98,99,37....

Ian is counting for them to play hide and seek....I just heard him say "98, 99, 37...ready, not, here I came!" LOL, I am so glad that they make me smile and laugh, otherwise some days I might not make it! Ian is sick again, w/ the nasty nose and cough. I am currently waiting on the dr call back and tell me what the plan is!...ever since he had RSV he seems to get a cold and keep it FOREVER! and we go around and around w/ different antibiotics! It's so frustrating!

Shannon, you asked about how we got Eli to smile like that...well! He just loves to smile, there is no cool trick at all! If you just talk to him, he will give you this award winning smile! But of course he saves his best smiles for mommy! heehee! Melanie was just talking to him while she was snapping the pics~ She captured him at his best! He is a happy baby, always smiling and talking to whoever will listen! No wonder I can't get anything done, all I want to do is hold and talk to him...and that's about all I do! lol, and I love every minute of it! We went on Monday and had his first round of shots done (he had a cold at his well visit, so we didn't do them then) and he only cried for like 10 seconds....amazed me, Ian would milk the tears for like 20 minutes! Before the nurse even left the room he was smiling again!





here are a few more of my smiling baby!

here are our Christmas Pictures!

A big thank you to Melanie for taking our pictures the other day!....I know we were wondering what I had done having another kid! hehee!


These are a few of my favorites!

Christmas preview!

tagged....

thanks to Shannon, I was tagged...it took me a while to do it, but join in, it's fun!


1. Egg nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate, add a little peppermint to make it yummy!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Neither....we don't do Santa w/ our kids(no comments on that please!...it's our choice!)

3. Colored lights or white?
White.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I should, hmmm, I might have to look for some this year!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
The day after thanksgiving

6. Favorite holiday dish?
Asparagus casserole, my aunt makes.

7. Favorite childhood memory?
the treasure hunt my dad sent me on to find my presents, one a dollhouse he made me and then my bunny he bought me that year.

8. When/how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I guess I always knew, my parents didn't do santa w/ us when we were kids...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
When we were kids, only at my grandparents...
Now our kids actually open all their presents on Christmas Eve morning, b/c we have to be at my moms at 8:30 on Christmas morning, it's more fun for them on Christmas Eve b/c they can stay home all day and play w/ their toys, until we leave that night for where ever we are going!

10. How do you decorate the tree?
ummm...we pull out he box and load the tree...the kids each have a new ornament each year...oops I just realized I didn't get them one this year!heehee...new mommy brain?...so maybe we'll break that tradition?

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?
I can do without...BUT I love how excited the kids get over it...Ian doesn't even know what it is, but b/c Emma is wanting it SO bad, he wants it too! I can do w/ a day or 2...just don't ask me to go out in it unless I am going skiing, then bring it on!...but NO snowballs please!

12. Can you ice skate?
YES, love it, but haven't been since Alex was the youth pastor at our other church.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
YES, it was the dollhouse my dad made for me, it in my attic now, for Emma one day!

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you?
Being w/ my family, and teaching my kids the real meaning of Christmas...JESUS

15. Favorite holiday dessert?
All of them...but for the last few years I have made peppermint bark...love it!

16. Favorite Christmas Tradition?
Being at my Grandparents w/ my cousins on Christmas Eve...the only time we would be together and not beg to spend the night w/ each other!...this year we are doing that on the 26th though! :( And my other grandmother when she was alive always put candy canes on her tree as part of the trees decorations and we would come and take one...but you had to make sure she didn't know where you got it from or she would "pretend" to be mad at you for "messing up her tree" and as you are finding out...I loved some candy canes!

17. What tops your tree?
a star...we had an angel, until we read this book to Emma about the legend of the Christmas tree....they had a star, and Emma was upset that we had an angel, so we got a star...I like the star better than the angel we had...so it worked out!

18. Do you prefer giving or receiving?
i love giving, but I am like Brandy, it can get stressful and that can take the fun away from it....Alex and I can't keep up w/ the "Jones'" so I have to swallow my pride and sometimes give things that aren't as pricey as what my kids might be receiving...it's hard, even when you tell other not to spend so much, they do, and then you feel obligated to do the same for their kids!....see, stress...and that makes it hard!

19. Favorite Christmas song?
to this day I still smile every time I hear Micheal W. Smith's song "Gloria" and all the other songs we did w/ my sign language group!...good times :)

20. Candy canes. Yum or yuck?
as I have referred to peppermint before....YUMMY!

21. What do you want for Christmas?
For my brother to find a job, my husband to pass his test, and for Gary to be out from under this medical stuff!?? I have no wants....plus Alex and I just got the Wii FIT and called it Christmas!

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?
Alex's work party...and I don't need a new outfit...although I have NOTHING that fits right....I choose to be different! heehee, plus it's raining today and I don't want to drag the kids out like I planned to find something to wear!

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear P.J.'s?
we are at one of our grandparents...so I can't wear my PJ's although I wish I could...how cool would that be?

24. Do you own a Santa hat?
Me, no, kids...there's a baby one around here somewhere!

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
as in Christmas day? Well, we go to my mom's Christmas morning for breakfast, w/ mom and Gary, Nick, Sam, Savannah, Becca and sometimes Melanie and her girls(but they can't come this year) and of course all of us...then we go to Alex's dad's that night w/ his dad and Della, his brother, Jonathan and Kelly their kids Jackson and Lydia, his step-sister Jera and her kids Nevaeh, and Gage, and his grandparents for dinner...then back home LATE! We see his other grandparents and mom on Christmas Eve and my dad's parents and family one the day after Christmas(for the first time this year...we for a long time had to go 2 places on Christmas Eve...it's nice to only have one place to go!)


Thanks Shannon for tagging me, it was fun, especially thinking about all the memories from growing up! I love Christmas SO much!

I am picking Susan, Jenn, Chelsea, Dawn, Kate, Crystal and Jenny to tag!...have fun!

I think....

I think that is the best of ALL the pictures I took of the kids in their Christmas PJ's...enjoy it here, because I have to be honest, I still haven't printed Eli's first pictures...much less have I even thought about a Christmas card....so don't get your hopes up to much and PLEASE forgive me now!

I think...I could go and spend at least $100.00 printing pictures, just to get caught up...not to mention giving some to family who I know by now think I have lost it!


I think....some days I have lost my mind and will never find it again...heehee, along w/ the fact that I lost my BSF lesson for the week...nice! oh well, at least I haven't lost my kids...yet, nor the Christmas presents!

I think...I will NEVER have a chance to start wrapping presents, they have make it from the closet to a big box in the garage (which is closer to the car where they will end up eventually!) but some how at some time I need to get them wrapped...anyone out there just love to wrap and want to wrap mine too? heehheee...just kidding, I love wrapping!...I'm just not sure when I will do it! most likely at midnight the night before they are needed!


I think...this is going to be the best Christmas in a LONG time....we don't have 2 places to be on Christmas Eve...and we will be celebrating an extra day...yeah for family FINALLY changing the tradition! I think...that is awesome!

I think...I might be finally adjusting to 3...and that the "lost my mind" syndrome is just the new normal! I might as well laugh at it!

I think...my pot disagrees because I am sure it would of rather me of not left it on the stove while I nursed the baby...burning the paste it was so nicely cooking for me...

I don't think... that pot will ever be the same again!....oh well! :)

I think....my husband is awesome, but we might be tired of each other after he is off for 13 days around Christmas!

I think...I'm scared to call my mom and find out how Gary's doctors appointment went today...I'm not sure I want to know!


I think....I'm tired of Ian being a pirate! Does anyone know how to convince a little boy to stop being such a boy ALL THE TIME!...Or maybe how to convince him to be a cowboy or something else not involving a sword?


I think....my husband is stressed to the max...pray for him tomorrow!

I think....I'm tired of thinking!
:)

I admit it....I just don't have time!

So if you haven't figured it out yet...I am struggling to find time to blog! Like right now....I shouldn't be sitting here blogging...no Ian needs to be getting to bed for his nap, Emma needs a shower, Eli will want to eat again in about an hour and a half, I need a shower and to be dressed before the delivery guys come for our building out back! Then Alex's dad is coming after the delivery....lol! I need to be working w/ Emma on her AWANA verse for tonight and we need to be ready to leave here by 4:30! SO...this seems to be the story of my life right now...there is always a "needs to be done" list...BUT, instead, I find myself holding a baby, playing w/ kids and LOVING being a mommy! Some days are tough, really tough, but most days have been awesome. It took me longer than I expected to jump in to a good routine...but the Lord showed me to slow down and stop expecting so much of myself...something I have always struggled with....now I know my limitations and am learning to actually enjoy them. I was in tears when Alex told me about his school schedule, and those days have been tough, but during this time, the Lord showed me that truly w/ His strength I can do it! Two weeks ago Alex and I started leading a small group on finances and again, I worried that it was to much...God showed me that when HE calls you to do something for Him, He will make a way and He has...and we are loving this new group of people and getting to experience part of life w/ them! It is always exciting to know that when you give your time to God and allow Him to decide how you are going to spend that time, then you can enjoy that time SO much more, b/c you know you are where you are suppose to be!...does that make since? I hope so! Anyway, all that said to say, I haven't had much time to sit and blog, I know in my heart it will be a long time before I can again....I will try to update when I can, but don't be surprised if it's not often.....know that I'm off holding my baby or teaching my oldest to read or "trying" to potty train my middle!

the kids are great, Eli is an awesome baby, and I think weighing in around 11 or so lbs, we have our next appointment on the 2nd of Dec...so we'll see then, but he has totally filled out....and we finally got the cloth diapers to work! I am LOVING them...L...O...V...I...N...G them! Thanks Brandy for all the help, I owe you one! Even Alex has learned how to change one! I am deciding if I want to go to them full time and try and take them w/ me places or not...we'll see, for now I'm still just doing it at home. I started WW and that has actually helped me SO much w/ nursing, Eli has been more content, it seems I wasn't eating enough before and now that I am on a point system I know I'm getting enough AND I'm loosing weight...which is a bonus! LOL...and yes I'm wanting to loose weight...I am done having kids and am DETERMINED to like my body...if that means loosing weight...then that's what I'm going to do! :)

Emma is learning like crazy...she will be reading long, I know it! We put off preschool until Jan. but she is determined to learn anyway....she just finished up her first set of swimming lessons which she loved and did great w/....we don't start back until January!

Ian is all boy, we "tried" to potty train, but I quickly realized that even though I might be ready, he's not...so we will continue to wait, he won't be 3 for a while, so I am not pushing anything...he's allergies are bad right now, but I am learning to expect that, this time of year, I hope to keep him out of the dr's office this winter....pray w/ me for that! It's hard to believe that a year ago this time we were learning about 80 something allergies that he had and feeling so overwhelmed w/ it...God had been faithful in giving us wisdom in dealing w/ them! He is such a trooper w/ his allergies and I am thankful we decided not to do the shots, but I hate seeing him so stopped up and the breathing treatments are not fun for him! He is great doing them compared to some horror stories I have heard, but it's not fun even though he doesn't fight it! He is talking like you can't believe and just recently found his imagination which is fun to listen to!

Alex are I are good, LOVING watching our children grow...we would NEVER trade our life for anything!

that should about catch everyone up! Now I am off to throw diapers in the dryer, and shower me and Emma at the same time...kill 2 birds w/ one stone...Ian is already in bed and I have 45 minutes til snacktime for Eli! :)

my sweet sweet daughter and her halloween story!

So I waited this year until last Wednesday to buy Halloween costumes...I know CRAZY, and I don't suggest it, unless added stress is something you enjoy, then go ahead! LOL! The reason being, is we didn't decide to "do Halloween" until Tuesday!....I know, I know, it a discussion every year between Alex and me...but I think we have made a decision to hold on to from now on!

ANYWAY!...to my story

We started out the day on Wednesday going to Target and Old Navy, both of which had nothing we were pleased w/....FYI, Emma had her heart set on being a butterfly (which is what she plans to be when she grows up! LOL :) ) and Ian wanted to be a cowboy...both very determined! lol....SO our plans for the day included going to eat lunch w/ Alex, something we are doing on Wednesdays while he's in school, so the kids can see him, and then "visit" w/ some people in his office, which is code for my kids getting a bunch of candy..they LOVE "visiting" at daddy's work!lol, and the men there are worse than the ladies w/ the candy! haha! So after we left there we met up w/ Mimi and Granddaddy, who graciously went w/ us to Concord, no, I wasn't ready for that adventure on my own! lol...I started at Babiesrus b/c a week before they had RACKS of costumes!...not anymore...one little rack, nothing bigger than 6 months!...next Toysrus...again, NOTHING, but yucky stuff like witches and we weren't going there! :) So when we got back in the car from toysrus, Emma ask me, "mommy, what are we going to do?" She was so worried that there would be no costumes to be found! I told her to pray and ask Jesus to help us find a costume and if HE wanted her to be a butterfly, then HE would show us where to find it! This seemed to work for her, and I SO sent up a prayer asking Him for help, to at least help us find costumes that they would be excited about...I admit, I doubted we would find a butterfly and a cowboy! After dinner, we went to Childrens Place in Concord Mills....AND...believe it or not, we found a whole rack of cowboy outfit! I was SO excited, there wasn't a size 2/3, but they had 1 size 4 left and I knew I could make it work, not to mention he could wear it a whole lot longer to play in!...then as I was standing there, I looked up and on display there was...YES...a butterfly costume, now, it looked little, and I was afraid to hope, but we had the girl check the size...Emma had spotted it too by this time and was jumping up and down in excitement...it was 12-18 months...but...it looked big...would it fit??? She took it down for us to try on, I am reminding Emma that "it might not fit, don't get to excited yet" and we tried it on, right there in the middle of the store! IT FIT LIKE IT WAS MADE FOR HER! and it was pink and purple!....thank you Jesus for answering this mommy's prayer and caring about a little girls costume!

So after the purchases were made, we made a potty stop, and in the restroom, I asked Emma if she was excited...here is the conversation that followed!

me...Emma are you excited about your butterfly?
E...YES...I can't wait to show daddy!
me...Isn't it exciting that Jesus answered your prayer!?
E...umm Mommy, I didn't pray for Jesus to help me find a butterfly costume...
me...you didn't, why not?
E...well, I wasn't sure He would answer...how would He answer?
(I could tell she was very unsure of how Jesus would audibly answer her....she was wondering for sure)
me...well, you have a butterfly costume, don't you? That is your answer, Jesus wanted you to have one, so He showed us where to find it.
E...but Mommy, I didn't pray for one!
(at this point, she is close to tears b/c she was concerned that she hadn't asked Jesus for help)
me...but mommy did, I prayed and asked Jesus to help us find your butterfly costume and Ian's cowboy costume
E...(as she wraps her arms around me!) THANK YOU MOMMY FOR PRAYING FOR MY COSTUME...I LOVE IT...

Later that night when she was going to bed, she thanked Jesus over and over for her costume...the whole idea was such a learning experience for her, she for a long time has had a good understanding for God and Jesus, but this reminded me that she is still only 4 and although she seems to understand the concept of God, she is still a literal child who wasn't exactly sure how Jesus was going to "answer" her prayer!...now I think she understand! :) The next day, someone asked her what she was going to be for Halloween, and she said, "a butterfly, and Jesus helped me find it!" LOL! I LOVED IT!

Thank you Jesus for your reminder to this Mommy that you care about the small stuff...even Halloween costumes....I love you!

I'll post pictures soon!

Is she surviving????....

YES, the answer is yes, sometimes it feels like "barely surviving!" but I am still alive. Can I even tell you how many times I have thought about posting and yet, I never made it to the computer to actually do it! Today has been unusual for me, I WAS going to attempt going back to BSF today, but after a sleepless night, and yes there have been quite a few of those, :) I chickened out and sent the kids w/ mom and Gary, the wonderful man that he is, came over and took Eli for me, so I pumped a bottle and took a shower and went back to bed for an extra 2 hours....2 WONDERFUL HOURS of needed sleep, then mom and Gary took both Emma and Ian for the WHOLE afternoon...Emma had swimming lessons and Ian was begging to go to "grammy's house" so that left me w/ just Eli for the afternoon, I was able to get the whole house in order and a load of wash done, I can now officially do a load a day and always have a FULL load! LOL, but I have done well w/ that, and don't get overwhelmed w/ 4 load to do at once!

So how has it been going?....Good, hard, fun, difficult, and everything in between!

Eli is a good baby, he seems to be struggling w/ reflux, like Ian, he is very gassy, I am hoping this doesn't mean he's going to be allergic to the world like Ian w/ his 60 something allergies! He has his one month appointment this week so I'll talk to the dr about it then! I am hoping that he isn't going to stay gassy like Ian did....w/ Ian once I switched to formula he was so much happier, and I always wondered why, well when we had him allergy tested and found out that he is allergic to most food, including green bean and cantaloupe! SO everything I ate bothered him...lovely, I am hoping that isn't the case w/ Eli, but so far, he seems to be following that same pattern! We'll see!

He is a little guy, alot like Emma, he was 7 12 when he was born, 7,4 when we left the hospital, still 7, 4 a week later, and then 7, 11 at 2 weeks old, I am interested to see what he is going to weigh at one month. Em and I both were back to their birth weight at one week, Ian was over by like 4 ozs...so this is different for me to have one stay little so long! He has little hands and feet like Em, so I think he is going to be little like she is! He is such a sweet baby, doesn't even cry when he's in pain w/ the gas, you can see it on his face, and know he's hurting, but usually there is no tears! He does like to grunt and squeak we call him squeaker a lot!


OK so this is now my third time working on this post, apparently I am not going to do well w/ getting anything posted for a while...honestly, w/ the way we are sleeping...or not sleeping around here, most days I don't even think about the computer or blogging or anything like that, all my "down time"...lol...I spend sleeping! :) BUT last night I got good sleep, well, for having an infant! SO I am on top of the world today! and wanted to finish this and get the pics posted...so w/o anymore typing, here are the pictures!










Now if I can just get them to Costco to be printed before he turns 1 I'll be doing really well! LOL! I'll be back when I can, but just know, it might be a while! Now I am off to do some cleaning, while I have energy from all my sleep!

love to all!

Eli Brice Helms

I know all y'all really care about it the pictures...but you have to hear the story too! He made his entrance into the world around 5:45 yesterday afternoon! He weighs in at 7 lbs and 12 oz. and is 21 inches long. He is a GOOD baby, so far, hasn't cried a bit....except the poking of the needle right after his birth! He is starting to nurse better, but at this point would rather sleep!

Emma and Ian came about an hour after he got here...both where very unsure of the whole thing...of course, he looked a little "weird" w/ all the goop and eye drops and stuff...SO they were pretty stand-offish. Ian just wanted me to "get up mommy...don't like bed" They left w/ Gary after about 45 minutes to watch a movie and wait for daddy to come and put them to bed. They came back w/ Alex this morning and were very excited to see their brother and Emma was VERY ready to hold him, now that he looked clean and cute! Ian still stood back, but was glad I was up and moving around...he too eventually held Eli..and did great and was so cute w/ him...you'll see the pics I promise!lol.

This was totally my hardest delivery yet, but we made it through, yes there were some tears...but no tearing...lol! Some complications, but nothing major, and he was fine the whole time! The dr and the nurses were great, no complaints there at all! We are all great, and VERY glad to have Eli on this side!...now, let the fun begin! :)










We will be going home tomorrow midmorning...I can't wait to get in my bed and sleep on my stomach! Last night I was up ALOT, they had to give me extra fluids b/c of a blood pressure problem...SO I peed all night long! LOVELY right!lol, so he slept and I was up!lol...go figure! Keep up in your prayers and come by and see the baby! :)


OH and happy birthday MOM!...I love you, thanks for spending your "big day" w/ me helping me w/ the kids and Eli...and ME!

short update!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still waiting.....tomorrow is my "due date!" I am hanging tough...haven't slept in a while, but I know that is not ending anytime soon, even after the birth! HEEHEE! I will be glad to have all the pain in my hips end!...it's seem to be endless right now! I am off to bed, yes, it's early for me, but I have been up since 4:45 AM, b/c I couldn't sleep w/ the pain!

I'll keep you posted, I can even take to computer to the hospital! lol, no promises, but I will let everyone know somehow as soon as I can!

I am probably off until after his birth!....look for pictures...soon I hope!

my new plan!

Ok so I am still waiting, now remember my due date isn't until this coming Saturday...the 27th, so, if it weren't for the checking of my fluids, I would never of expected to give birth before now...in fact I told all the family that if they didn't induce me early we all knew I wouldn't have this one before my due date either! I will now tell you, I didn't play along w/ the "guess the date" b/c my date all along has been the 29th or 30th...I still think it will be next week and hopefully not longer! I have a much better perspective on everything now...and know I should be enjoying this last week or so. God showed me today through a tap on my shoulder that HE is in control and I need to trust him, even w/ the timing to the birth of Eli...it was a sweet reminder that HE has my BEST at heart and for now, that means me waiting and being patient!

So my new plan....to be as busy as possible this week! I have Brandy coming over in the morning, the Tuesday I have bible study fellowship, then mom and I might shop some, the Wednesday I am hoping to meet Chelsea...who I need to call back in a minute...at the mall and let the girls have a "play date" as Anagrace has requested!...Chelsea, my question is when do mommies get "play dates" that's what we need to schedule!lol! That will take me to Thursday....I am sure I can find something at home that will need attention by then!lol...like cleaning, then I have my drs appointment on Friday! Whew, I have a busy week...so, at least I have something to do to make the days go by! YEA! At my last appointment, the dr told me to "play on his sympathy at the next appointment...that is when I was begging him not to make me go to 41 weeks!lol....so I am assuming that I will leave at least w/ a scheduled induction...but who knows!

Now you know, I still don't have a little guy to hold, but I am doing well, and looking forward to my week!
love to all!

MIA, Not much and Same Old Stuff

I stole the titles of some of my blogger friends, because that is exactly how I feel too! I know I have been "MIA" for a while, and that is because it seems everything around here is the "same old stuff," which is "not much" going on. Ever since I hit around 36 weeks I stopped planning things and started keep the calendar clear...which as I look back probably wasn't a smart thing to do! We have slipped into a nice routine around here since fall has started up. We have bible study on Tuesday mornings and Emma goes to AWANA on Wednesday night w/ my mom and Gary. Other than that, I have eliminated all of our other activities....it's driving me crazy not having more to do, but I know once Eli gets here I will be thankful I made those steps. Emma is going to be in swimming lessons in October and we do have plans to start some other activities through out the fall and winter...and I have pushed off preschool for her until January although, she is constantly pushing me to "learn" something, everything now. Her newest fascination is a map of the US...we went and brought her one after she took an interest in IKE and wanted to know where those people lived and if the storm was going to be near us. She now knows where our state is, where the storm was and of course where disney world is! LOL. She has also started learning her phonics, so now she walks around walmart naming letters she recognizes and singing "the A says ah, the a says ah, every letter makes a sound the A says ah!"....cute for a while!lol, no I love it, I love watching her learn and I love that she craves learning...she thrives off of learning!..I pray it never changes. I on the other hand am still struggling w/ not being overwhelmed w/ what I know God has called me to do w/ their schooling. I am working to focus on the now, and not the distant future, one step at a time, and for now, it's preschool!...and even that isn't going to start until January! Whew, I do have time to have this baby first! :)

The only other thing going on around here is that we decided a while back to get new living room furniture....heehee...we wanted to sale what we had first and then go and buy...we had looked around at what we wanted and knew where we would be going to buy, then put our couch and chair on good old craigslist! The couch has now sold and so we are sitting on the floor and our one chair...the kids have those kid sofas, so they have been loving not having a couch...me, yea, hard to lay down for a minute w/ no couch to lay on! lol! So the sofa has been gone for 2 days now, and Alex started doubting what we had picked out the buy...so we started the searching process all over last night! LOL...now, remember, I am a planner, and this pushed me to the end of my robe! BUT we found what we wanted last night....we are very excited...AND we can have them here TOMORROW! So even if I have a baby today...lol, not likely....but if I do then I will still have furniture when I get home from the hospital! YEAH~ We brought new pillows last night too, but when we got them home, they don't match like we had hoped they would...so I'm off to look again in a little while, Gary is going to keep the kids and mom is going to go w/ me so I can look w/o the distraction of little voices, voicing their opinions (especially Ian who's opinion would be to leave!) He was such a trooper last night, Emma was at AWANA, and he went w/ us to shop for furniture! We pushed him WAY past his limit, but he hung in there very well...and all he asked for all night was to "play" at "chic away" chick-fil-a which he did, and had a lot of fun, we even met a couple w/ 3 kido from Elevation, and had a chance to talk for a few minutes!...fun for us and the kids!

Anyway, I have rambled on for a while now, and you are all caught up on our lives....I have a drs appointment this afternoon, but I am learning to expect it to be the same as before...so I don't foresee having a baby today in the future, so I'll let you know, I am hoping to get them to go ahead and schedule an induction for next week sometime, if I walk away w/ that I will be thrilled! My due date is 8 days away, so if they would schedule the induction for mid to late next week I be one happy girl...even if not, I am now doing well, w/ the end being in sight! Now 12 days from now...past the due date, will be another story, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there!

happy day to all!

trying not to complain!....lol...

SO as you can guess, since I am posting I am back at home. All in all, the doctors appointment has left me right where I was before...waiting! The ultrasound was great, the fluid level was 13, which, yes was slightly less than last week, but still right where it is suppose be all in all. Dr. Sweeney did everything he could think of to try and send me to L and D...but every test was fine!...go figure! They did a stress test today and in the process saw I was contracting every 5 minutes...lol....so he thought about sending me over, but since all the other test were "so perfect" he thinks I'll go on my own in a day or so....LOL! Why am I laughing so much....well, as I said in a email to the girls in my small group, if I had a recording for every time I heard those words I could make a cd by now! With E, they told me 2 times that I would "be back really soon" and w/ I they told me on my due date that I would be back in 24hrs and yet a week later I was still pregnant!...so HE might think it will be a day or 2, but I don't think I'll get my hopes up! :) He is concerned that I am not sleeping...it's been 3 days since I slept at all, and told me to take something and get some sleep and that would help push me into labor...something about it's harder for a tired body to handle labor...so if your not sleeping then your body will actually prevent you from going into labor...SO I'm up for some good sleep, and the kids and I are going to spend the night at mom's so she can take them in the morning!...yeah for me!...I'm going to take some sleeping pills and SLEEP, hopefully!

Alex will be working late tomorrow night and has his last shut-down at work on Saturday night....here's the deal w/ that....he can't cancel it last minute, so he was asking me today if he should postpone it or not....I can' answer that! If he postpones it I might still be prego next weekend and still be in the same boat we're in now...and he'll be asking me again!....what to do, what to do! All I said, is that I would hate for him to miss the birth of his son!...what else do I say, I can't tell him when he's coming!...if I had my way, it would be NOW! But I feel like my luck would have the baby come on Saturday night...I can see it now, I go into labor around midnight, here by myself, and then I meet him at the hospital early on Sunday morning and he is going to be more tired than me having been up all night working!....not a good start to a long process of adjusting to a new baby and not much sleep! GREAT!...but then again, there isn't much I can do about it!

OK so my title was "trying not to complain" can't say I'm doing a great job of that...but I am thankful that everything is fine, and we can't even find a reason to take him out early!...I am glad that my fluids are holding nicely and I might actually have water to break this time, and shouldn't have to worry about him not having what he needs as far as that is concerned! Hopefully I will get some sleep which if nothing else should help me feel better emotionally(I had my record crying day for this pregnancy today....the count is 5 times...which started at about 6am this morning, but the days not over!lol) so I can survive the next few weeks...or at least til he decides to show us what he looks like! :)

the guessing has begun!

So Alex told me today when he came home from work, that his boss (Don) has predicted that the baby will come tomorrow...so I guess the guessing has begun!...now I am not playing, but I want ya'll to play along. lol heehee, yes that sounded bossy, but I'm a VERY pregnant girl, you don't want to cross me! :)

So...so far,

Don has said tomorrow which is Wednesday Sept 10th
Alex has said next week on Tuesday Sept. 23rd

I am liking Don's thinking more than Alex right now! LOL....what do you think!? and don't worry, I won't be mad if you pick sometime and October...if I were guessing that's what I would say....which is why I'm not playing!

Humor me, I'm bored waiting for this baby!...not to mention, if you saw my plans for the next few days....you would feel bad for me and wish me to be in labor right now so I could get out of "family obligations!"...heehhee!

So leave a comment and tell us the day and date...we'll see who's the closest!...no prize, other than to be right! :P

Now I am off to my milk and cookies!....yummy, only a little while left of not feeling guilty over what I eat!....and to watch WIPEOUT, maybe I'll laugh this baby out tonight!

restless!

Ok so today for some reason I seems to be VERY restless...I don't want to do anything, but I don't want to stay home! AWWW the frustration of waiting! I have NEVER been a patient person....when I decide it's time for something to happen, then it's time for something to happen...right then. I have about 5 things I want to happen....right NOW, and the #1 thing is for this baby to come OUT. I have nothing planned for this week, other than the start of BSF tomorrow...so to me this would be the perfect day to have a baby!....it would give me something to do and I could sleep on my stomach!lol...the last few nights, I have craved to sleep on my stomach again!...I just wish I could count the days until it would happen, but I can' even do that!....I am so pitiful! It is very unusual for me not to have plans on a Monday morning, and I really really want to go shopping...something which Alex would have a fit over right now...lol! I really want to finish up my Christmas shopping, but I didn't plan ahead for that right now and it would take 2 days to get my hands on that money...lol...by then I have a drs appointment and life will have moved on!....oh the pain of patience....you know, I swear that is why I have NEVER had a baby early, every time I am pregnant, I know God must think...maybe this time...just maybe she will learn to trust me and be patience (although He ultimately knows I won't!lol...He does know everything) yet every time He gives me this choice, to be patient...or not...and every time, I fail BIG, some people would say it's part of who I am, why fight it, but if that was the case I would be sitting here in tears mad that I am waiting....on everything...so it seems! I don't want to do that, I want something to do...while I am waiting, I want to be more patient! I want to enjoy my kids and these last few days before Eli is here and everything changes. BUT what do you do w/ kids that's cheap and fun...as always being frugal is first and for most in my world and I really don't want to be spending extra money right now!...what to do, what to do!lol...I'm so pitiful!
Ok so that is enough whining...I'm off to figure out what I am going to do...while trying to stay patient! :) Wish me luck, I might need a lot of it LOL

still waiting a little (or a lot) longer!

I had my drs appointment yesterday and the ultrasound and both went really well! For now my fluid levels were exactly where they are suppose to be, and they are planning to check them again next week. I am dilated 1cm and "thinned out" 50%...which is exactly where I was w/ both E and I at this point...so it seems to be same song 3rd verse...now I am back to feeling like it will be the middle of Oct. before this baby comes out....if history stays it's course! lol...oh well, I might drive all my friends and family crazy between now and then!

Well I gotta run, just didn't want everyone to think I was at the hospital w/ a baby! :( Emma and I have dentist appointments in a little while! FUN STUFF...lol

carmel brownies, grapes and orange juice

yep that's what I wanted, and am eating for dinner as I type! NOW I must start by saying, we had a "good for you lunch" so I'm allowed to have a wacky dinner!...right? LOL! Not that I care if you say no, I'm eating it and you can't stop me....spoken like a true pregnant...who has been nesting all afternoon! :) Now you also have to be told, don't get your hopes up, w/ Emma and Ian both I nested like 5 times b/f there actually arrived!...so I am sure this is phase one of multiple times of cleaning and moving of things in our house!....POOR ALEX! He does so well putting up w/ me through this time of craziness!

We had planned to clean yesterday...BUT a water pipe busted at the end of our neighborhood and ran so long it flooded a house on the main street!....I felt so sorry for them. So we were w/o water for the whole day....we last minute decided to go to Matthews Alive for the morning b/c they at least had porta potties!lol!....well it was HOT HOT HOT, so we didn't make it there very long, maybe about an hour or so. Then we packed up everything we were planning for dinner, for Cathy's (Alex's mom) birthday dinner (which was suppose to be at our house) and our clothes so we could shower and headed to Mimi and Granddaddy's for the rest of the day! We couldn't even rinse our breakfast dishes out!...my mom would of had a heart attack! :)

SO needless to say, we cleaned today...we went to church this morning...it was AWESOME as usual and the first time Alex and I have been "normal" attenders in about a year! I was nice to go in on time and be together the whole time...to drop off the kids together and pick them up together...BUT I already see us missing the people we got to "hang out" with while we were volunteering...so I'm not sure how long we'll be able to stay out....we'll see! Then we went and did our grocery shopping, came home and ate some lunch and still had everyone down for a nap by about 1:30 or so. After nap is when the cleaning began....lot's of stuff to the attic, lot's of boxes removed(those were from canning...that had been making there home in my kitchen...but not anymore!) Ian's room got rearranged...working on some idea's there, but nothing set in stone! some furniture moved around in the den/kitchen....I love the change, and it made room for the cradle to come out of our room and into the den! YEAH! ummm then of course the normal, dust,vac, bathrooms, changing sheets...ALL "STUFF" put in it's place, mopping, windexing, fan cleaning, washing clothes, folding and putting away...we did wash our quilt and put it out to dry....and the list goes on!..lol, I told you I nested! Now if only the baby would come before I felt to need to do it all over again! At one point today Alex told me to take it easy, I just laughed and reminded him the dr said this baby could come all it wanted to after 36 weeks...well I'm 36 weeks today....so braxton hicks come on! :)

Well at least my house is clean for the week...tomorrow we are headed to Emerald Pointe w/ Brandy and her family...and house work will not be on my mind! LOL Water Park here I come!...maybe one of those slides will put me in labor! heehee! JUST KIDDING..y'all know I WON'T have this baby early on my own!

ok so here's the room!

I finally took some pictures for Emma and Eli's room! I must admit, as I looked at the pictures, I am still frustrated at how crowded the room looks!...it is better in person, but it will always be tight! Here goes...

this is as you walk in, Emma's bed is in front of the door...her shelves facing you




Next this is the wall beside the door, the pictures I took in Hawaii and the top one was the theme of Emma's baby room....I already had the prints and frames, all I did was paint the frames purple and red....the flower hooks were a steal I found at hobby lobby and then I painted the one purple...Emma wanted to leave one pink:) The closet door has to be fixed AGAIN! It has been giving us trouble for a while, Alex has put it up about 4 times and now it's in the garage until he get a new track put up...I'm hoping next weekend! :) SO normally there is a sliding door there and it looks junky w/o it, I am still struggling w/ the closet and what to do, I don't want to spend anymore money in their room...SO it might just stay as it is...we'll see






Next are pictures of Emma's side...There is the top of her bed, and her bedset...she has a purple shelf which holds everything important!...lol...her trophy, her cinderella, lipgloss...which she uses every night before bed, her water cup..also every night! and a portable dvd player..our dvd player is acting up and won't play any princess movies..go figure! SO we put the portable dvd in her room and she watches them in there...it nice for quiet time! There is a picture of her at 6 weeks over her bed w/ her name (that is crooked b/c she plays w/ them!lol) Under her bed, is her desk, and her "living room"...she was originally calling it "club Emma" thanks to Madison!lol, but I have her convinced to call it her living room since it has her princess couch under there!lol!...she doesn't even know what a CLUB is!...she LOVES being under there in her space!







ok so there are 2 of the same picture, I'm not going to try and figure out how to delete one of them for fear of messing up the rest!...sorry! :)

Next is Eli's side...he too has a frame for his baby picture, which for now has a u/s pic in it....well, it looked funny w/ nothing in there! and his name...pain, hated those letters...getting them painted and hung was probably the most difficult thing I did in the whole room!lol! He crib was Emma's then Ian's..it's been a good crib! I did add the red pegs to the end, which I picked/u for fifty cents at Michaels...(Emma has one behind the door) Now about the changing table...well, I am planning ahead, Ian has toolboxes in his room for his drawers, so I wanted to go ahead and get Eli's matching and the toolbox was on clearance SO...hence the toolbox changing table and the reason I used red on his side! the basket on the floor will hold diapers...probably the cloth ones and the basket on the wall is for those odd and ends like lotion, and diaper cream and passies and passy holders and you know "stuff" the bouncy seat is driving me crazy there, but for now, that's it's home (note that the bouncy seat matches Emma's babydoll pack in play and swing...she is very proud of that!) I found the baskets under the crib and the one on the wall and the one for the diapers at Michael's at 50% off of course!...I really like them, and they work much better than the original plan of wooden crates and didn't cost me anymore! Last is the "crush" picture on his wall...yes I meant to put it that high so he won't grab at it as he get's bigger! :) Again, Michael's had the print at 40% off it was around $6.00 and I had the frame, which I painted! I am happy w/ his side of the room, now I just need him to come out and see it! :)








so you can't see the "crush" picture...but it's a cute print from Nemo w/ crush, squirt, marlin and dory...fit's the room perfect!

As far as how much I spent...well, lot's of spray paint!...naw not really. Let's see..we painted, so $20 there, I did buy spray paint so total $15 there, Emma's chair was given to us and I painted it, so free! all the frames I had, just painted..again free, her mirror, already had..again, just painted...free again! Her bed was her birthday present...we got it at slumber kids (which apparently isn't there anymore, sorry Brandy for sending you there to look for Graham!) Alex took cash and did his thing, so we got it for $800 (retail $1100) All the baskets cost me $40..the most expenisive thing I bought! the 3 flower hooks were $6.00 from hobby lobby. and I got another set of plastic drawers at walmart for $15. Emma shelf was around $5.75 (hobbly lobby w/ a 40% off coupon) and then I brought the 2 sets of pegs and in the closet 2 wooden flower begs at Michaels for $.50 each...the flower pegs I left wood for now, they are great for holding bigger bags back on a slanted wall at the end of there closet!...so that's is..let's see, what's the total? Right around $103.75 not including the bed for Emma...which we were getting her b/f we knew we were even having a baby!...SO I am happy, and Alex is happy, I didn't break the bank!

Soon I want to blog about Ian's room, it still needs a little help to make it as cute as the "E"'s room! I took pictures of his room so y'all can help me figure out what I should do...but that's for another night!

Let me know what you think of the "Hawaii pool" room as Emma calls it!

how many times can you clean the same kitchen in one day?...let's count together!lol

The first time was early this morning...after breakfast, I put our breakfast dishes and canning jars in the dishwasher first thing, I wiped everything down, especially the table as it was forgotten by Alex last night(not complaining, he did do the dishes and I am VERY grateful for that!)

The second time was after making applesauce part 1...which is the peeling and cooking part! It makes such a BIG mess. the apple peeler sprayer juice EVERYWHERE! and then the pots bubble on the stove really nicely making the stove a stickly mess!

The third time was after dinner...which first the dishwasher had to be unloaded and then reloaded, and everything wiped down...note I didn't forget the table!lol

Now for the forth time...cleaning up after canning, not to bad, just big pots...heavy pots...hot pots! and putting away the rest of the canning "stuff"

Of course I will still have lot's of jars on my counter tomorrow morning to put away, but there's not much I can do about that tonight.


SO I'm not sure if this is a new record for me or not, but I don't want to clean a kitchen again for a while, and it's a good thing mom took us out for lunch or I might of made it to 5 times today!lol! Oh and did I mention that I am 8 months pregnant and leaning over a sink all day isn't my idea of fun!...Shannon, I'm not doing so hot on that resting thing. I haven't set down all day except to eat and right now...all that's left is one more canner and then I'm done...well, except the whole other bushel of apples I still have to can...but that's for another day! :) LOL. It's a good thing homemade applesauce taste SO good!

a quick baby update

My doctors appointment went really well on Tuesday. I had gained a little weight, so they were happy about that. Everything w/ the baby looked great which I am so thankful for....so the plan is on my next appointment which is Sept 4th I'll be almost 37 weeks and I will have an ultrasound at 2 and see the dr at 2:30. At that point depending on what the u/s shows 1 of 3 things will happen. 1. everything will look great...I keep wait on Eli's appearance!...which is the option I am rooting for! :) 2. the fluids are decreasing(but not considered low) and they will put me to bed for about a week or so...won't be fun at all... this will be SO hard on the kids! 3. the fluids are low or near low and I'll have a baby that day. So as you see, I know what could happen, but won't know what will happen until then! The dr is confidant that everything will look fine for the 1st u/s, he seems to think it will be between 38 and 39 weeks that the change will take place....but he is quick to say, it's just a guess, an educated one, but still a guess. Medically there is no reason my fluid should be low...I have had the perfect pregnancy, but my history says otherwise....there was no reason my fluid should of been low w/ Emma or Ian either...so there is a chance it won't happen again! Some days I think it would be nice to have this baby here in 2 weeks, but I am a little worried about being induced at that point and my body not being ready to deliver. As the dr said, it's not likely that I'll go into labor before my due date on my own, I don't seem to have baby's early, so most likely I am looking at an induction at some point, the question is WHEN? Well, any way it works out, baby Eli should be making his appearance in the next 36 days!...I'll keep you posted!

thank you to everyone!

for all the comments on diapering...even those of you who hadn't a clue how to help me out!...lol! The comments were wonderful! Patti, I found your comment very interesting..I may ask more questions about that later, but we have now decided to cloth diaper. I must admit, every time I have been on the computer lately it has been to check out something new w/ cloth diapering or ask another question of Brandy...who has been my life line w/ this learning process...in fact she wrote 2 blogs just for me so I could learn all about CDing along w/ answering lot's of questions via phone and email both....THANK YOU BRANDY FOR ALL THE HELP...AND PATIENCE! I am now excited about this adventure...and hopefully my washer will forgive me too! The only hold up on my order of diapers is that the website I want to order from is out of the diapers I need!lol...it's that how it always seems to be!lol! We haven't told all the family what we are planning, so that should prove to be interesting...heehee, they are going to think I lost my mind I am sure! BUT, I am not going to make them do it unless they want to...we will still be keeping a small supply of disposables on hand for church and family! We will be cloth diapering here at home and possibly when I am out running around, but even that will be a time will tell!

As for everything else going on around here...the Eli and Emma's room is finished...if I would just hang that last picture I just bought!lol. I promise to post pictures soon, I am very pleased w/ the results, it is really cute and not to boy or girl, but just right for both of them! Emma loves it, her side is very "grown up" she calls the under part of her bed her "living room" complete w/ her princess couch. She has a desk complete w/ a purple chair. Needless to say, she is in heaven w/ her bed and her space and doesn't seem to mind at all that a baby is coming to take up half...let all pray it stays that way!

I have officially finish shopping for everything I need for the baby (other than the diapers....but I do have some disposables to start off w/ if necessary!) W/ not having a baby shower before the baby comes I had a few things to collect...you know new washcloths, a few burp clothes, nursing pads and some passies!...not much, but I already did it...Susan laughed at me say I must think this baby is coming early...which is actually a big possibility this time, but if I am thinking that, it's all sub-consciously. lol.

I have a dr.s appointment tomorrow(week 34 and 2 days!lol) the last one b/f they start the weekly ultrasounds. I am interested to see what he thinks tomorrow and to see if I have gained any weight. 2 weeks ago I had lost 2 lbs, most would think that's wonderful, but not me, loosing weight "could" mean my fluid levels are starting to drop...but it also could just be that I lost some weight...if I loose more they will be concerned, but they weren't at the last appointment. There is still such a part of me that wishes I could have a planned induction where I could pick the dr I want and know when it's going to happen, but they told me a month ago that it could be anytime from 36 to 40 weeks...but most likely before my due date....that translates into Eli "could" make his appearance in 2 weeks.....that thought scares me...I would like about 3 to 4 more weeks :)...but I am going w/ God knows best, and HE make dr's smart! If I had my way, I would think....37 weeks is a great time to give birth...end it early yet not to early!lol! but we all know how it goes for me...so if I give birth before my due date I will have accomplished something!lol!...I almost don't want to think about it b/c my mind always reminds me that I ALWAYS go to ATLEAST 41 weeks..lol...only times will tell I guess!

Ok so I am off...the bathroom call..or I guess it's more that the bladder is full AGAIN!
Pictures of the finished room to come SOON!

has anyone ever....

used cloth diapers? Alex and I are considering trying them out on Eli...but I know NOTHING about cloth diapers...so I have been looking and now I am SO confused! Can anyone help me out? I need all advice I can get...I am looking for a good kind, prefold or not, I am looking for how it goes....loved it, hated it, constant rashes....I am also looking for where to buy them...so far, I don't know anywhere local that has them. Also I need to know what I need to go w/ them...covers, inserts, what's necessary? HELP, can you tell I am stepping into water I know NOTHING about! If you have ever used cloth diapers I am desperate for your thoughts! PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME OUT!

Also, I am curious as to why you chose to use them...so tell me your story and your thoughts!...I am excited to see what you think!

...all the ballerinas....so much fun!

This past Friday afternoon we invited some of Emma's friends and had a "ballerina birthday party"...as you can see from the pictures, it was ALOT of fun...lot's of pink and purple...tutus and all the things ballerina's need! They made bracelets, and then we dressed up. Miss Tara came from Emma's ballet studio (and special friend) and danced w/ the girls! They had so much fun dancing w/ a "real ballerina!" Of course there was cake...well, cupcakes, and they were pink and purple too!...great job Susan on the icing...yummy! or as Ian says it yummy in my hummy! along w/ the cake was Emma's favorites...pretzels, watermelon, and skittles!..lol..what more could a girl want! We finished off our fun w/ our treat bags...which were ballet bags to hold all our dress up clothes for them to take home and a bag of cotton candy! There bag was full of tutus, tiaras, wands, bracelet, necklace and cotton candy....what more does a ballerina need?...lol...it was so fun! I love planning parties, I could do it all the time, I worked for a while w/ a party company and have picked up a bug from doing that...it's so fun to me...ok..so I will admit that the day before was a little stressful I was making cupcakes and canning (tomatoes, squash and green beans) but again, thanks to Susan to the rescue, I had it all done by 10:30 the night before!lol!

Emma was thrilled and loved every minute, and of course as a mommy that thrilled me to death....now for the thank you notes and printing the pictures!...whew!, I think I'm tired again :) Enjoy the picture!

better late than never..right?

Ok so a few weekends ago we headed to the beach for a couple of nights....just a quick get away so the kids could play in the sand. As you know, our "vacation" this year was to disney world, so this wasn't vacation...actually it started as a weekend trip for Alex and me, but we really wanted to kids to go to...so we took them w/ us. We left on Thursday afternoon...and came home on Saturday. We were able to stay in Alex's dad's condo, it was wonderful...the kids shared a bed for the first time, and they did great. ..we put Ian down first, then Emma, then when we went to bed we would move both of them to the pull-out couch...funny story

our first morning there, Alex had set the coffee pot to come on at 6:30(b/c our kids are always up early!)
this was a conversations we overheard b/t Emma and Ian

I: RayeRaye, what's that?
E: I don't know
I: it's scary
E: I think it's the coffee pot
I: I don't like coffee pot....it's scary
E: I'll go ask mommy
I: k...I come to
E: Ian, it's ok, don't be scared!

the noise of 2 pair of feet on the floor....here they come!
E: there's a noise out here....
Me: it's ok, it's the coffee pot
E: yeah, we discussed that, and thought that's what it was!...
that comment was said so matter a fact....cracked me up...she is such a mommy!

so we were on the beach at 8 the first morning...it was wonderful, the kids played and Alex and I just sat and watched...at one point he said, I feel like I should be playing w/ them, to which I reminded him to sit as long as he could, b/c as soon as he started playing, they wouldn't let him sit again!...lol...so we sat, it was great, it's the first time since we have had kids that we were able to sit and not have to have a kid in hand at all times!..it was a wonderful break for us....Saturday we woke up to a storm coming in, we played in the indoor pool for a while, but then decided to pack up and leave a few hours early, the kids were worn out and ready to nap, and what better place to nap than on the ride home! It was a great short trip...and I am SO glad we went, the dr.s have already "greatly discouraged" me from going anywhere else, even though I have a few more weeks that I should be able to travel....that's another post!

same song, 2nd verse

I find myself here again, really late at night...Alex is at work, again! He promises me these "shut downs" they are doing will end before the baby's born....I am praying so! So tonight I was doing bean and it was storming...I found myself wishing Alex was home...and that surprised me, I have never been scared of storms (that was my brother when we were growing up...well still to this day!lol) anyway, I found myself wishing Alex was home and that puzzled me a little...I wasn't scared, but I was thinking that it would be nice if he were here...go figure, then I realized it had more to do w/ knowing he was ok, not me being scared of anything happening to me, but to him...will I ever get over that fear? Fear is not from God, so I know it's not something He desires for me to continue to struggle w/...but it's also something that is not easy to face or deal w/ or remove from your life. Are there somethings in life you just can't stop "fearing"...? It's not unusual for me to tell Alex to "please be careful" which I don't think is an abnormal comment to make...but I follow mine w/ "and stay on the ground please!"...which is my way of saying...please don't get hurt again!...when he works late, I find myself worried that I'll get the "dreaded phone call"...the day we left for the beach, I worried about him all morning....(we were suppose to leave for the beach the night of his accident) but my question is, why do I still worry so much about it. I know logically that it was an accident that is one of those things that "just happened" and the chances of it happening again are so slim. But I also know how blessed he was for it not to have been any worse than it was, and I find I worry next time is will be MUCH worse and that scares me.....ok so my point, why do I continue to worry about it...worry is a sin. But I think reality is real....duh, no what I mean is, I worry b/c I know. I know what it was like to deal w/ a "freak accident" one of those things that's never suppose to happen, much less happen to you! I worry about loosing my mom to cancer. I know that alot of people have lost loved ones to cancer and they will probably understand this worry. Once you've been there, you know...and I can't help but worry....even though I KNOW I shouldn't! I can't help it...this reoccurring mass she has could turn into something else...I know, it's already happened in our family....that "most likely" bleeding ulcer wasn't a ulcer at all....I know. Ok so I guess at this point I need to ask for prayer! I am struggling w/ worry...obviously! Mom should have a consultation tomorrow afternoon to get some answers. Twice I have been faces w/ the "C" word, once w/ dad and once w/ mom already...I just don't think I can do it again! How selfish does that sound? I know....really well, that my God always gives me grace for the moment, but is it bad that I don't want to need it?.....please pray :)

well, a crying sleepy little girl just came in my room, tonight I think I'll let her stay a while! :)

ramblings of a wife who's husbands at work and she can't sleep!....enjoy! :)

Ok so Alex is working again tonight and I can't sleep! I don't really have much to say tonight...it's been a busy week, but a great week. I seem to be full of words, but nothing that makes much sense!lol....oh, I am proud of the awesome deals I found today...I LOVE deals! If you are someone who likes to shop ahead for your kids, then you need to make a trip to Concord Mills to Children's Place...they are having a great sale that just started today! I brought $135 (retail price...not that I would EVER actually pay retail!) for $19.78! So I saved $115.22 or something close to that! I did have coupons and one was for $20.00 off...so that is part of the reason I did so well! But if you are interested, they had their swimsuits for $4 (lot's of boys) boy's shirts for 3, shorts for 4 or 5....sundresses for 4, tights for girls for 1 and socks. I got Emma a pair of jeans for 2...well I paid .83 but they were on the rack for 2. Anyway, it was a great sale...I didn't even feel bad when I went back for some shirts for Emma that I really wanted to get her and they were in the new line that just came out...now I still used a 15% off coupon, but they were more than I would normally pay, but I brought them anyway!...one says "big sisters rock" and the other says "my heart belongs to my daddy"...I couldn't pass them up!lol...I am and always will be a sucker for clothes...and I am worse w/ my kids clothes then I ever was w/ my own! I LOVE shopping, but now I just do it differently then I did when I was a teenager!lol!

I also scored some Christmas presents at the disney store!...yep, I said Christmas!lol. I am bargain hunting this Christmas like I never have before!lol...but here's the deal w/ my bargain hunting...it can't look in anyway like a bargain...it must be something the person would really want, and not a knock off in any way!lol...so I guess you would call me a picky bargain hunter! Example...I'll give you 2....1. I wanted one of those stuff pillow chairs (we called them husbands growing up, but I have no idea why) anyway I wanted one for Emma's room..I wanted it to be purple, I looked at them at bed, bath and beyond....but didn't want to pay 20 even w/ 20% off...so I waited! Ross (which I don't go to often enough) had one, it was purple w/ white pokeadots...in Matt. it was 20 in Monroe it was 10...it has a dirt mark on the bottom (so not a big deal) but it got me an extra 10% off...I had a store credit from Christmas(yes I do return unwanted presents!lol...a whole other story!)...so end the end I paid $2.10 for a really cute purple husband!lol! If you were to look at it, you would think I paid atleast 20 for it!...the other example, would you believe I forgot what it was...I was just thinking about it...hmmm oh I remember, I needed a birthday present for my friend Susan's oldest girl...she got an American girl doll for her birthday...one night when I was out shopping w/ Susan, we found A.G. doll books on how to fix their hair or make them clothes...they were 20, I was able to get a coupon and go back and get it for half that....so it looks like a nice 20 gift...but I only paid 10...everything I buy is like that....I'm not cheap...I'm smart! oh, and Susan knows I did that...so don't think I'm spilling any beans there and am going to have a friend who's thinking I cheated her daughter!...lol...Susan knows I'm "smart" lol!

Anyway, back to Christmas...I shop from around now, until Christmas, and normally I'm done by the first of November!...this year, I am taking a little different approach, I am shopping for everyone else on my list but my own kids now...I want to finished by the time the baby comes...but then I'll wait til closer to Christmas to do my kids and Alex...why, well, I find that I want to spend more money on my kids if I shop for them to early..(of course there is the present in my attic for Ian that has been there since Jan. I found a workbench after Christmas for like 15 it was 75 and I knew it was something I wanted for him to finish up his car's themed room...but it was over his age for his birthday...so in the attic it's been and he will love it this Christmas!lol)...I know, a little weird, but if I spend the money now, then as I go out near Christmas, I find more, and spend to much!...so, I'm going to wait til closer...that way I don't over spend!...I have alot of my list figured out...but my own kids are hard for me...what do you get when you have NO MORE ROOM in the house for anything? I think I'm crazy...who thinks about this stuff in July?...I have got to be the only one!LOL! I blame it on Alex's accident...that year I hadn't shopped much before his accident and shopping was very hard to fit in...so ever since, I have shopped very early!...so that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! :)...ok so enough about shopping and Christmas!...I'm actually tired, I'm going to try and sleep now...this sounds bad, but I'm so tempted to go and get Emma and let her sleep w/ me until Alex gets home...bad, bad...and I sound like my mother saying that...she used to do the same thing to me when I was little!lol...oh well, I know no other mother that I would rather be like!

talk to y'all when I get back from the beach!...btw which is it officially? Y'all or ya'll? I know I'm from the country, but I'm just not sure which one is "country correct!" LOL! tell me what you think!

tears for a reason...so the test says!

So lately I have be EXTREMELY emotional....I have told multiple people that I don't think I have cried this much in forever! I got teary eyed over y'all's (now there is a country word!lol) comments tonight. I know I told Susan just today, that I have been so much more moody and emotional w/ this baby than I remember w/ either of the other two! Well....I got a reason today, I found out that my iron is low...so all the tiredness and tears...it's not that I am going nutty, or crazy(although Alex might disagree sometimes) it's that my body is tired which has always made me emotional....and I don't think my body can handle much more. Mom has been struggling w/ low iron and she has also talked about being so emotional...maybe it runs in the family! I had low iron w/ Emma in the beginning and was VERY emotional then also, but until now I always thought it was b/c that is when Mom and Gary where getting married and there truly was a lot going on w/ my family and that I would of been emotional anyway..but being pregnant made it worse! But now I see that for me....low iron and tears come together!...last week I cried over every tv show I watched....I promise Alex thought I was losing it...I having been feeling like I'm losing it! I was actually relieved to get the prescription in the mail!....and I can't wait to get it filled and start taking it!...I know I'm crazy, most people I know don't like the iron pill, but I loved it w/ Emma, I felt so much better...I have high hopes again this time, HOPEFULLY in a week or so I'll feel like a new person...well, I'll be thrilled w/ a little more energy and a few less tears!lol! As far as the braxton hicks, I had them w/ both of my other 2, so they aren't new to me at all...w/ both Emma and Ian I had heavy bouts of them especially toward the end...the last 4 weeks or so...w/ Emma I had them over 2 months considering she was 3 weeks late!...lol...the difference this time I was concerned w/ is that I didn't remember them starting up so early...I have been having them since 26 weeks and they have most of the time been accompanied w/ a very sharp pain around the area where I would normally have cramps w/ my period and a lower back ache that would hang around a good while....so that made them VERY different than anything I have ever had before....hence the concern, but the dr is confidant that it's normal, especially for a 3rd baby and explained what to watch for. I have also heard the whole thing about drinking more water...I swear though I'm going have to sit on the pot all the time if I drink anymore!lol...but I know I have be outside alot lately and I'm sure dehydration is probably playing more into it than I realize!....thanks for the comments and helpful hints...I do appreciate it, it's nice to know we have all be told the same thing at some time or another! :) It's hard to believe that I will be 29 weeks on Sunday, time is still flying by. When I was pregnant w/ Ian and 29 weeks life was a VERY DIFFERENT story! I was in SO much pain, it was near Christmas, we were about 4 weeks into Alex's recovery and my body was shutting down on me...Christmas night I took Alex and Emma out to his dad's house...stupid, stupid of me...I knew better, I was in NO condition to do that...but we went, I got sick there, had to leave before desert, and couldn't even get them out of the car when we got back to mom and Gary's. I started throwing up from pain that night...poor Alex couldn't even help me, all he could do was get in his wheelchair and knock on mom's door to come and help me, I couldn't even get out of bed...the dr's was clueless as to what was causing the pain and I felt like they didn't believe me...they basicly overdosed me on muscle relaxers to make me stop throwing up....as a last ditch effort before heading to the ER...which worked, until they wore off! The next day they sent me to physical therapy to which I had NO understanding of what they were going to do to help me...by the grace of God they had a cancelation otherwise they told me it would be a week until I could get in!lol....no way I was waiting a week! The therapist, God bless her, I'll never forget her, she will always be a hero in my book, took one look at me and said, how are you even walking or fucntioning? "Honey, you have tilted your pelvic bone and every muscule in your back is torn...I can't believe you are even walking...I just sat there and cried, FINALLY someone believed I was in pain!ALOT OF PAIN! After she adjusted me, it was immediate relieve...I promise that pain is the worse pain I have ever felt in my life...way worse than labor ever was. Don't ask me where that story came from, other than I truly feel like this pregnancy tears and all has be a breeze and I hate sounding like I'm complaining about the braxton hicks...they are strong, but they are NOTHING compared to what I dealt with with Ian! I do feel like I am "done" and ready to have this baby...but atleast the days are still flying by, w/ Ian, I felt like everyday lasted forever and time seemed to move SO slowly! Yet even as I rehash a story...it all seems like a blur to me...like I lost those 4 months while Alex was recovering. It's funny, his Mom said just the other day that she never realized I dealt w/ so much w/ that pregnancy...I guess I even felt that way, we were all so focused on Alex and everything going on w/ him that until that Christmas night when I couldn't do anything but throw up, I didn't realize how bad a shape I was in...anyway, I am SO THANKFUL that this pregnancy has been so easy...only 11 weeks to go...I hope, BUT I'm not known for having my babies on time!lol...but it won't stop me from hoping! :)