

I'm off to feed my son soon. See ya later!

I'm going to try right quickly to post my new favorite picture. deep breath.
another failed attempt. oh well. good night!

My Babies

 

The big break

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything of importannce. It's called the construction being done on our house/going to bed by 9 and waking up several times in the night to feed and change "brother's" diaper/not being home during the day and just plain exhaustion break. Are those good reasons? (be nice, Grace)

Fixing to head to bed, but first...

*our daughter's turning TWO this month!!!!!!!

*they'll be finished with our house tomorrow (we're planning on selling and buying a bigger home)

*daylight savings time is this Sunday- don't forget- we lose an hour (rats!)

*we have a new central heat/air unit!

*neither my son, NOR my daughter is crying right now------------

Good night! :)

Funny things people have said to me

I'll say anything to finally have a new post. Things were starting to get a little stale around here, so I thought I'd drop a few lines onto this screen.

While leaving the hospital with little Joseph, the nurse was going over some paperwork with us. She asked me if I was breastfeeding. Yes, I said. And she said, now if you do use formula, you have to use Similac with iron. ha ha ha. Is that funny or what?? She's telling me what kind of formula I HAVE to use. Is she going to follow me to Wal-Mart to check up??

Yesterday in Wal-Mart a lady stopped me while I was looking at Sun chips. She asked me, you know what you need? What? Fiber. I then told her that I like fiber. And we talked for a while about oatmeal and berries, etc. What a hoot of a lady!

I have more things to say, but I must make sure Mikayla picks up all her crayons. It took her about a second to dump them all, and it's taken her over 30 minutes to pick them up. It reminds me of Proverbs 14:1 which reads, Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. It takes a long time to build, but a very short time to tear down.

Hope you all have a great day. Today is laundry and bath day. When you have 2 (or more!) kiddos, I think every day could be laundry day, eh?

One year ago today...

First of all, happy birthday, Mike! For those of you who don't know, Mike is my youngest brother; he's a HUGE blessing in my life and is such a godly man. I'm thankful to be his sister. And, Lord willing, I'll get to see him this weekend. I'm really looking forward to that.

One year ago today I had a D&C. What a day that was. One thing I recall most about that day is that the Lord was with me in a very special way. He gave me a tremendous peace and I felt very still. Before I was "put to sleep", my precious husband prayed with me and sang "All the way my Savior leads me." When I woke up, I was in a warm, dark, room with a nurse beside me quietly taking notes. I asked her, so I'm not pregnant anymore? She answered, no. And as I lay in that bed, my silent tears rolled off my cheeks missing the baby I never got to meet.

One year later, my God continues to love me. My husband loves me more and more. AND, I have another name to add to my mother's ring! My precious son Joseph. Oh, how I love him. When people ask me how many children I have, I'll answer two. But, in my heart I love my three children. Each is very precious to me and to my husband. If it had not been for my miscarriage, (little) Joseph would not be here today. Wow. The Lord so wonderfully works these things out.

"For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places."

~Psalm 135:5,6

The story of Joseph's birth

Wow. What an original title, eh? Let me start off by saying that if you are a male and reading this, you probably will not be too interested in what will follow. Just thought I'd throw that in. I mainly want to type this out so I'll have it recoreded but also to share with anyone interested in hearing a birthing story. I know I love to read about other's experiences, esp. when I was pregnant:) So, here goes:

My due date was Saturday, February 2nd. At my last appt we'd decided that if I didn't start labor by Tuesday, February 5th, that they'd induce. I really wanted to go into labor on my own, but honestly thought I'd end up being induced. On the night of January 28th before I went to bed, I heard Mikayla kinda crying in her bed. So, I went into her room, smoothed her hair, tried to comfort her, and I thought (for some reason) that it'd be one of the last times I'd get to do that before the new baby comes. It was a sweet time, and when I look back now, it's interesting that I would've thought that b/c I was right!

I went to bed that night feeling normal. I woke up around 1:45am with my back feeling the exact same way it did when I went into labor with Mikayla. (Believe me, that's a feeling you DON'T just forget) But, it felt like more toward the end of my labor with Mikayla. So, I wondered if it was the real thing or if it was false labor. I did NOT want a false alarm mainly b/c Jody and work and my mom and work (she was subbing for that week and was the one I was supposed to call to come watch Mikayla when it was "time"). Plus, it was quite early in the morning. So, I waited and breathed through the contractions and prayed and wondered when/if I should wake up Jody. So, around 2:15 as the contractions intensified, I decided to wake up Jody so he could help me figure out what to do. I asked him what he was doing. He told me he was sleeping:) duh. And then I told him that it might be his last day of work for a while. So, I encouraged him to pack his bags (I'd packed mine the night before).

I was in pain and moaned a bunch. Jody turned on the computer to compare false labor with the real thing. He then started timing the contractions and soon they were getting to be a minute apart and lasting for a minute. Phew! He called the nurse in L&D, and asked her about it, and she said she could hear me in the background (oops!) and said it sounded like the real thing. So, I waited until a contraction ended and called my beautiful mommy, and she got over here in a hurry (thank, ma!). My contractions were very regular and very intense, and when one would hit, I'd have to curl up or drop to the floor. So, when my mom got here, she took a pic of me (quite flattering, as you can imagine) and we headed out.

Jody put on his flashers (go, Jody!) and we made our way to the hospital. He didn't drive any faster than normal (actually I think he drove slower-seriously), so I'm not quite sure why he would put on the flashers. It's kinda funny thinking about it. :) We arrived at the hospital around 5:30am, and we walked very slowly in, pausing regualarly for contractions where Jody would just hold/hug me and get me through it. The maintenance guy was so cute asking us if we needed a wheelchair. I smiled and said no. He said, I can just get you one. no, thanks. He then walked over to the elevator and asked, 2nd floor? Yes. So, he pushed the button for us and we thanked him. I guess he's seen his share of women in labor:) (I'm noticing I'm typing lots of smileys- I was NOT smiling much that morning)

We got checked into the room and the nurse checked me and then asked another nurse to come check me. Then she asked me, you haven't had any urge to push? I told her no. She then told me that I was a 7 or 8. Then I got happy that it WAS real labor and they wouldn't be sending me home. Phew! She asked me if I wanted an epidural. YES!!!!!! I sure did. So, someone drew some blood and left. Meanwhile I'm in excruciating pain. I don't say that to be dramatic or to scare anyone who may be having a baby soon. (sorry) And I think it's great that women want to have all natural births, but I'm just not one of them. If I have a headache and want relief I can take tylenol and it helps. How much more having A BABY COME OUT OF YOU???? Of course I want relief. (sorry again)

So, the doctor comes and tells me it's too late for an epidural and I'm screaming all sorts of things. Yes, sad to say, I was screaming things such as SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!, THIS.HURTS.SO.BAD!!!!!!! DR, PLEASE PERFORM A MIRACLE AND TAKE THIS BABY OUT OF ME!!!!, and I.CAN'T.DO.THIS. I'm serious. Then I'm a 10 and I say, I HAVE TO PEE! Immediately after that I say, I HAVE TO POO!! (With Mikayla I never felt the urge to push b/c I never felt anything. I was given too much meds at the wrong time. I'd always heard of women talking about HAVING TO PUSH and never quite got it until then) I HAD TO PUSH.

With all my yelling going on my super calm doctor said, now, Sarah, instead of using your energy to scream, use that energy to push. ha ha ha! I wanted to kick him right out of that room and the nurses, too. So, I really tried to concentrate on breathing and pushing (not easy to do). I gave about 3 good pushes and my son was born. Beautiful little guy. I cried out of thankfulness for him and was so relieved that it was over. He was born @ 6:36 am, a little over an hour after we got to the hospital.

And, if the Lord chooses to give us another child, I want an epidural. I'd much rather have a quick sting in my back than what I went through. I'm not tough and I don't pretend to be. :) People say, well, you feel good now, had a good recovery and don't have headaches. I'm sorry, but for me, there's no comparison. I praise the Lord for a good and FAST labor and delivery of our son. It happened just the way God intended and He was very merciful and gracious to me. I must add that Jody wins the award for kindest/most helpful/most encouraging/precious husband on earth. And what a father he is to our children. I thank the Lord for him.

Thanks for reading this long story. Sorry if it's TMI (too much info).

My pic(k) of the day

Enjoying my children

I'm back! What a week it's been. Not a week ago, we met our son. And it feels like he's always been a part of us. I LOVE BEING A MOTHER.

Today was our first outing, and we went to church. Little Joseph behaved (we won't speak of Mikayla right now...) and was admired by our sweet church family. We even got a family picture made - thanks, DJ!- that I wish I could post. Maybe soon.

My in-laws are due to arrive here by about 11 this evening. We are REALLY looking forward to spending a week with them. What precious folks they are. My hubby is working like mad to get this house in order so I'll feel good about it (actually so his mommy won't get on to him about not taking care of it;). He's GREAT! My floor is mopped, and I didn't do it! :)

Life is pretty nice these days. Filled with dirty diapers and lots of love. Having my husband off for 2 weeks is just dreamy. Ahhh... Sleep is cherished when gotten. I'm sure Jean (my mother-in-law) will let me get some good naps in:) She's just that way. AND, sometime this week, I want to type out the story of my labor/delivery. What a story it is! I can say that the Lord was once again so faithful and good.

Ok, I've finished this post and my ice cream, so I guess I'd better get ready to feed my little guy. He's absolutey precious!!!!!!! Today I was talking to him and just looking at him and my tears kept plopping down on his face, and he didn't mind. So sweet. More later!

The Lord was with Joseph

And he's here! This is by Emmie and Misty, who are having a ball going through 200 pics, and he's not even 24 hours old! Here goes! Sarah will be posting soon, believe me! God is good.

Appointment Update

Well, today was my last appt for this baby. How exciting, eh? :) And it went well, I thought. My blood pressure is rising a bit, and I've been measuring the same for a few weeks now. The dr was a little concerned so he did a quick ultrasound to see if my fluid levels were low. Thankfully, they are not. He checked me and told me that things are progressing well and softening, etc. Yay! He's not much of a numbers guy, and that's okay with me. If I've not had the baby by the 5th of February, they'll induce that morning @ 5:30. I get excited just thinking about it! :) So, there's the news for the day. AND, we heard the baby's beautiful heartbeat- something that never gets old.

Misty's coming tomorrow with her girls and boy. I get to meet my nephew Luke! I'm thrilled for the privilege of seeing them and getting to spend time with them. She'll be staying with my parents, who live only 10 minutes away! :) I think it will help make time fly. I know, time is precious and not to be wasted. However, it does seems like time slows down when you're pregnant.

Ok, enough for tonight. Thanks for checking in! I'm very thankful for a good report for today. The Lord is good to me!

If I could post pictures...

then here's what I'd show you today:

~the baby blanket I (with my mother's help, of course!) made!!!!!! :) I'm really quite stoked about it. I'm quite sure there are better looking blankets out there with MUCH prettier stitching, but there's not one quite like this one. It's certainly made with love- I even got poked many times!- and it's a light blue camo; cute, cute, cute, if I do say so myself. And my hubby's impressed:) which makes me all the prouder! (in a good way, of course:)

~Mikayla's new shirt that her Aunt Laura got for her, which came in the mail today:) VERY cute with an owl on it and the perfect size, too! Not to mention TWO books, which she loves and loved tearing the wrapping paper off. Thanks, Aunt Laura! You know how to make a little girl's day!

~Jody's newest gift from his mother-in-law. A neti pot. Great invention, if you ask me. right, Grace?? Thanks, ma!

~My ever growing belly. It's big. Need I say more?

THANKFULLY, I'm feeling much better. Although the coughing is still there, it's somehow different and Mikayla is also doing better. Yay! :) I looked back at her in our vehicle yesterday and she was just looking out the window and SMILING. Something she's not done too much of. It was good for this mommy's heart:) Maybe it's b/c she knew we were off to Emmie's house...

ONE WEEK 'til my due date. Unbelievable! Jody told me that if I've not had the baby by the 1st, then he'll take me to see Casting Crowns that evening. He thinks I'm VERY CRAZY for wanting to go, but I say, why not?! After I (lovingly) called him a dream squelcher, he said we could go. :) What a great guy!

Last but certainly not least, Misty (my sis-in-law) and family are coming for a visit! The plan is for her to be here when the baby's born. Whoo hoo! Hopefully we'll get to spend some good/quality time together while she's here. And I get to see my nieces and meet my NEW NEPHEW LUKE! :) I'm excited.

Monday is my appt and I will let you know how it goes. I know you're all on the edge of your seats, just like we are!

ps. I think we're all going to be able to be in church tomorrow!! It's been almost a month and we've missed it so much.

Where does my help come from?

Today I started on my getting Thank You notes written (a much needed thing for me to do). I am pretty miserable, and I hope I can say that without complaining. Complaining displeases the Lord, and it brings others down with you. NOT what I want. However, being so close to having this baby and coughing, (and coughing and coughing, etc.)and having my daughter doing the same, I feel pretty overwhelmed, sad, and sometimes very helpless. Not to mention the pain of the cough (pulling on my tummy:(. ANYway, I came across these verses today, and knew it was no accident.

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."

~Psalm 121:1-3

The whole chapter is wonderful, but I just typed out the first 3 verses. What a blessing they were to me today. I know the Lord DOES hear me when I cry out to Him. And I'm SO thankful for that. What else can I do but wait on Him, knowing full well that He knows my situation so completely and me, too. I want to use this time to draw nearer to Him, for He truly is my HELP.

10 days til my due date. It's hard for me to comprehend that. Sometimes it seems like things will never be different than they are right now. Ever feel that way?? I'm hoping Mikayla and I feel good enough to see Grannybear tomorrow. It's been so long! I've been staying away b/c I do NOT want to get her sick. AND, we may go to Emmie's house to sew up a little blanket for our little boy, depending on how we/she feel/s.

Hope you all have a good evening. Thank you for your kind words:)

Am I the only emotional one here?

For some reason I've been quite the picture of emotions lately. Perhaps it's because I'm pregnant. That's just a guess. And the fact that I'm fixing to not be anymore and the fact that my life is, once again, going to change dramatically. And the fact that I'm semi-sick and so is my daughter. Okay, I guess it all makes sense now:) Plus, I'm kinda getting cabin fever and with my mom not feeling well either, I just don't get out much. And of course that's fine b/c when I'm home, I get so much more accomplished.

Today was my 38.4 week appt! I had some high blood pressure due to OTC Tylenol I've been taking. It was 160/100. They were a little concerned, so part of the way into my appt, the dr himself took my blood pressure. It was actually quite comical. It took SO long and he squeezed my arm SO tight. I don't think he even got a reading. I think he'd better stick to giving hysterectomies and delivering babies;) (He doesn't read this, does he??! jj)

He told me that next time he'll check me (Monday!)and we'll set a date from there. Yikes! I'd rather not be induced, but I'm not extremely particular. I imagine as the time grows nearer, I'll be more and more for it.

Well, that's the bit of news from Early, where I've spent lots of one on one time with my precious girl. Whatever happened to the days of Prima Pasta and lunch specials?? sigh. I took a nice, warm bath tonight and listened to some good praise music. It was perfect. My God is so faithful to me!

ps. Mom, if you read this, be sure to NOT make that strawberry jello/pretzel/cream cheese treat and share with me. It sounds almost unsavory. hee hee! Love you!

My sick princess

Our little girl has been feeling less than ideal for about 2.5 weeks now:( Tonight (while talking to Misty!) she fell asleep on me and was SO HOT. So, I took her temp and for the next hour or so, it read between 104 and 105.2. It kinda scared me b/c Jody was at church with our vehicle and I felt pretty helpless. She was so limp and weak. Thankfully, she's doing better now. We gave her some tylenol/motrin and Lord willing, she'll soon be able to shake whatever has this grip on her. Her sickness is a big part of my lack of blogging lately.

I plan to post tomorrow sometime after my dr's appt. Less than 2 weeks now til my due date. I'm pretty stoked. As I was telling my dear husband, this is NOT how I'd envisioned our last few weeks before the baby, but here we are and we all still love each other (actually more than ever!). It's been hard, but good. I had one particularly rough day (Thursday) and my mom and husband so kindly tended to me. I am certainly loved and I know it! :)

Hope you all are doing well! More tomorrow!