Following Kate and John

Christmas 2010

2011-01-03T16:17:00.011-06:00

Christmas this year was so much more fun since John knew what was going on. He was so ready to rip into those presents and he had plenty to rip into. We all had such a nice Christmas and we even had a white one at that. I've never seen it snow so hard! It was just beautiful. The only thing that would have made the day any better is if we could have been with the rest of our family who reside in Florida and my in-laws. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Updating for the few who read this

2010-11-17T17:25:00.005-06:00

Since Nannie got on to me that I have not updated in a long while, I thought I had better get to it. Since Kate started Kindergarden, Brian has gotten a new job, we have sold our home in Helena, bought a home in Madison and Kate started a new kindergarden. The transistion went really smoothly. Kate has already made friends and so has John. I have also made a new friend and believe it or not, she is as crafty as me if not more so. I'm loving it!!!! All our neighbors have been really nice and inviting. Kate loves her new school and teacher and is doing really well. She is already starting to read and is always asking how to spell stuff now. John is talking up a storm now and is in full force boy mode. He is the sweetest angel one moment and then he is the meanest child with whining on the side! He is definitely my child as he basically looks identical to me.

For Halloween Kate wanted to be a cow girl so of course John wanted to be a cow boy because he wants to do everything Kate does. They were both cute and had a pretty good time trick-or-treating. We also had some friends come up from Mobile and visit us and we went to the pumpkin patch. I'll post pics of that below. Other than that we are just preparing for Thanksgiving at my mom's house and trying to make lists for Santa and also getting ready for my brother's wedding which will be in May.

Kate started Kindergarden

2010-08-13T16:44:00.002-05:00

Kate started kindergarden yesterday and rode the bus there and back home. I was a little nervous about the whole bus thing, but she was so stoked that I couldn't tell her no. The only problem was that after she got on the bus and after the bus left I realized I had her sleep mat still on my arm! So I drove it up there after the traffic had subsided. She had a great day and made it home ok. That same day John had his two year old check up and he is 50% in height and 25% in weight. But overall, he is a healthy kid. We also sold our house on the same day. Crazy huh? We will be moving to Madison Alabama for a new job for Brian with TVA. He is super excited plus it is closer to both of our families, so they can help us out with the kids and we can maybe have a date night. Hope to keep everyone updated on the upcoming move.

Bad Bad Blogger

2010-03-03T12:43:00.002-06:00

I am a bad blogger. It isn't that I don't want to. I just get distracted easily. Plus, you can find so many cool things to look at online. Plus I have been working on all sorts of stuff lately so I just keep forgetting to blog. I apologize to the few that still want to see what is going on with us! I promise I will post sooner. I will be on blogger more now since my best bud LBJ just fixed me up with a blog for my business. Check it out: pandpboutique.blogspot.com . So hopefully I will do it justice by keeping it up to date! Talk to you later!

Christmas 2009

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

Well, it has been since October since I've blogged and I'm sure a million things have happened so I'll try to update to the best of my knowledge. I had a birthday. We went to Decatur for Thanksgiving and spent it with my family. Right after we came home from my family's house, we packed up the car and drove to Fernandina Beach, FL where my in-laws rented a house across the street from the beach. The weather was good most of the time and Kate actually got into the water!!!! It was cold.... believe me. I would post pics but I wiped them all off of this computer because it was acting up. We went there so that Brian could help his dad work on their sail boat and shortly after we got there my MIL, me, the kids and three dogs loaded up in my car and headed to Orlando so that we could see Brian's grandmother and Flap Jack (her husband) and take Kate to Disney.

The Magic Kingdom was so pretty. Believe it or not, there were a lot of people there. But we had a great time and Kate got her picture made with several of the princesses and some other characters. I wish we could have gone one more day because we didn't get to see all of the Magic Kingdom, but we still had a good time. I'm so glad that Cindy (MIL) got to go with us and see how excited Kate was to see it all for the first time. Then we went back to Fernandina Beach to see how the work was going on the boat. The next day Brian and I got to go alone to see Cumberland Island. It was so beautiful. I've never seen trees that beautiful before. If I ever get the pics on here again, I will post some that I took. The island was breath taking and we even saw wild horses running around and an armadillo. It was nice to spend some alone time with the hubby and sort of relax (there was a lot of walking involved on the island)!

The next day was really crappy because it was so cold and rainy but we went to some shops and made the most out of it. We then, sadly, had to pack our stuff up and return home. I do have to say that the kids were great in the car both there and back. I'm so proud of them!

After all of that, I started embroidering like a mad women for Christmas and Christmas shopping and decorating and the sort. We went up to Decatur to visit with my family the Wednesday before Christmas and the kids got all kids of stuff. Then on Christmas Eve we headed back home to get ready for Santa to visit. Of course when we woke up, we realized that Santa had made a huge mess all over the house by tracking in snow or ashes all the way to our tree. Kate couldn't believe he made such a mess! John thought it was cool to run through it! My mom, step dad and grandmother came down to see what Santa brought and to eat Christmas lunch with us. We all had a great time but I think we are all glad it is over. Here is a synopsis of what we all got:

Brian: Perfect Push up bars, book, clothes, VCR/DVD combo player, tools, money and a Cuisinart blender/chopper, stick vacuum, flat panel tv
Mel: clothes, vcr/dvd combo player, money, books, lotion, purse, flat panel TV, Electrolux stick vacuum, magazine subscription
Kate: Leapster games, books, puzzle, games, Loving family house and all the furniture, barbie clothes, movies
John: Inflatable ball pit, pop up tent, wagon with legos, fisher price guitar, lots of books, clothes, stuffed animals, balls(soccer, football, basketball and bouncy), and a puzzle

I think that sums it up. Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

I'm a bad blogger!!!!

2009-10-11T10:15:00.009-05:00

I just forget to do it. And when I do remember, I don't have time to. So, I thought since I have a minute and I'm remembering to do it, I should blog as fast as possible. There is no telling when I'll be back here again. We have stayed very busy. Kate and John have both started school. Kate is in K4 and loves it. She is learning so much. She can say the Pledge of Allegiance and she has learned three bible verses. She is also learning to cut with scissors and she is learning to color in the lines. She loves loves loves her teacher Ms. Carla and I couldn't be more pleased. Well, if she could stay longer every day then I would be ecstatic. John loves school too. He just doesn't want me to leave him. He is now walking, I mean running and getting into everything. We fairly recently spent an evening in the ER for the first time. We always figured it would be Kate we would have to rush up there, but it ended up being John. Kate taught John to throw himself on the beanbag and it was too close to our coffee table and he knocked a hole in his forehead. Seriously, a hole. It almost looked like he had another eye. So off to the ER we went. He got three stitches and thought it was a blast going there. I hope this is not a sign of things to come!!!!

I've recently been in a Craft festival in Mt. Laurel and it was such a nice festival. I'm checking into others that I might participate in and hope I do well. I recently finished the kids matching Alabama outfits and they finally wore them yesterday. They were so cute!!!!!! Here is a pic.

Even if you are a fan of another team, you have to admit, they turned out cute! I've also made some new hair bows. Here are a few pics...

I've also been embroidering some stuff, but I haven't got pics of them yet. If I get back on here fairly soon, I will post pics of them. Until then.....Gotta go.

One Year

2009-07-26T13:12:00.002-05:00

Little John is one now and I can't believe it. He is growing so fast. He weighs about 21 pounds but is tall and skinny. I believe the doc said he is 31 inches. He already has such a personality. I love him so much but could do without some of his attitude. He is such a boy.... getting into everything and rough and tumble. But he is also so loving. Even though it takes a lot more effort to do anything with him, I can't imagine life without him.

Teeth and Other Things

2009-06-18T12:10:00.002-05:00

John now has three top teeth in. He is not in good spirits today because I believe that three others are trying to come in...... on the top! No bottom teeth. What is the deal? Is he going to be that kid that only has top teeth? Oh well, he is still super cute! He is now 11 months old now and I can't believe he will be one in a couple of weeks. He was just born yesterday!!!!!! I don't believe he will be walking by the time he is one like Kate though. He just doesn't seem interested. Which is ok by me! I just need to convince him that he should eat more regular food and get off the bottle, because I'm sick of washing them. Sick of it!!!!!!

On another note, Kate is doing good. Growing like a weed. Usually this is where I tell you that she is being her normal lovely self, but alas, I am not. Something has happened. Not sure exactly what caused this change but there has been one. She wants me to hold her all the time. She tells me she loves me every... five..... minutes. If she even thinks she is hurt or going to be sick, she comes crying to me. It is weird, because she has always been the crazy wild child who didn't need comforting. And she is sort of behaving. Well, behaving for her that is. I think she said Yes ma'am to me three times yesterday..... Who is this child? Manners... with me? I hope this keeps going and she gets better and better because I just knew she was going to have to be sent to boot camp when she became a teenager!

Off to work now. Really busy with making stuff and trying (unsuccessfully) to clean the house. I sooooo need a maid!!!!!

Cityfest 2009

2009-06-14T19:05:00.005-05:00

So I was recently involved in a festival in Alabaster called Cityfest and did pretty well. I'm going to say that I definitely got people to come over because of my awesome sign!!!! I was so excited. I've got so many ideas of things I would like to make and other things I would like to do, but for now, I have to fill orders. Thought I would post a pic or two of my booth.

Updates Again

2009-06-10T11:08:00.003-05:00

I know I am getting worse about posting frequently, but I have honestly been busy. It seems like having two kids makes things go by so much faster. I feel like half of the summer is already over and I don't remember it ever starting! Anywho..... John and Kate are growing like weeds. John is standing and walking along the furniture and getting into everything. He now has three teeth and they are all up at the top. I'm pretty sure we are going to be getting a couple more soon. Kate isn't really doing anything different. She is just a little sponge. Taking in everything we say and do.

I've been busy working on stuff. Making bows, embroidering things...... I just had a booth at Cityfest in Alabaster and did pretty well. Sold enough to cover my booth and then some, but the best part was that I made some contacts with some business owners who are interested in carrying my stuff in their stores. Yeah!!!!! One of them called me yesterday and I'm going to go to her store tomorrow so we can work out the detail and I can set them up in her store. I've got a few other leads that I need to work on but so far so good. If you are reading this and know of any leads I can check out, let me know.

Well, I'm off to get stuff ready for tomorrow!

Updates

2009-05-21T07:51:00.003-05:00

John turned 10 months but we just went for his 9 month appt and he weighs 19 lbs 2 oz. I can't remember what his length was but he was 90% in height and 25th in weight. Everything else looked good. Kate just turned 4 and we had a party at Pump it Up and there were tornado sirens going off almost the entire time. It was crazy! Everyone had a good time though. I took her yesterday to her 4 year check up and she weights 41 lbs and is 40 1/4 inches tall. She also seems to be pretty healthy. I am so glad she did not have to get shots! She was so worried about it and I don't know if I could have held her down and held John at the same time.

I had a booth at the Buck Creek Festival and did pretty well. Next year if I do it I will get electricity though because it was just too hot. At least I wasn't pregnant this year! I am now gearing up for the Cityfest in Alabaster that is June 6th. Terri Clark will be singing and some other big band. Should be exciting. This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend and we are heading to the lake. Most of the fam will be there and I hope it doens't rain. Then Kate will be heading to my mom's house for the week. I'm so excited. I need a break!

Bye for now!

It has been awhile.... I know

2009-05-07T15:27:00.011-05:00

Things have been slightly hectic here the past month or so, so I haven't been online to post in awhile. John now has two teeth and is trying to get over a double ear infection. Kate just had her 4th birthday and she is a brat just as usual. She got a bike for her birthday and it is like a kid turning 16 and getting a car. She wants to ride it all the time. I however don't want to walk around the block five million times. Easter was good. We went to Decatur and saw my family. We have been to lots of birthday parties and baby showers and a million other things. So I will post pics now so you can see how much the kids have changed.

The Yes Man Video

2009-03-26T10:35:00.004-05:00

Long video but when he nods it is really cute! Or I think so!

9 Years

2009-03-25T08:54:00.004-05:00

Today is hubby and I's 9 year anniversary. Doesn't seem like it has been that long. Now, 9 years, a dog, two kids and three goldfish later, I still love him with all my heart. He is a good man and I can't imagine that I could have found a better man to marry. He is so the opposite of me but at the same time the same. We both have our good sides and our bad, but we seem to make it work. I never thought I would get married, much less have children, but once I met hubby, it all seemed to fall in place. So this post is for the hubby (even though he probably won't read it), I love you and can't wait to see what the next 9 bring us!

Been Busy

2009-03-16T08:35:00.005-05:00

So I've been busy doing a lot lately. But the most important thing that I have finished so far is that I've crocheted a blanket. I've always wanted to do one, so my MIL helped me by showing me how to start and then I was hooked. Here are pics of the final product.

This is the whole thing laid out.

This is a close up so you can see the colors. It turned out nice I thought.

I've also embroidered some burp clothes but forgot to take pics of them. I've been making all kinds of bows and started working on a dress for Kate. I'll post a pic of it once I'm done.

We have a lot of things coming up, such as baby showers, birthday parties, Spring Break, and we were supposed to go on a vacation, but instead of doing that, hubby has decided the economy is too bad and we need to work on the house instead. Great! I just wanted to get away from here.

John and Kate are both growing like weeds. John is now mobile and crawling all over the place and getting into everything. He is still the sweetest little boy and he is so cuddly. Kate is as spastic as ever and she can't wait to go spend time with her Gigi and Nana. Honestly, neither can I.

Only in Alabama

2009-03-01T07:22:00.003-06:00

Only in Alabama can it be Tornado season on the Weather Channel and be snowing like crazy outside! I've seen some crazy weather before but this beats it all. It was 70 degrees outside a couple of days ago. Come on. This changing back and forth is making me sick and on top of that it is screwing up all the plants outside. They don't know what to do! So that is all I have to say about that!

Some Firsts for John

2009-02-20T13:56:00.007-06:00

A lot has happened with John lately that I haven't had time to blog. Also the whole facebook thing keeps me busy. John is now sitting up by himself. He is still a little wobbly, but for the most part he does really well. He is also trying to crawl. He rocks back and forth a lot, and when he does crawl, he goes backwards. While going backwards, he looks at me like he is puzzled why I'm getting farther away from him. He also went to his first jump place party. He had so much fun. They had one of those cars that you can sit in and push and he loved it.

He also got his own swing. He loves it. He thinks it is awesome when his sister pushes him.

That is about it for now. No teeth yet and still not sleeping through the night. He gets up around 3am to eat and then wakes up around 5:30am. He is my sweet little man! I can't wait till he sleeps though!

Really?

2009-02-13T16:28:00.001-06:00

This is the grossest thing I have ever seen!!!!

Would you use this??? I want to throw up just looking at it.

Question of the day

2009-02-03T20:44:00.002-06:00

On the way to MDO, Kate randomly started talking and this is how it went:

Kate: Mom, how do crabs poop?
Me: (laughing) Well honey, I'm not sure. I guess like people do. Out of their bottom.
Kate: No they don't!
Me: Ok, well do you know how they poop?
Kate: No.

A few seconds later....

Kate: Mom, did you know that starfish breath out of their legs.
Me: Actually, I did know that. How did you know that?
Kate: (pausing for a second) I don't know.

A few minutes later with no talking ....

Kate: I think I learned it at Riley's McWayne center.

Oh the conversations I'm sure we will have in the future. I'm sure they will get more and more interesting.

Random Things

2009-01-27T13:16:00.002-06:00

I was tagged by Laura in a meme that asks me to consider things about who I am. So these are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself and things that make you happy.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I have decided to share things that make me happy.

1.Crafting - This is the best way to describe it. I love to make things. Sewing, hairbows, blankets, painting, anything. I just wish that I had more time for it all.

.2. My Children - Even though they drive me mad sometimes, they are the best thing that has ever happened to me. It is so transforming to me to see two individuals that I made grow and learn. I can't imagine life without them.

3. My husband - No, he doesn't read this so I'm not getting any points for listing him! He is really good to me and endures my craziness. He loves me and takes care of me and I can't imagine being with anyone else.

4. Water skiing/boating/being at the lake - I grew up around a river and my grandparents had a place at Smith Lake. My dad had a boat and so did my grandparents. I learned to ski when I was around 6. Most of my fondest memories revolve around the lake and skiing on the river. I hope that I can provide the same fond memories for my children that I have of Smith Lake. In the summer I just want to stay there and not come home. If Brian didn't have to work, I think we would.

5. Watching Crime Scene stuff like NCIS, CSI, Cold Case, The Closer and Law and Order. I'm addicted and I can't stop watching it. I could watch it all day and not get tired of it. I think I am addicted!

6. Reading - When I have the time, I love to read. Mostly love stories, but I vary sometimes.

Feel free to copy and paste into an email or on your own blog (if you're not one that I tagged!) and pass it on.

I choose to tag:

Mommy Logs
Queen B
Life with the Boys
Poodlehead
A Day in the Life of a Garrison
The Anglea's

Sorry couldn't get the links to work!

6 Month Check Up

2009-01-27T13:03:00.002-06:00

We had John's 6 month check-up yesterday and he is a very healthy boy. 17 lbs and 5 oz and 27 1/4 inches long. 60th percent in weight and 80% in height. Everything looked good and he did fairly well during the shots. I hate it when they give him shots though. I feel so bad for him. I want to smack the nurse for him. Anyways, just wanted to update the stats on the baby.

Friday and doing pretty good.

2009-01-23T09:05:00.002-06:00

I had to spend money yesterday. On groceries. So I'm not sure that that counts as far as me not spending. I had to go to the store because I was missing cheese to make the pizza for dinner. I was also out of eggs. And a couple of can things I needed to make dinner for the next few nights. But I only bought what I truly needed and spent a total of $17. It wouldn't have been that much but I bought the extra large bag of cheese because you don't want to not have enough cheese for your pizza! I was supposed to take Kate Ice Skating today, but it was canceled. I had already signed up for it so I knew I would be spending that money on her and I to go skating. Since it has been canceled and I won't be spending that money I'm going to try and take her to get her hair cut, because it desperately needs it. Especially since she decided to give herself her own haircut at the first of this week. So all in all, I did great this week. I think I will try it again next week and if I continue to save money and not spend it, then maybe I'll start saving some of the savings and buy myself something I really want..... like an Ipod touch. I know, I know, that defeats the purpose of trying not to spend. But I really want one. If anyone sees one really cheap, let me know!

So Far So Good

2009-01-21T17:38:00.002-06:00

It is Wednesday and I haven't spent a dime. I'm so proud of myself. I've kept myself busy so I wouldn't go shopping so I'm crocheting a blanket and making bows. And doing laundry and cleaning. Of course I may be wasting my time making bows because of this whole new law about testing products for lead. It really is hacking me off that this affects me. I shouldn't be responsible for this as I have to buy products to make my products. It should be the responsibility of the manufacturer of the products I'm buying from. They are large corporations and I am just a SAHM trying to make a little spending money. Anyways, sorry I got off the subject. I just wanted to update my few readers of my progress thus far. Of course, if I continue to crochet as fast as I am, I will have to go to the store and buy more yarn. I should be good until at least Saturday though.

Goal for the week

2009-01-20T09:51:00.002-06:00

K-mom and Seis are trying to go for a month without any extra spending besides bills and groceries. You know...... the basics. Cut out the spending on eating out, Starbucks, and such. This really caught my attention because I got an ear full from the hubby about how we need to cut back extra spending this weekend. So, I'm not as brave as the two women mentioned above and will pace myself. I am going to try it for a week. If I do well, I will extend it for another week. I'm doing great so far, as it is only Tuesday. Yesterday I did not spend any money. I did go out to eat at Subway with a friend, but I used a gift card I got for Christmas(thanks Gigi). So I really did not spend a dime. Hubby went to the grocery store on Sunday so we should be good for the week except for milk and eggs. Now all I need to do is learn how to be a frugal shopper and I'll be doing good.

Coming out of the fog

2009-01-16T15:44:00.002-06:00

We are finally getting better! It is about time. Not a lot going on here at the house since we have all been sick. John is rolling around a lot and the poor kid is drooling horribly. His gums are hurting him and he gnaws on everything.

I'm so glad that we are getting better because it is getting to be time to start crafting again. Gotta get ready for Buck Creek Festival (yes, I know that is in May, but I have so much stuff I want to make) and Valentine's Day and Easter are coming up and I have some really cute Bunny bows and will have some cute Valentine bows made too. So keep looking on here and I will probably post them! I also started crocheting a blanket. I know, I know. I don't need to add a project, but this has been something that I have wanted to do for a long time now and I was inspired by my MIL because she made me a beautiful one for Christmas. I also want to embroider lots of things with my new embroidery machine but I need to get used to it first. So I am going to be super busy for the next couple of months. That is ok, because I like to be busy during the winter. The cold weather makes me feel crappy and I need projects to keep my spirits up! Hope everyone is doing well!

Pics From the Aquarium and other stuff

2009-01-09T21:17:00.011-06:00

So I've not been on the computer a whole lot to post in awhile, but I figured I should at least post some pics from the past month to keep some of you up to date. We have been sick for the past two weeks so that is why I haven't posted about Christmas and such. We had a wonderful Christmas with both sides of the family and the kids got a ton of toys. Kate is ready for Christmas to come again. Me, not so much.

John is rolling over really well now and babbling all the time. He has a smile that will melt your heart and is a real ladies man. Kate is getting taller everyday and is into rhyming words. She loves Barbies now and I believe we now own almost every Barbie movie out now! So that is all I can think of right now since my head is so stuffed up, so I'll post pics of the aquarium and then Christmas.

Sorry

2008-12-03T15:36:00.004-06:00

Sorry it has been so long since I blogged. Our life's have been a little hectic lately! Everyone is doing well and Kate and John are growing so big so fast! We had a great Thanksgiving with my family in Decatur and found out that we are going to have another niece or nephew. I've been working frantically on bows since I have taken them to 3 or 4 shows and I am going to another one on Friday night. I'm doing pretty well and have been able to save enough money to buy an embroidery machine. I'm super excited about it too!!!!!

On Saturday Kate will be in her first ever Christmas parade. She is riding in a truck for her Dance school. She is so excited. I will be riding with her and I'm not sure how excited I am because it will be cold...... and I don't like cold! I'm excited for her though. She also is excited about her new fish Goldie. Yes, she has a fish. She won Goldie at a Winter Festival so we needed something to put her in. Brian took Kate out and came back with a 10 gallon tank for one goldfish. It is now sitting on her nightstand beside her bed so she can look at her all the time. No, that was not my decision.

On another note, we went to the Brookwood mall and had their pictures made with Santa. We actually got some one on one time with Santa and he held John and sang Christmas carols to him. It was so sweet! And I got pictures! Yeah!!!!

Brian has taken this week off so we headed up to Chattanooga for a couple of days and went to the aquarium. Kate loved it and I think John was mildly amused. I will post pics as soon as I download them. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

He really did it this time!

2008-11-18T15:39:00.003-06:00

Today I was making bows (as usual) and I turned around and was talking to John because he was flirting with one of Kate's baby dolls and all of a sudden he rolled over all by himself! There was nothing to help pull him over or to kick off of. I am so proud and so sad at the same time. My little man is growing up so fast!

He did it!

2008-11-17T14:13:00.003-06:00

Last night and early this morning, when I went to feed John he had rolled over onto his back! That is right, he rolled over. I think he can only do it in his crib because he is probably kicking himself over by pushing off of the bed. He seemed really pleased about it. Of course he could have just been smiling because he saw how beautiful I look when I wake up at different hours of the night!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-11-16T19:59:00.003-06:00

I have been extremely busy lately. I have begun selling bows and it is taking up an extraordinary amount of time. I am having a blast doing it though! Last weekend I went with Ladydoos and another friend to Prince of Peace Catholic Church to sell bows and did fairly decent. This weekend I set up a table at a Vendor Show in Helena. I did pretty good at it too. I have now signed myself up for a Winter Festival this weekend at an Elementary School and I'm trying to get into a home show on Dec. 5. So needless to say, I will be busy until then. Along with Thanksgiving of course.

John is growing like a weed. He is the complete length of his changing table in his pack and play. I'm sure he exceeds the weight for it also, but I still put him there. He is trying really hard to roll over, but can only get on his side and then kicks like a crazy man trying to get the rest of the way over. He is also drooling quite a bit, but I don't feel any teeth yet. He has been jumping quite a bit in his jumping chair that attaches to the door frame and he sits in his excersaucer too.

Kate is getting bigger everyday. I swear she has gotten taller. She always has something interesting to say. For example, she told Brian and I that when she gets older, that she was going to drive his car and he could drive the old truck. I asked her where she was going to drive to and she said that she was just going to go to one of her friends house! She is already talking like a teenager! She has been telling me no a lot too. Or that she doesn't feel like doing what I ask her to do.

So this is my update. If anyone would like to check out my bows, I have an etsy account where I am selling them. bmkrinne.etsy.com

Christmas Extravaganza

2008-11-12T09:38:00.002-06:00

Please visit our vendor show. I will be selling unique hairbows! It will be a lot of fun and there are free snacks! That is right people..... free snacks!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T15:27:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

So Cute

2008-10-26T09:04:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to be creative lately and have made a ton of hairbows and also some Alabama outfits for the kids. They looked so cute in them that I had to show a picture of them. It was so funny watching Kate try to hold her brother up!

This one shows the outfits better. They are both getting so big! Kate has really started getting interested in playing computer games and John is thinking about rolling over. But we have a while till that happens I think. He is just a really good baby and wants to be held and fed all the time. I never thought that an infant could love their sibling like John loves Kate. He is always watching her and smiling at her. She is almost equally fascinated with him. She is a big help and I know they will be close when they get older. I'm sure they will be planning things together by this time next year. Of course it will be something that they are not supposed to do!

3 Months Old

2008-10-16T07:29:00.004-05:00

Yesterday marked John's 3rd month. He has grown so much and is such a good baby. He is a happy baby and wants to be held and fed all the time. He has not yet started to roll over because he is typically happy on his tummy or his back, whichever I lay him on. He is however scooting on the floor when he is on his tummy. He moves fast too. I hope this is not a sign that he will crawl soon!

We went to the pumpkin patch last week and had a lot of fun. Kate of course liked it more than John as he was just along for the ride. Last night she heard a noise that sounded like a gun shot or fireworks and she said, "Listen momma, cracker fires!" She cracks me up. I would post pics of the kids, but for some reason it won't let me. Maybe tomorrow!

What?

2008-10-09T15:17:00.002-05:00

Today on the way home from MDO Kate decided to tell me something I just have to share. So here goes:

Kate: Mom, do you know that Jesus turns the trees red?
Me: You mean the leaves?
Kate: Yeah, the leaves. I wish he wouldn't do that because it makes me nervous because they make me so itchy!
Me: It makes you nervous?
Kate: Yep!
Me: Ok.

Why argue about her feelings. It is so funny to hear her try to make sense of it all.

John is still sleeping all night. From around 8:30 or 9 till 5:30 or 6. It is wonderful. Or it would be wonderful if Kate would sleep all night. She is waking up about once or twice during the night. I swear I want to duck tape her to her bed. Of course I would have to duck tape her mouth also!

OMG

2008-09-30T07:55:00.005-05:00

John slept all night last night. From around 8:30 till around 5:50! He is so precious when he sleeps.

I contribute the jammies I put on him last night for the miracle that happened. I'll show you why....

He must be a Bama fan like his momma!

Roll Tide!

Ice Skating and New Pictures

2008-09-26T14:27:00.006-05:00

Kate and I went ice skating today and I think we did pretty good. She loved it. I'm glad because I'm not that great at ice skating. She was very brave and thought she could just go out there and ice skate but soon realized that we would have to hold on to the side in order to stay upright. Here are some pics of our adventure....

I also took some pics of the kids this morning and thought I would share them. They looked so cute this morning.

Kate took pics of John and I yesterday because she thinks she is big enough to take pics with my camera now and so we took turns taking pics of each other. Here is some we took yesterday.

10 Weeks Old

2008-09-23T13:18:00.003-05:00

John is 10 Weeks old today. Time has flown by. He is so sweet and such a talker. He screams a lot, but mostly because he wants to eat or be held. He smiles a lot when I talk to him and it just makes me melt. I didn't realize that I could love someone as much as I love Kate, but I do. I just feel so connected with him. I think it is becaus I knew what I was in store for before I had him and I'm not so nervous about what to do. I can just enjoy this time with him. At his latest appt. he weighed 12 pounds and is 26 1/4 inches long. He is getting so big and I'm really very sad about it. Well, gotta go change a stinky diaper.

So This is What Heaven's Like....

2008-09-17T13:53:00.003-05:00

They are both asleep, at the same time!!!!!!! Yes, you read that correctly. I actually got Kate to take a nap. It's a miracle. I don't know what to do with myself!!!

All Night!!!!

2008-09-16T06:38:00.005-05:00

Last night will mark an important milestone.... they both slept all night! I know it is a fluke, but I don't care. It was wonderful. Kate didn't put up a fight to go to sleep at all. She told me she was ready to go to sleep. No, I promise I did not drug her! Now tonight, they will probably be up all night and I will kick myself for blogging about this!

John is getting so big, as is Kate. He at least weighs 13 pounds, but we will find out on Thursday for sure at his check up. He is relatively happy as long as you are holding him. He eats all the time as you will see from the pictures. He is a cutie though. Of course I think so since he looks just like me! He has been on the road a lot lately and some places he has been is to a playgroup, the zoo, and the park. He did really great at all of them.

Kate is getting so big. Some of the things she says are so funny.

Exp.: John is ruining my life

Actually.....

I don't need to wear my pajamas to bed, because daddy doesn't wear any!

I think I need that....

I'm a little gassy. That's ok, we're all a little gassy, right mommy?

I'm sure there are more, but my brain isn't working properly right now. She has started MDO and really likes it, thank God! She is so smart and is a little sponge so I'm hoping if I work with her at home, she will recognize the ABCs soon since she is already counting to 11. She loves to sing and dance and says she is going to be a ballerina. As she has no grace and is so clumsy all the time, I don't see this happening, but a girl can dream, right?

One Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed

2008-08-27T21:43:00.005-05:00

I am not sure what to do, but Kate has recently been so defiant and she thinks it is so funny to jump on beds. I've told her to stop, but she ignores me. Threatening her life hasn't helped either. Since the homecoming of her brother, she has had some slight behavior problems. She can't get enough attention and usually she wants something when I have to feed John or I'm changing him or I'm trying to put him to sleep. She also has no concept of being quiet so we don't wake the baby. She also will not allow me to nap during the day, and boy do I need a nap. He is awake every three hours and in between that she gets up and wants something. So basically, I'm not all here, but I'm just trying to keep it together at this point. The house is gross, but the dishes are washed and the laundry's done. And we all ate dinner. I think that is pretty good at this point!

John is growing so much. He makes the cutest faces and he smiled at me yesterday. He has the prettiest smile. I love it when he starts to get upset and sticks his bottom lip out. It is so cute. Here are some pics to show you how cute my little man is.

Ballerina? Probably not.

2008-08-08T16:40:00.007-05:00

I just signed Kate up for a ballet/tap/tumbling class. She is super excited so I took her out the other day to buy her a leotard and tights to wear. As soon as she got home she wanted to put it on and her ballet shoes and show her GiGi. Here are some pics I took.

2 Week Check-up

2008-08-08T16:40:00.002-05:00

Wednesday was John's 2 week check-up and it went pretty well. They did another PKU test and he screamed his little head off. I felt so bad!!!! He was 7 lbs 6 oz when he was born, and at the check-up he was 8 lbs 11 1/2 0z. Yes, he loves to eat! He is now 21 inches long so he grew an inch longer. I think that about covers it. He is still as cute as ever and still not sleeping a lot at night. Pray for a better night schedule for us!

He's Here!

2008-07-19T17:44:00.004-05:00

John Grayson made his appearance on July 15th at 10:58am. He was 7 pounds and 6 ounces and 20 inches long. He has a full head of black hair and basically looks exactly like me. He is just perfect. The labor part was not that great as I started out with them not being able to get an IV in. It took them five times, and the fifth time was the anesthesiologist. Then I was nauseous the rest of the time. The only good thing that happened was that I only had to push once. We are now at home and trying to adjust to having two children. Kate is super excited about her baby brother and wants to "help" all the time. Here are some pics of John and of our special day.

Cry for Help

2008-07-12T16:43:00.001-05:00

If anyone that reads this knows some magical way or special way to get your water to break, please let me know. I will owe you big time. I'm not sure I will make it till Tuesday.

Interesting Week

2008-07-09T21:09:00.002-05:00

So Monday I spent about 3 1/2 hours in Labor and Delivery to be sent home. I was contracting pretty well when I went in, but it eventually faded away. It didn't help me dialate any more so they sent me home. I was a little bummed. Anyways, went to the doc today and I am now 3 1/2 cm dialated. Forgot to ask about effacement, but I'm so close to 4 cm I don't care. Of course 3 1/2 cm is not enough to keep me, so we scheduled an induction for Tuesday, July 15. So this is officially what I like to call Eviction Day! I'm evicting his butt from my body. When the doc measured me today, she said he was measuring a little small, so she sent me to get an ultrasound. Everything seems to be ok and he is 6 lbs 9 oz as of right now. I wouldn't consider this measuring small as Kate was 7 lbs 2 oz. So hopefully he will be just a little bigger on E-Day. Unless of course I go before E-day, which would be fine.

News from the doctor

2008-07-03T07:58:00.002-05:00

So I went yesterday for my weekly appt. and everything is going beautifully. For those of you that know the lingo, here goes. He is not engaged, but he is down there and she could feel his head as I am now three cm dialated and 75% effaced. Doctor said I could go any day now since I am going so quickly and she would be surprised if she saw me next week at my scheduled appt. So, now I'm a little nervous about it because you never know how labor will pan out. I had such a good experience with Kate that I'm afraid this one will be horrible. I hope not. I've heard the second labor goes faster than the first one. I was induced with Kate so I went in the morning and had her by 3:30 that afternoon, had little to no pain and everything went smoothly. So, I guess we will see what happens. I'm a little leary that he will be born on July 4th, but Brian says he thinks that might be cool b/c Kate was born on a Mexican Independence day and our son would be born on an American Independence day. So that is the news....... will update if something happens before next week!

Shout Out

2008-06-29T11:42:00.009-05:00

Just wanted to do a shout out to some of the girls I hang out with for being so supportive of me through this pregnancy and listening to me whine. I couldn't ask for better friends. Thanks for the shower! We had a great time and hope we can do something just as nice for all of you in the future.

Our Lake Child

2008-06-29T11:42:00.004-05:00

I've blogged before about how much Kate loves swimming and boating and going to the lake. She loves, loves, loves it. Last weekend we had relatives come down from IL and they have a 5 year old. His name is Arron and Kate and he had a great time together. They played and swam and rode the tube together. Yes, I said rode a tube. Here are some pics from our weekend.....

36 Week Appointment

2008-06-25T16:11:00.002-05:00

Got back a couple of hours ago from my 36 week appt and things are progressing smoothly. I am now 2 cm dialated and still 50 % effaced. I was really hoping that I would be a little further along, but I'm glad I did something. So I guess we will see what next week brings!

Updated news on John Rinne

2008-06-19T16:08:00.002-05:00

Yes people, he has a name. Hubby and Kate have insisted his name be John, so I caved and gave in. Still not sure about a middle name. I went to the doctor last Thursday and got great news. So far in this pregnancy I've only gained 17 pounds. Yay! Also all my vitals were good and the best news of all is that I am now dialated 1 cm and effaced 50%. So I'm well on my way to having this baby. I know that 1 cm doesn't mean a lot, but the effacement does. I'm also on my every week visits so we will see this Wednesday if I have progressed any more. If those steps I walked this weekend at the lake didn't help, nothing will! Or the bumpy boat ride...... I thought I would die or he would fall out! Anyways, just wanted to post an update!

Thoughts on Being a Mother of Two

2008-06-14T07:52:00.002-05:00

Since D-Day is getting closer (about 5 weeks), I've been thinking more and more about being the mother of two children. Silly, huh? Since I've had Kate, I have learned so much from trial and error with her. I realize now that being a mother is the hardest job that anyone has. And the best. But can I really handle two? Kate is a handful and now I'm going to have another one. Thank God he won't be able to run away from me immediately. Don't get me wrong, I am totally excited about his arrival and us just having him. I can't wait to hold him and love on him and show him the world. I just wonder if I can do it and control Kate at the same time.

I now have an even greater respect for people with more than one child. I have several friends that have more than one and I've always been in awe that they handled it so well. Now my respect for them has increased tremendously as my 3 year old is out of control and I'm about to have a newborn. How do they do it? And keep their sanity? I have a friend who has four girls who range in ages from 12 to 4 and she pretty much always has it together. She is my mentor! I just want to be calm and enjoy the kids while I can and not completely lose my mind. Anyways, I know it is Father's Day weekend and we are supposed to be celebrating Fathers everywhere but today, I would like to give a shout out to not only mom's of one child, but to those with multiple children who can keep it together. I am truly in awe of your patience and ability to handle the everyday trials of motherhood!

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!!!!!

2008-06-07T10:59:00.002-05:00

I think that song is appropriate at this time. It is so stinking hot right now. I'm sweating right now and I'm inside with the air conditioner pumping and the fan going. Not helping! I went outside a little while ago and the heat hit me like a wall and I immediately started sweating. I know.... gross. Why are you blogging about sweating???? Well, it is my blog and I figure I can blog about whatever I want to. I'm almost embarrassed to go anywhere because my deodorant, no matter how much I put on, is not helping. I just want to float in a cool pool all day! I've even read on a pregnancy board that some woman was sweating so bad that she was putting pads (sanitary) under her arms so her shirt wouldn't get soaked. I don't think I could do that because if someone saw them, I would die. So if I look like I took a shower in my clothes when you see me it is because I refuse to put pads under my arms. I just can't go there!

Time is flying by....

2008-06-06T15:24:00.002-05:00

It seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant and here it is, about 46 more days to go. Hopefully sooner. We are all getting pretty anxious for him to arrive even though we have still not decided on a name yet. We are kinda to that point where we don't even want to talk about it. Why is it so hard for us to decide on a name?????

Kate and I have kept very busy lately. I've been trying to finalize getting things ready for the baby and she wants to play constantly. She has been helping me with some of the baby stuff. I've also had her enrolled in swim lessons, which she loves. We have finally gotten our ski boat out on the water and it was so nice. Kate loved it and of course she loved swimming too. I also talked her into riding a jet ski. I don't know what changed her mind, but she loves it now. She won't however, ride with her daddy b/c he soaked us with the other jet ski and now she thinks if she rides with him, he will splash her. I'm so glad that she loves being in the water because I'm not sure that her daddy and I would be able to handle her not loving the water. We both grew up around and in the water and with boats so we love it. She definitely has the gene for it. Just hope the little one likes it too. I was worried I wouldn't be able to be on the boat a lot because of the pregnancy, but it doesn't seem to be bothering me that much. I just wish I could ski. I've pulled Brian wake boarding, and it makes me so jealous, b/c I want to ski so bad. I can't believe I'm not going to get to all summer!!!!! Oh well, at least I can swim and ride in the boat until D-Day.

Six Random Things

2008-05-21T18:05:00.003-05:00

Here's how it works...I was tagged by The Mommy Diaries to identify six random things about myself, then I have to tag six other bloggers and have them do the same thing. So here goes...

1) I love, love, love making things. I pretty much would try anything if someone was willing to show me how. My problem is that I don't usually want to make one thing all the time. I get bored really easy.

2) When I open packages, they must be open from the top. Doesn't matter what it is. My spastic side won't let me open it any other way.

3) I don't like cooking. Not great at it and it brings me no pleasure. I love to bake stuff! Probably because I love desserts!

4) I love to travel, but don't because of the hubby. He acts like he wants to but will never plan for it and then if we actually do go somewhere he usually complains the whole time about spending the money when we could use it for something useful or makes me miserable. Hopefully this will get better.

5) I am not a germ-a-phobe. I do like things clean, but it seems like the harder I clean, the faster it gets dirty (house, kid, etc.). I let my kid get dirty because I know it is good for her to get some germs. However, there are some things even I can't handle.

6) I hate being cold. I could never move somewhere where it is cold most of the time. I would die!

I guess that is about it. I'm not sure if We Doo, Do You? has been tagged yet or not, so if not, you are tagged!

Swim Lessons

2008-05-05T13:54:00.029-05:00

Today Kate started her very first swim lessons. She did such a great job. Of course, no fear! She was so excited and had such a good time that she wanted to do it again.... right after the class was over! Here are some pics of our first swim lesson.

Kate is Three Today!

2008-05-05T13:54:00.020-05:00

Today my baby turned three and I feel like it just can't be. She has grown up way too fast and I don't want her to. She is such a big girl. She has been potty trained for almost a year now and we can have full conversations now. She is so creative and has the greatest imagination. She is loving and concerned when her friends get hurt or when people are sick. She loves babies and animals. She loves to climb and swing and slide and just play with her friends. She has been such a blessing to me and I can't imagine my life without her. It is so amazing to get to watch her grow and learn and surprising enough I am learning a lot from her too. When I met her father I thought I would never meet anyone else just like him. I love him so much and it astounds me that I can love someone that makes me so happy but so crazy at the same time. I understand him and don't at the same time. We've been married for eight years now and I'm still astounded at these feelings for him and I thought about three years ago I would never meet anyone who made me feel this way until now. My child is my husband. She may look like me but every ounce of her is him. She gives me such happiness and drives me crazy at the same time. She wants to fix everything just like her daddy. She tries to make deals, just like her daddy. She is stubborn, hard headed, and a smart mouth just like her daddy. She does get his loving side. She loves kisses and hugs. She has a great memory just like him. Don't ever tell her something if you don't want her to remind you later! Anyways, I'm rambling. Happy Birthday Baby! I love you.

Playing Catch Up

2008-05-05T13:54:00.017-05:00

It has been awhile since I've blogged but a lot has been going on. So let me try to catch you up. We are not quite through with baby boy's room yet, but it is mostly done. As you can tell, we still can't agree on a name. Hopefully he will have a name by the time he is born. Everything seems to be going well and he is keeping his feet in my ribs a lot. He isn't as active as Kate was, which I am very grateful because when he does move, it hurts.

Kate is growing like a weed and is always moving and getting into things. She is very mischievous. You really have to keep an eye on that kid or you will find her doing something like this......

Poor Chloe'! Later that day I caught her with Chloe on top of her table with a baby straddling her back like the doll was riding the weiner dog. It was very hard not to laugh! We have been preparing for Kate's third birthday for awhile now and her big present from us and my family was a swing set. Brian set it up a little bit before her birthday and she of course had to help him.

She is in love with this swing set. She wants to be on it 24/7. I have to drag her off of it to get her to do anything. She was swinging on it before Brian had even finished it.

Other than swinging and sliding she has decided it is warm enough to run through the sprinkler. Thank goodness her GiGi bought her a Dora sprinkler to run through. She loves it, even if the water is as cold as ice! She told me that she likes being cold!

We had her third birthday party at a place called Jump Zone and I think everyone had a great time.

After the party we went back to our house to open more gifts from the family. Here are a few pics....

Needless to say, she has had a great birthday!

Baby Boy's Room

2008-04-18T21:14:00.005-05:00

It is almost complete. Hubby just finished painting it and it looks super cute. I'm pretty excited because he also put the crib together and I got the bedding ready and he went ahead and put it on. Now we just have to paint a shelf to go over the dresser, pick out some cute little things to set on it and the changing table and it should be ready. I took some pics so you could see it. Hope you enjoy.....

Prison Time at School

2008-04-17T15:02:00.005-05:00

Tuesday when I picked Kate up from school I was met by one of the teachers who told me that Kate had not been on her best behavior that day. Usually she is really good at school, so I was immediately upset that she had to tell me she was bad. Apparently, she was put in time out three times that day. THREE TIMES!!!! OMG, I thought I would cry. How embarrassing! Two of the times, her teachers asked her to stop talking and she completely ignored them and acted like they weren't talking to her so they had to extract her from the other kids because she was distracting them. The third crime was that she pushed someone down in the gym. So prison time was done for that one too. I expect her bad behavior at home but when she does it and I'm not there to rip her a new one , it is just plain embarrassing. I wanted to cry because I felt like I had done something wrong. At least she didn't act like she was going to hit the teacher or scream at her for putting her in time out. I would really be upset then! You know, you are always worried when you drop your kid off somewhere with someone else that they will be bad but usually they do better when they are with someone else. So it is a complete nightmare when you get a bad "report". I hope she does better, because I may put her in boot camp if she continues on this path.

Going through a "Phase"

2008-04-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

I'm not just talking about Kate either! I think we are both going through a "phase". She has up until this point been a pretty good kid. She is usually very social, friendly and fun loving. Of course she does things every now and then that she shouldn't, but nothing out of the ordinary. Recently however, there has been a change. The stars must not be aligned right or something because I know a couple of her friends have had their moments lately also. She is screaming no at me and that she doesn't want to do whatever I want her to do. She is throwing stuff down and then refusing to pick it up. She is waking up several times a night and wanting me to sleep with her. (Side Note: I realize this is probably because she is in a new bed and new room), she refuses to pick up her toys and is acting like she can't hear me when I'm talking to her. I almost want to take her to a ENT to see if she is really having problems hearing. That is how bad she is ignoring me. I realize that some of the issues here are my fault because I've let her have choices in the past and now she thinks she gets a say in everything. But fighting me from the time she wakes up till I force her to go to sleep is getting out of hand. She has also been crying and telling me she doesn't want to go to school anymore because it isn't fun any more.

So how do I get through this? I'm also going through a "phase" and most would say it is because I'm pregnant. I'm sure that most of it is. My patience is almost non existent and I'm stressed all the time over everything and can't seem to get a whole lot done. I'm not usually one of those people that gets all worked up about stuff, but here lately, I can't help it. I feel like my world is spinning out of control and I'm just hanging on for dear life. I think I can seriously say that it would not be so bad if I were getting more sleep. I usually do much better when I get a good nights sleep. That hasn't happened in months due to pregnancy symptoms and Kate. I'll just go ahead and blame the pregnancy on the rest of my phase. And as I'm sitting here typing this, I feel guilty that I'm even complaining because I know most people think my life is so easy and I really don't have any problems. I know many people who are having serious problems and I feel so bad that I'm complaining. So if you are one of those people, please forgive me for whining. I'll try to be super happy after I give birth!

So, if I or my child have been mean, ugly or hateful to you recently, please chalk it up to our phase. I can't promise anything, but hopefully we will be over it in a couple of months. If not, please call the insane asylum and have me committed! Or, you could give me a late birthday present of some happy pills! A restraining jacket for my child would be appreciated also.

Cleaning is Never Ever Done

2008-04-10T11:43:00.002-05:00

Why is it that you clean something and it seems like you turn the corner and there it is again, dirty? It seems like all I do is pick up and pick up and clean and clean. Can someone send me the cleaning fairies to keep my house clean and pick up after my child. I need a nap! On top of all this..... my sewing machine just broke down on me. All while I am trying to sew stuff to put in a festival that my friend signed us up for to have a booth. The universe is against me right now. Watch out... it is supposed to storm tomorrow and I may be hit with lightning. I also have my glucose test tomorrow to see if I have gestational diabetes. Everyone say a little prayer for me. Although, I'm sure I'll pass it. I can engulf a large amount of sugar and it not affect me in any way.

Venting while Hormonal

2008-04-06T13:46:00.003-05:00

The past couple of weeks have flown by. They seem like a whirlwind. Always a ton of things to do, not enough time to do them in. I've wondered if I'm moving slower because of the whole pregnancy thing, but can't decide. I have decided that I do not like pregnancy! That is right. I said it, ok! This pregnancy has been anything but pleasant. I don't want to complain too much because it could be worse. I could have been throwing up all the time like some of my friends. After an almost perfect pregnancy with Kate, this one seems to be the worst for me.

I'm not looking for sympathy. Just for some people to get off my back. And telling me you understand that I'm pregnant and still expect the same stuff anyways, without asking to help, is wrong!!!!! I don't remember being this hormonal/emotional/overwhelmed/depressed/stressed/confused/bitchy/exhausted ever. And it seems to be getting worse. Everything irritates me. My child is driving me crazy and of course it is my fault for her bad behavior. I feel like a horrible friend because I can't keep up with any of them or what is going on in their life. I'm forgetful on everything. So I decided to come on here an vent a little. So here goes....

I've moved my child into a new room in a new big girl bed and she won't go to sleep without me in it. The bed is hard compared to mine and I'm hurting even more now from sleeping on it. Once I leave her I come to my soft bed. Then between midnight and 3 she wakes up crying for me to come back to her bed. This is making me exhausted. That is not including the four times I have to wake up to go to the bathroom. Then hubby's alarm goes off at 5am in order for him to hit snooze 4 to 5 times and not get up till 5:45. By then, I'm awake and want to die. Keep in mind that she isn't really falling asleep until 10pm.

I realize that everyone has things going on in their lives and everyone is usually consumed in them. I usually try to be supportive and active in my friends and family's lives and help out as much as possible. This usually helps me to get behind on things that I need to do for me or my family. I feel it is very important to be a good friend and family member. I also think it sets a good example for Kate so she will be a good friend and family member too. However, with my emotional and hormonal state, I can't do that right now. Please do not assume that I am available to do whatever you want me to do when you want me to do them. Please do not assume that I am ok with everything that you think is ok. Please do not assume that I will never get mad at you or disagree with you. Please understand that even now more than ever you may hurt my feelings by your words or your actions. Please understand that right now I'm feeling overwhelmed by so many things that maybe I need some "me" time. That does not mean I don't like(love) you. So if I act like I don't want to listen to your problems and take them on as my own, don't get your feelings hurt. I just can't do it anymore.

I feel so blessed to have family and friends that love me so much. There are so many things I have to be thankful for, such as:

A wonderful husband
A healthy active child
A loving family
A couple of great friends
The chance to stay at home with Kate and watch her grow and learn
I'm fairly healthy
I don't do without

So, why do I complain? I don't know. I guess everyone needs to vent about their everyday stresses. Like, why can my hubby not understand that while staying home with Kate is such a blessing, I need time away from her. So leaving me on the weekend with her so he can go do something fun upsets me because doesn't he feel like I need a break too? Or, doesn't he feel like he can have fun spending time with us just as much as leaving us to do something else with someone else. Doesn't he understand that I get tired of having to explain to his child why daddy isn't home. She can't understand why she can't go canoeing with her daddy, even though technically she could have. But I know it would take time out of his free time to spend with his child. She loves him so much and wants to be with him, but he can't see this because all he can see is that she gets on his nerves and is demanding and whiny.

I am apparently a bad mother. According to several things that I have said or done or others have said. I try to feed her healthy food. I try to feed her a variety of foods so she won't be picky when she goes out and to others houses. However, I do let her eat some unhealthy food. I don't want her to be obsessed with eating this stuff as an adult so I feel like it is ok to indulge in a little now and then. I won't judge you about what you feed yourself or your kid if you don't try to make me feel bad about what I feed mine. I give her candy, Little Debbie snacks and we eat Fast Food! We also eat food that comes out of a plastic container. No, I'm not concerned about giving my kid cancer by toxins omitted from the plastic. I bathe my child every other day unless she is really dirty and then I will do the everyday thing. Sometimes, I forget to brush her teeth. Sometimes, I forget to brush her hair before I leave the house with her. I took her to school last week and forgot to take her lunch. I spank her, put her in time out, take things away from her... whatever it takes to make her behave. I don't want to tell anyone how to raise their child, but if you ask my opinion I might give it. Sometimes, I even shut her in her room when she is being so bad and I'm feeling like I can't take it anymore. I'd rather her be in there than me spank her out of madness! I've been using the TV as a babysitter a lot lately because I can't get anything done when she isn't watching it. I need to spend more time with her and play with her. I need to teach her more stuff. I need to be more patient with her. I need to stop giving in to her so much. But sometimes I get overwhelmed and these things either happen or don't.

Ok, so I'm going to try and redeem myself now and take Kate outside to blow bubbles and have some fun because she has been begging to go blow bubbles for about an hour now. Maybe I'll feel better since I've vented a little. Sorry I just felt like I needed to get some things off my chest.

Kate's New Room

2008-04-02T17:19:00.006-05:00

In preparation for our son, we had ordered bedroom furniture for Kate and we were planning on moving her to a new room so that the baby had the smaller room. Some of her furniture (still waiting on the bed and nightstand) came in and I painted the room on Friday and finished putting all her stuff in her big girl room this past weekend. I think it turned out great so I thought I would share some pics of her "new" room.

I can't wait for her four poster bed to come in and her nightstand. It will be so pretty! Now on to paint the baby's room!

Names (again)!

2008-04-01T15:01:00.004-05:00

So after posting a list of the names we had broken it down to I received lots of suggestions. Then we actually got to where Brian liked John and I liked Chase. We continued to "discuss it" several times and finally on Sunday, we agreed to disagree! So John and Chase are out. Then he suggested the name Gray or Grey because he met a guy named that at a store that sold Kayaks. He really thinks he likes this name and we both said that we like the name Ford too. So...... now we are "thinking" about it some more. I have to let these names sit on me awhile and write them a couple hundred times before I want to make anything official. You know, I just keep thinking that this child will have the name we pick forever and ever. So I want to make sure it will be something I like to say a million trillion times. Plus I have to be able to yell it and it flow right. I now almost wish we would have given Kate a shorter name since I have to say the whole thing all the time now!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-26T06:42:00.008-05:00

This year, like most, we went to my mom's house for Easter. Mostly b/c I like Kate to go to church on Easter and we haven't found a church to attend where we live. So of course, I had to buy her a cute Easter dress and all! We had a great weekend. We hunted eggs (more times than I would like to admit), colored eggs, went to church and participated in a Easter Egg hunt and held a bunny and then Kate got all kinds of goodies from the Easter bunny. It was so funny though because when she woke up on Sunday I told her I thought that the Easter bunny had left her something in the kitchen. Her response: I bet he left prints allllll through Nana's house just like Santa! Side Note: We put flour on the bottom of Brian's boots and left footprints through the house from the fireplace to the tree for Christmas. So anyways, I made up an excuse and said that the bunny didn't leave prints on the floor because I think his feet were pretty clean when he came in. She seemed ok with this and ran into the kitchen to see what she got. Of course it was a plethora of Dora stuff and she was thrilled.

So here are some pics from our Easter weekend:

Names

2008-03-17T14:21:00.003-05:00

As we move closer to the due date (ok, we still have awhile but the date is still getting closer and closer) hubby and I have been throwing around names for the little one. We had originally thought we might just name him after hubby but the thought of calling him Junior or Jeff or BJ just isn't sitting well with us. Or it just isn't making us really excited. Then we came up with a list of all the names that we thought were ok or liked. We have sat down a couple of times and marked off names that we just didn't think we liked or couldn't see us screaming at our kid. So now it is down to a couple and we just can't decide. I'm glad we still have a little while b/c we would be in trouble if we didn't. So, I thought I would put what we have left on the list and see if anyone has an opinion or any thoughts on the names we have left. However, just because you say that you don't like something does not mean that our child will not be named that. I'm just looking for thoughts on our names. Or do you have any others that you think are good names? So here is the list:

Alexander (Alex)
Ford
John
Chase
Luke/Lucas

I think this is all that is left. I really like the name Cooper, but Brian says that is out. We have thrown around the name John Alexander a lot and I really like Chase Alexander but given our last name his initials would be JAR or CAR. I guess it could be worse! So there they are. Let the opinions roll......

Consignment Loot

2008-03-05T08:50:00.012-06:00

Well here are some pics of the loot I got from the consignment sale:

Kate's Stash

Kate's Easter Dress:

Baby Boy's Stash:

Coming Home Outfit

Now all I think I need for him is onsies, a couple of blankets (non pink of course), socks, pacifiers, medicine, diapers and wipes. I'm probably forgetting something b/c it has been awhile since I've had a baby.

And There Was Movement!

2008-03-05T08:50:00.002-06:00

Hubby has recently been trying very hard to feel the baby move and of course has yet to feel anything. He always walks away with a disappointed look on his face like something is wrong with him b/c he can't feel what I'm feeling. Which at this point is pretty constant. The kid is kicking me a lot! Last night we were laying in bed talking and baby boy started kicking and I told hubby to put his hand on my stomach. He did and after a few minutes, he felt it. He was pretty excited, but not as excited as I had expected considering he has gone around pouting about not being able to feel it. But he was glad and I think proud of himself for feeling the baby kick. I was really surprised he felt it b/c I thought it was a little early for someone else to feel the kicks, but the doc did say he had long legs! So that is our exciting news for the day.

I took pics of the loot I got from the consignment sale and as soon as I find the cord to link the camera to the computer I will post them so you can all see what I got. Be prepared! It is a lot! And if any of you are planning on getting me a baby gift :) there are still things I need so don't worry. My mom said I need to come up with a list of things I need so I'll be working on that. Bye bye!

Warm Weather and other nonsense

2008-03-03T15:13:00.002-06:00

This past weekend was so beautiful. It was so nice and warm it made me feel like Spring may actually show up. Saturday I shopped at a consignment sale and bought little miss priss several outfits and Buddha (only name I can come up with so far since he is making me feel like I look like Buddha) lots of outfits. I actually went a little crazy buying him stuff. Clothes only though. Maybe if I get the energy up I'll take pics and post them! On Sunday, hubby was feeling giddy about the weather and insisted we take the ski boat out. So we loaded up and went to Lay Lake. It was so beautiful. Of course we didn't swim b/c the water was OH MY GOD cold. We just rode around a little bit and layed out and played with the toys in the boat that we brought for Kate. She was kinda mad b/c she wanted to swim, but after feeling the water she decided it would be better to swim at home in the bathtub. So after all that excitement, I am now sunburned badly. I made sure to put sunscreen on Kate's face, but her arms got missed and they are really red. I didn't use any sunscreen and now look crazy because I have white spots where my sunglasses were and my nose is blood red. It is sooooo going to peel. And it hurts. My face, arms and legs hurt. Apparently hubby is not feeling the pain as much as I am, b/c he isn't complaining. What luck!

Updates

2008-02-28T11:05:00.002-06:00

It has been awhile since I've done updates on things Kate has been up to and things that are really going on in our household so here goes....

Kate is like a sponge. She is learning things so quickly I almost can't keep up. She loves to count and she can count to 10 in English and almost to 5 in Spanish. (She is obsessed with Dora and Diego, hence the Spanish). We count everything. She is starting to get more interested in colors and can tell me what some of them are. I know she should probably know them by now but has not had the faintest care about them until now and refused to learn them. Wonder who she gets all that stubbornness from??? Her vocabulary is amazing. We actually have full conversations now. Of course they are mostly about make-believe things, but still they are conversations. Watching Diego has really enhanced her knowledge of animals and we are currently always saving a Sloth or a Whale or Dolphins or other types of animals. I tell you what, I get worn out saving all these animals. It is great when we have to stop and listen because..... we hear something.... It must be Swiper the Fox. That mean old fox is going to swipe our stuff. We had better run around the house!!!!!

I bought her a Dora memory game and she really likes it. She is also very good at it. Sometimes she finds the pieces before I do. She has finally started saying that there is a baby brother in my tummy but still calls him a she. I think she is a little young to understand between he and she things yet. She has hit another growth spurt so now half of her pants are too short. Thank God her jeans were a little long! I don't think she has gained any weight because her pants are continually falling down enough to where if she bends over, you are most certainly going to see crack. Yes, we are raising a carpenter! Kidding! She said the other day that she wanted to fix babies boo boos so maybe she will be a doctor!

I finally think we have hit the terrible threes. I really didn't know if I would make it past the terrible twos, but I can see that the terrible threes are something completely different (but just as horrible). In the terrible twos, they throw fits and whine and cry and kind of do whatever they want (I'm guessing this is to see what they can get away with). The threes are more of a, I know what I'm doing and I know what I want and you can't stop me b/c I'll run from you and do it anyways phase. She is playing Brian and I against each other because if Brian doesn't give in, she thinks I will and vice versa. She is old enough now to where she can now reason with us. It may not always make sense, but she knows what she is doing. She also plays the sad puppy thing with us too. Not only that, but she thinks by loving on me and telling me she loves me or saying that she is sorry for being bad that that makes everything better and she can get what she wants. Yes, Yes, it does sound really cute when she says, "Mommy, I sorry for being bad at the store today!", but it doesn't take away the fact that I would like to strangle her sometimes! She also thinks that if she can get the candy she wants up on the counter at a store, that automatically means she gets it. I could go on and on, but basically the kid knows what is going on and thinks she knows how to work the system. One more thing, she told me yesterday that she needed a Diego movie, because she had a Dora movie but she didn't have a Diego movie and she just needed one. I told her she would have to ask someone else to get it for her and she said in the sweetest little voice.... "My nana will buy me a Diego movie!" so I told her she would just have to ask. She is so conniving!

Baby Boy (no name yet) is doing good so far. I have started feeling him kick lately. The doctor said that he has long legs so I'm sure that will feel good later! Nothing more to update on him until the next appt.

Hubby is in boat mode. He went out on his canoe lately when it had rained a lot and ended up almost killing it. Water was too high and too fast and they went into a rapid and tipped over. Needless to say the water was freezing and I'm really surprised he doesn't have a cold right now. He is really ready to take the ski boat out but I have been postponing this for some time now b/c I don't really think it is warm enough. Plus Kate will want to swim and I don't even want to have to fight that battle! So I think that is it. Until next time.......

It's A Boy!

2008-02-24T14:45:00.004-06:00

We found out last week that we are having a boy! I was actually suprised because I just really felt like it would be another girl. But I'm really not disappointed. Just overwhelmed because I know I'm going to have to go through all of Kate's things and get rid of most of the pink. Brian, of course, is very excited and has acted like he is so in love with me for giving him a boy. Even though we know I didn't really have anything to do with determining the sex of the baby.

As soon as we found out I started thinking about what all we would need for this new little one and got right on the computer and started looking up all kinds of stuff. But first and formost, the bedding. Kate's strawberry Pottery Barn stuff wouldn't work, so I researched bedding for probably two days and finally decided on one. I know, quick, but I'm feeling like I need to get it together before I get too big and pregnant and don't want to do anything. So here is a pic of the bedding that we went and got today.....

Isn't it cute? I think so. Brian likes it but isn't so excited because he now knows he is going to have to help me paint the room since it is currently bright green. And as soon as I figure out what bedding Kate is going to get then he has to help me paint that room too. He is NOT excited about painting. But he is excited about the cutest outfit ever that we bought today. It is a plaid short overall with a shirt to go under and a hat that matches the overalls. Too cute!

Ponderings and Reflections

2008-02-18T08:40:00.007-06:00

So lately I've had a million things going through my brain. Also questions I'm not sure I can fully explain to my two year old to where she can really understand. Could be pregnancy or just my usual crazy thinking but here they are:

1) How do you explain to a two year old that wiping your nose and then your crotch with the same tissue paper is not acceptable? (This happened this morning and I'm really thinking I'm going to go wash her again, because the thought is really making me sick!)

2) Why do politics bring out the worst in people? I've had several people who don't share my thoughts on politics continually push theirs in my face and it really aggravates me. Yes, I'm a Republican and although we may not have the strongest candidate running, I will still not vote Democratic because there are just too many issues that I don't agree with. However, that is my thoughts and my opinions and I'm ok with you not agreeing with them. I will not push my opinion on you and I want the same respect please!!!!! Also, please do not bash the president. I think he deserves the up most respect because I believe this has got to be one of the hardest jobs ever. The whole world criticises this man every time he makes a decision. He does not make his decisions on his own. He has a whole crew of people who give him advice and information that the public will never see. He doesn't pull this stuff out of his a$$ just because he feels like it. That is not the way the government works. The reason things don't happen is because everything has to go through congress and there are Democrats and Republicans who help make these decisions. Ok, enough of that.

3) I'm almost 30 and I have a kid that will be 3 soon and I'm about to have another child in about 5 months. It has all hit me recently like a ton of bricks. Am I old enough to have two children? I guess I am because I have several friends who are my age that have two kids. But I don't feel like I'm old enough to have two kids and I'm still in shock that I'm about to turn 30. I don't think I'm so upset that I'm going to turn 30, just that time has flown by and I can't believe it is already here.

4)Pregnancy makes me forgetful and indecisive. Will this go away once I give birth?

5) Will I ever get my house cleaned?????

I've written this post three times now and it keeps erasing it so I'm going to stop now. I'm tired and I need to continue to clean and do laundry. Until next time..................

17 Weeks and Counting

2008-02-14T11:46:00.002-06:00

So I hit 17 weeks on Tuesday and everything seems to be going well. We get to go to the doctor on Thursday of next week to find out the sex of the baby. Kate is still very excited about the baby. She doesn't understand why this baby can't come out right now though. She wants to take care of it. If it were up to her she would drag all the baby stuff out right now and practice taking care of a baby by using her dolls, because if you know her, you know that her babies are real. She is always talking to them. And all of her imaginary friends. I'm guessing there are at least 30 or more because it is always someone new. However, she really likes to pretend that Swiper from Dora is pushing her or bothering her.

She is really amazing. She says the craziest stuff. She has an imagination that is beyond anything I can fathom. She must have gotten it from her daddy because I have never had a good imagination. I can't believe she will be three in a couple of months. It makes me so sad to think that my baby is getting so big so fast. Time flies by and you don't even realize it. I am just so glad that I have the opportunity to stay home with her and really spend quality time with her before she gets too big to spend time with me.

Week 16 for Baby #2

2008-02-09T07:55:00.000-06:00

Your pregnancy: 16 weeks

Click to enlarge

How your baby's growing:At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:Have people been telling you how wonderful you look? The "glow of pregnancy" is real, thanks to increased blood flow to the skin. You may be enjoying yourself more, too, now that your hormones have stabilized and nausea has eased up. You're also probably less anxious about something happening to your baby (the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically after the 14th week) which likely adds to your overall sense of well-being.Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, most don't until about 18 weeks or more. If this is your first baby, don't be too anxious — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so. The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll start to feel unmistakably like kicks.

Viva la Chef

2008-01-31T20:18:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Kate was invited to a birthday party at Viva la Chef and she had a blast. Can you tell????

She already loved to pretend cook and loves to help in the kitchen, but this was huge in her book. They let her make her very own pizza. She got to get dirty and put her hands in everything and chop up stuff and at the end she got to eat it. To top it all off, the party favor that was given out was a kids pizza kit so that they could make pizza at home. You can only imagine how many times we had to pretend to make pizza when we got home. It lasted for three days straight. That is all she wanted to do..... all the time! I'm really glad that she has such an interest in cooking since I do not like to at all. I have no interest in cooking. I love to bake, just not cook. I'm guessing she gets her love of cooking from her daddy, much like her love of ice cream.

Blogging Questions

2008-01-23T07:26:00.002-06:00

Why do you blog? To update friends and family on what is going on with Brian, Kate, Me and Baby #2.
What was the first blog you ever read? A friend of mine Laura who I grew up with in Decatur
What was the first blog that had you hooked? There are actually several but the two I like to read the most are Random Mommy and I'm a Mom's.
Which blogger friend would you most like to meet in real person? I don't have any blogger friends that I don't know. I'm sad. I don't have enough time to read any one elses.
Which blog do you admire the most, why? Random Mommy. She really puts it all out there, no holes barred and I like that. I wish I was more like that. But I have family that reads mine.
How different are you in real life than in your blog? I don't think I'm a whole lot different. Maybe a little crazier in person. I don't talk about myself much on my blog though. Mostly about the kid.
How many blogs do you keep up with on a daily basis? 12
Link to your 123rd post. Or your 3rd, if you don't have 123. http://followingkate.blogspot.com/Kissing_Boys

For a Friend....

2008-01-23T07:26:00.001-06:00

This is a very touching video to watch……and it raises money for Autism Awareness. Pass it on!

The band, "Five for Fighting", is generously donating $0.40 toAutism Speaks for *each time* the below video is viewed. This funding then goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch thevideo and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aimingfor 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal. http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214& lt; o:p>

Snow in Alabama

2008-01-23T07:26:00.000-06:00

I'm a little behind in posting this, but at least I can get the pics up! It actually snowed in Birmingham! It was Kate's first snow and she loved it. It was probably right up there with her favorite activity of eating ice cubes. Once she figured out she could eat it, it was all over.

Of course since it was too hard to catch a lot in her mouth from it falling from the sky, she resorted to taking it off of hubby's car. I even caught her trying to lick his car!

Here is our house covered in snow. It was so pretty.

We got to have a snowball fight and Kate thought that was hilarious! And before the snow decided to melt we made Kate's very first snowman! Isn't it cute?

Kate was really upset on Sunday when he really began to melt and his head fell off. All she kept saying was "the snowman's head fell off!"

On another note:

Baby #2 is doing well. I went to the doctor on Thursday and got to hear the heartbeat. It was 152 beats per minute. I was able to schedule my sonogram for Feb. 21st so we can find out the sex of the baby. I'm so excited!

Chocolate Milk, Mickey Mouse and other things she needs...

2008-01-10T13:17:00.001-06:00

When does a toddler stop whining and saying that they need things? Lately, Kate says she needs chocolate milk when she watches Mickey Mouse. She needs to watch Mickey Mouse in my bed in my room. She needs to watch Mickey all the time. She needs candy all the time. She needs her baby(s) to go with us everywhere. She needs to bring toys for her babies everywhere we go.

She is also very demanding right now. And opinionated. And whiny. I know that most toddlers are this way, but I never imagined it could be so draining. She is also extremely bossy, but I'm pretty sure she gets this from me.

I would like to say that she does have some good sides to her. She is very sweet and loving and has a pretty good personality. She loves her friends and she is very bubbly. She is hilarious too. She loves to make people laugh. She will probably be the class clown! And she is the most beautiful angel when she sleeps. She is very concerned with the way others feel and has sympathy pains (I think) for me. For example: This pregnancy has caused me to have an upset tummy or my lower back hurt horribly. Lately she has been telling me that her baby sister is hurting her tummy or her back really bad and she needs to go to the doctor. Isn't that cute? Well, better go. She is needing something to eat and drink.

I Have Energy!!!!!

2008-01-07T16:41:00.000-06:00

This pregnancy has really taken a toll on me that I had not expected. I have been really tired. And sick. Not throw up sick, but just nauseous. It stinks. But I have felt fairly great the past few days, so I am very thankful. I am however, out of breath a lot. It is weird. Guess this baby is taking up more room than Kate did.

On a side note.... I feel very bad for something I said to a dear friend of mine today and I can't get it off of my mind. Please Please Please forgive me. I would never ever say anything to cause you more pain than you have already been through given the circumstances. I hope you will forgive me. I'll buy you brownies!!!!!! If you need some time to yourself, please drop little red off for some play time.

Kate spent the weekend with my mom so hubby and I got a lot accomplished this weekend. We painted our spare room to prepare it to be the guest room since we will be moving Kate into the room that is now the guest room. We are going to give the baby Kate's room. This being because our guest room is huge and a baby doesn't need all that space. We finally ordered a full size bed for Kate and it should be in in about two months so we can start getting her adjusted to her big girl bed in her big girl room. I hope that transition goes well.

Food that I'm Craving

2008-01-02T14:58:00.002-06:00

Thanks to a friend of mine, today I found a new food to love. You know who you are..... Shame on you! Anyways, if you really know me, you know that there are lots of things that I don't eat. I'm a pretty picky eater. I do not like to eat cream cheese on bagels or anything else for that matter. Just never have. Until today..... Don't know if it is this pregnancy doing it to me or what, but now I want to eat this flavored cream cheese on wheat thins. It is a garden vegetable flavor. OMG it is awesome. I almost helped her finish off a whole (small) container of it this morning. Of course I felt a little sick afterwards, but who cares. It was that good. Try it , you will love it too!!!!

So after that I decided to go to the store and get a few things, with that being on my list. So I was walking around just looking (we all know this is a bad idea) and I ended up getting some oven baked pizzas and lasagna and cottage cheese. I know these don't sound good together. But each time I saw these I thought to myself... Man that sounds good. I don't think it is safe for me to go to the store anymore! I just got through eating some cottage cheese and it was awesome. I never knew cottage cheese could taste this good. I hope I can control myself and not eat the whole container! I have also been lusting after Carbs. Potatoes mostly. I would love to eat a baked potato right now!

Ok, after this you would think... I bet she has gained a ton so far from eating this kind of stuff, but surprisingly, I've lost weight. Yeah!!!!! I'm sure it will catch up to me, but I haven't been able to eat a whole lot lately so maybe that is why I'm so hungry!

Way. Too. Cold!!!!

2008-01-02T14:58:00.001-06:00

I recently (as of today) read a fellow bloggers blog and she was talking about how stinking cold it is today. It is so cold I get cold thinking about it. It is freezing outside and I'm almost sure it is almost as cold in this house. I can never get warm in our house when it is winter here. I don't like to be cold..... at all! I would rather stay in the house and never leave it. Which in my case is pretty crazy because I don't like to be couped up in the house. I like to be on the go or at least outside. This is why I continually tell my hubby we need to move to Florida. I would be warm and we would all be happy!!!! He has tried convincing me for awhile now to move North, but I would really never leave our house and I would be severely depressed. At least it could snow if it is going to be this cold, you know! It is 32 degrees right now. Snow damn it, Snow!!!!! So if you don't see me out and about as much as usual it is because I have locked myself in the house and I am covered up with a million blankets and as many sweatpants and shirts as possible.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-01T18:00:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has been awhile since updating but as usual the holidays proved to be crazy for me. We traveled to Decatur to celebrate Christmas with my father's family and my mom's family and had a wonderful time. Kate made out like a bandit. She got a Thomas the Train set, Mickey Mouse movies, Barbie car and a baby doll from my Dad, grandma and uncle.

After celebrating at my dads house we moved on to mom's house. My grandmother, brother, stepbrother, his wife and their child and step sister was there. There were tons of presents. I got dishes, glasses, place mats, chargers, and a huge wicker hamper. Kate got some things for her dolls, a star station, some clothes, Princess hairdryer and hair stuff, Cinderella (the movie) and a bunny purse.

After celebrating Christmas with my mom's side of the family I went out to visit with some old friends and celebrate their 30th birthday! So here's to you guys... Happy 30th Jack and Will! It was great seeing everyone and visiting with them for awhile. Of course I was the life of the party, seeing that I'm preggo and the only one not drinking.

The next day Kate and I traveled home to prepare for Santa to come to the house. We baked cookies for Santa and made sure we had stuff for him to come visit us. Christmas Eve we got Kate to take a bath before putting the cookies out and here she is posing with the cookies and carrots and chocolate milk.

We were putting these out and telling her that she was going to have to go to bed so Santa would come to the house and bring her presents. Of course as soon as that came out of our mouths a siren started going off and we ran outside and there was Santa riding on top of a fire truck. So then she was confused. She asked why Santa didn't have the reindeer and if Santa was coming to the house on the "truck". We tried telling her no and then she asked if the reindeer were going to ride on the "truck". We finally convinced her that Santa would return in his sleigh with the reindeer, minus the fire truck.

She finally went to sleep and the next morning when she woke up she looked over the railing and saw Santa's footprints going from the fireplace all the way to the Christmas tree in our dining room. She thought Chloe had made a mess but after we explained that they were Santa's footprints she was really excited!

She begged to open presents and we let her open her stocking first and she got lots of markers, Princess slippers and some paint pens that only write on certain types of paper. She was ecstatic!

Then my mom, step dad, grandma and brother arrived and the package opening began. Grandma got her a doll house and Matt (my brother) got her some stuff to go with it. She also got an Easel and a digital camera from Santa. She also got a Barbie, some baby clothes, a movie and some fake food for her kitchen. So basically she had a great Christmas. I could be forgetting some things but I think you can all get the gist of things. We then ate a great lunch prepared by hubby and then sat around and played with all of Kate's things. Oh, I almost forgot. Brian got a chair for his canoe, some shirts, a jacket and some money. We also got a big mirror for the house and a picture and a set of Biltmore pots and pans (they are awesome). We got a couple of gift cards and money so we really had a great Christmas! Now we have to figure out where to put all this stuff!!! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm Pregnant - And that is my Excuse!!!!

2007-12-16T05:45:00.000-06:00

So I'm behind on blogging.... shopping for Christmas.... cleaning the house.... washing the clothes.... feeding my family.... Christmas Cards....and who knows what else! I'm pregnant for those of you who don't know. I'm about 9 weeks now and have been soooo tired. All I really want to do is lie around all day and sleep. I've been a little sickly, but mostly just tired. And running after Kate is not helping. Hubby is trying his best (I think) to help with dinner and with Kate. Still complains about me not cleaning though. I feel as though I'm in some sort of warp zone and I can't get out. I'm not sleeping well... wake up about two to three times a night and either have to pee or I'm realizing that I forgot to do something I should have done three days ago. Hence I am awake at 5 this morning blogging. It is Sunday people!!!!!

I already feel as if I'm being a not so great mom to Kate because I just don't feel like playing. Of course I feel like she has become a little more demanding lately, but that could be from me being tired. She has recently decided she is a little chef. She loves, loves, loves her play kitchen. She is constantly telling me she wants to cook me something which usually consists of peas and pancakes! I know, sounds gross to me, but the fact that she is making an effort is great and I don't have to pretend I'm cooking. Now only if she will learn to really cook! She is also testing me a lot lately. I tell her not to do something and she automatically does it anyways. She is very defiant. I'm guessing she gets this from her daddy. She also has a smart mouth on her too, which I will not completely blame her daddy but give him half credit. She wants to dress herself sometimes too, and thinks she knows what matches. It is like fighting her daddy who is color blind. We were almost late to MDO one day because we were fighting over whether her socks matched her outfit. Crazy I know! She is very excited about Christmas and Santa coming. We have seen him twice now and the second time she actually sat on his lap. I was so excited. She knew it was a photo opp because as soon as she got in his lap she gave her quirky little smile and screamed "Cheese". What a goofball! I will post pics of her on Santa as soon as I download them. I think that about sums it up. So if you get this and don't get a Christmas card, don't be mad. It is probably sitting on my counter. Maybe you will get it next year!!!!

OK, so I'm Behind

2007-12-04T20:03:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. It has been awhile since I've blogged. And I've missed it. But I've been busy. I know we are all busy. But since my last blog we have traveled to Orlando and back and I've been trying to make bows and sleep mats for a Holiday Open House that my friend Sherry had at her house, so I haven't had a whole lot of free time.

Thanksgiving was great. We went to hubby's aunt and uncle's to eat and the whole family was there. The food was great of course. A cousin was suprised by her boyfriend who recently completed Army bootcamp. Plus we had a baby shower for another cousin. The next day we traveled to Brian's parents boat to stay with them. We had a great time as we traveled in the boat down the Intercoastal Waterway for a day. We saw dolphins and lots of pelicans and seagulls. Kate loved it. Here are some pics:

I think Chloe enjoyed it too. She adapted to boat life well as she joined in with the other dogs as they barked at all the boats going by. Anyways, it was a great trip except for when we found our car with a dead battery b/c Kate turned a light on in the trunk. The ride home was long and we were really tired, but glad that we went. It took me three days to wash the clothes and get everything back to the way it was before we left. I think it will be awhile before we really travel again!

Haircut #2

2007-11-20T17:22:00.000-06:00

Hubby cut Kate's hair awhile back and he did a pretty good job, but her hair still just didn't look right to me, so I recently took her to a kid's salon called Sweet and Sassy. A lot of my friends from the MOMs group took their children and loved it so I decided we would try it out. It was so neat and she loved it. She kept admiring herself in the mirror and telling me she was soooo pretty! They even put glitter in her hair and a glitter stamp on her face and gave her a sucker. It was almost more than she could handle. Here are some pics to show you just how funny the whole thing was.

Gatlinburg Trip

2007-11-20T17:11:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we went to Gatlinburg to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. We all had a good time, but it sure didn't last very long. Kate had a great time seeing everyone, especially her cousin Jackson. While we were there we took the kids up to see the chapel that hubby and I got married in. It still looks exactly the same. We also took Kate up to Ober Gatlinburg (I think that is how you spell it)on the Tram to look at the ice skaters and to see the live bears. She thought that was great. We took my Wii and everyone had a great time playing it. Anyways, here are some pics of our trip.

Birthday Thanks

2007-11-10T16:41:00.000-06:00

Today is my birthday and of course Thanksgiving is coming up so I've been thinking about all the things I'm thankful for. Of course I have a lot to be thankful for after 29 years, so here goes:

1) My health - I am so fortunate to be healthy because I know a lot of people out there have a lot more problems than I can even image having.
2) My Mother - For having me, teaching me the difference between right and wrong, loving me with all her heart and soul and working so hard to give me the best life possible.
2)My Grandmother Rose - For helping to raise me, being one of my best friends, taking me on trips, and just loving me no matter what.
3)My Step-Father - For loving and taking care of my mother, and loving me and my brother like we were his own. For being crazy and helping us have fun no matter what. We owe him a lot.
4) My father, grandma Hazel and the rest of his family - For being such a close knit family and showing me that family is important
5) My Husband - For knowing the real me and still loving me no matter what. For giving me the most precious gift I could ever receive, my sweet little girl. For being the constant in my life and supporting me.
6)My Child - I never imagined I could love someone so much. I'm so thankful she is healthy and happy.
7) My family's health - I know some are healthier than others, but they are all in fairly good health.
8) My friends - I have some really great friends. They like me even though they know I'm a big wierdo. And they aren't scared to be seen in public with me.
9) Being in a stable position in my life - I really feel like I'm in a good place in my life and I can't imagine it being any better than this.
10)My In-laws - They are such a blessing. I'm sure they think I'm crazy but, they are supportive and have welcomed me into their family. They are also a lot of fun to hang out with.
11) My husband's extended family - They are all so wonderful. They have acted like I was a part of their family right from the beginning and I've been so fortunate to get to watch all the little ones grow up.
12) The experiences I've had thus far - because I think they have made me the person I am today.

I'm going to stop here because the kiddo is screaming. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Back from the Cruise

2007-11-08T07:51:00.000-06:00

So I recently went on a cruise with my grandma and came back on Monday. It was a relaxing cruise and we had a really good time. I just wish Hubby would have come with me. That is a whole other story though. I needed the relaxation and just a break from Kate. I think sometimes you need a break from your child or children every now and then to get your brain on straight. I know I don't think clearly while chasing Kate all day! Anyways, I was so pleased that she was ecstatic to see me when I went to pick her up. The only problem..... she didn't want to leave her Nana either. Once we got home she seemed ok, but yesterday, she told me I was mean and that she wanted to go back to Nana's house and stay. Tough kid!!!! You have to live with me until I kick you out at 18!!!! Kidding. I know she loves me, but sometimes it hurts my feelings when she wants to be with someone other than me. I know that is selfish, but it is just the facts. Of course, when I'm frustrated with her I don't care if she wants someone besides me. Anyways, we are back at our regular schedule and now we have to get ready for school. I will post Halloween pictures of her a little later.

Pre-Halloween

2007-10-30T16:45:00.001-05:00

We have been very busy lately attending several pre-Halloween activities. We also carved our own pumpkins. Isn't mine cool?

We went to trunk or treat at Joe Tucker Park. I just had to post this picture because I thought it was so cute. Daddy and his princess.

We also attended a Halloween party at Ross Bridge, held by the MOMS League that we are members of. She had a good time, but usually does when there is a table full of food that she has complete access to. Especially if it is junk food! Here are a few pics of her and her friends.

Other things that have been going on lately:

School Pics - She looked so pretty before I took her to school. She even stood still and let me curl her hair. I was so proud. Unfortunately, it was a nasty day with misting rain. Her hair looked horrible by the time we got to school. Good thing I took pics before we left the house! Here you go:

She loves school. She is learning so much there. She can almost sing the whole alphabet and she can sort of count to 11. She leaves out a few numbers here and there. She is also learning a lot of songs. She comes home everyday and sings to me. She has been singing Jesus loves me and The Lord's Army and she even sings the blessing. It is sooooo cute! The only drawback of her going to school is that they only let her sleep for an hour and she really really needs two. So, she is a grumpy old hornet when she gets home till she goes to bed. She still is asking why every two seconds and she is also making up really good excuses why she shouldn't have to do things. She has now decided that she would rather eat junk food than something healthy for all meals. It is a battle 24 hours a day to get her to eat something healthy. We really should have bribed her with something else while potty training, but what can you do?

I've been working temporarily for the past month for my old job but have finally completed the job so I can focus on Thanksgiving and Christmas and Sewing. Yeah!!!!

Yeah!!!

2007-10-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited. One of my friends and neighbors called me yesterday and told me she received free tickets to the Broadway show Phantom of the Opera and wanted to know if I would go with her. YES!!!!!! I've always wanted to see a show like this and hubby would never go to something like this, even though he said he had thought about buying tickets to this one and taking me. He lies...... Anyways, I'm going tonight and I'm pumped. We are sitting next to the orchestra so I hope they are good seats. I won't care b/c I'll be too excited b/c I'm there. And what does any of this have to do with Kate.... Nothing. I think I deserve a post or two of things just about me or hubby or anything random I want to talk about. Hope you have a great night. I'm sure I will!!!!!

Names Kate

2007-10-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Hubby was helping Kate go to the bathroom and when she was done, he said "alright kid, lets go." To which she replied...." Name's Kate!" At least she knows her name!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

Today we went to a Pumpkin Patch in Hayden and it was crazy, but fun. Of course we took lots of pictures and we went on a hayride and we pet farm animal and Kate rode her first horse. I'm so proud of her. She wasn't scared at all. She kept screaming from the horse..."Look at me mommy, I riding a horse." of course while squealing profusely. Here are a few pics of our day.

I love you too much!

2007-10-15T21:32:00.001-05:00

Most of the time my child drives me slightly insane. I think every mother can admit this. I love her with all my heart and soul and never thought I would feel this way about anyone, but I do. I made her and she is all mine. Well, of course I share her with hubby, but you know what I mean. I don't pretend that she is sweet and innocent all the time. Nor do I try to put her off as the perfect angel. I'm more of a tell it like it is kind of person. Most of the time I do it in a nice way though. Anywho.... the other morning I was trying to get ready for work ( yes, I am working on a temp. basis right now) and Kate came in the bathroom and asked me to hold her. This is a normal thing. She asks me to hold her and I say no. She asks again and I say, why. Most of the time she just whines and moans for me to hold her and throws a fit. But that morning she actually decided to respond with..... " Cuz, I love you too much!" I'm not normally a sentimental person in this regard, but my heart melted and I thought, ok, that is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. My response to her " Come here. I'll hold you b/c I love you too much too!" Aren't they sweet some times? I hope I never forget her saying this!

Halloween is Coming!

2007-10-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

Happy October!

We are getting geared up for Halloween now and we've put out all our decorations (which aren't alot). Kate will be Cinderella this year and I'm sure she will be beautiful. She really loves Cinderella right now! I haven't taken a picture of her yet, but when I do, I'll post it. I have made her a Halloween dress and she looks really cute in it. Check it out!

Shortly after Halloween (the day after), I will be leaving with my grandmother to go to Mobile to board a cruise ship. I've never been on a cruise before so I'm really excited about it. Plus, it has been awhile since I've been anywhere with my grandmother and I love to spend time with her. She has been like a mother to me my whole life and I use to spend loads of my time with her before I moved off to college.

The next weekend marks my 29th year of life. Yes, it will be my birthday. Nothing exciting planned because the rest of the month is packed. The next weekend we will be traveling to Gatlinburg to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. My parents have rented a chalet in the mountains and my whole family will be going there. We will return on that Sunday because Brian has to work on Monday and then on Wednesday night we will load up the car and travel to Orlando to spend Thanksgiving with Brian's family. I'm tired just thinking about all the traveling we are going to do. I know Kate will love being with all of our family though and they will all love being with her.

Check out my other Blog

2007-10-04T06:32:00.000-05:00

Well, it isn't just mine. A couple of my friends and I decided to start a blog and try to sell some of the stuff we are making. I only have the sleep mat up so far but there is more to come. If you are interested in any of the stuff you see (after I post some more stuff), let me know. The link is http://sewingdivas.blogspot.com .

Why, No and Where my Daddy Lives

2007-10-02T09:59:00.001-05:00

Kate has recently picked up several things that I thought I would share or express my opinion on. If I ~~tape her mouth shut~~ ~~beat her~~ seem distressed you will know why now. Kate has been telling me no for awhile now. At first I don't think she knew exactly what it was for, she just knew it made me ~~furious~~ ~~want to spank the fire out of her~~upset. Then she slacked up and didn't really use it all that much. Well, she has come back full force and uses all the time and grins while she says it. I tell her to do something... She says no. I ask her if she wants to go in time out or get a spanking... she says no. Then I say to do what I'm telling her then. She responds.... NO. Then I begin trying to bribe her. Does this work??? NO. She runs from me when I try to put her clothes on, shoes on, bathe her, fix her hair, drag her into the house when it is time to come in and she runs screaming NO!

Second Word. Why? I don't know who she learned this from, but if you know who taught her this, I wanna know b/c I ~~want to strangle them~~ personally thank them for my recent grief! I am pretty sure she says this 500 times a day. I can't answer with the correct answer to make her happy. It is just continuously... Why? Let me give you an example:

Me: Kate, let's go get a bath.
Kate: Why?
Me: Because you played hard today and your dirty and we have to get you clean before you get in the bed.
Kate: Why?
Me: Because we don't want to get your sheets dirty.
Kate: Why?
Me: Because then you would be sleeping on dirty sheets.
Kate: Why?
Me: Because you slept in the bed dirty. Now get in her and let's take a bath.
Kate: NO! (proceeds to run away)
Me: Get in here or no books tonight.
Kate: NO!
Me: Then get in here.
Kate: NO.
Me: (dragging child into bathroom)we are going to take a bath now whether you like it or not

You get the point. I could go on and on.

I also wanted to add to this post something Kate and I had a discussion about yesterday that I thought was so sweet, funny and interesting. We went to eat with our friends Terra, Brantley and Braydon and on the way to the restaurant she said, "Where's my daddy?" and I said at work. Then she asked me where Brantley's daddy was and I said at work in Mobile. She then asked me why he was in Mobile and I said "That is where her daddy lives." and she responds...."My daddy lives at my house!"
I just thought that was so cute and funny. I'm so glad that she has a daddy that is a part of her life and that she understands this. I can't imagine her without Brian as she misses him everyday and loves to play with him and help him fix things. She already knows specific things about him because last night she asked what daddy was doing and I told her he was watching TV and she said "watching baseball?" and I laughed and said "yes baby, he is probably watching baseball." Wow, aren't children amazing? And exhausting!

First Haircut

2007-10-01T21:42:00.001-05:00

This weekend Brian gave Kate her first haircut. She needed it because her hair was really stringy at the ends and it always looked like I didnt' comb it. We talked her up about it and she was really excited about it. She stood as still as a two year old can and when we were done, she was estatic. She kept telling us that she looked pretty! She looks so grown up to me now that it makes me sad to think that she is no longer a baby, but truely a little girl.

Updates on Kate

2007-09-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

I am amazed at what a two year old can comprehend and put together. Tuesday I took her to school and when we parked in the parking lot to get ready to go in, she said "I not go in!" Of course, I said why. She responds with " Nursery probably nasty." I ponder this for a few seconds and giggle and say... "I don't think the nursery is nasty baby. I'm pretty sure they clean it every day." And her response is..... "No, Nursery probably nasty. I not go in. " Eventually I did talk her into going in. I told her we would check it out to make sure it was clean. Who taught her to say this??? I don't think I did, but maybe I did and just didn't realize it.

Potty training is almost complete. I'm almost sure I could let her sleep at night in panties and she wouldn't have an accident (b/c her diaper is dry when she wakes up every morning). Maybe it is just me that is holding her back completely. She wears panties all day and really never has an accident. It just boils down to laziness. I'm scared she will have an accident at night and in the morning I'll have to clean up pee and the thought of having to do that first thing in the morning just doesn't sit well with me. I'm now pondering whether to put a potty in her room in case she wakes up and has to go and maybe this would keep her from waking up and screaming my name in the middle of the night or opening her door after she goes to sleep so she can get to a potty. The problem is that 1)I'm scared she will fall in the potty and drown or 2) she will be so sleepy and think she needs to come get me and then fall down our stairs. And she doesn't know how to get toilet paper on her own. I always get it. She does wipe herself, except if she makes a stinky. But I know the whole roll would be in the toilet if she got the paper herself. Then the toilet would overflow and I don't even want to think of what would happen after that. So that is my problem right now.

Kate still loves her babies and plays with them constantly. She wouldn't leave for school this morning until we had strapped one of her dolls into our second car seat. She tells me to be quiet all the time b/c her babies are sleeping and she loves trying to put shoes on all of them.

So that is all I can come up with for now. Hope everyone is doing well!