Janet and Justin

Katy Beth is 4 months!

2011-09-27T16:14:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe my baby girl is already 4 months! It has gone by SO fast! I feel like it was so hard at first…but the past 2 months have been a breeze! We had her appointment today so I will do stats and updates!

Height: 26 inches (95%)

Weight: 15 lbs 4oz (75%)

Got 2 shots…handled them MUCH better than last time! She is a little congested so I am expecting a long day/night. We are going to start her on rice cereal tomorrow morning!! Next week I will probably try veggies!

What are you up to Katy Beth?

You are still sleeping all night! Usually she falls asleep around 8:30 and I wake her up to eat around 9:30 or so…and she sleeps until 8am. Sometimes she wakes earlier but I bring her to bed and she sleeps with me until I get up!
She takes her naps in her swing usually. I want to break this habit…but I don’t think it’ll be a problem. She can sleep anywhere (even on a table at Jessica’s wedding! lol!)
She started laughing a few weeks ago and we ALL love to make her giggle! So far the best giggles are saved for Natalie! And Natalie loooooves it!
She naps 2 long naps and a few 30 minute or so naps.
So far she likes her paci, (not dependent on it though…yet) and loves her crochet blanket! Oh…and she likes her two fingers like Natalie…urghhh..ha!
Her eyes are still blue/green/brown. I’m pretty sure they will be a brown/green hazel like Cole’s. Natalie's were always brown.
She is wearing 3-6 and 6 month clothes. I put her in a 6-9 month outfit today and it fit ok!
She still loooooves her baths! Has not cried ONCE in a bath! ha!
She is rolling to her tummy all the time. Sometimes that makes her happy…but at night it makes her mad. I’m so ready for her to figure out how to roll the other way! haha!
She is losing her hair :( I swear she is Cole made over! Cole did the SAME thing at this age! (only he had eczema…so far Katy is free of this!)
Stranger anxiety has hit too. When she sees someone new…the bottom lip sticks out and she screams. haha! I guess she’s going to be the BIG momma’s girl!

I will post pics tomorrow! We have a busy few weekends coming up! I hope it doesn’t throw her fabulous schedule off!!!

New blog page!

2011-09-02T13:49:00.001-07:00

I started a new blog…I almost DIDN’T share this with everyone…but I figure the more who see my pictures, the more likely I am to hold myself accountable! It’s my “fitness” and “weightloss” page!

www.janetsfitnessblog.blogspot.com

Wordless (almost) Wednesday

2011-08-31T08:15:00.001-07:00

My crazy 4 year olds who are probably the SWEETEST kids ever!

Chandler, Cole & Kade on their 1st day of preschool! (ok…1st day with Ms. Carol. I forgot the 1st day with ms. Angie!)

My little “big girls” on their first day alone!

Natalie & Brynn

If you could have been a fly on the tree to hear how mad I was that they wouldn’t sit for a nice picture…you would have stung me! haha!

Couldn’t you just eat her up? She is PRECIOUS!

Is it just me or does he look like he’s 10? haha! Big boy Cole on his first day of preschool!

Katy Beth is 3 months old!!

2011-08-31T07:53:00.001-07:00

(I know…horrible picture…it’s all I’ve got at this time!)

Sweet Katy Beth…time is FLYING by!!! Each day I am truly amazed by how quickly you are growing!! You are the sweetest baby I have EVER, EVER encountered! You looove being around others…especially me, daddy & Cole & Natalie AND the houseful of kids that are here daily! Rarely do we hear you cry…and when we do, we know SOMETHING must be wrong!

Here’s what’s been going on with our sweet little pumpkin this month!

We took you to the pool this month and spur of the moment decided to let you get in. It was sooo hot. You wore your daddy’s hat, a swim diaper OVER your regular diaper and a onesie. haha! YOU LOVED IT!! I figured you would at least whimper…but NOPE, you smiled and cooed the whole time!
You are a ROLLER! On 8/26 (your 3 month b-day and MY 31st b-day), you started rolling from your back to tummy. It wasn’t ALL the way… On 8/28 I woke up to find you completely on your tummy!! What a big girl!!
I think you are starting to teeth…you have little rough spots on your fingers from chewing on them and you are drooling NONSTOP!
You have spent a lot of time with your Mimi this month! (Justin’s mom) She watched you while we were at Auntie Jess’s wedding , when we went to get a new refrigerator AND while we went to Daddy’s 100 mile bike race! While there this past weekend, you had a BIG poop explosion. Poor Mimi!
You are in 3-6 month clothes now! You can still wear the 3 month dresses…but not the onesies. I put you in a 0-3 month pajama last night…and it will have to be retired now! (my favorite that Natalie wore too)
You wear a size 2 diaper now also!!
You can sit in your bumbo now! Just a few minutes at a time because then you get wobbly…but you’re getting there!
I usually put you to bed awake somewhere around 8:30-9:30. You lay under your rainforest/symphony mobile and watch the animals & lights & fall asleep either on your side or flat on your back with your arms & legs spread eagle! I know this because I go in at least twice before I go to bed. :)
Usually you wake up between 7-8am. I would never know it unless I went in because you lay there peacefully sucking your fingers or smiling & cooing at your mobile “friends”.
One day last week you did wake up at around 6:00am…because your leg got stuck between the slats in your bed. You screamed bloody murder! I got out Natalie’s bumper pad and put it in your crib…doesn’t match, but solved our problem!!
I hate to risk fate by typing this…but you have not woken up at night time since you were 7 weeks old! Not ONCE…that includes 2 trips to grandmas house, 1 trip to a hotel, and 1 trip to Auntie Jessica’s house! Not to mention the many day trips we’ve taken! I’m so proud of you! I know my babies though…and the other two got growth spurts around 16 weeks…so we’ll see if that happens for you!
You are eating 6 bottles a day! 6oz for the first feed and 4-5 oz for the rest!
I think in the next month I will get out the Jumperoo for you! You enjoy standing up!

You are the joy of our lives Katy Beth! I feel so blessed to be your Mommy!! Like Cole says, “Katy Beth is ALL of our baby!” We all love you soooo much!

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

2011-08-03T15:29:00.001-07:00

This is for you all…but especially Suzanne (or as Cole & Natalie would say, “Auntie Suzy”)

2 month stats

2011-07-27T11:07:00.001-07:00

Weight: 11 lbs 4oz—60th %

Height: 23 inches—75th %

Head: 38 cm—33rd %

Katy had her appointment with the wonderful Dr. Pratt. He said she looked good! The only thing is we need to work on tummy time because she’s not holding her head up as well as she should. Maybe because we all hold her all day and refuse to put her down? haha!

She had 3 shots and 1 oral vaccination. She screamed SOOO loud! My other two kids would cry and then I would give them the mommy magic booby and it solved everything…well…Katy Beth isn’t breastfeeding so she didn’t get it (right away…i let her have the boob later when nothing would stop her crying…it worked!) I felt so bad for her! This is the first time I’ve held one of my babies for their 2 month shots. She is also the only baby of mine to get a fever and get VERY fussy all day. I held her ALL day. I also didn’t have infant tylenol on hand, so had to run there during justin’s lunch break. Her fever broke over night and THANKFULLY she still slept all night. Justin laid her down ON HER BACK (she’s always been a belly sleeper) and she woke up at 7am! Love this girl!!

Katy Beth is 2 months old!!

2011-07-21T15:13:00.001-07:00

Ok…she’s actually 8 weeks old. She will be 2 months on Tuesday, so I will post stats then!

What are you up to my precious baby girl?

Your hair is looong and thick. I think it will be curly. I’m so happy it’s not falling out!
Your eyes are still blue…I think they will be hazel like Cole’s though.
You are still SUCH a good sleeper! Most nights I lay you down by 10:30 and you don’t wake up until 4:30 or 5:30. Three times now you have slept until 7:30 or 8am!
You started sleeping in your own room last night. I’m a little sad by this, but I got a good 5 hours of straight sleep last night. We both move so much and wake each other up..so this is best. In fact, when I would wake up with you in your cosleeper, I would reflexively reach over to you and wake you up. Oops!
You have started smiling A LOT! I don’t want to brag, but you love smiling at me :)
You also gurgle and say, “Ah goo” all the time.
Recently you’ve FINALLY started liking your toys! You sleep in your swings and you enjoy laying on your play mats. Maybe because your bubba and sister keep you company…haha! This leads to overstimulated baby…
You eat 4-5 oz every 3 hours during the day except in the evening when you eat 3-4 every 2 hours.
We’ve been on two road trips already!! AND…twice in two weeks! The first stretch was HARD and you screamed for 30 minutes, but the next few times you did great! I always have to stop and feed you…but thats ok!
You wear Newborn and 0-3 and 3 month clothing. You also wear a size 1 diaper.
I think you weigh approximately 11 lbs…? You are still much, much smaller than Cole and Natalie, but I think that’s perfect!!

Happy 4th of July 2011!!!

2011-07-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

White, Red & Blue! (thank you Momma/Grandma for the shirts!) Aren’t they just precious?! (minus the longhorn cap?!)

Poor quality because its with my Ipod…but sooo cute!!!

This is hard!!

2011-06-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

As you may have noticed, I haven’t been posting as often or putting up pictures. The truth is…I haven’t even taken pictures in a long time.

Katy and I are having a very hard time with breastfeeding. This is a COMPLETE shock to me since it was SOOOO easy and WONDERFUL with Cole and Natalie. I.LOVE.BREASTFEEDING! I DO NOT love this feeding fiasco that Katy and I are doing right now. I never understood why women would want to stop or say “My baby isn’t getting enough milk”. I mean…women are MADE to breast feed!

To be honest, I always thought moms who stopped breastfeeding were selfish. (I’m sorry…yes…I was a breast nazi) I never had sore nipples, or cracked ones, or bleeding ones. It NEVER hurt to breastfeed and my kids gained TONS of weight and were always so happy! Both slept through the night by 8 weeks too. We were just happy breastfeeding momma & kid :) Little did I know that it CAN be hard…your baby doesn’t ALWAYS get what they need from you, no matter HOW HARD you try and are determined.!

Katy started off great….latching on every hour or two and sucking HARD. Somehow she lost that ability to suck hard. It could have been the Pacifier given to her by a nurse at the hospital, but most likely it was when she became so sleepy from the Jaundice she got. Around day 5, I noticed her latch changing and she fell asleep a lot at the breast. I had to WORK to wake her up. In hindsight…I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually got down to around 7 lbs. She started gaining and has done decent, but I’ve noticed her latch continues to get worse. It’s like she doesn’t have the ability to suck hard enough to draw all the milk out of my breasts. I would never feel empty.

I talked to a lactation consultant yestserday and she was a great help. I’ve been pumping after every feeding to up my supply…I will also take the herb “Fenugreek” to help with supply…and I’m adding a nipple shield. I think she may have a very high pallet. I have one and now we think this is why my mom was only able to breastfeed me for a few months too.

Now I can completely empathize with women who “can’t” breastfeed. It is VERY depressing. I cry at least part of the day and sometimes all day. I go from feeling like everything's going to be ok to thinking I’m the most horrible mother in the world. I think of how easy life would be if I just gave her formula…I could run, sleep at night, not be tied to her all day; to thinking about how I’m missing out on the most beautiful bond a mommy and her baby can have. (I’m tearing up right now). Unless you have breastfed a baby and loved it, you have no clue how hard this is. I feel like a bad mom for not being able to give her what she needs to grow and be happy….and I feel like a bad mom for not giving in and giving her formula. I also feel like a bad mom to my other kids who are not getting near the attention they deserve.

My new goal was to reach 8 weeks breastfeeding. I just don’t know if I can do it though. I’m miserable…stuck in the house all day (because the way she breastfeeds requires me constantly moving her and detaching her and reattaching her to me)…and I’m getting fat. I lost 20 lbs…still needed to lose 10 lbs. Now I’m up about 2 lbs.

I don’t know how to be a mom who doesn’t breastfeed! It seems like it might be easier and harder. Easier because its not ONLY me who provides the goods. Harder because its not as convenient. “Oh, you’re hungry? Here” It’s always there and the right temperature and yummy. We call them “yummy yummies”. (here I go crying again…Cole and Natalie loved their yummy yummies.” I know that moms who formula feed have a strong bond, but I’m SO FREAKING SAD to not have that. Heck…I’m breastfeeding now and don’t have that bond since its so hard.

To top it all off…I’m not able to enjoy my sweet baby girl. I just want this stress to go away so I can stare at her and be happy and love on her. Why does it have to be so hard???????

I’m not giving up until I try the nipple shield…but chances are I will be feeding her breast milk bottles and formula. SIGH…

One Month Old!!!

2011-06-27T12:29:00.001-07:00

Katy Beth is one month old!! (4 weeks and 3 days)

She weighs a whopping…wait for it…8 lbs 9 oz. ha! This girl is determined to stay little! haha! Natalie was already over 10 lbs at this point! Cole…around 11 lbs…ha! She IS getting longer though! Her newborn onesies and pants are almost too small.

~Katy is awake for longer periods of time and is starting to follow things with her eyes.

~She smiled at me yesterday :) It’s that wide mouth smile that babies start off with. If you hear me making strange noises…its to make her smile

~She has started receiving a bottle of breast milk after most feedings. She loves it!

Sorry for no pictures…life is kind of crazy now. I’ll try to take some soon. For more on the crazy life…see other post :)

Two Weeks Old!

2011-06-10T13:03:00.001-07:00

Katy Beth, you are two weeks old! The time SURE flies!!

What are you up to?

You sleep really well! You have yet to wake me up at night! I try to wake you up every 2.5 hours to eat…but sometimes it turns into 4 hours. :) Makes for a happy mommy to get at least one 4 hour stretch per night!
You like to sleep right next to mommy!
For some reason you sleep unswaddled during the day and swaddled at night.
You love to watch and listen to Bubba and Sister!
Your umbilical cord fell off (ahem…got torn off by daddy’s shirt!) last Saturday. It is still bleeding…eek!
You HATE having wet diapers! Chances are, if you start an ANGRY cry…you have a wet diaper.
So far your favorite baby item to sit in is the bouncy seat (thank you Chisum family!!). You do NOT like the swings!!
You don’t mind your baths (still doing sponge baths while the umbilical area is bleeding).
I pretty much had to cut chocolate out of my diet because it makes you gassy. BOO! :) just kidding!
You still seem really tiny, but I think you are finally putting on weight…at least I noticed your thighs getting thicker! YAY! You get that from Mommy!!
You like the cheapest pacifier there is. We discovered this after buying 3 other more expensive kinds. Nice :)
We go threw a 36 pack of newborn diapers every 3 days. You tend to “stain” the diapers often.
I tried off my “sleepy wrap” (like a Moby wrap) and you LOVED it!
We have gone on 3 walks and you fall right asleep! You also like to be in your car seat IF the car is moving. If we stop…you cry.

Mommy of the year award goes to me today! I woke up and changed Katy’s diaper and realized that it was the last one in our room. She wet that one immediately and I went to her room to find another…ummm…no more! I finally found ONE more after she pooped that one! Having no other choice, I loaded the kids up and we went to United at 8:30 in the morning for diapers! Our first trip out, just the kids & me. We did good! It was nice to have Cole tell me if she was breathing, awake, asleep…etc. He would say, “She’s fine” or “She’s sleeping”, or “She’s smiling at me!” haha! Such a helpful big boy. (by the way…both big kids have strep throat…so its killing them not to touch her or kiss her. I’m hoping my breast milk has super strong antibodies to keep Katy safe!)

Our 2 week appointment is on Monday. I’m hoping to hear that she has gained weight back up to 8.2!!! I also am anxious to hear what they say about her sleeping at night. I think that Cole and Nat were released to sleep as long as they wanted at their two week appointment. I think she would sleep all night!

Katy is 1 week old!

2011-06-02T20:45:00.001-07:00

Katy Beth, I can’t believe you are one week old!

You are a very SLEEPY girl! You could sleep all day if I let you! (notice I say DAY…you tend to be awake at night. Last night you slept great though!)
You suffered through a bout of Jaundice and scared me to death! Apparantly billiruben levels below 10 are safe. You were scanned on Monday and you were at a 15. We re-scanned you on Tuesday and you were at 16.4. We were told to put you in the sun for 15 min 3x/day. You LOOOVE basking in the sun :) Today we had you scanned again and your number was 11! Dr. Henderson said you will be fine!
You looooove to suck on things (especially mommy). If I could attach you to me all day, you would be the happiest girl on earth. Unfortunately you like a pacifier…I had to give in because I was starting to be in pain and sooo sleepy because you were TRYING to become one with my breasts! haha!
You like to poop after a diaper change…almost every time!
When you are mad, you let it be known! Your scream can be blood curdling and ANGRY!
Cole is your hero. I always told everyone that you would know my voice and Cole’s. Sure enough, if you hear Cole talking, you will turn your head and search for him!
You are pretty chubby! Your cheeks are so fully and adorable and your little arms are pretty cute & fat too! (baby fat cute!)
Nobody wants to lay you down, so you have spent the past week in everybody’s arms. Daddy especially wants to be holding you whenever possible!

You are a very loved little girl Katy Beth!! This week has flown by…I hope I don’t blink and see you as a teenager soon!

Katy Beth has arrived!

2011-06-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

It has been a whirlwind of a week! Our sweet baby girl is here!

I was scheduled for a c-section Thursday, 5/26/11 at 7:30am. I’d been having a hard time sleeping, so i asked the doc on Wednesday if I could take a tylenol PM. He told me to take TWO so I would be nice and rested. My family came in that night and I took 2 while talking to my mom & sisters. I guess I missed the drowsy bit and just kept talking. I ended up NOT sleeping all night!

We got to the hospital at 5:30 and I had like 5 viles of blood drawn and an IV put in (first try! yay!). at around 7:15, they wheeled my bed to the OR and I got my spinal block. It HURT! In fact, I later learned that I got a nerve clipped…it’s ok now…just hurt my back for a few days. The anesthesiiologist was great though! A good old country boy with a camoflauge hospital cap. LOVED IT! Justin and I asked our dear friend and family doctor, Dustin Pratt to assist on the surgery with Dr. Henderson, and their other bicycling buddy Rudy joined the team! The initial cutting seemed to take forever, but this was because I have a LOT of scar tissue. It may be an issue if we decide to have more kids. (good thing we aren’t thinking about that any time soon…or ever!) FINALLY they got to the uterus and there was a TON of tugging and pulling and then Dustin pushed down on my upper belly. Dr. Henderson delivered my Katy Beth at 8:04am! She screamed almost immediately! Of course I cried with joy! I got to see her all white & covered with goo…and a head full of dark, dark hair! Luckily I had no nausea and was able to admire her when they gave her to Justin. I had to have an umbilical hernia repair, so my surgery lasted a LONG time! I guess it was about 9am when I finally got to see her and hold her.

Let me tell you, she came out sucking on anything and everything and she took right to breastfeeding. We spent about 30 minutes together…just Justin, Katy and I…and then we brought in the rest of the family. Cole, Natalie, my parents, sisters, and David and Linda were all there. Cole and Natalie were SUPER excited! Cole’s smile didn’t leave his face for the first few days! haha! Natalie was very happy too! They wore special “Big Bro” and “Big Sis” shirts that Amy Horton made them…sooo cute!

We did so great that day that I felt bad for justin just stuck in the room with us…so I told him he could go ride his bike with Dustin & Rudy (haha….sounds funny). It wasn’t until recently that I realized my hubby left me at the hospital on the DAY our baby was born to go ride 28 miles. haha!

It was a great day for us and we are so thankful our Katy Beth is here and safe and beautiful! God is great and our family is perfect!!

A whole new world!

2011-06-01T19:59:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give a quick story about our new life with Katy Beth! I will post all about her birth and the first week tomorrow…but this is pretty funny!

Today had been pretty lazy. I waited to shower until later…and was feeling pretty great! My sweet friends Amy & Jason Horton were about to be here at any moment to drop off dinner (honestly…this was a great dinner…STEAKS…wow!). The kids were outside with Justin and the slip & slide and my mom was at the store. Katy and i were just enjoying time together. I changed her and as soon as I did, she pooped. I changed her AGAIN…haha! We traveled to the living room and she pooped AGAIN! I sat her down and ran to get a diaper & wipies so I could just change her in the living room. I changed her and she pooped…before I could close her diaper. THANK GOD it stayed in the diaper & didn’t go on the carpet (yes…I changed her on the floor for some reason). ONly problem was, I didn’t have a clean diaper. I couldn’t pick her up with a gross OPEN poopy diaper. SO, I ran to the bedroom got ANOTHER diaper. When I got back she was on her side…but no poop on the floor. PHEW. At this moment, Natalie walks in (in her swimsuit) and says, “I need to go Pee Pee!!” I told her to wait while I finished changing Katy. Natalie wasn’t too happy. Next thing I know she says, “I need to go pee pee NOW!” She reached down, grabbed Katy’s arm and tried to drag her or pick her up or SOMETHING! I screamed and she dropped her arm. I made sure that Katy’s shoulder wasn’t dislocated and then started crying and took Nat to the bathroom. By this point Natalie was crying, “I love Katy”. We made it through that fine and then I saw Amy & Jason pull up…and Katy pooped AGAIN!!!!!!! AHHH!!!!!! haha! We visited for just a bit and as soon as the Horton’s left, Justin came in with Natalie and I told him the events of the past 20 minutes or so. At that point Natalie screams from the play room, “I went poo poo!” Yes, she had pooped in her swimsuit. She had to poop, that’s why Justin had brought her in. We got her in her underwear (why even put on more clothes at this point?). Everyone (except Natalie, Katy and me) went back outside. I was sitting Katy down in the living room in the bouncy seat (which Nat had to bounce hard a few times) when I heard the front door open. I look out the front window and see Natalie in her underwear only heading away from our house. I ran out there and asked where she was going. “I’m going to Kade’s house”. Kade is the son of our new neighbors & friends two houses down. REALLY? Two year old Natalie, you think you can walk out of my house in your braids and underwear and go visit a BOY!? I don’t think so! haha!

SIGH!!!!! Life has changed!! (I’ll add…Cole was nicely playing slip & slide during all this!)

38 weeks 5 days

2011-05-25T17:42:00.001-07:00

LAST Pregnancy Post!!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 38 weeks 5 days

Size of baby: Watermelon (as obviously seen in my pics…ha!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 142…total weight gain is 27 lbs!!! I didn’t gain any weight! Pretty sure this is the least amount I’ve gained in any pregnancy…but I' think I’m the biggest. How strange is that? Maybe its just that I’ve been wearing shorts & tank tops as opposed to pants and long sleeved shirts? Oh well!

Maternity Clothes: Of course! I live in shorts & tank tops! (I plan on STAYING in maternity clothes for awhile too…ha!)

Movement: She loves to kick out my right side and my right ribs!! At the same time something gets my left hip…I don’t know what it is…but she has no more room!

Sleep: I am STILL having a hard time sleeping! I tried one night without Tylenol PM and I only slept 2 hours…ugh! I asked the doctor if I could take some tonight and he told me to take 2! I’m going to bed at 9pm!!!

What I miss: I don’t know…I know I will miss my baby inside of me!

Cravings: Good food!!

Symptoms: I’ve had quite a few contractions. Her movements are painful too. Just in the past 2 days, I’ve started waddling and my back really hurts too (down low). I’m glad I don’t have to wait for her to come on her own! The doctor said he thinks she’s big. I’m hoping she sticks around 8 lbs 3-4oz like bubba & sister! I can’t wait to see what she looks like!

I’m very excited about tomorrow. The kids are excited also. This isn’t the best post because right now the kids are screaming and going crazy and Justin is in a bad mood because he had to make supper. Maybe I’ll have a more touching post later :) See you on the other side of pregnancy!

37 weeks 5 days

2011-05-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 37 weeks 5 days

Size of baby: Watermelon (as obviously seen in my pics…ha!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 142…total weight gain is 27 lbs! Hoping to stay below 30 lbs before delivery!!

Maternity Clothes: Yes! Everything is starting to get small though…not covering the belly very good AT ALL!!! I actually wore some of Justin’s workout shorts (not biking tights..ha!) the other day. It as amusing.

Movement: She moves A TON and is kicking my ribs constantly!!! It’s very uncomfortable at times…but cute :) People can see when she is kicking out…like…from across the room. ;)

Sleep: Insomnia…I just can’t sleep without Tylenol PM!

What I miss: Not Waddling everywhere…and I miss a smaller butt.

Cravings: ICE ICE BABY!!! (which of course freezes Katy, so she moves around a lot when I do this!)

Symptoms: Feeling better this week than last…mainly I’m just tired and I try to stay off my feet as often as I can (sometimes not very often). I’m best when I’m propped up in the recliner or laying down in bed. I’ve also been pretty emotional…crying for no reason…like not being able to clean the house as much as I want to. BUT…justin is doing a good job of that for me!

I have one more appointment the DAY BEFORE my c-section!! So hopefully one more pregnancy post! They say they stop gaining AS MUCH weight the last few weeks…I hope so because I think she’s the biggest baby we’ll have!!!

Almost 36 weeks

2011-05-05T18:23:00.001-07:00

(excuse Natalie’s hair please…it’s lovely isn’t it?)

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 35 weeks 6 days

Size of baby: 19-20 inches and 6-7 lbs

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 139…total weight gain is 24 lbs! Hoping to stay below 30 lbs before delivery!!

Maternity Clothes: Yes! I also still wear my t-shirts. I’m not in many maternity shirts anymore because most are tight fitting shirts and I think its a little vulgar with my popped belly button and back rolls :)

Movement: Having more nudges than anything…but today she has been moving and bouncing around… :)

Sleep: Ughhh…I miss sleep. I’m waking often and peeing all the time. I’m exhausted and can’t sleep because of my children. :) good times!

What I miss: Energy and to be able to stand and not get light headed.

Cravings: Blah…food = indigestion and gas.

Symptoms: Extremely light headed, swollen feeling in hands & feet (although its not visible), indigestion, braxton hicks all the time, and extreme exhaustion.

Good news is…as of today we only have 3 weeks until the c-section! I am NOT dilated, my cervix is still very high (but soft!)…so I don’t think I’ll be having her in the next week or so. I kind of hope she decides to come sometime between 37 weeks and c-section date though…I’m miserable. Logistically I want her to wait until 5/26…but emotionally…and physically…I’m READY! AHHHH!!!! I’m miserable!

33 weeks 5 days

2011-04-20T07:17:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 33 weeks 5 days

Size of baby: 18” 5 lbs and gaining :)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 137. They told me that was 22 lbs so far…I show 23. :) Not too bad!

Maternity Clothes: Yes! I also still wear my t-shirts

Movement: She has moved to a strange position that results in her kicking out of my right side most of the day.

Sleep: Yes…I need it and love it :)

What I miss: Not having a belly to have to maneuver around. Its really starting to get in the way!!

Cravings: Nothing really this week.

Symptoms: Indigestion/naseua big time. Like…there’s no room for food and it tries to come up all day…especially when I’m laying down. :( Tiredness has returned…huge belly is still here and in the way. I’m starting to waddle and swing my right arm to get around. lol! Pretty much…it’s pretty uncomfortable these days! Only 5 more weeks though!

On another note, my friend Charla has had had her precious twins!! I can’t wait to meet them!!! They are healthy and BEAUTIFUL!!!!

What have we been up to lately?!

2011-04-18T12:36:00.001-07:00

So I realize I have a lot of posts about me and Katy. Yes, I still have other children and we have been busy!

One big thing that’s happened is we have transitioned Natalie from her baby bed to her twin sized “big girl” bed! We bought 2 twin beds so that eventually Natalie and Katy will each have their own. Currently, Natalie is sleeping on a twin bed in Cole’s room. She is very excited about it and tells us how she’s a big girl…but it’s been tough! Tough for a few reasons:

Cole is a bit afraid of the dark (has happened in the past few months). He likes to sleep with the door cracked and a nightlight and bathroom light on.
Natalie sleeps best in the complete dark with the doors closed…all alone. This works best because she tends to play with her animals and talk a lot. The less distractions…the quicker she falls asleep
Since they are sharing a room…I have to accommodate to both of their needs. This means we start off with the door open and hall light on. This results in Natalie being able to see enough to get up and find books, other animals and have a party in her bed (sometimes we have no clue this is going on!). SOOO…I have to check on her…a LOT! I walk around with the wooden spoon to spank her each time she gets up. Once Cole is asleep (poor kid…he hates that she keeps him up…yet loves her being in there!) I shut the door. This helps Natalie fall asleep…but if Cole wakes up and finds the door shut, he FREAKS out and ends up scaring the bejeezus out of me by standing right next to me and staring at me while he cries until I crack the door and turn back on the light. Usually that’s the end of it…SIGH.
Nap time. Cole used to lay in his bed and rest or nap. With Natalie, they just talk. I finally had to take him and let him “nap” aka..rest…on my bed while Natalie naps in their room.

We will survive though!!

The other twin bed is in Katy’s room and the bedding goes soooo much better with the green walls in there! I want to do a “nursery” post soon so that ya’ll can see how darn cute that room is! I LOVE it!!!

Cole vs Tee-ball

haha! We found out recently that Cole is old enough to play tee-ball! We asked if he wanted to play and he did!! (shocked!) We signed him up late, so he missed his first practice. The next practice was cancelled due to wind. Unfortunately there are no more practices :( His first time to meet his coach and team was at “Meet the Little League”. It’s a HUGE event the league puts on to introduce all the kids to the town. We have about 11 tee ball teams alone! There were over 200 people there that day!

Well…ya’ll know my kid is shy. I figured he would be worried…but he was TERRIFIED! I mean…he made himself physically ill! He was doubled over in pain! I actually thought he had appendicitis! After about 40 minutes of him falling over on the field and crying, (and me threatening to beat him…sigh…), he finally followed his team out onto the field to be introduced. Did I mention the name of his team? Oh yes, they’re the LONGHORNS! Seriously? haha! Him and his Daddy are proud! Cole later told me he was sorry for being so nervous…but he had butterflies in his throat. Aww…what do you say to that? His first game is tomorrow! We’ve been trying to practice here so he has an inkling of an idea of what to do! When I went to buy Cole’s pants….I couldn’t resist buying Natalie her first cheerleader outfit. hehe, doesn’t she look cute?! They both are precious!!

Cole in his Long horns attire and Nat in her Childress bobcats cheerleading suit! (ignore daddy in the background! lol!)

She would NOT pose by herself!

Cole leading his team off the field :)

Cute, cute shirt that Amber made for Cole! Sorry Amber…he HAD to do his longhorns sign!

My little beauty queen still sucking those fingers! I’m happy to say its usually only at night and when she’s really tired :)

My boy in his froggie towel. I figured he’s getting so big he won’t be wearing it much longer and I just HAD to snap a photo!

Little sister in the same towel…cheesing big time! :) PS…they take SHOWERS now…woo hoo! (for now…quicker and easier for me and Daddy! ha!)

32 weeks 2 days

2011-04-10T09:44:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 32 weeks 2 days

Size of baby: The weight of a large Jicama (3.75 lbs) and about 16.5 inches!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: At my doctor’s visit on Tuesday, I weighed 133. That means 20.5 gain so far!

Maternity Clothes: Yes! I’ve lived in shorts and tank tops this week!

Movement: Regular awake and sleep patterns. Right now she’s got the hiccups. Poor girl gets them all the time!! She is head down and usually her hiney is on my left side and she kicks at my right ribs. Great fun :)

Sleep: It’s ok…

What I miss: Having the energy to REALLY play with my kids :(

Cravings: Nothing really this week.

Symptoms: I’ve been doing really well the past 2 weeks with a huge energy spurt, but yesterday I crashed and burned. I mean…I laid around all day and even cried because I didn’t have the house clean for Justin when he got home. It was kind of ridiculous!

WE HAVE A C-SECTION DATE!!! Katy will be here by 5/26! I have it scheduled for 7:30am. Being a smaller community/hospital…I would imagine she should be here by 8:30 or 9am at the latest! (Unless she decides to come before!) I will be 38 weeks/6 days.

Finally we can PLAY outside!!

2011-04-08T08:53:00.001-07:00

Justin and I have wanted a playset outside for our kids for YEARS now! We are both super picky and are sooo afraid of buyer’s remorse. We looked at Toys R Us and I just wasn’t finding one I loved that had decent reviews. We finally found one at Sam’s that we liked! It is very good quality and for the price, we love it!! So do the kids! Every now and then Maverick…our 4 year old 75 lb Black Lab decides to climb on it too! haha!

It took 2 full days work with 2 men (my dad and Justin) and 2 half days work (justin). Cole also put a lot of sweat into it also!! He is super proud of his & daddy’s work! Natalie loves to swing but is still a bit scared of the slide. She climbs up the rock wall alone (EEEK!!) and just sits at the slide and stares at it. She actually was going down it JUST FINE by herself the first day and then I decided to catch her a few times…now she won’t go by herself. Oh well…she loves the swing. :)

Maternity photos

2011-04-05T08:42:00.001-07:00

I know some of you have seen these, but there are a few who haven’t! My mom took these this weekend and I thought they turned out wonderful! Thank you momma!!! (31 weeks, 1 day)

30 weeks 4 days

2011-03-29T12:38:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 30 weeks 4 days

Size of baby: Head of Cabbage 15.6 inches long and weighs about 3 lbs!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: My scale says 130.5…so add 2 lbs for clothes..hehe…132.5. Total weight gain: 19.5 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Yep! I’m still wearing my regular t-shirts and pajama pants though! I gave in and bought 3 pairs of maternity shorts. They are way cute & comfy & I figure I will wear them after the baby is born too.

Movement: She was kind of quiet for a few days, but she’s changed positions again and kicks me a lot. She does lots of stretching that gets my hips and ribs at the same time!

Sleep: Ehhh…I’ve had better sleep. I toss and turn a lot…and my left hip is killing me lately! Plus I’m peeing a lot again…

What I miss: Pretty legs (mine of course).

Cravings: Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (Katy made me break my lenten promise!)

Symptoms: Full all the time feeling

On the upside…I’ve been nesting! I’ve been a cleaning woman again & have been waking up at 6:50 or so and taking showers (rather than waiting for naptime). It’s nice and I feel very accomplished!!

Funny montage of pictures!

Me & Katy….and Cole! (Notice I finally cut my hair! First time in about 4-5 months!!!)

Me & Katy (& my new bling bling shoes)…and Chandler!

(PS…this is from justin standing up…I guess this is how he sees me…looking down at me? Wow! He really IS a giant!)

Me posing! SUPERSTAR!

Me & Nat & our new bling bling sandals! (yes…I DO brush her hair…just hadn’t yet today! Don’t be a hater!)

Sweet one that shows my pretty baby in my belly :)

Potty Training Success!

2011-03-09T06:52:00.001-08:00

Natalie has done so great potty training! I’m truly amazed! I mentioned earlier that I ran out of diapers and decided to train her last Monday after nap. By day 3, she was telling us when she had to go pee pee! She’s had a total of 3 night accidents out of 9. I’m so proud of her!! She hasn’t had a day accident in several days. The only issue we have is pooping. She goes on the potty..but we have to sit her on the pot and leave her alone for a few minutes…and she doesn’t like to go. She has not “told” me she has to go, she just comes to me and says, “OUCHIE!” while holding her hiney and walking like a duck. Natalie has always eaten oatmeal for breakfast and lots of high fiber foods…therefore has always had soft bowel movements at least once or twice a day. Most days she is now going once. It’s got to be a hard transition!

Like I mentioned before, we used the “3 day Potty Training” e-book method. I used it with Cole after we tried everything and it did a good job day training him (never really got far in the night training). We used lots of stickers for Natalie (one for each pee and 2 for each poop). We gave her a “Pinkalicious” dress up dress for going poop on the potty twice. After about 4 days and 3 rewards…she got tired of the stickers and acted like she was going to stop training! I started a BIG potty chart and now she is working towards getting a new Cinderella dress up dress. Cole’s rewards were trains and Natalie’s are all about princesses…typical!

Here are some fun pics of Natalie’s potty chart (filled up within 2-3 days!) and her new Pinkalicious dress. Can you tell she loves it? She wears it all day everyday!

27.5 weeks

2011-03-08T15:47:00.001-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 27 weeks 3 days

Size of baby: Cauliflower (in weight…almost 2 lbs) 14.5 inches long!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I weigh 131. I have gained 17 lbs. I’m encouraged by that because it feels like much more!

Maternity Clothes: loving my new maternity pants, my leggings, and pajama pants and t-shirts. Have outgrown some jeans (due to love handles)

Movement: Kicking a ton! I know her sleep habits and she loooves to be awake around 10pm :) She is entertaining to watch!!

Sleep: It is good…but I’m up checking on the kids at least twice a night (potty training natalie and weaning Cole off pull ups at night). When I do sleep, its hard!

What I miss: The Usual…exercise, BUT I’m adding walking this week! I also miss energy :)

Cravings: Nothing

Symptoms: nothing really?

I’m having a pretty good week! I made a commitment to count calories and change my bad habits (thank you Sparkpeople.com for the free calorie counter!). I’m giving up sweets for Lent! I also want to walk 3-6 times per week!

Potty Training and a New Laundry room!

2011-03-03T13:19:00.001-08:00

Let me start with the Laundry room. (the 2 actually go together! ha!)

Justin and I have been wanting a new washer and dryer for a few years now. We got our old set when we moved in together in 2002. It was a 1991 model and we paid $150. It was our first purchase of ANYTHING together and we each paid $75…and we thought that was EXPENSIVE! :) With our tax refund, we decided to go for it. We actually did a little researching and knew we wanted a front loader with a Steam Dryer. We ended up with the Kenmore Elite Steam Washer and Steam Dryer. We really like them!

In order to install these puppies, we had to take out our old cabinets…they were too low. When Justin did this, he tore holes in a few walls and the ceiling (the cabinets were built INTO the walls…so it was inevitable). We hired a great guy to come patch up the walls, retexture, paint, add paneling, and lay new flooring. There is SUCH a huge change. WHY did I not take before pictures???? I guess because it all happened so fast! I found ONE measly before picture…and its just barely of the washer and dryer and cabinets. Just imagine ugly wood trim to go along with it. We hope to add shelves or maybe some cabinets sometime soon…but we’re in no rush. The pedestals hold all of the detergents…and I wouldn’t be able to reach the cabinets anyway. Did I mention how nice it is to not have to bend over for laundry? It’s GREAT!!!!!!!

Potty Training

I have really been talking up potty training for NAtalie for a while now. I don’t want to have 2 babies in diapers when Katy is born…but wasn’t sure WHEN to train her. I ran out of diapers Monday and decided it was time. She woke up from her afternoon nap and we started the “3 day potty training”. She got a sticker each time she went pee pee on the potty and after 5 times, she got a “treasure”. These were princess books or movies (I only bought 3…girl treasures are more expensive than boys!). Needless to say she got all 3 treasures the first day (starting at about 3pm). She had 1 pee accident that day, 1 over night and then 4 total accidents the 2nd day. The 3rd day I had to make a surprise trip to Wichita Falls to get more flooring and I didn’t know what to do…put her in a pull up or just let her wear panties. I decided to stay with the panties and bring a portable potty. SHE HAD NO ACCIDENTS! I was so proud of her! Since then she has peed in her bed once over night and had another poop accident. She is fully day pee trained and I’m hoping the poop will cure itself. This will require me to give her my full attention though…so hopefully by the time the weekend is over! She likes to go “all by mybelf”…haha!

How are the 2 related you ask? I had 10 pairs of panties for her when i started on Monday. I realized Monday night that we had no washer…the washer didn’t get installed until Wednesday night after bedtime…and I had to go buy more underwear! haha!

Our Katy Beth!!!

2011-02-28T09:43:00.001-08:00

Well, our sweet little baby is indeed a girl!! At our first ultrasound, we weren’t 100% sure, as her knees were up to her chest & wouldn’t give us a good shot. I was so hesitant to make purchases or do anything to prepare for the arrival! SOOOO…I opted to do a 3d ultrasound in Frisco while going to see my dear friend Kelly.

Luckily we found out that YES she’s a girl! DEFINITELY a girl! haha! It’s amazing how much more clear it was this time! Our silly girl has her legs folded up and her feet are by her face. Natalie did the SAME thing! She is currently breech…makes no difference to me since I will have a c-section anyway! HOWEVER, it made it very difficult to get good 3d photos. I wasn’t too impressed…so…but it was neat to see her face! I think she looks a lot more like Cole than Natalie! She already has chubby cheeks!! We got to see her yawn and I SWEAR she’s chewing on her umbilical cord…hopefully not :) haha!

Sweet profile

Feet right in front of her face! You can see one really well. To the left of the picture is her arm bent, so you see her elbow. Her hand was covering her face in this photo too…haha! Shy girl!

Her face in 3d (profile)…her umbilical cord is going over her nose/eye…so it’s making it look a bit bulbous…haha!

Well, as soon as we left the ultrasound, it was time to shop! I bought her a cute outfit at Carters…as did Auntie Jess (I also got a matching top for Natalie…so far they have 2 matching outfits :)) I also splurged and bought part of her bedding. It’s the only one I've wanted since we found out she was probably a girl. The only bad thing is it’s pottery barn…eek! I just bought the quilt and bed sheet. I’m trying to decide if I need the bumper and bed skirt? I also want to buy the twin bed sets too…but its all so expensive. Hopefully I can catch a good sale!!

We are really worried about Natalie in this whole process. If you’ve met Natalie, you know she has the total Princes/Diva personality. I guess we’ve spoiled her a bit and she’s always been “baby” to us. She’s having a hard time accepting that she’s not going to be the only princess anymore. She will soon get her big girl twin bed and move into “Bubba”’s room until the baby is around 6 mos or so (sleeping through the night..so maybe a year?) She was at first excited and is now saying that “Katy Beff” will sleep in Bubba’s room. We will be potty training and transitioning rooms at the same time, so I HOPE we can play up the BIG GIRL thing and she will be ok. Plus, she loves her brother, so I think it will be fun for them.

25 weeks 4 days

2011-02-23T06:45:00.001-08:00

Yeah, Yeah…I’m late…SUE ME! :) Just kidding!!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 25 weeks 4 days

Size of baby: Eggplant! 9.2 inches and approx. 2 lbs! Wow!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Uhhh…I’m guessing 20 lbs or so? I’m scared to look!!! Valentines day really did me in!

Maternity Clothes: All maternity and regular t-shirts! I just bought my first full belly panel capri pants! The only thing is that capri pants look like high waters on me since they hit at the ankles. Oh well, I can roll them up! I also got 2 cute tees from target. I’m in a size 8 maternity pant (GAG!!!) and MEDIUM maternity shirts. For reference…I was in 4 maternity and EXTRA SMALL and SMALL for my previous 2 pregnancy. when I say I’m fat, I mean it, ok? I would appreciate it if you people would agree and not LIE TO ME! (hahaha…I’m going through weight/fat roll issues…ok?) :)

Movement: She’s moving a lot! I don’t know her (is she a her still???) location in my belly…but it changes often. this morning she was kicking or punching out the right side of my belly. Last night it was left…and a few days ago it was my wooha. :)

Sleep: I went to Lubbock Sunday-Tuesday and forgot my Snoogle….sleep wasn’t great! Last night was wonderful! I love you snoogle, I really do!

What I miss: Exercise…walking, lifting HEAVY weights that make me groan, running until I can’t run another step, running up my hills and enjoying my downhills, the wind on my face, the feeling of just completing a long run, beating my times. I MISS WORKING OUT SO BAD! I miss my beautiful musclicious legs. Now they are fat and ugly :(

Cravings: Nothing

Symptoms: fatness

Do you see a trend here in this post? I’m really going through an “I’m fat” depression. I’ve never had legs this poofy or a poofy face or flabby thighs…at least not in the past 8 years or so. I’m so disgusted and I feel so helpless. I mean…what can I do now at 25 weeks pregnant? I can’t exercise to get my heart rate way up? I can’t do a million squats, I can’t run, I can barely even walk that far. I just don’t want to get to a point of no return…If I KNEW I could get back to the me I was this summer, I’d be ok. I’m just starting to worry! With the c-section I will be out of commission for 6-8 weeks (don’t tell me I can walk…walking is not working out for me!!). THEN…I breastfeed and I have serious issues with running/lifting weights and breastfeeding. Formula is NOT an option for me….I just won’t do it, so I’m looking at next May before I can REALLY get at it as far as working out goes. Actually, I fully plan on reading as much as I can about working out hard and still breastfeeding. I have a feeling that means I will be drinking 20 gallons of water a day and eating a house, but if that’s what it takes to workout, that’s what it takes.

Sorry, no pic…no one is here to take it :( Maybe I’ll get Cole to after preschool!

Happy 4th Birthday Cole!!

2011-02-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

(pictures from Cole's Star Attraction Day at Ms. Angie's)

I can't believe my first baby is FOUR YEARS OLD!!! It doesn't seem like 4 years ago TODAY that we brought him home from the hospital in the snow. :) I'll never forget laying on the bed with Justin to take a nap when we got home (as my mom watched Cole)...and looking at each other with big wide eyes and crying. WHAT ARE WE GETTING IN TO? haha!

Back to my four year old! As soon as he woke up on his birthday, he said, "Am I FOUR today mommy?" I said yes and he said, "COOL!". He told everybody about it all day. We had a small birthday party for him on Friday (his actual birthday). My parents, Justin's parents, my sisters, Brittainy (next door neighbor) and her 2 kids and my friend Alana and her two kids all attended. We had pizza, cake, ice cream and a fun Buzz Lightyear Pinata! I think Cole had a great time! He's very rarely the center of attention...and i think he enjoyed it! His big gift from us was a bicycle with training wheels! He got lots of games and thomas the train stuff too! It's going to take a while for him to figure out the bike, but I think by summer time he'll have it figured out!

What is my FOUR year old up to?

He is potty trained completely! He doesn't pee overnight (except on the rare occasion) and goes #2 on the potty!
He talks like a grown up now! (with his little boy "r"s and "l"s of course). Today he was talking to Natalie and said, "Did you do that or didn't you? Tell me the truth!" haha!
He is a pleasant young boy to be around! He likes to please and just gives you the sweetest grin when you acknowledge something he's done well.
He looooves to write his name! I don't have many papers or bills or envelopes without his name sketched on them!
He is ALL BOY! I'm so glad because he's surrounded by girls most days. He spends a lot of time driving his trucks around them or flying his planes into their doll house or pouring dirt on them. :)
His best friend is now Daddy. I knew this would happen...especially now that I'm not as fun. He loves to do everything Daddy does...especially fixing things.
He is SUCH a helper! I tell you...4 year olds really can do just about anything you ask them! It's been NICE!!!
He's starting to eat better! He ate (wait for it....) Steak and Green Beans the other day! I was sooo impressed. However, we have to call it "cow" for him to eat it! haha!

I'm sure there are so many other awesome things he does that I'm not posting. I just love him! He's "my favorite boy". (I tell him this with a kiss everyday) I can't wait to see what this year holds for him!! I'm so proud to call Cole my son!!! (pics later)

23 weeks

2011-02-05T09:13:00.001-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: I have a hard time finding this…but what I did see is that she’s over a pound now and Is about the size of a baby doll. ha!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Don’t know…don’t really care to know. :)

Maternity Clothes: Same as other posts…only I’ve added leggings to my wardrobe. They are so comfy and I’ve had them for a while…just nothing to wear with them. The big sweaters swallow me and I look like a troll. I bought some summer dresses (and used some of my own) and put them over the leggings and where a sweater on top! VERY cute with flip flops or boots!

Movement: She’s moving a lot! She has gotten my ribs in the past few weeks. Long legs again :)

Sleep: I’ve had a good week’s sleep!

What I miss: Exercise and energy

Cravings: Various things. I had to have laffy taffy last weekend. Yesterday it was fried chicken. It just depends on the day!

Symptoms: Constipation and indigestion. Not a fun mix.

I bought some fabric to make a blanket and other accessories for Katy last weekend. I think I’m going with a light aqua blue and brown and pink for her colors (with greens & yellows thrown in too). I still have not bought her anything else. I guess I just figure Natalie has too many clothes (good thing they will get used twice!), but I really need to buy Katy her own things!

Family Fun Day in the Snow!

2011-02-05T07:45:00.001-08:00

When the temps got into the 30s, I knew we needed to get out! Cabin Fever is SETTING IN! (speaking of getting out, I made it to Blackburn’s and got some cute black boots I’ve been eying all winter for 40% off! yay!)

Justin had a dream (ha) to build the best snowman ever, and I think he did a pretty good job! The snowman has a carrot nose, Cole's tool chest bolts or nuts or something for the eyes and no mouth :)

The kids had a ton of fun enjoying the snow, we all actually got hot! Supposedly it’s going to snow tonight, Tuesday, & Wednesday too! Luckily it’ll get warmer in the days to melt most of it though. I’m kind of done with being stuck inside. Cole got sick last night…101 fever and threw up once but he’s better today? Hopefully it was just from all the fun? Anyway, we got some good pics from the snow! Enjoy! (PS there are more pics at www.flickr.com/photos/janetmp10)

Finally, SNOW!

2011-02-03T08:23:00.001-08:00

We finally got snow in Childress! This is the first time all winter! However, it’s been to cold to get out and play much. All of the cities to the East of us are still out of school due to ice and snow. We just had delayed classes…which we are FINE about because then we get all our snow days! That being said, we’ve had little to no ice. The temps have been below 20 all week with lows around 1 or so!! The kids got to go outside for a few minutes, (literally…no more than 10 minutes). Nat came in crying about her fingers…yeah…knit gloves don’t cut it when you’re making snow angels. I took most of her clothes off her and snuggled her against my belly. Justin thought I was crazy, but I wasn’t about to let her get hypothermia! (yes..i put her cold hands on my warm belly to make them warm…hehe!) Also…here are a few random pics from the last month!

Cole and Natalie getting ready to go to the local stock show sale with their Daddy!

This is what we do and how we dress on a snow day. Mess up the playroom (ok…we do that everyday) and wear pajamas and a tutu. I think she looks a bit like Jim Carey on Ace Ventura :)

Here is Natalie ready to spend an afternoon playing with Daddy. Daddy days require Camo and if she wears camo, she likes boots! I threw in the ruffled jeans to be a bit feminine :)

The only way to get Nat to smile for me was to get her beloved Kitty. :)

All dressed up in MANY layers to go outside to play! Cole had on pajama pants and jeans, a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and his jacket. Nat had on her fleece pajamas, sweatpants and the camo pants…plus a sweatshirt under that jacket. And they STILL froze!

My handsome boy playing in the snow :)

All Natalie wanted to do in the snow was make a snow angel. We have no clue where she learned about snow angels, but Justin put her on the snow and away she went…making a snow angel! She made a really good one!

Here’s Cole making one too!!

Our other son, Maverick has made his appearance in our house lately. With low, low temps and below zero wind chills (we’re talking -20), I knew we needed to bring him in. Maverick USED to be an inside dog. He was great, but with a tick infestation and the birth of Natalie, I kicked him outside in 2008. He’s been an outside dog ever since. We’d toyed with the idea of bringing him in again…but we were too afraid of accidents and the thought of him eating toys. AMAZINGLY he has been GREAT! Sure he chews on a few toys, but only to get attention. Most of the day he lays on the floor like in the pic above! That’s what he’s doing now…as Brynn dances all around him. I was most worried about him sleeping in his crate (he used to whine in there). Justin decided to try something different and brought his dog bed into our room (you know, the plush beds). We put up everything that could get eaten and shut all the doors. The bed, of course, went by Justin's side of the bed. He laid in bed ALL NIGHT LONG! I was soooo impressed! He’s done it for 3 nights in a row! This is very exciting for us because we would love him to spend some time inside when its too cold or too hot. He has never had an accident either! Always nudges my hand or whines when its time to go outside! We are so proud of him! The only problem I have is that he stinks like crushed Special K cereal…or stale cookies. I tried to give him a bath, but since he weighs almost as much as I do and I’m prego…I wasn’t up for that struggle. We need to just take him to get groomed again :)

If you followed that novel, thanks! I plan on posting some of Cole’s cute comments soon…since he DOES turn 4 in a week!

My Crazy Kids!

2011-01-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

Just a fun update of what my crazies are up to! (FYI...Cole turns FOUR in a few weeks! In his words, "How'd that happen Mommy?"

~They are both into throwing things to get my attention. For example, if Justin and I are talking, or I'm on the phone, or I'm on the computer and they feel neglected...they throw random things and have fun with it. URGH!

~They are looooving to color! Cole is getting so good! He's starting to color things the right color. He brought me a picture of Thomas the Train that he colored and the colors were accurate! Down to the black funnel on top!

~Their pronunciation of words is HILARIOUS! I LOVE IT! Natalie's new word that I'm in love with is "BALLOON". Her "L"s are ADORABLE....ballllllooooooooon. I'll have to try to record it and put it on here! She has said balloon forever...it's just the pronunciation that cracks us up! "The BALLLLOOOOONNNN mommy, I want the balllloooooon...please give it to me!! One for you, one for me and one for Bubba!"

~Cole writes his name ANYWHERE and eVERY where and it is getting REALLY good! This was one of the really good things on his progress report from Miss Angie. He can write it and spell it outloud (thank goodness for short names :) I must add that Miss Chandler can spell her name outloud too and I'm SOOO proud of her!

~Natalie is such a mommy to her babies. She is in love with two monkeys Justin and I got them at Dave & Buster's a while back. They are exactly alike but one is brown and the other is white. She brings them to me and says, "They're cryin' Mommy! Ohhhhh, poor monkeys, it's oookkkkkaaaayyyy. Awwwwwwwww" I mean its ADORABLE! Sometimes I have to hug them or hold them too. I found them "asleep" in her doll house...one in a bed and the other smashed into the baby cradle.

~Speaking of the doll house, the girls are obsessed with it. (nat, chan & brynn) Their favorite thing at this point is taking all of the barbies' clothes off and washing them in the doll house washer & dryer. Justin was a little worried when he found all of the dolls naked. I assured him that most barbies are naked in little girl's houses until they get older. haha! He still wasn't comfortable with it! lol!

~We are suffering from cabin fever. I'm too pregnant to really want to bundle up and bundle them up to take them outside in the cold, so we stay in and watch movies, cartoons, color, play with toys and play dough..and eat and sleep. We are all tired of it and are hoping to have enough money left over from Justin's bonus or our income taxes to get a swingset/playground thing! Let's put it this way...we'd BETTER have one by this summer!!!!

~Cole is really talking like a little man these days. He explains things to Natalie and us and it's so grown up! I can't believe how big he's getting! Here lately he's been saying "last year" a lot to refer to things in the past. Precious!

~He likes to go hunting with his daddy...in the house for animals :) haha! The kids also like to "camp" in cole's room and make shadow pets or whatever you call them. Fun, Fun!

~PS...the THREES are much, much worse than the TWOS (at least for Cole...I'm hoping it's a speech thing....so maybe natalie's badness is coming out in her twos instead!). He has rEALLY been arguing and testing his limits and throwing fits! What works the best for him is for you to give him choices, "You can keep acting like that and go to time out and get a spanking or you can stop, say your sorry and move on" It takes a couple of more questions....I'm the question queen...but it really works!

~I think Natalie is almost ready for potty training! She spent the day sitting on the potty (although nothing ever came out) because she wants to be a big girl. I may try this weekend...or I may just wait until the end of february or spring break. I'm hoping she's easier to train than cole!! He just went through a 4 day rebellion of pooping. He is FINALLY (crossing fingers) back on track and going on the potty regularly again. The key is consistencey for him. I let justin put them to bed pretty much all week...and he got out of the habit of sitting him on the pot...and I think that's what did it! One miserable week later things are going good though! (PS...what an awesome hubby I have that will put them to bed for me! I LOVE HIM!!!)

~They are great counters! While at United, Natalie was jumping on the blue and white squares (how many of us did that too???!) and counting. She counted to 11!! I mean, she will count that high when you count with her...and higher...but I'd never heard her do it to count things by herself! Cole can count to 20 or so! He doesn't care to count things out...but you can tell he's good with math...I don't know how to explain that...

~Cole is a master train builder. He never ceases to amaze us with his train track creations! He will build them along walls and doorways and around chairs...with perfect curves. AND...they are always complete tracks...meaning the train can make loops...it doesn't just dead end. I'll have to take a pic of his creations soon!! Seriously...I'm amazed because I'm a HORRIBLE track maker! I'm only help if he's having trouble getting a track to connect. lol! Justin walked in the other day and asked, "How did he do that? I've been trying to make it like that for days!" haha!

20 Weeks

2011-01-16T10:24:00.001-08:00

Ok…let me get it out of the way…

WE’RE HAVING A GIRL! (I think…more explanation later)

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 20 weeks 1 day

Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a cantalope (I also saw its the size of a chipmunk! cute!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I weigh 123.5. I started out at 115-116...so I've gained 8-9 lbs!

Maternity Clothes: Jeans for sure...other than that sweat pants and t-shirts. My "nicer" shirts are maternity for the most part too.
Gender: A HEALTHY LONG-LEGGED GIRL!!! With Natalie and Cole…we heard, “This baby has VERY long legs!” haha! I don’t mind a long legged girl! Can you imagine…dark hair, dark eyes, perfect skin color and looong legs? Every guy’s dream. WAIT A MINUTE…I don’t think I like that!

Movement: Baby moved a TON last week…and then took a siesta. She’s still doing well…I listen to her heartbeat when I get worried1 lol!

Sleep: decent this week

What I miss: Laying on my belly and coloring with my kids! I just discovered that i can’t do that! Talk about no fun!!!!

Cravings: Cocoa Pebbles! I’ve been HUNGRY this week and have eaten 2 boxes of Cocoa Pebbles by myself! 2 bowls for breakfast, snack and before bed….no wonder I gained 2-3 lbs in ONE WEEK! EEK!

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good this week EXCEPT my umbilical hernia (otherwise known as the belly button being popped). It REALLY hurts when I’m full. I whined to my buddies about it all night…..sorry girls!

I have never been one to surprise people. For each of my pregnancies I’ve always told people THE DAY I find out I’m pregnant and I text IMMEDIATELY when I find out the sex. This time I actually had a fun girls night planned at our house for the day after my sonogram. SOOOOO…I surprised Amy, Alana & Charla. i made an Angel Lush cake…and figured I’d do a layer of icing PINK since I’m having a girl. I forgot that you don’t really ice the WHOLE cake…just the layers and top. Soo…the cake looked RIDICULOUS…and I had to fill the angel food cake hole with cool whip….but it was fun! Thanks girls…for letting me surprise someone!

Pretty sure that our baby girl’s name will be Katherine Beth Pierce. We will always call her Katie Beth though. Not sure if we will use Katie or Katy though.

I’m about 90% sure that she is a girl. At our ultrasound she wouldn’t put her legs down. They were tightly held up to her chest. We couldn’t see a “turtle” and my friends and Justin all agree its a girl. I may try to get another ultrasound to verify…but who knows. I’m pretty sure she’s a girl! I’ve felt it all pregnancy. I’m excited! Now…what to do with the room arrangements in our house! Cole & Nat will share a room for about a year. Not sure which room…and not sure what beds! We are thinking 2 beds with storage underneath that eventually the girls will use. BUT…I just don’t know!!

Pictures!

2011-01-12T14:38:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to give ya’ll a heads up that I have a photo website that I hope to upload all photos to! it is www.flickr.com/photos/janetmp10 Enjoy!

Scary, Scary!!

2011-01-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

Saturday, I got a call from Justin's mom...his dad had been a wreck. David drives a semi-truck that hauls milk in those big round cylinder things...looks like its holding oil or gas. Anyway...it rolled THREE times!! For the first hour or so...we didn't know ANYTHING about his well being. To be quite honest...I was scared. Cole and I said a prayer asking God to take care of Paw Paw.

We heard bits and pieces that MAYBE he was up and walking?! I didn't think that would be possible...but it was TRUE! Linda drove to Childress and Justin drove her to Amarillo (where he was in the hospital). AMAZINGLY he only was banged up! NO broken bones, NO internal bleeding. God is GOOD! Justin warned me that he looked pretty bad...so I expected bruises, scrapes...etc. When they got to our house that night, he wobbled in and his arms were bandaged all up, his eye was stitched, his faice was bruised & bloodied and he had skidmarks and scrapes all over. I've never seen someone look so horrible and not be seriously injured. I just broke down and cried. Cole and Natalie were ESPECIALLY sweet to their Paw Paw asking, "You o-tay Paw Paw???!" Right then I realized how close we were to losing him and I just cringe to think it could have happened.

His seat was thrown from the vehicle, the windshield was gone,...essentially the cab exploded through the rolling. How did he make it? The troopers and doctors say he shouldn't have made it, but he did. I know a pretty special angel that was watching out for her Paw Paw...

Christmas time with the Pierce's

2011-01-05T06:00:00.001-08:00

Whew...what a WHIRLWIND the past few weeks have been! (I hope to get pics posted soon!)

Christmas week started for us on Wednesday 12/22. That was the day we headed to Lubbock/Wilson in anticipation of seeing cousins! I left the kids in Wilson with my dad while my mom and I went to Lubbock to see my cousin Shannon and her sweet new baby Kinleigh. They were both still in the hospital...with Kinleigh being in NICU. She developed an infection after her mom was in labor with her water broken for over 34 hours! (ughh..doctors!!!) Luckily she was the biggest and healthiest baby in that NICU...I don't like NICU...only been in there twice and the first time I will never, ever, ever forget...(love you baby Emily!!). ANYWAY...Kinleigh is a cutie and a squirmer and I just love her! She weighed a full 2 pounds less than my kids at birth...as well as 4 inches shorter. Can you believe that?!

Thursday 12/23 we spent the day at Grandma Schwertner's house (the kids call her great granny...she lives about 200 yards from my parents :)) Several of my cousins who I don't get to see often were there! Jennifer, Alicia, & Camielle (daughters of my Godfather/Uncle Kurt who passed away many years ago)...and their husbands as well as Alicia's 3 year old son Suede...AND...Amber & Taylor and Afton and Adeline (and their hubbies too). All of our kids had a great time playing together! Cole happily played with Suede...but fell completely in love with Adeline. He has such a caring heart for babies...and he really loved on Addie! Natalie played with everyone and ran through the house a lot! They had a really great time! We drove home that night and got in around midnight....blah!

Friday 12/24 was an overwhelming day for me! We had to make cookies and treats, pack for going to Lubbock (again) the next day, go to church...and I had to wrap a million presents. Needless to say...when Justin got home at 5pm, I was FREAKING OUT! haha! We pulled it together and got it all taken care of...including leaving cookies for Santa and reading the Night Before Christmas (Justin's tradition with them)

Saturday 12/25 we woke up at 7am in order to open presents and get to Wilson by 12pm. Cole was soooo excited and was spoiled by Santa again! His favorite toys were "Stinky the Garbage Truck", "Buzz Lightyear" with remote, and "Woody" with his hat. Natalie loved her Disney Princess Barbie set....but was afraid of her pretty pink Vacuum...so Cole has taken it over as his. Suede would be proud! haha! (Suede loooooves vacuuming and mopping!) We then hurried to Wilson and got there around the same time as Auntie Jess and Matt. We opened our presents there and spent the rest of the day at Great Granny's! She made yummy turkey & dressing! The boys spent the day hunting and playing outside (Cole did some of this)

We stayed in Lubbock until Monday. The kids stayed until Thursday...so Justin and I were able to spend a little time alone and get better. Lubbock has some kind of funky air going on and everybody NOT living there got an allergy cold. It took us a full week to get over it. We also completely cleaned the house...phew!

Saturday we went to Vernon for New Years Day and to celebrate the Pierce Christmas. The kids were completely spoiled! Natalie got a CUTE doll house (she loves it)...clothes and shoes and Cole got a Leapster Explorer and a BB Gun (which won't be used until he's much older, it's sitting in his daddy's closet currently) among other fun things!

WHEW. I had planned on doing the 3 day potty training with Natalie during Christmas break...but there was NO TIME! I didn't have 3 days with her at home...in a row. Maybe this weekend? We'll see!

Hoping to post pics soon! Hope ya'll had a great Christmas!!

18 weeks 2 days

2011-01-03T16:35:00.001-08:00

(Baby's first gift!)

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 18 weeks 2 days
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a small melon or bell pepper

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I weigh 121. I started out at 115-116...so I've gained 5-6 lbs! Maternity Clothes: Jeans for sure...other than that sweat pants and t-shirts. My "nicer" shirts are maternity for the most part too.
Gender: don't know! I still think its a girl...BUT we find out NEXT Friday 1/14! I can't wait!!! I'm just praying it's healthy. I don't care WHAT it is!!

Movement: Yes! Baby moves a LOT when it does move (or when I feel it). I can feel it with my hand sometimes (well...the jolt...not the specific kick)

Sleep: eh...starting to get uncomfortable. I woke up on my belly the other night (Ok...my head was on a pillow and my feet were on a pillow...it wasn't comfy. I toss a lot.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly...and not constantly worrying if something inside of me was growing normally :)

Cravings: NOTHING

Symptoms: Still pimply...and a nice, growing belly!

I went to the doc today because my belly has been feeling REALLY tight. I haven't felt contractions (like braxton hicks)...just a tightness taht is uncomfortable. He said everything seems fine. Maybe just stretchhing...etc. I'm ready to feel better because our house is clean and I want to keep it that way! Sorry no belly pics...Actually...I can find one of me sitting down...I'll post it! We are anxiously awaiting our ultrasound next friday! I will try to post asap what we find out we're having!!

15 weeks!

2010-12-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

(14 weeks 5 days in this pic...right before going on a long walk in the cold with Maverick!)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 15 weeks
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a navel orange or apple!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Don't know, don't care. (Ok...I care...I'm just scared to look!)Maternity Clothes: Jeans for sure...other than that sweat pants and t-shirts. My "nicer" shirts are maternity for the most part too.
Gender: leaning toward a girl. Not because I'm hoping for one. I don't care EITHER way as long as its healthy, but i just feel like that's what it is. :)
Movement: Felt a few kicks lately...but i'm convinced I have an anterior placenta because when I use my heartrate doppler...it's hart to find the heart beat...so I'm sure I'll feel less kicks this go around (at least early on)
Sleep: GREAT! I sleep all night long again :)

What I miss: my belly button not being ugly. I already have an outie (Thanks Natalie...sheesh!)
Cravings: Nothing really? Maybe breakfast sausage recipes...sausage balls, etc. (I'm making some tonight!)
Symptoms: Sore boobies & the face of a teenager! (as in...pimple queen...I never had pimples in highschool though! UGH!) I feel like I'm waddling already too...bleh!

Soooo...I'm 15 weeks! I was SUPPOSED to have a doctor's appointment last Thursday...but APPARANTLY (read: they screwed up!) I had the wrong time. My sweet doctor is in Honduras this week doing amazingly GREAT work...so Ihad to reschedule to 12/20!!!! Can you believe that?! Then I got it for the 16th...so it's only 6 weeks between visits. BUT STILL! I was a very moody and unhappy prego lady! Good news is I SHOULD be able to schedule my ultrasound after my next appointment! about 4 more weeks to find out if it's a boy or girl! EXCITED!!!

PS~~I finally put up pics on the post below! Check them out!

Thanksgiving, Black Friday and The Polar Express!

2010-12-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

The conductor. He was GREAT! Cole and nat were AMAZED when he punched their tickets!

Happy Cole & Daddy! haha!

Cole and Santa! Not too scared!

Looking at the North Pole outside! They were ADORABLE!

Ready to ride the Polar Express!

Cole at Ms. Angie's Thanksgiving Feast! How cute!

SCARY pic of Justin & I at Target Black Friday morning (circa 3:45am!) we were going on about 3.5 hours of sleep! yay us!

This Thanksgiving was really a whirlwind! This year was our year in Vernon...but somehow Justin got the weekend off! (I know...he's the boss...but it just worked out that way!) We started Thursday off in Vernon for lunch. Linda made a GREAT feast! She hasn't coooked for Thanksgiving in a few years...so I was REALLY looking forward to it! We had turkey, homemade dressing, GIBLET gravy, cheesy green bean casserole, homemade German Noodles (one day i WILL learn how to make them!), rolls, yuuuummmy deviled eggs and all the sweets you can imagine! (including my homemade Chocolate Cream Merigne Pie...which is FABULOUS!) We stayed there until about 5 and then headed to Lubbock for latenight after thanksgiving sales!

Justin and I dropped the kids off at my parents and headed to Toys R Us at 9pm. We waited in line until 10:30 and it was CRAZY! We were search for one special toy for Cole, Buzz Light year with a remote...about $50 cheaper than original cost! I spotted one all by itself and leaned over 2 displays to get it. Immediately we were swamped with people asking where we'd found it (it was by the registers...like someone decided they didn't want it). Apparently we got the last one! (I did find one more damaged one...) It was CRAZY! We filled our basket and got back to the farm by 11:30pm.

Friday morning we woke up at 3am...to be at Target at 3:30am because they opened at 4am. There we were searching for Stinky the Garbage Truck (yes...it was the ONE toy he HAD to have) and Disney princesses. Sadly...we wouldn't have had to be there at 4am...but it was nice to get ALL their shopping DONE!!!! We got other stuff including a Blue-ray player ($100 cheaper...we had a walmart ad to match the price!). It was fun to do that with justin (was not fun on Sunday shopping for a Christmas tree with my wishy washy no decision making husband! He is sooooo picky!)

Saturday night we went to church in Slaton for Grandpa's death anniversary mass (miss you big guy!) and THEN...we went and rode the Polar Express! It was FREEZING cold outside...but totally worth the wait! The kids loved it. People danced to the song "Hot Chocolate" and brought us cookies & hot chocolate AND elves visited us AND we saw the North Pole AND...Santa came on board! Cole was so good and got his picture taken with Santa...Natalie didn't cry...but scooted to the window. haha! He gave them...sleigh bells! Very cute! The only downer was that the Engine didn't look like the Polar Express and my little train connoseiur KNEW that. He knew it wasn't real...sheesh! He had a good time though! They were so cute on there with their Christmas "jamas" as they call them (pajamas).

Sunday we headed home! We found our back gate open and couldn't find Maverick (we knew he had gotten out...got a text from a neighbor). Strangely he was back in his house waiting for us. He has gotten out about 10 times in the last month. Just the other night he chewed through our gate and dug his way out...at 11pm and we found him trying to get back in at 4:30am. At least he wants to come home...

That was our crazy Thanksgiving! Today Justin and I are headed to Plano to stay with Jessica and Matt (WHO ARE ENGAGED!!!!!!!! He proposed Wednesday before Thanksgiving! YAY!!) and then we are going to the Big 12 National Championship Football game at Cowboy Stadium tomorrow! We also get to stay at the Hilton Anatole! Thanks to my husband who is really doing a good job at work!!!!!

Breast Feeding

2010-11-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was watching "16 and Pregnant" on MTV. (I know, I know...but it's like watching a car wreck...can't take my eyes off it!) The new mother had her baby home for the first day and was feeding the baby a bottle of formula. She was telling her friends she was having a hard time breastfeeding because she wasn't making enough milk. This REALLY upset me! WHO IS TELLING THIS GIRL THIS?!?

Breastfeeding is a tough thing to do...but if it is ultimately best for the baby...why are mother's not better trained? ESPECIALLY young mothers who would benefit from the CHEAPEST possible way to feed their children? (I'm sure most receive WIC....but wouldn't it benefit tax payers ALSO if all mothers are more educated?)

To my point...the first 2-3 days...NO BREAST creates "milk". You are producing colostrum. It is a clear or yellowish fluid known as "Liquid Gold" because of the very important antibodies and stomach lining nutrients in it. The baby does not get much...because their tummies are TEENY TINY...and they are pretty full with what they received from your umbilical cord..,when it comes to nutrients! Around day 2 your "milk" (the white stuff) begins to come in and by day 3-4 your TRUE milk with fat in it comes in. This is when you are engorged. Sometimes this lasts even longer! The only way to help your milk come in is to feed your baby often! For my kids it was every 2-3 hours. Sometimes it was even more often than that (and this became true again during growth spurts at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, and 16 weeks!) The more your breasts are stimulated...the more milk your breasts create! When mothers try to set a schedule too early by only feeding them every 3 hours...they are in turn...RUINING their supply! If a baby is hungry more often...its the babies cue to your breasts to MAKE MORE MILK! And your breasts WILL DO IT!

It is easy to see why a mother might think she's not producing milk at first...if no one informs her of this info! It just breaks my heart...because I know they don't know any better.

Now...I know some women have true issues...but only 1-3% of women TRULY have supply issues. Sometimes breastfeeding can put women into Post Pardum depression because they feel tied down...or disgusted...and I recommend formula feeding or pumping. Nobody benefits from PPD. I also have friends who have had breast reductions and usually breastfeeding isn't possible (although the surgery is TOTALLY worth it! I have the exact OPPOSITE issue :)). Totally understand that! I mean...their baby MUST eat!

Many mothers like to pump to have a bottle that the dad...or grandma...or someone else can give while they go out...or sleep...whatever. Please keep in mind that every time your baby has a bottle...you should be pumping! Otherwise your supply will dwindle!

Sorry...this is just something I feel so strongly about! NOT just about breastfeeding...I understand that it is not for anybody...and I promise I'm not a breast-snob! :) I feel strongly about women being educated on what is normal for breastfeeding! That way they can make the BEST choice for their child!

12 weeks!

2010-11-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 weeks
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a plum!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Last week I weighed less than my starting weight???
Maternity Clothes: when I put on jeans...yes. Wore a few maternity shirts. Not because I really need them, but because i have no comfy shirts for this time of year! for the past 4 years or so I have either been VERY pregnant in fall (9 months or 7 months) or very NOT prego. Nothing in between! So tee-shirts and a few maternity shirts is what you'll catch me in!
Gender: leaning toward a girl. Not because I'm hoping for one. I don't care EITHER way as long as its healthy, but i just feel like that's what it is. :)
Movement: I think the movement I felt last week MUST have been gas. I've felt NOTHING from my nudger this week :( Kind of scary!
Sleep: Sleep has been good!!! Less night time pee breaks and I have even slept all night a few times!!
What I miss: having an endless supply of energy!
Cravings: A bean burrito...don't care where from! Do you know that we have NO fast food taco shops in Childress?! Really...somebody...add one!
Symptoms: Still not much energy...sore boobs :) pimples (bleh!)

"You're My Best Friend Mommy"

2010-11-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to Cole.

My sweet Coley-ole-O...oh how I love you!!! For the past few months he has been a Mommy's boy...and I've got to say...I love it! For the first 2 years of his life...he was a Daddy's boy! A few weeks ago he came up to me and said, "Mommy...you're my best friend." Now he reminds me of it every day! He tells me I'm pretty and gives the baby kisses on my tummy...just a sweetie pie!

He is also a VERY big helper! Anything I need...I just have to ask him and he get it for me...or do it for me...give me the remote...put this poopie diaper in the garage....etc. (Hey...I'm prego...he can help a little! lol)

He is doing soooo good in preschool! I never would have though he would love it as much as he does. When we went school shopping for him this summer...he picked out certain shirts. Now...those are the only shirts he likes to wear to preschool...and don't ask him to wear those shirts outside of school...they are special school shirts :)

Cole has such a tender heart that melts me everyday! He shares his "friends" stuffed animals with me and Natalie...he likes to go "camping" on his bed everyday too. His latest fascination is the plane Earth and the moon. He just wants to understand EVERYTHING about it! he doesnt' quite grasp that the big blue circle we look at is what we are living on...but he's trying! haha!

He does NOT like "girly things" (that's his word for it). So...NO pink ANYTHING, no princess things...and do NOT call him a prince!

He is also potty trained 99%! The remaining 1% is because he still wets the bed at night...but some boys (including his daddy) take a really long time at that. I'm so relieved that I don't have to deal with pull ups during the day! He just goes to the potty when he needs to on his own :)

He still loves his trains..but also enjoys "hunting" and race cars :) Oh yes...and he still loves Taylor Swift. His daddy hung her picture up on his desk and he points her out everyday. He also loves hearing her on the radio, "Is that my girlfriend Taylor Swift?"...and 99% of the time he's right! haha!

Cole is the kind of kiddo that just melts your heart everyday. He is very considerate and is just so loving and CUTE! I love you buddy...and I hope I can always be your best friend!

10 weeks 4 days

2010-11-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 10 weeks 4 days
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a strawberry!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: don't know don't care :)
Maternity Clothes: when I put on jeans...yes. Not wearing any maternity shirts, just a lot of t-shirts.
Gender: No clue....
Movement: Hmm...sometimes I think I feel a teeny, tiny nudge. I know it's probably too early...but when you've done this three times...you kind of know what it feels like. COULD be gas...but I think it's my little nudger :) (What book is that from??????)
Sleep: Starting to get better sleep! I got a new Snoogle pillow...and it helps me get to sleep quickly. HOWEVER, it also requires a lot of moving of it if you want to change positions and this sometimes make me lie awake awhile. I wake up at least once to go potty too...sometimes twice.
What I miss: a pretty waistline
Cravings: Cutie oranges?
Symptoms: Tired, peeing a lot, that's about it! Lazy...typical :)

Natalie Ann is TWO!

2010-11-08T15:31:00.001-08:00

I'm a bad mom and just realized I never did her OFFICIAL birthday post!

Natalie you are TWO YEARS OLD!!! You weigh about 26 lbs and are pretty tall for a girl I think (haven't measure her lately! lol). You wear 24 months and 2t clothing. You can still fit into some 18 month clothes but they are too short...haha! You wear a size 6 or 7 shoe and a size 5 diaper :)

You definitely are a character! I love hearing you carry on conversation with people! Usually you are talking or arguing with Bubba...who you usually call Cole Thomas Pierce. You absolutely personify the PRINCESS personality! You LOVE princesses and dress up! You also love lipstick and have your own new set!

Yes...you still suck your fingers. When we try to tell you to stop...you cry and say you want them. I don't have the heart to make you stop. It's very comforting for you. Right now you are watching Beauty and the Beast all curled up on the recliner and sucking those fingers.

Recently you decided that since Taylor Swift was Bubba's girlfriend...she would be your girlfriend too. I didn't really like that idea...so I told you Taylor Lautner could be your boyfriend and after looking at his picture...you agreed! Now when anyone asks youwho your boyfriend is, you say, "Taylor Otner" sooooo cute!

Your favorite toy is still Kitty. She goes everywhere with you. Now that we know she's safe in the washer, she gets regular baths and looks pretty again! You also love BIG teddy bears! You roll on the ground with them until you get tired of them and say, "You're a big ole BULLY" Not sure why you think that? For your birthday you got 2 Doras and you love them too.

Going to sleep is getting better for you again FINALLY! You still wake up saying you're scared of the worms, but then you say, "They live far, far away...outside!" One of your Doras is a night time dora and that has made it better for you going to sleep.

Your hair is curly, curly! Most days it's kinky, but on humid days...it's GORGEOUS! PERFECT ringlets... Hopefully I'll figure out how to work curly hair! Most days you wear it in a little ponytail on the side of your head (halfway up). I HAVE to spray it with detangler and/or water to even comb it...even if you've just had a bath! However...it is beautiful and you get lots of compliments on it!

You are also a big Grandpa's girl! When we are around Grandpa you want to be with him more than anyone else (especially if Cole is with Grandma). That's sweet because I L.O.V.E.D. my grandpa so much too!

Your favorite food is Macaroni and Cheese and oranges. Which is not surprising since I craved oranges when I was pregnant with you! Overall...you eat just about anything! Your favorite drink is chocolate milk (milk with ovaltine). Actually...you pretty much refuse any other drink. I get some water in before nap and night night...but thats it! You prefer milk above all else!

Natalie Ann, you are the sweetest and most loving girl I could have ever asked for! Your smile is ever present and you live to make us laugh! I know you will be the BEST big sister the new baby could ask for...Cole thinks you are the best LITTLE sister so far! You give your Daddy and me the bEST hugs. We love you little princess!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Natalie's Birthday and Halloween

2010-11-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Natalie's birthday with a Princess party on Saturday (10/30). If you didn't get an invite...don't feel bad...I didn't mail ANY out! I know, I know...bad. I'm going to try and send out photos with the thank you cards! Anyway...she had a great time! She CRIED as we sang happy birthday to her...but later had fun! she got too many presents and ate too much cake, but she had a wonderful time! For Halloween we went trick or treating downtown. Cole was woody and Natalie was Cinderella! Enjoy the pics!

2 cinderellas, Snow White and Woody :)

Snow White. This was during her party. She LOVES dress up! Definitely a girly girl!

She got a Strawberry shortcake and 2 Doras! (among many other things!)

Disney princess shoes aunt Nini got her!

The box full of Disney Princess dress up clothes from Grandma & grandpa! (Belle, Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty...who she calls Briar Rose)

Crying for her birthday song! She kept saying, "STOP" And look at the cake! It's BEAUTIFUL! Justin's mom always orders their cakes from Rita, a family friend and she always does an amazing job!

Trying to blow out the candles!

9 weeks 4 days

2010-11-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

(don't worry...I'll post halloween and Natalie b-day party pics soon!)
Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 9 weeks 4 days
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a large grape or olive!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: total..2 lbs (no weight gain! yay!)
Maternity Clothes: hehe...YES! Justin got out my tub and I've never been so happy to see them! I LOVE my maternity clothes! I'm a much better dresser prego than not! I don't need them all the time...but the pants are sooo nice to have!! My jeans were all getting too tight and I'm not big on the rubber band trick anymore. :)
Gender: No clue....
Movement: Nada! unless you count gas bubbles!
Sleep: Starting to get better sleep! I wake up at least once to go potty...sometimes twice.
What I miss: running. 'nuff said.
Cravings: Taco Villa
Symptoms: Tired, peeing a lot, that's about it! My nausea has been absent this week and I'm STARTING TO HAVE GOOD DAYS! Not a TON of energy...but...I've taken a shower before the girls get here in the morning...so that's a plus!! (ok...only twice this week...but still!)
Best Moment this week: Doctor's visit TODAY! We weren't sure if we would get to hear the heartbeat with the doppler, but good ole Dr. Henderson found it! What a relief...thank GOD for blessing me with this sweet little baby!!

Halloween Party!

2010-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Cole had 2 Halloween parties this week! One at each preschool. He attend's Ms. Angie's preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am-10:45am and Ms. Carol's on Wednesdays from 8am-10:45am. Next year he will attend 4 days a week! They are both very different as far as teaching styles go...but he loves them BOTH!

ANYWAYS...he had 2 parties and boy did they get lots of stuff! Parents (well most parents) made snacks for the parties AND sent goodies for their pumpkins. I had no clue that it started THIS EARLY! The pictures are from Ms. Angie's party. :)

Ms. Angie making a pumpkin out of paper to the tune of a story....can't remember it! Every day for story time they sit on the red line :)

Fat Janet and Cole at the party. LOOK at all that food. sheesh. AND...I've really only gained 2 pounds at the most...hard to tell by my puffy face.

Cinderella attended the party too! And ate a cupcake and got her dress dirty :)

Cole (Woody) and Ms. Angie! He adores her!

I don't understand Joy Behar

2010-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Ok...so most of you know I can't stand Joy Behar, (the redhead on The View). Everyday she makes a complete fool of herself and liberals across the world, in my opinion. Today I feel she crossed the line.

The episode started with a bashing of Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell. Sure...she's made some dumb comments. However, todays bashing was over her PRAYING. They showed clips of her saying, "Sure I think God is playing a role in this election" and, "If people want to pray for me, I ask them to pray for my staff and to open the eyes of the voters." Never does she say, "PRAY FOR ME" or "PRAY THAT GOD HELPS ME WIN" the way Joy Behar claimed she did.

Joy went on to say that you shouldn't pray for stupid things because God is too "busy" to listen to stupid prayers. He's too busy taking care of the people in Asia dealing with the typhoon. Really Joy? Do we believe in the same God? God is NEVER too busy to listen to a prayer, no matter how minor. I pray the eyes of the voters are opened too! I pray her staff knows their stuff and does what they should. I pray that my kids have a safe day and Justin has a successful day at work. I pray that my little bean baby keeps growing. Is God too busy to answer those prayers?

To top it all off...she then went on to say that Sharron Angle from Arizona is a "Bitch" (a word she has called women almost every day) and is going to Hell. She said this over and over again and SHOUTED it! So let me get this right...you believe God can't answer stupid prayers...but you can condemn people to Hell?

Joy Behar...you are ridiculous and in my opinion need to be taken off the view!

8 weeks! (or more?)

2010-10-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 7wks 6days (ultrasound shows 8wks 4days?)
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a kidney bean!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: lost 2 lbs from last visit...so only up 2 lbs!
Maternity Clothes: No...but I'm in that bloated stage and I think I'll be in them by 10 weeks...then I won't have to squeeze into my pants anymore!!! I live in workout pants and t-shirts these days!
Gender: No clue....Heart rate was 165...
Movement: Nada!
Sleep: sleeping HORRIBLY! I toss and turn and my back and hips ache...it's HORRIBLE!
What I miss: feeling decent. I feel like a lump on a log...a painful lump.
Cravings: All food sounds terrible to me right now. I have to make myself eat...but then I can't stop!
Symptoms: EXHAUSTION, nausea...oh how I hate you, (haven't been sick yet though), more frequent potty breaks, gas, backache and some abdominal pain also.
Best Moment this week: Doctor's visit TODAY! I went because of excruciating back pain. They did an ultrasound and the baby is measuring 8 weeks 4 days with a heart rate of 165bpm! It looked big and I even saw it's little arm & leg nubs move around! lol!

I'm still in a lot of pain...we aren't sure why...but I'm so relieved that the baby is fine! I'm hoping that the pain goes away so I can somewhat enjoy this pregnancy!

Natalie is a SCARED little girl :(

2010-10-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

I made a DUMB move yesterday and didn't even realize it! I was flipping through the channels and came across the movie, "Tremors". I stopped and watched it and then got distracted. Natalie and Cole had been playing in the play room, but all of a sudden I heard, "OH NO MOMMY! OH NO!!!" Natalie was crying and scared. Well...one of those darn snakes had eaten a man! EEK! I flipped the channel and told her it was pretend and kicked myself for making my baby witness that! I figured she was ok... Um...NO!

Last night she had her stories read to her and prayed....and then the drama started. She wanted the light ON...but that wasn't good enough, she wanted us to carry her and hold her and read to her and SLEEP IN OUR BED. I tried to just shut her in her room...but I felt guilty because she was SHAKING. She kept saying, "There's something out my window". Which of course there WASN'T...but I felt strange trying reason with this 1 year old! haha! Cole went and gave her a kiss and said, "Baby...there's no ghosts or monsters in your room!" (not sure if that helped or hurt the problem...lol) I even got my statue of Mary (Jesus' Mom...you know...a Catholic thing) and let her give her a kiss and put her on her dresser and told her that Mary was watching out for her. Worked for a little bit....but Finally I agreed to let her stay in my room, but she stayed up for at least an hour talking. "Mommy, listen to me...I'm talking to you!". "Mommy, I love kitty and Bubba and Daddy and You and Grandma and Grandpa and Mimi and Papa..." "Look Mommy, Kitty's playing Hide & seek...PEEK A BOO" This seriously went on for an hour. FINALLY she fell asleep. She woke up about 3 times telling me to "TURN DA LIGHT ON!"

Today I went to lay her down for a nap (12:30pm) and it was daylight and she STILL wanted the lights on! I tried laying on her floor while she was in her crib...but she talked, and talked...so I finally got out of her room and she screamed for a few minutes...I went back in there and she said, "Mommy I cried for 10 minutes already". Seriously? How does she even know that? After a kiss and hug for Mary...she finally crashed and I got a good nap in!!!

Lesson learned...do not EVER EVER EVER let your babies catch a glimpse of a scary movie. It is totally not worth it! :) I promise to try to be a better Mommy! Hoping for a better night tonight!

6 weeks!

2010-10-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm 6 weeks and 2 days :) Maybe I'll try to do this my whole pregnancy! AND...maybe I'll add pictures!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 6 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby Pierce is the size of a peppercorn! lol!!!!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 4 lbs (don't judge me! I never gained weight until past 10 weeks with my other 2!!!)
Maternity Clothes: No...but I'm in that bloated stage and I think I'll be in them by 10 weeks...then I won't have to squeeze into my pants anymore!!! I live in workout pants and t-shirts these days!
Gender: No clue....although I think my symptoms are similair to Cole's....maybe boy?
Movement: Nada! DUH! I felt natalie really early...like maybe 10 weeks or so? So I'm hoping soon! Well...except excessive gas bubbles :)
Sleep: I try to nap once a day while the kiddos are napping...but still not getting enough sleep at night because I refuse to give up reading at night...and it's TV season and all my shows are until 10pm!
What I miss: Working out HARD...sheesh! I can't even jog 3 miles without stopping...I think if I would slow down I could...but I'm silly and like to run at my normal pace.
Cravings: All food sounds terrible to me right now. I have to make myself eat...but then I can't stop!
Symptoms: EXHAUSTION, nausea...oh how I hate you, (haven't been sick yet though), more frequent potty breaks (like today at aerobics, ha!), gas...ugh, dizziness
Best Moment this week: Doctor's visit last Wednesday and everything seemed fine! NO ultrasound until 20 weeks! Can you believe it???? They drew blood and said they'd call if there was anything wrong...no calls yet!

October Happenings

2010-10-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share a few pictures from this month! We are loving fall and enjoying preschool! haha! They are doing great and seem to be happy, normal kids!

~Cole is currently learning the letter E and the number 4 and the color Orange.
~He seems to be adjusting well to preschool. He loves Mrs. Angie and Mrs. Carol!
~He is doing GREAT at potty training and I finally see an end in sight!

~Natalie is still our little chatterbox! She likes to say, "Watch out MISTER" and "I have a baby in my tummy". haha!
~She knows her colors for the most part and can count to ten...although she usually does it like this, "TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT".
~Her curly hair is continuously both unruly and so cute at the same time!

They love each other and love us. They are both excited to have a new baby in the family! I am too!! If I can just keep my stress level low.

Enjoy the pictures!

Fire Prevention week = a fun ride on the fire truck around the neigborhood!

Cole and the fire truck!

Cole's preschool class with "Mrs. Angie" (Ps...you can see Natalie behind cole...hehe)

Fun fall project we did! I told them to go pick up leaves. Cole found great leaves. Natalie picked two leaves off the Chrysanthamum bush. I had to explain she needed to find DEAD leaves. ha!

Seriously...he's just the cutest boy I've ever seen. I LOVE that he has his Daddy's eyes!!

My little Red Raider fan (for now)

Our 7th Anniversary!

2010-10-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Today Justin and I have been married for 7 years! It seems like yesterday in so many ways....but it also seems like a LIFETIME ago too (actually 2 lifetimes ago!) We've been together ALMOST 10 years!

During the time of getting ready for our wedding we were opening up 2 new Market Streets in Dallas. We literally worked all day and either saw each other all day or didn't see each other at all. I was overly stressed planning a wedding in Lubbock...while working and living in Dallas. Our wedding day was the BEST DAY EVER! I relaxed and married my best friend! Everything was perfect in its imperfect way! Our cake tilted a bit, i had a big pimple, it sprinkled a little, we hardly had anyfood at the dinner...haha! The honeymoon was our first vacation in a year and I was in SHOCK! lol! I wish we were going on a trip to the Mayan Riviera RIGHT NOW! lol! Maybe for our 10 year!!!

In honor of our 7th anniversary, here are 7 things I love about my husband:

1. He looooooves me :)

2. He works so hard to provide for us...seriously...I'm so proud of him! (and...I've always thought he's soooo sexy in his United manager shirt!)

3. He is an AMAZING father. If I had to go on a surprise 2 week trip alone today...I would have NO doubts what so ever about leaving the kids with him. We are equals when it comes to parenting! In fact...our kids would probably rather be with him than me...haha!

4. He forgives my crazy moods...which have been more common the past few weeks ;)

5. He takes care of me. I always feel safe and loved when Justin is with me. (unless it's a tornado...haha...long funny story)

6. His faith grows daily...and really...he is the epitomy of good. If you know Justin you know he is one of the RARE, downright good men. I look at Justin and KNOW that God is good!!

7. He is my best friend. There's nobody I'd rather be with at anytime. I share everything with him and he keeps me sane. I still get butterflies in my tummy when I see him and I still can't believe he's mine forever! Thank you God!!

September Catch-up

2010-09-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Time has flown!!

On the preschool front--Cole actually didn't cry on Thursday! This was the first day out of 6 classes he didn't cry!! (I did though...haha!) He REALLY loves preschool! The class before Labor Day weekend, they learned all about the American flag (they say the pledge of allegiance every day). After that class he kept pointing out the window saying, "Look at that fag! Look! American fag!" I was very confused until I realized he meant FLAG. haha! He comes home with work everyday! They learn a new letter/number every week. He got a reading chart (and he filled up 25 books in a few days) and a tooth brushing chart. He loves to color in the chart each time he brushes his teeth...and I catch him brushing his teeth several times throughout the day!

Natalie is doing great also! She LOVES her babies and most especially her bunny rabbits (that's what she calls them...bunny rabbits..cute!). She feeds them bottles and juice and food! One funny thing she does is calls Cole...Cole Thomas Pierce. Like just now I was giving them medicine and she RAN out to the play room and said, "Cole Thomas Pierce! Mommy has you medicine!!!!" haha! She also calls me, "Mommy Pierce" or "Janet Pierce" and Justin is "Daddy Pierce" or "Justin Pierce". If you ask her name she usually says, "Baby Nani", but I've been teaching her "Natalie ann" and she's getting better at that! She also says, "OH.MY.GOSH." It is HILARIOUS!!! Anything that natalie LOVES was apparantly given to her by Auntie Jess. (not really...but she says that) For example, her favorite baby...she told brynn the other day, "Auntie Jess give it to me!"...and so on. So far Jessica has given her spoons, bowls, bibs, toys, movies, clothes...and the list grows daily. haha! She also thinks she is going to Miss Angie's & Miss Carol's. She will tell you that SHE is in preschoool and Miss Angie is her teacher. After I drop off the big kids at preschool she always asks, "Where'd Bubba go? Oh...Preschool! I go too?" Last week she said, "Bubba didn't cry! YAY!" hahahahahaha

Their FAVORITE movie is "UP". Auntie Jessica gave this to them and we watch it ALMOST every day! Cole quotes lines from the movie and tells me about it all day long. "I've wanted to do this my whole life!" haha! That's just one of the quotes!

They both love counting...Cole goes up to 20...but skips 2...not sure why? Natalie goes to about 7...but she will randomly throw in 10, 12, 15...etc.

That's it so far in September!

First Day of Preschool

2010-08-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's here! Cole had his first day of preschool!! He has been so excited & talking about it so much! I thought for SURE he would be fine today. NOOOOOOO. He cried & wailed, "Mommy, stay here with me!!!" I left...and didn't cry outwardly...haha! I had the two little miss "thangs" to take care of! They played separately...but seemed to have fun. Natalie would randomly ask, "where'd Bubba go?" When I told her preschool, she'd say "Oh, O-tay".

When I picked up Cole & Chandler they were sitting quietly, just painting away! Ms. Angie asked them to wash their hands, so they did...and Cole put away his paintbrush. She said that he would NOT put paint on his hands to do the traditional "first day of school handprint" on the wall :(. (One of the girls I taught for 7th grade about 3 years ago has her handprint up there too). He also wouldn't make a crown. I think he associates crowns with "princesses" and he is NOT a princess. He's always hated me to call him a prince...he prefers big boy. As for the handprint...I'm hoping he does it Thursday...if not, I will try to stay late with him so we can do it together.

They told me all about preschool & how it rained when they were outside & Ms. Angie said it was muddy. haha! They were very excited & I hope it goes as well the rest of the week! (minus the crying!) Here are a few pics! (the ones with the little girls are just "pretend". they wanted to pretend to go to preschool too!) The outside pics were the ones RIGHT before we went to school! Inside ones are after preschool!

Preschool Open house

2010-08-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Our first steps toward preschool have come and gone! This week we had open house for Ms. Angie's and Ms. Carol's!

For Ms. Angie's he was pretty perfect! It was last night at 6pm and he had aCTUALLY taken a nap! He sat next to me and read an abc book :) So cute! We talked to Ms. Angie and he and natalie argued about who would be going to see Ms. Angie (Natalie thinks preschool is for HER, "MY preschool, MY Ms. Angie")

Ms. Carol's was a different story! We stayed up late last night after going out to eat for my birthday and playing outside because it was soooo pretty. Well...SOMEONE (who put him to bed for the first time in forever...no names spoken) forgot to give him his allergy medicine...Needless to say he woke up with a horrible allergy induced head cold of some sort and was crying & miserable. THEN we had a big ordeal over donuts and staying clean. He spent about 20 minutes of SELF INDUCED time out in his room. (as in...I told him when he could stop crying...he could come out...he CHOSE to stay in there and cry that long). Sooooo he was grumpy and tired when we got to Ms. Carol's and he whined & cried & wouldn't share. However, by the end of the hour he was fine, putting together legos and puzzles & talking to the kids & laughing.

Here are some pics from this week!! The one of him by himself was him in front of Ms. Angie's preschool :)

Preschool!

2010-08-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of school for kids in Childress...and Cole will start preschool next week! There is no Monday-Friday preschool in Childress (other than through the school district), so he is attending two different preschools. One, with Ms. Angie, will be on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8am-10:45am. It is a Christian based preschool with an emphasis on social skills. The other is with Ms. Carol...a former teacher. They will meet on Wednesday from 8am-9:45am. It is more "school" oriented.

We took Cole for a little "one on one" meet the teacher on Friday (Angie). He walked in and was a little apprehensive, but he quickly warmed up and found the cars to play with. We are so excited for him! He WANTS to learn and REALLY needs to be around more kids his age...especially boys.

When we left, I asked him what his favorite thing about preschool was. He said, "Angie". Awww...so sweet!

Official, "Open House" for both are this week. Angie's is Thursday afternoon and Carol's is Friday morning. I am really looking forward to meeting the other kiddos & parents...even though we knnow most already! I know there are 10 in his "Angie" class...and we know at least 4 of them.

On another note...I turn the big 30 this week!!!! Mixed emotions...but mainly ready to get it over with!

Ruidoso 2010

2010-08-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

SORRY! (suzanne especially!) I have been soooo busy! Stop rolling your eyes at me...those of you who think I do nothing all day but watch soap operas! I got asked a few months ago if I would give 2 teacher workshops in Vernon. Of course I said yes...and it took me a while to get back in THAT mindset...needless to say...from the moment we got back from Ruidoso until NOW...that has been all I think about or work on in my free time. I also taught a teacher workshop to sunday school teachers (that was awesome). During this time I started keeping my friend Alana's 2 little girls since she is going back to work teaching. While they are ANGELS and suuuuuuch a blessing to my kids lives...having 4 in the house most of the day is a lot of work (props to you Amy!!!). Soooo....please accept my apology for not blogging and know that it's not just because I'm lazy!

RUIDOSO:

Remember how I posted about how we go to the Mescalero Indian Reservation every year? WELLLLLLLLLL...2 years ago Ruidoso COMPLETELY flooded (watch video)

(we were supposed to go camp THE DAY after this...imagine if we'd been there...when the video said, "mescalero"...that's the rez...we would have been wiped out!!) It never has been repaired. Of course we never figured this out until we pulled up to the gate with our trailer and pickups and the gate was locked. URGH. We drove around for about 2 hours and finally found a decent campground. It turned out to be GREAT...not as shaded and secluded as the rez...but was quiet and peaceful and had GREAT river access. The kids LOVED it! Digging and building train tracks...what more could they ask for?

They WERE having a bear problem...the first 2 nights...no problems. THEN on the FINAL night I woke up to a SNORT (if you've been around bears....you KNOW a bear snort)...and it was right in my ear (due to both kids finding their way into my sleeping bag...my face was literally poking out of the tent...not OUT of it but you know). I screamed and Justin got mad at me (why? I'm not sure??? Denial?) ANYWAY...within 20 minutes we heard a NEW sound...I figured a baby bear got lost and the momma bear was searching for it...Daddy and Justin drove all around the empty campsites (we were the only ones there) spotlighting for it...found nothing. They figured it was a dying deer....who knows...all i DO know is that it was still making that sad/painful noise when we left the next day!

Overall a fun trip...but MAN were we ready to be home! 3 nights with no baths is a LOT...but the kids loved it!! Looking forward to the next time! Cole talks about it ALL the time! "I want to go camping tomorrow" is what I hear a lot! Here are a few pics!

Nook!!

2010-08-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

I finally got a Nook! Happy early Birthday to me!!! I've been hesitant to jump on the "e-reader" bandwagon for a while. I like books, I like to look at my books, etc. However...one day I was talking to my dad and he said, "I love that you love to read...but think of all the boxes that you move EVERY time you move and how much space all those books take up!" Well...little do most people know...you see a lot of books in my house...but I have probably 6 more boxes (or more) of books in the attic. I have my "girlie trash" books in my closet (sookie stackhouse books, twilight) and my favorite fictions that just don't look pretty in my living room bookcases.

Needless to say...I love my nook! We got the 3g/wifi one and while the SWEET employees at Barnes & Noble in Lubbock helped me set it up...I downloaded 15 free books. Pride & Prejudice, Anna Karenina, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfeld Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion (just to name a few!) It literally took 5 seconds! I walked out of that store with 15 books in one tiny nook! As we were driving home I bought 2 more books (Literary Sweet potato Guernsey society or whatever it's called...ALANA!) and then today I bought 2 more :)

I can access facebook on it...and it's pretty decent! I'm wondering if I really even want an ipod touch anymore! I DID download a newspaper...and I wasn't that thrilled with it...but it was ok if you really wanted it.

Overall I am so happy with my purchase! It's the most expensive thing I've ever bought for my own personal use...so that was a bit scary...but I LOOOVE it!!

After I got my nook I met up with my sweet YOUNGEST cousin...Alyssa! She will be attending Texas Tech in a few weeks & is here for Spirit Days with her mom & dad. I'm sooooo excited for her!! It was so cute to see her with Fred & Laura! They both went to Tech and are just as excited as her. I can't wait to do that with my kids!!!

Ruidoso here we come!!

2010-07-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Monday, bright and early, we go to Ruidoso, NM!! I LOVE Ruidoso!

My grandparents (Rudy & Vera Schwertner) spent their honeymoon there (right?) and traveled there also! They/we have always stayed at the Mescalero Indian Reservation in the Lincoln National Forest. When my grandparents went when my dad & all my uncles & aunts were small...the chief lived on the land in a rock house. The rock house is still there...but abandoned and I don't know where the current chief lives... It's beautiful there!

Justin and I LOVE going and have not been since the summer before I had Cole...so 2006.

My parents and Danielle get to go with us too! I'm glad...Daddy works so hard and deserves a nice relaxing break! He's such a good, hard-working man. He is a police officer and works all day and then comes home to do the work he LOVES...taking care of his place and grandma's place! It's a lot of hard work but he REALLY enjoys it! I'm so grateful to have him as a father!!

As I get older...with children...I love seeing my parents...as a parent myself! Some things you never understood become clear! A love you could never imagine (for your children) changes your life. Before kids I never understood how parents could forgive their kids for various different horrible things they did. But...as a mother...I totally understand! There is NOTHING that could keep me from loving or forgiving my children...over...and over again! I know mine are littles...but there are just some things mommies know!

Speaking of mommies and kids. I have a few friends who are struggling with infertility. They are all at various different areas in the struggle...please lift them up in prayer. I know each will make wonderful parents!!!

If you're still reading...thanks! I'm rambling at midnight :)

Wanna hear a funny story?

2010-07-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

The other day Cole came running in my room and said, "Mommy, do you wanna hear a funny story?" I said OF COURSE and he proceeded to tell me that his train was on the track and then fell off...and then he cracked up laughing. haha! I LOVE the things kids say!!

This week I have LOOOOOOVED watching them together. They've played pretty good together. Cole likes for Natalie to help him build tracks. He says, "Thank you Baby! (this is Nat's nickname) You're a good helper Baby!" I LOVE that! haha!! They also love to read together. They sit up on the couch and Cole reads to her. You can hear Natalie asking him, "What that is Bubba?" as she points to something on the page. He says, "That's ______ baby!" haha! adorable! They love each other so much (but then boy do they drive each other bananas too!)

As for me...I've started a new era...I've come up with a cleaning schedule!! I've been a stay at home mom/wife for a year. I keep a pretty clean house...but there's no method to my cleaning...which means I do it all in one day and end up worn out...and nothing gets DEEP cleaned. SOOO...after a few weeks of researching...I came up with this! Hopefully it will help me stay organized when I start keeping the Chisum girls in August! (can i interrupt this post to give you a Natalie quote? "Mommy, I want MORE chocolate milk!" me~"OK...can i get some in a minute?" nat~"hehehehhehe, Ok mommy! I love you mommy! hehehehe")

Monday: Daily Chores, Deep Clean Kitchen & Bathrooms, vacuum, wash Justin's clothes

Tuesday: Daily Chores, Deep Clean Bedrooms

Wednesday: Daily Chores, Vacuum, Wash Kids Clothes, trash, Deep Clean Playroom

Thursday: Daily Chores, Deep Clean Living Room/Dining Room, wash Justin's clothes

Friday: Daily Chores, Vacuum, trash, clean refrigerator out, wash my clothes, Bills

Saturday: Daily Chores, Grocery Shop, Vacuum

Sunday: Daily Chores, Trash

Daily Chores:

make beds
wash dishes (or load dishwasher & run it at night)
sweep kitchen
Clorox wipe through the house
pick up bathrooms (swish & swipe...see flylady.net)
de-clutter for 15 minutes

So far so good! I've done Friday-Monday so far! (OK...I still have to deep clean the bathrooms...but I actually did this on Thursday for a babysitter...so it won't be too bad today!)

I just need a plan...i make running calenders & workout calenders & LOVE it! I told Justin that I'm the world's best employee...because I THRIVE on having someone tell me what to do! I always go ABOVE AND BEYOND. Staying home has been hard because there's no one to tell me what to do. Justin is too scared to do that here :) I actually asked him to and he preferred not to! haha!

July update

2010-07-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

I know...I know! I'm horrible at this blog! Maybe its because I've been sick, traveling, working out all the freaking time!!! But I promise to try to be better!!!

Anyway, here is what you want to look at! Maybe I will actually write for a post next week!

about to feed the ducks. Natalie was following Cole EVERYWHERE!!

I was sitting at the table making my grocery list and Cole ran away and came back and said, "look what I did!" ALL over his legs...even his butt!

Going to get the paper for mommy in the morning...they love to do this!

Playing in the rain! natalie showing her "guns up"!

I'm not proud of this one...but its cute...Justin taught him the longhorn sign...

With Auntie Jess...they LOOOOOVE her! (so do I! And today is her 27th birthday!!)

She ran to me saying "CHEESE" (a rare occurrance for her!) And...that's oreo on her mouth :)

Looking at the "agua" (still unsure why they refuse to say water...)

Cole getting the royal treatment from his cousins at Justin's family reunion. He was so scared to climb up the stairs for this water slide...he never did do it...even though they were all so sweet. He ended up climging up the SLIDE part and sliding back down. Silly, silly boy!

Staring at the rain as it POURED for a about 10 minutes in Walburg

Yes...so much to be proud of for this girl! Was actually picking her nose AND sucking her toe before I snapped :)

Danielle & I at the Twilight Trilogy on the opening night of Eclipse. (yes...we were there watching twilight at 7:15pm...and New moon...and then Eclipse at 12:o0am)

My cousin Afton's husband Patrick and their sweet little girl Adeline (Justin & I visited them!) I LOVE this pic!!

Pictures!

2010-07-05T16:30:00.003-07:00

It's been a while! So here are a few pics!

Sparklers on July 4th!

Curly, Curly hair!!!

Natalie and her sparkler!

Doing what they do best...screaming and having fun TOGETHER! lol

Jumping in a puddle!

July 4th! (it rained for a week before and most of the day!)

I found them reading together and Cole rubbed his nose when I said to smile for the camera...so Natalie did too...sooo sweet!

I heard Cole "reading" to Natalie and this is what I found when I went in her room! Notice how Natalie's book is upside down :)

Yes...we do a LOT of reading in this house! Most of it involves me reading to them!

Natalie helping Daddy wash the car!

Cole & Justin riding the Go-Cards for the first time! (Quartz Mountain)

Cole was SERIOUS about his racing!

Playing at the beach at Quartz Mountain with Maverick! (he was a great swimmer but I was worried about him!)

Beach!

Cole after the haircut I gave him (my first time...He kept saying, "Don't cut my ear off Mommy!)

Cole's first catch of the season and on his new Spiderman fishing pole!

Happy Boy!!

Checking out the water

Natalie had her own fishing pole too! It was a pink Barbie one!

Well hello friends!

2010-07-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have HONESTLY tried to blog in the past few weeks, but it seems like blogger has been having troubles (or maybe me?) BUT...here I am! No personal pics (I need to upload them)...but I thought I'd share a litte about what we've been up to!

1. Swimming! We got a membership to a local pool and have been trying to get there often! Cole has FINALLY realized its fun in the deep pool (as long as he has his floaties on and a ring around his belly). Natalie cruises in her "boat". Luckily there's a kiddie pool too that they both enjoy.

2. Mommy & Daddy time! Justin was on vacation last week and we got to spend 3 nights away from the kiddos! We treasure time together (just the 2 of us)...so it was awesome! My sweet mom came to watch the kids and took them to see my abuelitos (grandparents)...pics later. We got to see the cutest baby in the world...Miss Adeline! She's PRECIOUS people! Wait until you see her pic! She was a VERY good baby and her parents are PROS! Only at it for a few weeks and I feel like Afton & Pat are better parents than me! lol! We also went to the "Bodies" Exhibit in Dallas and the Aquarium. Very interesting and fun! We also stayed with Jessica a few nights and hung out at Dave & Busters...I LOVED it!! haha! (bodies exhibit was a little disturbing...)

3. Lubbock! I've been there probably 4 times this summer already! Most recently I went to watch the premier of "Eclipse". We actually started the evening by watching Twilight at 7:15pm, New Moon at 9:30pm and Eclipse at 12:05am. Eclipse is the best so far!!! We all really enjoyed it!

A special thanks to my parents for watching the kids! My mom watched them from Wednesday-Saturday and my dad watched them during the Twilight saga. I'm so glad they are willing to do this...and so glad the kids love every bit of time with them! Yesterday Cole helped grandpa by picking up the grass as he mowed it and he helped him spray weeds on the tractor. He was WORN OUT!

My little "Dude" & "Diva"

2010-06-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

Natalie has had some major attitude changes lately. Basically...she is a "Diva".

~She has started rolling her eyes. Nobody really believes this until they see it. It's pretty amazing that this little 18 month old can do it...but she does. Just last night our priest was at our house and she was sitting next to him and rolled her eyes at him...he noticed it...NICE! :)

~She says "NO" to everything. This is not just a little no...it's a big, loud..."NOOOO".

~She runs away from us when it's time to do things she doesn't want to do (take a nap, bath, change diaper, go inside, stop messing with bubba....that kind of thing)

~My sweet little girl climbed out of her crib. Jutin had put her to bed and I guess she didn't want to be there because before we knew it...she was at the door crying & knocking on it. Luckily she hasn't done it since (knock on wood).

~She looooooooves to have her toenails painted. Mimi started this a few weekends ago and then my mom repainted them last weekend. Apparantly she just sits there while they do it and even walks on her heels after they are done (so they don't smudge while they are drying...seriously...)

~She is demanding. In fact...I can hear her right now telling her brother "DO IT!" She will hand me things and say, "Open it! Do it!" haha!

Although my little diva can be a meanie...she's still pretty sweet! Just a second ago she walked up to me and hugged my leg and said, "I love you mommy." which sounds like (I ove ooo mommy!) I walked into Cole's room to see HIM on his bed and Natalie saying, "Help Me!" and Cole was trying to pull her up on the bed. That was ADORABLE!!!

My little dude is just as sweet as ever!! He sure talks A LOT these days!

~Mornings are best for him. He will tell you about things that happened "Last Night"...and we think he means dreams...haha!

~He says, "What's up DAWG"...thanks Uncle Keith!

~He loves to play the piano! I got out my first piano book and he calls it, "My book" and he looks at it while he plays. I taught him "middle C"...but I don't know if he really gets it yet :)

~He counts good with his fingers to 10 and appears to be good at math...lol...i play little addition & subrtractions games with him and he gets it!

~He is completely, 100% potty trained when it comes to pee. He has gone #2 on the potty twice this week...I think it's on its way!!!!! WHEW!

~Swimming is FUN for him! He loves the kiddie pool which is 2ft at the deepest & enjoys playing with us or by himself!

~He is soooo much more outgoing now! Last summer at the pool, he stuck by me and would NOT associate with other kids. This summer he has already made a few friends at the pool and when we've had people over. This just makes me soooo happy! I was so afraid he was going to be deathly shy his whole life....but he's kind of starting to get ornery around other kids!! I love it! Hahaha

We've been having fun and I hope to get some more pics up soon!

Travelin' days!

2010-06-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Janet, Danielle(the baby), Jessica (the middle/golden child)

I loooooove this pic my mom took of us!!! I loooove my sisters too!! We don't get to all be together that often, so it's special when we do! Danielle is with me for a week and a half! So...I have a built in babysitter!!! YAY! haha! jk Danielle!

Natalie in her swimsuit...she didn't even get in the water...scaredy cat!

Natalie at Chuck E Cheese. She was afraid of that green bug in the background...but liked the fire truck. It looks like she's riding a motorcycle. And...I promise her hair was fixed...even though itdoesn't look like it...

Me & my girl. Sooooo cute!

My piano after hours of dusting & oiling it! I love it!

They got to play it before I even did! haha! (this was before I dusted it & oiled it). I truly believe this is the best $75 I ever spent! We love it! It is a Hamilton (made by Baldwin). I'm thinking it was made circa 1920...maybe older. The keys all look amazing...just needs tuning!

Day at the park with the Chisums! This was our last day of me keeping them this spring! We are already missing "nandler & Bwynn" (Chandler & Brynn). Here are Cole & Chandler talking on the "phone"

"Hi Nandler!"

"I think he said he's my friend!"

"Um...Janet...It's hot! Please make sure you put sunscreen on me this time and NOT diaper cream!"

How old are you Natalie? "Five!" (and this is what she showed me!) I don't know why she thinks shes she's five, but if you tell her that she's one, she says, "Oh, one" and holds up one finger!

Hello tree!

Strange Chuck E. Cheese ride :)

Taking a walk in the trees and the farm :) she was too scared to go by herself so "bubba" held her hand! And of course Tank and Daisy protected them!

Cole's Great Granny (I call her Grandma) reading him "The Little Engine That Could". They have a VERY special relationship...he loves her soooo much! He can't wait to give her hugs every time he sees her! And...surprise surprise...Natalie is the same way now! We had to give Granny a few hugs when we left!

We went to Cedar Park for Alyssa's (my cousin) graduation. She graduated from Georgetown and is going to Texas Tech in the fall! We are VERY excited!!! A LOT of Schwertners stayed at my Aunt Suzanne's house and it was a blast! It's always good to visit with them! The kids were great...except the day Natalie didn't get a nap. She SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER for about 30 minutes before bed. I felt bad because she's not usually like that! (ok...NEVER like that!) Cole had a great time and hung out with the boys a lot...even learned a new phrase..."What's up DAWG?"

We then went BACK to Lubbock (Wilson) for a few days. The kiddos rode the tractor and played outside a lot. They love my parents...so it's always relaxing for me when I visit! Danielle came home with us and now we are hoping to spend many days at the pool! We have a busy summer...next weekend I will take Danielle back to Wilson and we will celebrate my great uncle's move from our diocese to another (he's a priest). Then on June 29th I go BACK to Lubbock to watch Eclipse (well..Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse all in the same theatre!). The weekend of July 10th we have a family reunion in Georgetown...haha! And then the first week of August we are going to the mountains! (hopefully!) Phew!

May Catchup

2010-05-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

Cole and Natalie have had a fun past few weeks (and me too!)

Today I was clipping some vines and heard the kids go to the shed (also the dog's house)...Cole told me he was putting the cedar shavings BACK into the shed. THANKS COLE! Well...Maverick (the dog) and I heard loud laughing and loud banging in the shed and we headed that way and saw THIS

Cole was throwing shavings/bugs/dirt into Natalie's hair and she LOVED IT!

Yes...they were proud of their messy selves and posed
(on a side note...later on in the bath...Natalie POOPED! Neither of my kids have EVER pooped in the bathtub. Needless to say Cole FREAKED out! I got them out & the poop and cleaned the tub. Natalie STILL had to have her hair washed, so I decided to use the shower head to do it. She FREAKED out....wouldn't even take a bath. SOOOO...I had to take a bath with her...for only the 2nd time ever. haha...FUN NIGHT!)

Cole & Chandler...they LOVE to read together & just hang out!

A typical lunch day with the Chisum girls! (well, Brynn and Natalie took their dresses off so they wouldn't get them dirty...but pretty normal!)

Natalie and her Daddy at the Santa Rosa Rodeo. She is a big Daddy's girl these days!

hmmm...

2010-05-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dear blog world,

Do you ever just have one of THOSE days? Maybe its that I'm sick!!!

Seems like today I can't say anything right. I don't know anything about anything....

I try to be a very kind and nurturing person. I guess that sometimes in doing that it is wrong? Hmmm...

HOWEVER, I have so much to be thankful for! I have 2 beautiful children who make me laugh and smile everyday! I have wonderful friends who are soooooooo much fun!!!! AND, I have a wonderful family who are my best friends! I just went on a fantabulous trip to Georgetown and will be going back this weekend! We have our very first church "Young Adults" meeting at hour house next weekend...it's a busy few weeks...and I'm so thankful!

Sorry I haven't posted many posts lately, but...contrary to popular belief, being a stay at home mom of TWO children is very time consuming (And can I give props to all you out there who have more children...sheesh...don't know how you do it!)! I will try to be a better blogger! At this moment, being the best mom and wife I can be is more important!

Well hello again!

2010-05-13T09:22:00.001-07:00

Here's what Natalie made me!

Look at this girl...she is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Cole painted his hands & they are in plaster!

Me & the kiddos

I've been a little busy the past few weeks, but here's a few pics from mother's day!

Couple of things...

2010-04-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

1...I'm signed up for a blog giveaway at my friend Charla's blog! She's giving away a book...and...well...you know I love books & Charla & I have the same taste in many things...books are only one of them!

2. Ericka posted some pics from our pictures session at her blog! We will hopefully finish the shoot tomorrow!! There are some cute ones!!!

M&Ms, Chicken & the Kitchen Sink...

2010-04-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

haha...funny intro, huh? So I haven't had random posts lately...so here's one! The kiddos had a good time when we were in Las Vegas too! They ABSOLUTELY ADORE their Grandma, Grandpa & Aunt Nini! (and Aunti Jess...but she wasn't there!) I feel so blessed to be able to trust our families with our children. I feel like it's important for us to experience time together as a couple and away from the kids (for my sanity..lol...AND their's!). My mom has been such a big help to us since we've had Cole...and they would probably rather be with Grandma any day...than with me :) I'm glad it's that way and not the other way. AND...they love their Mimi & Papa too! Every night when we pray, I ask them who they want to thank God for and Maw Maw & Pa Paw and Mimi & Papa are ALWAYS first on the list! (and Nini & Jess come in next :))

ANYWAY...they did lots of fun things! Cole always comes home talking up a STORM! haha! And Natalie always comes home with new outfits and more of a princess attitude! lol! Speaking of Nat, her hair is SOOOOO curly these days! I don't know if its the humidity or WHAT, but it is CURLY! I kept thinking that the longer it would get, the straighter it would get...NOPE! It's ringlets! It is pretty cute though! Cole is going to be going to 3 days of preschool next school year! We are VERY excited...and he gets to go with his best friend, Chandler...so HE is excited too :)

Cole and his handsome eyes! Ladies are going to love those eyes one day buddy!

Natalie Ann eating a chicken drumstick. She chewed on it down to the gristle! haha! She was saying "CHEESE" here :)

Miss Green M&M. They LOVE their "candy" shirts! I think her lips kind of look like the green m's here!

My little M&Ms...so cute!

Maybe you can see a little bit of curl here? I swear it's curlier now...I'll try & take a good pic to show it!

The kitchen sink! When we moved here, the sink was ugly/stained//NASTY! I chalked it up to being an old house. We always soak it in bleach/water and use 409 to clean it. I actually just wanted a new sink (not possible without a new countertop...which I WANT...but can't afford at this moment). ANYWAY...I read a post on facebook about the flylady and her cleaning tips...she SHINES her sink. I soaked it in bleach/water for one hour and then used AJAX...it cleaned my sink to sparkling white! The side on the right had been cleaned & the left side was still waiting! (please don't judge...I promised I did what I could to clean that sucker...i use ajax to clean other things...just never thought about my sink!)

Las Vegas Trip of a Lifetime :)

2010-04-21T12:48:00.001-07:00

We are back! This trip was truly amazing! For me...it was carefree. The main reason was...it was free...lol. Also, I won $800 on slot machines! (justin lost $300...but that's besides the point!) The concerts were AMAZING! Let me give a breakdown of our trip.

Friday:

Went to Cirque du Soleil "Ka"--really, really cool!!! Justin thought it was "FREAKING AMAZING" haha. I recommend seeing a Cirque show if you can!
Freemont Street Concert--I LOVED Freemont street...I guess it's the downtown area? Anyway...very cool with older casinos like "Golden Nugget", etc. I want to spend more time there the next time I go. We saw David Nail perform and he was really good. Justin snuck us close to the stage...apparantly you were supposed to have a wrist band...but I guess they were afraid to tell him no. haha. On the other end of the street was Lady Antelbellum. OF COURSE it was jam packed. I've never seen so many people on a street before. I literally could not move or see anything other than backs and stomachs. Needless to say, we didn't get close or stay very long!

Saturday:

Walked down the strip a little bit & did some shopping
Went to a Vegas wedding! A couple in our group got married! A limo picked us up and took us to the "Chapel of Flowers". It was a VERY nice place! If I were to get married in Vegas, that's how I'd do it! There was even a live video online for family members to watch!
Came back to hotel where we met Luke Bryan (sings "Do I" and on New Male Vocalist). well...we had no clue who he was and one person in our group asked if the person he was taking pictures with was famous...haha! He was VERY nice and gave some marriage advice, "Keep your relationship clean and the sex dirty"...or something like that. haha!
Dr. Pepper (they sponsored our trip) hosted a Sugarland concert with Blake Shelton as the opening act. IT WAS GREAT! We had dinner in this place and then for Blake Shelton, Justin and I walked up close to the state. He was amazing! VERY handsome! Miranda Lambert, (his girlfriend) came out and sang...and so did Trace Adkins. They sank that duet together...VERY COOL! Sugarland was great, but they aren't the kind of country music I dig (I like traditional)...but Justin was IN LOVE with Jennifer Nettles ;)

Sunday:

Went to Bellagio...it was cool...the water show was amazing though! Did more shopping
Went to the ACMs...very neat! We were closer than I've ever been at a major concert...not super close or on the floor...but I thought it was great! PLUS the stage where a lot of the songs were played was RIGHT below us! We got to see Brad Paisley fall into the water and Dierks Bentley & Jak Ingram play...it was cool. ALSO...Taylor Swift started her performance about 5 rows up from us! She is so pretty & TALL! She seemed very nervous too!
Went to "All Star Jam" (I thought it was a basketball thing...lol) This was where several performers came out and sang a few songs. I wish I'd written them all down...Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Montgomery Gentry, Rich from Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, and others...VERY cool! This was another deal where they gave you a meal...our table was very close!
Went to Casino with intentions of meeting someone famous (particularly Joe Nichols or Blake Shelton...didn't see them ;() Went to the $1 Slot machine and won about $400 in 20 minutes! Met Darius Rucker and saw Luke Bryan again...playing craps. I waited and waited...even told a lady standing by me that he was going to be there all night. She said, "Are you his wife? Is that your body guard?" haha..NO. We also saw Kix Brooks playing Craps with his wife & 2 kids. He seemed very nice too!

AWESOME weekend!!!! SOOOOOO glad we got to go!

I think this guy was a writer...I knew his name...but forgot it...
Can't remember the name of this band...anyone know?

Kix Brooks playing Craps

Carrie Underwood at the After Party

Brad Paisley falling into the Water!

Taylor Swift at ACMs

Taylor Swift about to be lifted up for her performance

Us at the ACMs
In front of the Bellagio Water Park thing and Eiffel Tower
Hard Rock Cafe
Sugarland

Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland

Blake Shelton and Trace Atkins

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton...hottie

Wedding Chapel (not sure why this turned sideways)

Luke Bryan giving wedding advice!
Outside of the wedding chapel
Some lady beating up Freddy Krueger!
The Coca Cola Bear...he freaked me out! He bit Justin's head and really liked him because he was tall too...I was just scared...notice me leaning away?

The Red M & M! Justin loved it & wanted to take it home...haha!
The Lion in front of the MGM hotel where we stayed :)

David Nail...he is new & really good!
Us on Freemont street in front of the Golden Nugget

In the MGM hotel in front of the 9million dollar Lion Habitat...

Justin's view of the Lady Antelbellum concert on Freemont street. I was 1.5 feet down looking at some guy's back. Must be nice to be this tall!
Freemont Street and Big Tex

Las Vegas Baby :)

2010-04-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to start a post...

Yes we went,
Yes it was the most amazing trip ever,
Yes I will finish this and put up pics.

Maybe I can give you a teaser...

Natalie is a "big boy"

2010-04-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

or so she says....

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

Easter was fun!! Cole REALLY had fun getting the eggs (all but 2 that Nat got) and talking about the Easter Bunny. Mimi & papa came & had lunch with us & brought the BEST ranch dressing and other yummies!

Cole showing off his eggs

Hunting eggs

Natalie was more interested in the cndy in the eggs...and the grass. That grass is still turning up eVERYWHERE!

Waiting to go hunt eggs! Reminds me of us Schwertner kids when we were little!

Nat and her Easter Dress!

Cole "cheesing"

The Easter Bunny went overboard! They each got a ball, 2 books, 3 bubbles, a bubble wand, sidewalk chalk, and more chocolate than any child needs!

Natalie and her worm. She loved that guy & carried him around...until she almost squeezed him to death! When she was tired of him she threw him.

Family pic!

Cole at the City hunt

Natalie being super cute!

Playing with Easter presents from Grandma & Grandpa & Nini (too bad I ran over that water gun yesterday!)

Childress Friends

2010-04-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

When Justin and I moved to Vernon, I had a very hard time adjusting. I had gone from living in the DFW area with lots to do and 2 VERY great friends, Kelly & Ashly to a town where I only knew Justin's family. We were the "Angels" (dressed up for Charlie's Angels for Halloween one year & the name stuck) and we spent a lot of time together.

Over 4 years in Vernon, I can honestly say my only friends were the teachers I worked with. My besty teacher friends were Lana, Kacy & Jen. I love you gals & miss you DEARLY! Vernon is a hard town to let in new people & even though Justin was from Vernon, he had a hard time too.

When we decided to move to Childress (one year ago!!), I was scared to start ALL OVER AGAIN! Our initial views of Childress weren't good...I think the windy weather was the problem...haha! My first contact was Stephanie Tucker, the owner of our AWESOME gym. She helped me feel better about Childress & got me acquainted with lots of women in the town. We went swimming several times throughout the summer...fun!

Through Steph, I met Amy and Alana. These ladies have TRULY saved me! We had "book club" the other night and I told them that staying home with my kiddos has been hard for me. I'm VERY social and have worked since I was 15. Any job I do....I do the BEST that's possible and I rely on people praising my work. In motherhood (especially stay at home), you don't get a lot of praise or awards or pay increases...haha!

Anyway...we started a "book club" haha.....haven't read many books for the club....and we just started hanging out! We also like to do crafty things too!!! FUN! You know Alana's kids by the pictures. I keep Chandler & Brynn one day a week and they are soooo sweet! Cole ADORES Chandler & Natalie loves both of them so much! They are "Nandler & Bwynn" to my kids. Amy has the four most AMAZING KIDS EVER! Seriously...they make you want to have four kids...so awesome & well behaved! I know I can count on Alana & Amy for ANYTHING! Charla is another friend who I have NOT gotten to spend enough time with, although we have a lot in common!!! Charla is a book club-er also!! Go read her blog...so inspirational & fun!

Thank you girls for saving me from whatever funk I was getting in!! I appreciate the time you spend with me & my kids! We are truly blessed to have friends like ya'll!!! Love ya!

ACM Las Vegas :)

2010-03-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

Ok, so yesterday I told you we won a trip (or Justin did) for 2 to Las Vegas for the Academy of Country Music Awards April 16-19. We are staying at the MGM Grand hotel, which is where the Awards are too! It's one of the largest hotels in the WORLD! There are like 14 restaurants, a casino, Cirque de Soleil, 8 Night clubs, 5 pools, a lazy river(inside the hotel) shopping...etc. Here are some of the details...we still don't know them all...

Friday April 16th

-Arrive in Las Vegas

-KA by Cirque du Soleil

-New Artist Performances (Lady Antebellum)

Saturday

-Sugarland Concert with Blake Shelton

Sunday

-ACM Awards

-All Star Jam hosted by the Academy

Monday

-Fly back to Lubbock

What we've been up to!

2010-03-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Pics to explain :)

Went to a baby shower for my cousin Afton and her coming soon baby, Adeline :) She may be the cutest pregnant girl EVER!!!

Made this diaper cake! It was pretty darn easy and turned out WAY cute! I can't wait to make another!!! If you need one, let me know! I'd love to either make one for you or show you how!!
Went to Lowes to get some doors & the kids HAD to ride the tractors!! (When I took them off...Natalie bawled...ha!) Nat says, "TAA TOR!!!"
Danielle and I went to the midnight release of the New Moon DVD. We were the 5th people in line at Walmart and got a cool Sports Drink cup with Edward on it and some tatoos and stickers. hehehe..."Hey...do we get the package too?" (hahaha...) There were mainly women there my age or older!

Went to Owen's and saw baby chicks! (apparantly the ducks went fast) We decided NOT to buy any...but the kids LOVED them! Cole held a chick & one jumped out of Justin's hands. Don't worry...it survived!
Saw the Easter bunny. Cole did great! He actually DID smile for his picture, AND went back later to give the bunny a hug (2 hugs actually). Natalie didn't take a pic of her own for obvious reasons :) Cole asked me, "Is dat a nice bunny?" I said yes, so he went up to sit on its lap!

COLE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

he brought me a cotton ball he found outside...."UH OH, Mommy! Is dis a piece of cloud?" he was really worried the sky was falling! sooooo cute!!!

and....we tell him and nat to "be nice". Last week he started saying, "Mommy, you be nice, me be nice." Ok!

New Car!!!

2010-03-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yes! We got a new vehicle! I bought my Pontiac torrent in February 2006 with the hopes of having it for our kids. the minute I had Cole in the carseat the following year...I knew we had outgrown it. With 2 kids....EEk! VERy small. My parents got a Chevy Traverse a year ago and it has a TON of space and 3 rows (fits 8 comfortably). We paid my car off last year, and now that Pontiac has gone out of business...I was worried about the rapid depreciation. Luckily we got some good rebates and got a GREAT trade in for my dented/windshield cracked car...so the payment is actually cheaper than my torrent was before we paid it off! Here are a few pics of the car (in my garage because its soooo darn windy here) and me and my old car (you can see the dent that the little old lady put in it at Hobby Lobby) And...let me TOTALLY recommend Ruble Vance Autoplex in Vernon, TX. We've bought our last 2 vehicles from them and they are a PLEASURE to work with! Very sweet people and the owners are GREAT! They can get you ANY vehicle you want from anywhere and will make you the best deal possible! (And...they took me seriously when I was wheelin' & dealin' with them! :)) And, NO AMBER....it's NOT A MINI VAN! hahahaha.

Dallas Rock & Roll Half Marathon---FINISHED!

2010-03-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

i did it!!! It was harder than I thought...but totally worth it!

The night before, for various reasons....I didn't sleep. Not a wink (ok...maybe 30 minutes between 4am-4:45am). Seriously... I thought for sure my time would be horrible. I hoped to get it in 2:45. My finishing time was 2:16!!!!!! However...I almost passed out. It took me a good hour to get my strength up to get up and walk. A man died...a healthy 32 year old Texas Tech alumni. It's very scary to think....it could have been any of us...

Anyway...here's a few pics!

Sewing :)

2010-03-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

I decided to sew (for the first time for real) a blanket, some burp cloths, and a bib for a certain baby girl that is coming soon! (If the mommy reads this...I hope you & like it! Sorry..I couldn't wait for the shower to put it on my blog!) It was much easier than I thought! I think I will make some for some special twins that will be arriving soon too!! I REALLY want to learn how to quilt...so we shall see if I can (a) learn to do it myself.... or (b) find someone to teach me :)

The bib is reversable with that pink print. The burp cloths have 2 layers of terry cloth (towel fabric) that show on the back (white)

The blanket has soft, soft, SOFT minky on the back in pink! VERY cute & cuddly!

The set! I think the set goes well together!!! & i hope baby A loves it!!!

Wordless Wednesday (it is wednesday...right?)

2010-03-10T13:32:00.001-08:00

Letter of the Week!

2010-03-09T11:54:00.001-08:00

(please ignore the ugly brick & windows...this is our play room...not outside!) Today Cole (& Natalie) and I started our "Letter of the Week". I thought an hour would be good. Hahahaha....it lasted about 10 minutes max. While I have two toddlers...I've never TAUGHT (like curriculum) to toddlers. Duh! If a middle schooler only has 15 minutes (max) attention span...of course toddlers is much less. I think I read somewhere that the attention span is 1 minute per year of age. That is about right. After Cole colored his "big A", he told me, "I'm done Mommy". I convinced him to color "little a" also though! We read, "Big A Little a what begins with A? Aunt Annie's Alligator A.....a.....A!" Cole thought that was neat. Now we are going around the house saying, "A is for Apple! A is for Apple!"

I think we will search for A's in books & magazines....watch a youtube video of Sesame Street with A (if I can find one)....eat APPLES & Apple sauce....and listen to an A song. So far so good!

While Cole was coloring Big A...I thought...WOW! He stays in the lines!!! AMAZING for a barely 3 year old!!! Then we colored Little a. Not so much! haha! Natalie's color choices were VERY spring-like. hehe!

Later, (close to nap time) I saw Cole & natalie playing on the floor. It was so cute...then I got up close & realized Cole was smooshing Natalie's cheeks together and just LAUGHING his head off! It was very cute & pretty darned funny. Natalie thought it was fun too!

Pierce Happenings

2010-03-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not as good at posting on my blog as Ishould be. Oh well...sue me :)

I ran 10 miles yesterday!!! Can you believe it? I can't! To be honest...it felt great! I had a good pace and I kept thinking that this time next week...my race will be OVER!! Then I'll start planning for the Childress 5k on April 24. I was going to try a training program to build up speed...but I think I'll just run to run. NO PLANS! haha!

Speaking of the race...it's Sunday! We will leave Saturday and we extended our stay until WEDNESDAY! Justin got us tickets to a Dallas Stars hockey game! We are VERY excited! My mom & dad are going to take the kids home with them Tuesday and we will meet back up with them on Friday!!! That will be the longest I've been away from them ever! THREE NIGHTS! I extended our stay at the Frisco hotel one night (I had to use my negotiating skills AGAIN as she tried to charge me $169 for Monday night....not so much...it ended with it being $109.) And Jess is letting us stay with her Tuesday night!

The weather has been AWESOME! It's been cloudy & rainy...but in the 60s. I'm so happy about spring! Running in 60 degree weather yesterday was AMAZING! I took off in shorts & a t-shirt and was a wee bit chilly. By the first mile I was SOOO glad I was only wearing that! And...if I had a nice tummy...I would have been running in my sports bra & shorts only. But I don't...so I didn't (darn stretch marks! Oh well...i ran by a few churches and it was sunday evening...hehe)

I bought a TON of fabric (Shhhh...Alana & Amy) and am planning out a few baby projects and a Quilt!!!! I'll try to remember to take pics (and maybe some of my cute kids too! lol!!!)

Cole (& Natalie) and I are going to start "Letter a Week" this week! I bought some fun preschool teacher things and I'm going to try & do "preschool" an hour a day a few days a week. Cole is VERY excited!!

Have a GREAT week!!

LOSING MY MIND!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-03T20:00:00.001-08:00

While in Lubbock...I lost my debit card last week. Luckily I don't think anyone used it because no charges were ever made with it. I've NEVER lost a debit or credit card.

Today...I looked in my wallet casually and realized my Driver's License is missing. GREAT! Might need THAT when I write my CHECKS...because I don't have my debit card! Yes...It's missing...nowhere in my house...nowhere in my car...or purse. The last time I used it was at WALMART (I hate that place) and the cashier took it to type in my number because I WROTE A CHECK. UGHHHHHHHHHH...

I feel like throwing up! I've never lost a driver's license either! What is wrong with me? Is someone breaking in to my house and stealing these things from me??????

Cole loves me!

2010-03-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday:
Me: "I love you Cole. Do you love me?"
Cole: "So much, I OVE you so much. THIS MUCH!" (and he holds his arms out wide)
Me: "AWWWWW (tears in my eyes), I love YOU this much too!" (hold my arms out wide)

Today:
Me: "I love you Cole! How much do you love me?"
Cole: "Too much Mommy".

Hey...that was my line!

Running update

2010-02-28T15:20:00.001-08:00

As you know...I've been running since November (I think?) It's down to the wire...the 1/2 marathon is less than 2 weeks away!! I'm nervous and very excited!! Today I ran 9 miles and it wasn't as bad as I thought! I've found that running is so much more fun if I don't look at it as a competition...but...if you know me...you know that's VERY hard for me!!! Today's run was slow & easy and I tried my HARDEST to not be consumed with what my time was. Cole, Natalie, Justin & Maverick even met me about an hour into it to give me some water. Very sweet! I have several friends who are running the race in addition to my mom & sister! I'm so proud of you all!!!!!

Friday, March 12...we head to Plano and will stay the night with Jessica (my sister). Saturday we will go check in at the Dallas Convention Center. Then we check into our 2 bedroom suite in Dallas. (my parents, sisters & my little family will be sharing this). Sunday we will be racing at 8am (I think)...ironically...that's the same day as Daylight Savings time change...urghhh.... Then we get to stay the night at my favorite Homewood Suites in Frisco!

Speaking of that hotel...Justin and I like staying in a 1 bedroom suite so we can have a separate room from the kids. We stayed at the Homewood Suites in Frisco this past July. It was 109$ per night (not bad!) When I went online to look at the price, it was $149 for the upcoming trip...but the one in Plano was $109. I decided to just call and see if there was anyway they could match that price because we'd rather say in Frisco...but if they wouldn't come down...we'd stay in Plano. SURE ENOUGH...they lowered the price! I was soooo excited (I'm a stay at home mom...it's the little things ;)) Anyway...I learned a lesson! There's always negotiating when it comes to hotels!!!

Good Books

2010-02-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a LOT of reading lately!!!

I just finished Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It is a Christian Fiction novel (my first)...and it is probably one of my all time favorite books. It's set in the 1850's Gold Rush era in California. The main character, Angel, is a prostitute. The story is of a man, Michael, who follows God's wishes for him to take her away & marry her....and his struggles to help Angel. I was soooo overcome with emotion reading it. Seriously...go out and buy it!!! AMAZING! Thanks Alana for recommending it and letting me borrow it!!

On a completely different reading genre...I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I'm just loving them! So simple and fun! I got the first book after Christmas and am now on the 8th book :) It's a more "adult" version of Twilight...yet very unique. The series was started long before Stephenie Meyer started Twilight...so its not a knockoff. Although...I wonder if Stephenie didn't get some of her ideas from Charlaine Harris...??? We've been watching the True Blood series also...very good!

I also read Dear John last week...and then saw the movie. Yes, the movie ends a little "better" than the book (I guess you can say that)....but the book is WAYYYYY better! Typical Nicholas Sparks. My sis also loaned me The Last Song...so I hope to knock that out this week!

I've read a few more books since Christmas too...The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, The Traveler's Gift and The Gift by Richard Paul Evans. All good books!

Lent

2010-02-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that Easter is less than 40 days away! The past year has FLOWN by!!!

I am Catholic. For those of you that don't know about catholocism, please...NEVER hesitate to ask me! When I was teaching, my students always asked me if Catholics were Christian...hehe...YES we are! Maybe one day I'll write a post about how the different denominations of Christianity came about...(I have a degree in History and my specific study was in European and Medieval studies...haha!) I'm fascinated by religion...especially my own!

ANYWAY...I'm Catholic and during Lent (the 40 days before Easter), we fast. Not COMPLETELY fast, but we DO give up things to remind us of the fasting Jesus did while in the desert and the temptations he faced...but also to remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus gave us. We don't eat meat on Fridays during lent....but we also do personal sacrifices also. Fr. Jim, our priest (amazing man), explained that during this time of Lent we clean ourselves of what keeps us from being closer to God...that's where your decisions of YOUR personal sacrifices come from!

Every year I give up 2 things. Usually one is more of a personal thing...stop gossiping...make up with people I have had an outing with...etc. The other is usually material...give up Dr. Pepper, chocolate...etc.

This year when I thought about Lent, facebook came to mind IMMEDIATELY. It kind of rules my life...and for no other reason than to see what everybody else is up to. Now, I'm not a facebook stalker...I rarely go to people's pages or photos...but I will spend an hour on facebook. I've known this takes away from my time as a mom and wife...so I'm giving it up for Lent! so far I'm on day 3...and the urge is finally starting to hit! I hadn't realized how much I rely on it as a means of friendship...but I DO have a phone! I need to use it more often!!

I'm also giving up "sweets". This means candy, donuts, cupcakes, cookies...etc. This is finally starting to get hard too! I didn't realize how much I snacked on sweets! Again...day 3! While I was at United shopping, i found my favorite candy in the reduced basket...Ferrer Rocher...12 pieces for $1!!!!!! I bought 3 to save for my Easter surprise! haha!

While this can be tough (as SILLy as it seems when soooo many people never have the privelege of eating sweets or the internet)...I feel like it does bring me closer to God...everytime I stumble...I remember that Jesus stumbled too...he was tested...but he persevered and saved us!!!

Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is always fun for my family. Daddy used to give us special jewelry and chocolates...we were always his valentine! Justin has continued to make it fun for me and the kids! The kids also had presents from Grandma & Grandpa, Auntie Jess & Mimi & Papa. Love was definitely in the air!!! I had a huge eye due to an infection...but Justin still made me feel special :) And...I wasn't creative AGAIN for Justin. He got a minnow bucket...he asked for it! And LOTS of candy that's already gone! I couldn't find a great card for him, so I made one that says, "I've had my EYE on you"...and I drew my humongous eye. haha! I would put a picture of my eye...because I love gross stuff...but not all of you do, so I don't want to make you hate me! Trust me, it was huge and ugly and on Sunday I went to the ER! SCARY!

This is what the kids woke up to after their afternoon nap :)

Natalie LOVED the bear Daddy got her! If you look close you can see the heart watch I gave her! She took that bear everywhere & wrestled with it!

Natalie wearing the Snow white Necklace and earrings Grandma & Grandpa gave her. The purse is just adorable too! The funny thing was that we gave her Snow White the same day!

Cole and his cho choo watch and choo choo movie. Yes...we make this addiction worse!

Hope ya'll had as fun for Valentines day as we did! (actually...i hope it was better & you got to go on a date...we didn't because of my cyclops of an eye!)

Cole is 3!!

2010-02-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Cole OFFICIALLY turned three on Feb. 11! (at 10:24pm after 25 hours of long, grueling labor that ended in a c-section!!) He is SUCH a big boy now! His birthday was filled with his favorites: cinammon rolls, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, choo choos, choo choo movies, etc. He had a great day!! Here's what he's up to lately!

Cole at 3 years old:

Infatuated with Thomas the Train and all trains in general

He calls them "choo choos"

He has 10 thomas character trains

He is 42 inches and 36 lbs. Still pretty tall & lean!

He talks up a storm these days! I mean...full blown conversations! I understand everything he says...sometimes other people don't. My favorite things he says lately are, "It is a nice day today!" or "I don't think so...". haha... or, "I be nice Mommy! I MOMISE!" (I promise) "That's COLE'S baby Nani" (natalie)

He loves a girl...Chandler. He told me this yesterday after CRYING in the car because he thought we were going to see her. "I OVE Nandler" (ove = love and Nandler=Chandler). She likes trains too...haha!

He love, love, loves his grandma. He likes to call her at least every other day. He likes to call "Dess" (jess-ica). If he's in trouble, he wants MAWMAW...grandma.

Yes, he does love his mimi too! He gets so excited when we tell him we get to see "Mimipapa". It's one word :)

He goes pee pee & the potty all day and wears big thomas and elmo underwear...but wears a pull up at night. He ONLY goes poo poo when sleeping...not sure why! I'm giving the poo poo a break...we forced him on the potty & he got to where he would cry and cry...so I'll give it a month or so before we try again!

He loves hanging out with his cousins, Garrett & Gavin. You can tell he totally looks up to them & thinks they are soooooo cool! He got to feed their cows, horses & goats the other day with them and had such a great time!

ONLY EATS grilled cheese, fishsticks, chicken strips or dinos...and thats it! Well...he eats a variety of fruit & other snacks...but he's not good at trying new foods....specifically meats and veggies. I have faith that ONE day he'll like my meatloaf or Justin's steak!

That's my big boy for ya! He's sweet as can be and the cutest thing in the world!!!

Cole's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-02-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

(note....I'll post an official 3rd b-day on his actual birthday!)

Cole had ANOTHER Thomas the Train b-day party this year. He loves Thomas...so why not? His Grandma & Grandpa, Auntie Nini (danielle), Auntie Jess (JEssica) and Mimi & papa came to celebrate with him! It was nice to have a small, family party! He was SO happy and ALL SMILES while we sang him "Happy Birthday"! (see the pic) I wish we'd videoed it! Cole got lots of Choo Choos and books and a Big Wheel cycle thing! We got him a full sized mattress set and bedding. We searched all over for this discontinued bedding...(target discontinued it after 3 years...ughhhh)...decided to buy a different set...and then reconsidered & found it on Ebay! We are soooo happy with it! I was very sad to say goodbye to the mattress that he slept on for 3 years!! BUT...it's the same bed frame! It's one that converts from crib to toddler bed to Full Size...I think it was WELL worth the money! He will have had the same basic bed his whole time living with his mommy & daddy!! Cool! Natalie's is the same way!

Here are some pics!

Crafts

2010-01-26T18:14:00.001-08:00

I've been working on some crafts lately! My sweet Childress girls, Amy & Alana, have kind of gotten me hooked!!! I've always been a fan of decopauging with Mod Podge (do you remember I did Natalie's letters for her room?) Well...I did "JOY" for Christmas....and most recently I did LOVE for Valentine's day and coasters!!! I'm in the process of doing XOXO frames for Valentine's day and a clipboard :). Who knows what else I'll pull out of my sleeve! Here are some of the things I've been doing! (some finished...some NOT...I'll try & post the finished products too!)

First I painted my LOVE letters WHITE with craft paint. This took about 3 coats.

Then I used Mod Podge to adhere scrapbook paper to the letters. Then I put 2 more layers on top. They turned out VERY cute (notice I still have nothing on my walls...I have no clue how to even start!!!)

Amy & Alana invited to "craft day/play date" one day and I had NOTHING to do...but I brought my scrapbook paper & Mod Podge :). Amy had 4 tiles & showed me how to make coasters...VERY easy! Mod Podged the SAME way I did the letters! After the coasters sat for about a week...I sealed them with Polycrylic so that liquid wouldn't seep in over time. They have felt on the bottom (thanks to Amy also!) I plan on making these often for gifts...so you may get a set!!

Here are frames (2 of them spray painted black) that have Valentine's Day scrapbook paper in them. I plan on gluing little clear stones/marbles to make XOXO on them. I have it...just being lazy! I actually saw this on a blog...and then I saw that Amy and Alana did it already...don't great minds think alike??

Here's my clipboard...I plan on Mod Podging the paper on it and putting that pink paper at the bottom and a little saying. Then I'm putting CUTE paper on the back too!!! I'll post finished product pics soon!!

I'm planning on doing some sewing projects too!!!!

A Typical Day with the Pierce's

2010-01-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure you are just SO curious what we do with ourselves all day long at the Pierce residence! (sarcasm) I thought I'd put it out on the blog so I can remember one day!

1. Wake up around 8:30am (unless Cole wakes up with a dirty pull up earlier) Today...it was 7:30 :(

2. Brush Teeth. (I LOVE them brushing their teeth! So much fun!!)

2. Make breakfast. Usually this means Waffles, or eggs & bologna or bacon or Oatmeal! Here is Cole making his first batch of waffles! He was so excited!!!

3. Watch some choo choos...(sadly...this happens almost every day...) Sometimes we watch some Disney Channel or Sesame Street too!

4. Play...This is what can happen in a matter of MINUTES...like when I'm washing dishes :)

5. Eat Lunch. Grilled Cheese, Bolgona sandwich, quesadilla, pizza...it variess...but not by much. Cole is a very picky eater...and Natalie is starting to follow in his footsteps!

6. Naptime. I usually let them play until about 1pm and then we get ready for the nap. Natalie goes STRAIGHT to bed...Cole gets a book. (sometimes we jump on the bed before a nap!)

7. REST...catchup on the computer...read...REST...clean (boo). I refuse to nap during this time! haha! It's ME TIME!

8. 4pm...wake them up from nap (sometimes earlier)

9. PLAY! We usually have a snack and play outside or build choo choos or play dolls...whatever!

10. 6:30ish...supper. Usually leftovers or the same menu as above for Cole. He has such a BORING appetite! (don't worry...I make regular meals and offer them to Cole & Natalie. Natalie USUALLY eats them or part of them. Sometimes Cole will take a taste)

11. PLAY with DADDY if he's home! This is their favorite thing to do! Daddy chases them through the house or outside and takes them on "horsie rides". This usually ends with them all spinning around and falling the ground giggling! haha!

12. Brush teeth & take bath. At this point they usually still take a bath together. They haven't really discovered their "differences" yet. I don't know when we'll separate them...but not looking forward to TWO baths!

13. Read books & pray and NIGHT NIGHT! We read a book to natalie and a book to Cole (usually a dinosaur or choo choo book) I love to see them pray. Cole has started to do it on his own, but they both put their hands together (Natalie doesn't last the WHOLE time...ha!) Cole can make the sign of the cross and they both say A-MEN...and clap their hands together! hehe!

PHEW! Wouldn't have it any other way!