The Sweet Life

Brady's Bump- 31 weeks

2012-01-22T17:22:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: +2 lb.
Maternity clothes: Yes & I’m not liking them. I can’t get comfy in anything I wear except my pajamas!
Sleep: Pretty good most nights, I’m starting to get up several times during the night to use the restroom.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly, bending over, & clear skin
Movement: He kicks all the time…
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: HOT SAUCE!!! And anything spicy!
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing Brady’s nursery & my baby shower

My weekly appointment went well this week. My iron levels are increasing, which is good. I do not have gallstones, which is also good. We got to see Brady and he is a BIG boy! My doc said that everything looks good, but he’s really big. He’s measuring 2 weeks ahead. Baby’s at this point usually weigh ~3lbs. By his measurements, he weighs approximately 3lb 12oz! And, he has a big head! My doc said that in the past few weeks she’s been joking about me having a c-section, but now, that might be our reality. Just depends on how much more he grows in the next 9 weeks. She told me to watch what I eat because everything I eat goes straight to him… So, she said stay away from sweets, fried food, and hot sauce! She’s killing me!!! Basically I’m on a diet until Brady decides to come. It’s good for me to eat healthy, but man it’s not fun! Just last week (before my appointment) I ordered 5 boxes of Girl Scout cookies!! I’m not sure when they come in, but I will have to break the rules a little bit for some Dos-si-dos!!!

Steven painted Brady’s nursery this weekend. He did an awesome job!!! He was unsure if he could paint the stripe, but he did and it turned out great. I can’t wait to start putting everything together.

My baby shower is coming up in February. I’m excited to get to celebrate Brady with all my family & friends.

Brady's Bump-30 weeks

2012-01-16T17:39:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: +2 lb.
Maternity clothes: Yes & I’m not liking them. I can’t get comfy in anything I wear except my pajamas!
Sleep: Pretty good most nights, I’m starting to get up several times during the night to use the restroom.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly, bending over, & clear skin
Movement: He kicks all the time…
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: HOT SAUCE!!! And anything spicy!
What I'm looking forward to: 30 weeks ultrasound!

So another week down…another week closer to meeting Brady. I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. I am nauseated almost every day, which isn’t fun…but hopefully that will end when Brady arrives. I had my sono on my gallbladder last week, hopefully we’ll get the results tomorrow when I go for my appointment. I have a bad feeling that I’m gaining way too much weight. I’ve almost hit my weight gain goal for this pregnancy and I still have 10 more weeks to go!!! Everyone says, “you’re all belly”, but I really don’t think I’ve gained 35 pounds just in my belly! I might have a battle on my hands when I start trying to get all this weight off. The good thing is that I started out ~10 pounds under weight so that will be 10 pounds I don’t have to try to loose.

We’re working on Brady’s nursery. Steven has been painting different paint options on the wall for me to try to make a decision. It’s so hard for me to pick out paint. I wish I’d get a surprise room makeover and someone would come in and take care of everything and his nursery would be perfect. I have ideas, but just don’t know how to produce results. Hopefully it will be cute and something I can live with.

For the past 3 nights, Brady has been waking me up around 3am by kicking me in the ribs! I hope this is not a new trend! lol

Brady's Bump- 29 weeks

2012-01-08T21:23:00.002-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: +1 lb.
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Pretty good most nights.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly & clear skin (my face, back and chest have been broken out this whole pregnancy).
Movement: He kicks all the time…
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: HOT SAUCE!!! And anything spicy!
What I'm looking forward to: Working on Brady’s room
It’s been a long week. This first week back to work from Christmas break was tough. My students were super talkative all week. All I wanted to do was sleep when I got home. I’m hoping this week will be better.

Coming up this week is my sonogram on my gallbladder. I hope there’s nothing wrong and that all my issues have been acid reflux.

I measured around my waist tonight and it was 37 ½ inches!!! I’ve been measuring my waistline for the past few weeks and it has grown ½ inch each week!!! I’ve had several people comment on how big I am. I hope I’m not getting too big, I just want to be healthy. All I care about is Brady’s health. I want him to be a big healthy baby.

I really can’t believe we’re only 11 weeks away from meeting our little boy! I’m getting very excited but very nervous and anxious as well.

One more thing…. I finally finished Brady’s Christmas stocking! I started it before Christmas but with everything going on (finishing up grad school, anniversary, Christmas shopping, Christmas, shopping for Brady’s furniture, etc) I just couldn’t find the time to get it completed. I’ve been working hard all week (once I got home from work) to finish it up. I think it turned out pretty well. I hope someday Brady will appreciate it (but somehow I doubt it). haha

Brady's Bump- 28 weeks

2012-01-04T20:05:00.004-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: No weight gain
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Pretty good most nights.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly & clear skin (my face, back and chest have been broken out this whole pregnancy).
Movement: He kicks all the time… Today he kicked me twice in the ribs & it didn’t feel pleasant!
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: HOT SAUCE!!! And anything spicy!
What I'm looking forward to: Working on Brady’s room

HELLO THIRD TRIMESTER!!!
So, I’m a few days late on this post, but it’s better late than never I guess. I’ve been having a lot of issues with acid reflux so my doc is going to take a look at my gallbladder to make sure I’m not having any issues with that. So I’ll go to have a sono next Thursday to look at my gallbladder.

Going back to work this week has been tough! I have been so exhausted when I get home. At least it helps me to sleep at night.

Steven put Brady’s furniture together New Year’s Eve. It looks really good…he did a great job.

Brady's Bump- 27 weeks

2011-12-25T21:05:00.002-06:00

Brady's Bump- 26 weeks & Big Weekend

2011-12-17T20:40:00.004-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: I gained 2lbs
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Pretty good most nights.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly & clear skin (my face, back and chest have been broken out this whole pregnancy).
Movement: He kicks all the time… Today he kicked me twice in the ribs & it didn’t feel pleasant!
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers & hot chocolate
What I'm looking forward to: Furniture shopping!
Exciting stuff: We leave tomorrow for Dallas. I’m so excited to visit with my friends, eat some good food, and shop for Brady!!!

What a weekend!!! I have to say, this has been one of the best weekends I’ve ever had. First of all, Thursday at my weekly appointment everything went very well. I did the glucose test, which as not bad at all. My doc told me they would call if I failed, and I never heard from them, so I’m assuming I passed! Thank the Lord! Brady’s heartrate is in the 140’s..has been pretty much the whole pregnancy. He’s still measuring a week ahead. My doc seems to be concerned about his size, but hopefully he won’t be too big when he gets here.

Friday was Steven & my 5th wedding anniversary!!! I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since our beautiful Christmas wedding. There’s a country song, “I thought I loved you then” and that’s all I can think about these days…because as in love with Steven as I was the day we got married, it’s nothing compared to how much I love him now. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m so blessed to get to spend the rest of my life with him. And I can’t wait for our little boy to get here to complete our little family!

Today was Graduation Day!!! I’m so happy to have this behind me. I was worried about tripping and falling on stage, but thankful that didn’t happen! My sweetheart gave me a beautiful diamond eternity ring for anniversary/graduation!! I wish I had a picture to post but I don’t. I had to take it back to be sized because it was a little too big and I was too nervous to wear it. It should be back on Thursday and I can’t wait to get it back on my finger!

After church tomorrow, the hubby & I are heading to Dallas to do some visiting, eating, and shopping! I’m so ready to get away! It’s been way too long since we’ve gotten away for a few days.

Here are a few pictures of me & my family at graduation today!

100!!!

2011-12-15T11:38:00.002-06:00

100 days from now, Brady should be here!!! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. I'm amazed at how well I feel. I'm amazed at how BIG I feel, haha. We're so thankful for this little guy.

I go today for my glucose test...today is also our Christmas parties at school & I've already had to servings of hot chocolate! I better stay away from sweets for the rest of the day...but it sure is going to be hard once all the goodies start arriving in my classroom. :/

Brady's Bump- 25 weeks

2011-12-11T16:29:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: I gained 5lbs! She didn’t ask me if I were on a diet this time. haha
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Pretty good most nights.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly.
Movement: He kicks all the time (especially at night!)
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers & hot chocolate
What I'm looking forward to: Being done with college so all I have to do is think about Brady!
Exciting stuff: Graduation is this coming Saturday!!! Then we’re going to Dallas to shop for baby furniture!!

This has been an eventful week. Tuesday was my last day of class this semester (well, actually ever!). It’s nice to have that behind me! Wednesday I found out I passed my comprehensive exam!!! I’m so relieved and thankful for that good news! Thursday I had my weekly appointment and everything went pretty good. She checked me to see if I’m anemic & I slightly am…so she put me on iron because she said it would continue to get worse. I told her last week about how I’m having Braxton Hicks contractions all the time, so she also checked my cervics. This made me really nervous because I don’t want to go into preterm labor…but they are closed shut! Thank the good Lord above! I’m just going to have to learn to slow down a bit. I’m used to running 90 mph and that’s just not going to work right now. I’m carrying an extra 25lbs around and it’s making a big difference. This week, I will do my glucose test. I’m not looking forward to that, but at least I will have it behind me.

I’m amazed that I’m already 25 weeks pregnant! I never thought I’d make it to this point but I’m here & I’m loving every minute of it. Brady is such an active kid! Which doesn’t surprise me, he’s going to be just like his dad, into everything! I’m so thankful for this little boy. And as fun as being pregnant is, I’m SO ready to meet my little guy. I dream about it every night…I just can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like when they put him in my arms for the first time.

I feel like I’ve put everything off for the past few months just to focus on college, so I have a lot of catching up to do. I started working on making a stocking for Brady, I’m hoping to have it completed my Christmas. I just ordered my Christmas cards today. I usually have them out a lot sooner than this. I’ve got most of my Christmas shopping completed, but still have a few things to get.

Only 15 weeks to go!!!! I’m so ready to meet Brady!!

I'm Done!!!

2011-12-07T16:58:00.002-06:00

I got my letter in the mail today about my comps....the first word was CONGRATULATIONS!!! I PASSED!!! I am so happy!!! I cried tears of happiness. I'm just so thankful that I did this and it's finally over. Plus I got all this done before Brady gets here! I am going to take my Reading Specialist Exam in January, but I'm not going to worry about it. It doesn't keep me from graduating...it's just something extra to have if I ever need it.

I could not have accomplished this goal had it not been for my family. Steven has been so supportive, loving, and wonderful every step of the way. My family has been supportive as well. My sister, Kayla, proofed almost all my papers...I don't know what I would have done without her. The people I work with have been wonderful the whole time as well. I'm so thankful for all the many blessings God has placed in my life.

I never in a million years would have ever thought I could actually get my master's degree. I'm not a very smart person, but I am proof that a lot of dedication, hard work, and prayers can take you anywhere!

Brady's Bump- 24 weeks

2011-12-06T20:51:00.002-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: I lost 1lb. My doc asked if I were on a diet (of course I’m not..but I was happy I didn’t gain another big amount 2 weeks in a roll).
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Ok. I’ve been getting some bad calve cramps lately. My doc is going to check me this week to see if I’m anemic (she thinks that might be why I’m getting the leg cramps so bad???)
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly.
Movement: He kicks all the time (especially at night!)
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers & hot chocolate
What I'm looking forward to: Being done with college so all I have to do is think about Brady!
Exciting stuff: I just finished my LAST college class!!!!
I’m a few days behind on my post. My sister took my camera on her cruise and just gave me my camera back today. My picture isn’t too great, it was taken after a long day at work and my last night of college. My belly is getting SO big. I have a friend who is due two weeks after me, and she’s so small. I look like I’ve swallowed a volleyball. But it’s all worth it if Brady is healthy.

My glucose test is coming up soon. I think I might be doing it next week. I sure hope I pass it. I’m interested to see if I’m anemic…if I am then I’ll take iron. Bending over gets harder & harder every day! My belly button is almost poking out…I think in a week or two it will be poking out.

Only 16 weeks to go!!!

Brady's Bump- 23 weeks

2011-11-27T17:04:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: I gained 5 pounds this week (my appointment was on Monday, so I’m scared to see what I’ve gained since Thanksgiving!)
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Ok. I’ve been getting some bad calve cramps lately.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly.
Movement: He kicks all the time (especially at night!)
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers & hot chocolate
What I'm looking forward to: Being done with college so all I have to do is think about Brady!
Exciting stuff: I’ve got most of my Christmas shopping done!!!
What a great week it’s been! I love Thanksgiving. Monday, I got to visit with my wonderful friends, Paula & Dave. I never get to see them, so I had to go by and visit them while they were in Maud. I’m hoping we can get out to Dallas before too long. My grandmother from Houston came in on Wednesday. She stayed with us until Saturday. It was so much fun visiting and shopping with her. Wednesday night we had all the family over for Thanksgiving (Mexican food). It was a blast! I love getting everyone together and spending time together. Thursday, Mama Watson and I got to Texarkana around 10am to do a little Black Friday Christmas shopping. We’re not die-hard shoppers like my mom & sisters. They hit the sales at 10pm and didn’t get home until 4am..then were back at it again Friday around 10am. I don’t know how they managed to do that! I got my Christmas tree up and have the house all decorated. I’ve also got half of my present wrapped…so I’ve been pretty busy. I have a big project due Tuesday that I’ve been working on today…but I’m not too motivated. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m SO ready for graduation to get here!!!

Thankful

2011-11-24T21:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

I've had a wonderful Turkey Day. My grandmother from Houston came to town to celebrate Thanksgiving. Last night we had all of our family (Steven's side & my side) over for dinner. We had around 25-30 people, Mexican food, games, and a ton of fun. I love having everyone over! Today, we had 2 or 3 stops to make. I ate a lot, but hopefully not too much.

My heart is full of joy & happiness this year. I love this time of the year because it makes me stop and realize just how blessed I am. I serve and love an awesome God, who loves me so much that he sent his only son to die for me so I can live in Heaven one day. My God has blessed me with the most wonderful life...that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. I'm so thankful for my sweet and wonderful husband. Steven is so good to me. I don't know what I'd do without him. We're so excited and blessed to have Brady on the way. He'll be here before we know it!!! I'm so thankful this pregnancy has gone so well. I'm so thankful for a wonderful doctor. Dr. Bingham is my hero and I love her so much. I'm so blessed to have a wonderful and loving family who is always here for me when I need them. I'm blessed to live in a country where I have so many freedoms. I'm blessed to have wonderful friends. I'm thankful for my job. I'm thankful for the opportunity to further my education. I AM THANKFUL! There are so many more blessings in my life, I can't name them all...but I'm know I am a very blessed girl and I'm thankful!!

Brady's Bump- 22 weeks

2011-11-20T14:33:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: 16lbs, I lost a pound this last week
Maternity clothes: All the time from now until Brady gets here.
Sleep: Ok.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly, and breathing through my nose…my sinuses are killing me.
Movement: He kicks all the time (especially at night!)
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers & hot chocolate
What I'm looking forward to: Shopping & decorating
Exciting stuff: Thanksgiving is almost here!

Week 21 was a rough week. Unfortunately, I was plagued with a mild case of the stomach virus (beginning Sunday night). I’m so thankful I didn’t get as sick as a lot of people have gotten with this year’s stomach virus, but I felt yucky pretty much all week. I’d say I really only had it one maybe two days, but my whole digestive system has been out of wack ever since. Around Thursday, I started to get a runny nose again….so that just adds to the feeling puny. But, this week is a short work week (I work Monday and half-a-day Tuesday) so I’m really looking forward to a little break. I don’t know how much rest I’m going to get, between family get-togethers and Christmas shopping, but hopefully I can find some time for a little R&R during the five days off.

Speaking of Christmas shopping…I finally got started this weekend. I love shopping…it brings me so much joy and happiness. I hope during the Thanksgiving break I’ll be able to get a lot more done. Also, I can’t wait to put up my Christmas tree & decorate the house. I bought Brady’s stocking yesterday, so hopefully, I can find some time within the next few weeks to get started on it. I’d like to have it finished before Christmas. I know he won’t be here this year, but I KNOW I’m going to be way too busy next year so I’m going to go ahead to get it done!

Here's me sporting my "Does this shirt make me look fat" shirt.

Brady's Bump - 21 weeks

2011-11-13T15:12:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: 16lbs, gained 3 more pounds this week
Maternity clothes: I’m mostly wearing maternity clothes now.
Sleep: Alright…I’ve been pretty stressed this past week over my comps…so that kept me up a few nights. I can’t seem to get comfortable on my left side.
What I miss: sleeping on my belly…this week I also missed being able to drink alcohol!!! After I finished my comps Saturday, it would have been so nice to go have a Daiquiri.
Movement: He kicks all the time (especially at night!)
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers & hot chocolate
What I'm looking forward to: Shopping & decorating
Exciting stuff: You can see my skin rise up when he kicks now (when I’m lying on my back). He’s a strong little thing! I love feeling him move…it just melts my heart!
What a stressful week this one has been!! I’m so glad to have my comps behind me so hopefully I can relax and take it a little easier. I still have some projects due before this semester is over, but I think the hardest part is behind me now (at least I hope so). I’m looking forward to starting my Christmas shopping this coming weekend and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I’m really excited about my 5 days off next week. I have to work Monday & Tuesday, but those won’t be too bad…we’ll just do fun art projects and watch Thanksgiving movies. I love the holidays…plus, not too much longer & I can put my Christmas decorations out!!!! I always wait until Thanksgiving is over. I’m trying to decide what I want to do for Brady’s stocking. I’m trying to decide between ordering all of us some cute monogrammed ones or making Brady one myself. My mom made my stocking and it’s always been so special to me…but I’m a girl, I don’t know if it will be so special to a boy to have a handmade stocking…and those things are a lot of work because I made Gavin on a few years ago. I’ve got to hurry up and decide so I can get them up soon!

Stressful Weekend Ahead

2011-11-11T15:45:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is the day I've been dreading since I signed up to start Grad School. I have to take my comprehensive exam in the morning at 9am. It's a four hour test with five essay questions all of which will cover all the classes I've taken these past few semesters. I've been studying for the past two-and-a-half weeks! I feel like I haven't had much of a life lately. I've neglected everything just to study for this test. I dread having to take it in the morning but I'm SO glad it's finally going to be over. I've pretty much done all I can do, so now it's time to just suck it up and do it. Then, I have to immediately get to work on a research paper that's due Sunday (yes, this Sunday) because I've put it off to study for this test! The good thing is that I have started it and if I just focus...it shouldn't take me too long to finish it. I don't think I've ever wished a weekend away before in my life, but I'll be so happy when this one is over.
So, it's time to start praying!!! :)

Brady's Bump- 20 weeks

2011-11-06T14:25:00.003-06:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: 13lbs, gained 2 more pounds this week
Maternity clothes: I could still wear some of my regular clothes…but I don’t want to stretch them out to the point I can’t wear them after I have Brady….so I’m mostly wearing maternity clothes now.
Sleep: pretty good, still snoring & using the restroom a lot this past week
What I miss: sleeping on my belly
Movement: He kicks all the time.
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers!!!
What I'm looking forward to: Shopping & decorating

At my weekly appointment, Thursday, I got to have another sonogram. Brady is STILL a boy!!!! Nothing fell off since the last time we saw him. Haha He was great. Everything looked good. He’s a big boy. At 20 weeks fetus’ are suppose to be ~10.5 oz and at 19w5d he was measuring 13 oz….so my doctor said she’d keep an eye on his growth…especially when I get closer to the end. However, she’s very glad to see that he’s bigger and growing like he should be. He was breech; I sure hope he doesn’t try to stay that way very long. He opened his mouth so that was neat to see. It’s just crazy how much he’s grown since the first time I saw him at 5 weeks. All we saw at 5 weeks was a sack…you couldn’t even see him yet, he was so small at that point. Now he’s almost 1lb!!! My next sonogram won’t be until around 28 weeks just to check on him and make sure he’s still looking good. It’s so nice to be HALFWAY through this pregnancy. I have really enjoyed these past few weeks, especially feeling him move. I hate to wish this exciting time in my life away, but I’m just so ready to meet him & hold him in my arms.

19 weeks & Gender Party!

2011-10-30T19:16:00.005-05:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: 11lbs, no weight gain this week.
Maternity clothes: I wear maternity pants…but I can still wear my shirts and dresses for the time being.
Sleep: pretty good, but I snore now!!! I don’t know if it’s a pregnancy thing or sinus thing but I keep Steven awake at night & I wake myself up!
What I miss: sleeping on my belly
Movement: He kicks all the time.
Sex: BOY!!!! Brady James Seals
Food cravings: Butterfingers!!!
What I'm looking forward to: Shopping & decorating

So, we got all our family over to our house Saturday night and had a big reveal! It was so much fun but most people picked sex…. BOY!!! We are so excited to have baby Brady James on the way!!! I can’t wait to go back to the doctor Thursday and have another sonogram so I can see his sweet face again! Every day I fall more and more in love with him. He’s the greatest blessing of our lives! We couldn’t be happier. Today, Steven was on the tractor & all I could think of is in a few years, Brady will be up there with him. God is SO good! He knows exactly what we need & He always provides. This journey to parenthood has been long & tough but so worth it. Without every little thing that’s happened we wouldn’t be where we are today…and that’s happy & excited about our baby boy!

Here’s some pictures of the gender party. We had Steven’s family & my family over to celebrate. Steven grilled hamburgers & I made the cake to reveal, “It’s a BOY”. (I just couldn’t see spending $40 on a cake…so I made it myself…it looks more like a Charlie Brown cake, but it was made with love.) My “boy” shirt was made by my sweet friend Jamie Martin. She’s one of the most talented people I know.

The food:

The cake:

Our mom's cut the cake to reveal the sex.

Our grandmothers:

My sisters:

Message in a cake:

It's a BOY!!!

Secrets!

2011-10-26T16:32:00.002-05:00

Secrets are NO fun..especially when it's something you really want to tell!!! I went to the doctor yesterday for my weekly check-up. When my doctor walked in she said, "do you want to find out what you're having today?" I was like heck yeah!!! I wasn't suppose to have my sonogram until next week, but she said she wanted to know the sex and of course we were dying to know. So we went in the room and got to see our sweet angel again & thankfully "it's" not shy or modest!!! So we know!!! And I couldn't be happier!!!! I am SO excited and I want to shout it to the world...but I want to tell all my family at the same time...and we couldn't find time to do it until Saturday. So, I'm trying my best not to slip and tell someone my exciting news!

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17

18 weeks

2011-10-23T14:06:00.003-05:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: 11lbs
Maternity clothes: I wear maternity pants…but I can still wear my shirts and dresses for the time being.
Sleep: pretty good, just have to get up a couple time a night to use the restroom
What I miss: sleeping on my belly
Movement: The baby kicks all the time when I’m still, however, it won’t kick when Steven’s trying to feel it.
Sex: Don't know yet. We will find out next week!!!
Food cravings: Butterfingers!!! Those things are the devil!!!
What I'm looking forward to: I can't wait to find out the sex! I'm so excited to start shopping!!!!

Inching closer....

2011-10-20T21:16:00.002-05:00

I'm 17w5d pregnant today. I went to my weekly doctor's visit and everything is still good. The baby's heartbeat is in the 150's and "it's" moving like crazy. My doctor said everything looks good. I gained 4 pounds, which didn't surprise me, but I'm not too happy about it. I know gaining weight is a part of being pregnant but gaining 4 pounds in one week is not good. I'm going to have to start eating healthier and get back to walking.The exciting news is that I'm going to have a sonogram in 2 weeks...which means in 2 weeks we hopefully will know the gender of the baby!!! We're so excited!

But, now comes the hard work. I told Steven we have 2 weeks to decide on a name for each sex. I want to have a name picked out when we find out the sex. So, all the way home tonight we pretty much argued over names. It's so hard to pick a name for another person. This is what this child is going to be called forever....how he/she is going to be identified. I don't want to pick something that will bring my baby embarrassment in the future. So, tonight I sat down and when through hundreds of boy names...I've decided I'm going give my list of 40 names to Steven & let him narrow it down. I'm thinking one week to decide each sex is long enough...we're starting with boy names first.... Hopefully we can come to a decision without killing each other! ha

17 weeks

2011-10-15T15:21:00.003-05:00

Due Date: March 24, 2012
Weight gain: 7lbs
Maternity clothes: not really (I do use a belly band to still wear my jeans.)
Sleep: pretty good, just have to get up a couple time a night to use the restroom
What I miss: sleeping on my belly
Movement: I can feel the baby when I lay still...but today it was kicking me during Gage's football game.. maybe we're having a football player or cheerleader???
Sex: Don't know yet, but should find out in 1-2 weeks!!!! I'm so excited.
Food cravings: Sweet stuff (and that's so not like me!)
What I'm looking forward to: I can't wait to find out the sex! I'm so excited to start shopping!!!!

Belly Shots

2011-10-13T16:46:00.012-05:00

Here's how I've progressed throughout this pregnancy so far. I don't know if you can tell in the later pictures but it's pretty obvious that I'm pregnant...the people who see me every day have been wondering when I was going to say something. lol
5 weeks (We were on vacation, so this pic is taken in Maine... pretty awesome background!!)

6 weeks

7 weeks

8 weeks

9 weeks

10 weeks

11 weeks

12 weeks

13 weeks

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

1 Month

2011-10-10T13:56:00.003-05:00

Our journey, with this pregnancy, begin way back in January 2010. I never would have thought then it would have taken so long to get to the point where we are today, but it has all been for good reason, I have no doubt about that. After my three miscarriages, my doctor decided she'd done everything she could think of and referred me to a specialist in Dallas.

Our first appointment with the specialist was in April 2011. He discovered that I had cysts on my ovaries, but felt really good about our chances of having our own baby. His plan of treatment was to prescribe Clomid (a drug to help you ovulate). I began Clomid on June 20th. On day 10 of my cycle I went back to Dallas and had a sonogram which showed the Clomid had worked and I had one good follicle. So, our specialist gave us the green light to try.

Well, once again (just like the last 3 times we've tried), I got pregnant the first month. I took a positive pregnancy test on July 12th. I went to my doctor for blood work on July 12 and 18th and everything looked good. On July 27th I had my first sonogram and everything looked good. The baby was too small to see, but the sac was there. My doctor decided to prescribe Crinone (which is progesterone), just to be safe. She also decided to prescribe Lovenox (a blood thinner). I took Crinone through week 14 and will take Lovenox until week 32 (I think) then she'll switch to a different drug (Hepron). The Crinone is a suppository, which is yucky, but painless. I'm very thankful I'm done with it. Lovenox is an injection. Steven gives me a shot in the stomach every night...and it hurts!!! But so worth it!

Here's pictures from that first month.

One Word

2011-10-08T09:14:00.003-05:00

It's crazy how one little word can completely change your life. We are so excited to be expecting our little blessing, but still very nervous and scared. I've been wanting to blog about this pregnancy but didn't want to word to get out too soon. So, after 16 weeks, and a growing belly, I've decided now's the time to let you in on my secret. I plan to do a weekly pregnancy blog...today is 16 weeks. I'll blog about the last four months soon.
Please keep us in your prayers.

Hello October!!!

2011-10-01T13:49:00.004-05:00

It's seriously so hard to believe today's the first day of October. I was telling Steven last night how it felt like I just changed the calendar over to September and now it's time to do it again! I love fall and it is a little cooler this weekend, which makes it even better! I haven't really seen any leaves changing colors yet, but hopefully that will happen soon.

I have slowly been working on decorating my house for fall this past week. I have decided that instead of decorating separately for all the fall holidays (Halloween & Thanksgiving) that I'd just focus on fall decorations and keep my decorations up a little longer (plus it saves money, which makes my hubby very happy). Here's what I've done so far....I forgot I had all these decorations, so it felt like Christmas the other day when I went up in my attic and found all these decorations.

I made this wreath myself! (Again, saving that money!!!)

Happy Fall Y'all!!!

Football Fever

2011-09-17T15:29:00.004-05:00

Football is back! I love this time of the year. The weather starts to cool off a bit and I get to go watch some football! Last night we went to the high school game & the Maud Cardinals won! This morning we were back at the football field, this time to watch Gage & Makenna. Gage is a 6th grader and plays peewee football and Makenna, a 5th grader, cheers for his team. Oh, and by the way, the Cardinals beat the Redwater Dragons this morning!!! Gage had 2 touchdowns & threw a pass for a touchdown!!! Here are a few proud auntie pics.

Gavin & Makenna

Makenna's the cutie in front.

Makenna is the third one from the left.

Gage getting some water and a brief break after running in his first touchdown!

Gage is #7.

Gage playing quarterback...He threw a pass on this play for a touchdown!!!

Crazy week...

2011-09-12T16:59:00.002-05:00

Wow! This last week was crazy!!! On Labor Day, my grandpa had to go back to the hospital for low blood pressure. Thankfully, he was okay & got to go home the same day. Tuesday, I had to drive to Mt. Pleasant (which is an hour away) for my class. I was exhausted when I got home around 8:30-9pm. Thankfully the class only meets every-other-week. Wednesday, I went to the college to talk to my academic adviser about graduation and Wed. is church so we don't get home until ~8pm. Thursday, we had to run some errands in Texarkana. Friday my hubby & I went out for date night!! We ate out & I finally got to see The Help (& loved it!). Saturday, I went to the Ranger's game with my stepdad & was gone all day long. Sunday was church and I stayed up late watching the Cowboys. And today was back to work...

I'm so exhausted. All I can think about is getting finished with this semester & having college behind me. The good thing about being so busy is that time seems to be going fast. I do not wish my life away...at all, but I'll be so happy to have this semester & college behind me...FOR GOOD!

Mornings with Gavin

2011-09-02T17:16:00.003-05:00

This week was the first week of me taking Gavin to school with me. Let me tell ya, getting another person ready to go to school and getting there on time is not easy! I don't know how all you moms do it! My bed has not been made all week long..and it drives me crazy to look at an unmade bed...but something's got to give. He did pretty good for me and we weren't late one day! Next week might be a different story because I have early morning duty, which means I have to get at work earlier than usual! Thankfully, it will only be a four day week & I only have to take G to school M-Th, Kris is off on Fridays.

This week has been just as hectic as last week. With work & college, I'm swamped! I'm so thankful it's Friday & a 3 day weekend. And, when I got home today, my WONDERFUL hubby had a sweet surprise waiting for me... $100 spa bucks!!! I can't wait to use them!!! He's seriously the best....I'm so blessed!!!

Last Week

2011-08-29T11:30:00.002-05:00

What a week, last week was... Wow, I'm kind-of surprised I survived! The first day of school was rough. Not near a rough as my first year of teaching...nothing could ever top that (I don't think). Last year, I had the dream class...they were wonderful...So, it's hard to follow that group. This group LOVES to talk, A LOT! Wow! They wore me out! But, I'm determined get them under control!

Last week was also my due date for baby #3. It's so hard to believe she'd be here now. My heart hurts, of course, but I know God has a plan for me and I'm just going to focus on being healthy and loving my life. Even though we don't had kids yet, we are SO blessed!

College also started last week! Talk about stress. I'm so thankful this is my last semester!

So to wrap it all up... last week was exhausting!!! Hope this week is a little better!

Back to work

2011-08-14T17:42:00.003-05:00

Well, the day has finally come...in the morning I have to report back to work. It's been a nice, HOT summer. I've been productive at times & very lazy other times. It's always so hard to go back to work, but I think deep down I'm actually ready for it. I like being on a schedule and having stuff to do. This will be a very busy fall because I'll be finishing up grad school. I'm so looking forward to having that behind me.

So, good-bye summer & hello fall!!! I'm ready for football, cooler (but not cold) weather, and falling in love with my new babies! In one week, the class of 2023 will start first grade!

Weekend recap

2011-08-08T16:52:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was wonderful. My grandmother from Houston came up for a visit & it was so nice to visit with her. I love to entertain but it's hard this time of the year because the heat just about kills you. I don't know the exact number of consecutive days of over 100 degree temperature we've had, but it's a lot. It is hot! So hot that at 8pm it's still in the 100's. That's crazy. Texas always has hot summers...but I don't ever remember one this hot. Anyways, my grandmother left Sunday & so did my hubby for two weeks! :( I'm so sad he's gone...I don't know what I'm going to do without him.

And to top off being lonely for the next two weeks... this is my last week of freedom! Next week I go back to work. I can't believe the summer is over.

Back to work...

2011-08-02T16:48:00.002-05:00

Well, it's not technically time for me to be back to work, or at least it's not mandatory yet. The past two days I've gone to my classroom to work on getting everything back in order and I'm very proud to say I've done a pretty good job. I'm usually all over the place, skipping from one thing to the next without getting much accomplished but this year has been different. I have family coming in this weekend so I know I have to be productive right now because I won't be up there until next week sometime.

It's been hard to make myself go up there but I know it will be worth it.

Just a side note: Today is my nephew, Gage's, 12th b-day!!! I can't believe he is 12 years old and going into middle school this year. He's also taller than me now, not that it takes much to be taller than 5'2". Time is flying by...I wish it would slow down.

Boston 2011

2011-07-30T10:29:00.008-05:00

So last Tuesday my hubby & I set off for our summer 2011 vacation! We drove to Dallas and stayed the night with our wonderful friends Paula & Dave. We got up at 4am Wednesday morning to make it to the airport. After we arrived in Boston, we settled into the hotel and set out to see Boston. Wednesday was mostly sight seeing. Thursday we took a trolley ride around Boston & took a boat ride around Boston Harbor. We also took a tour of Fenway Park. Friday we did more sight seeing and that night we went to a Boston Red Sox game! It was so much fun. Saturday we rented a car and drove up to Maine. Saturday turned out to be the most interesting day of the vacation because we couldn't find a hotel to stay at in Maine. We drove all the way up to Portland, ME and were still unable to find a place to stay so we had to drive back down to some small town outside of Boston before we finally found a place with a room. It was 1:20am!!! Sunday we drove to Plymouth, MA and toured around the town. Then Monday we went back to Boston for the last day. We had an awesome vacation!!! I'm so glad we were able to get away and spend some time alone!!! I can't wait to our next adventure!!!

Boston Harbor

Swan boat ride at the Boston Commons

Fenway Park

Lighthouse in Maine

My handsome driver

The love of my life!

OGO- Project #2

2011-07-30T09:44:00.003-05:00

So I have recently realized that I only have 2 weeks of summer left! So on top of being sad that I'm about to have to go to work, I'm also feeling pressured to get all my Operation Get Organized projects completed before I go back to work & college!

We went on vacation (Boston) this past week...I'll post on that later. We got home Tuesday. So now I'm trying to make myself get busy around the house. Thursday night Steven was mowing so I decided it wouldn't look too good if I just sat in the house and watched tv while he worked. So, I got up and started looking through my medicine cabinets (I had 11 storage containers of medical supplies). I went through them all and disposed of all the meds that were out of date and reorganized what was still good. It took a few hours but it was so worth it because now it's all organized (for now) and I'm very happy!

Next up...my pantry.

Operation Get Organized- project #1

2011-07-19T14:37:00.007-05:00

Operation Get Organized (aka: OGO) has officially began. I started with my office, because it needed the most work.

I started with my massive collection of magazines. I hate to get rid of my magazines, but as you can tell, my collection got totally out of control. So I went through every magazine, found the pages that had something that I liked & tore those pages out...then got rid of the magazine.

Now this is much better...

I also organized my desk & rearranged some office furniture.
Before:

And after:

I still have a lot of work to do, but at least I've started!!!

Marry Me

2011-06-30T17:03:00.002-05:00

Five years ago, on a golf course in Carrollton, TX, my sweetheart got down on one knee and completely forgot all the sweet romantic comments he had been practicing to say to me. So when it can time...my very nervous boyfriend said, "Marry me." It makes me smile every time I think about it. I can't believe it's already been five years! What a blessing he has been in my life. I thought I loved him then...but that's nothing compared to how much I love him now.

Random summer stuff...

2011-06-29T15:14:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's almost July! I am SO sad how fast my summer is flying by... But I am so happy that my summer course is almost over. A lot has been going on around here, like:
**VBS... My sister & I coordinate VBS at the church we attend & it is a lot of work. Our VBS was last week from Sun-Wed and boy was glad when it was over.
**Summer course... I hate studying! I hate taking test! But I am SO going to love when I walk across that stage on December 17th and get that degree. I only have one more week & several more papers & a final exam and my summer class will be over!!!
**Soft bed: I can not sleep on hard beds...and we have a hard bed. I wake up and my shoulders & back hurt. Steven wasn't happy about buying something to make the bed softer, but he finally gave in. Tonight will be our first night on the new, soft, comfy bed!!!
**Vacation: I am so excited to announce that we are going on vacation this summer!!! I didn't know if we were going to be able to, but we booked our fights to BOSTON two Saturdays ago & bought tickets to a Boston Red Sox game!!! I can't wait to get there!!! I have been wanting to go to Boston for a while.
**Shopping: I have been doing too much shopping these days with no sign of slowing down. In fact, my sisters & I are going to Canton, TX tomorrow to do more shopping!!! I can't wait. I love shopping in Canton..there's so much neat stuff you can find there that you can't find in regular department stores.

Well, that about sums it up. I hope to get out in the sun more in July since I won't have to sit in the house and work on papers. I also need a tan before vacation. I hope July goes much slower than June did... I'm not at all ready to start thinking about this next school year.

Saturday with Gavin

2011-06-11T15:43:00.004-05:00

My first week of summer vacation has been nothing as I expected it to be. However, I've enjoyed being off. My step-dad has been very ill this week. He's been in and out of the hospital since Wednesday, so prayers for him would be greatly appreciated. Kristian & Steven have been working overtime all weekend so that meant, I got to keep Gavin today.

He showed up at 9am this morning with his new Hermit Crabs (he calls them Kermit Crabs) and he was ready to eat breakfast. Thank the Lord he loves cereal! :) Then he watched TV while I vacuumed the house and washed my car. For lunch, he wanted cereal again....so me being a good aunt...I let him have what he wanted. Kayla, Gage, & Makenna came over for a while and he played with the kids for a couple of hours. I had strict instructions to make him take a nap this afternoon because he has a t-ball game tonight...so after everyone left I told him to go lay down. He was not a happy camper...but he eventually fell asleep. This is how I found him when it was time to wake him up.

I have a wedding to attend tonight, otherwise I'd be going to his t-ball game.

Good Luck Bullfrogs!!!

Out with the old, In with the new...

2011-06-07T11:35:00.002-05:00

So summer is here!!! I am loving every second of it! Saying good-bye to my sweet babies last Friday was harder than I expect though... There were tears & lots of them (from me, not them). I loved my class this year. They were overall the best group I've ever had. In addition to the kids being great....the parents were too! I can honestly say I didn't have one issue with any of my parents.

However, today, one of the teachers sent me a text & let me know next year's lists are out! In an instant, I immediately began thinking about the new bunch I'll be getting in August & I'm excited. I'm in no hurry to August to get here...but I can't help but to wonder what they will be like. I've got a lot of work to do this summer...I'm completely rearranging my classroom & organize my files & getting things in better working order than last summer.

Tonight I start my summer class. I hope it's not going to be as rough as last summer's class. The good thing... I'll only have two more classes when this one is over!!! I can't believe how close I'm getting to the end...It's making me a little nervous, but I'm very excited!!!!

Rewind

2011-05-31T20:06:00.002-05:00

Steven turned 30 two weeks ago but I'm finally getting around to looking at the pictures of his b-day party. We had a good time with our families.

Happy Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T19:17:00.002-05:00

What a weekend. I "unexpectedly" had a 5 day weekend because of my appointment Thursday and having to take off Friday to recuperate from my surgery. I slept most the day Friday, I actually didn't get out of bed until 4pm. I went to Jayla's rehearsal but skipped the dinner and came home and went to bed.

Saturday, was Jayla's wedding. She was a beautiful bride and her wedding was wonderful & perfect! I held up very well.

Sunday after church, Steven & his grandmother, Mary Nell, and I went to Shreveport, LA. We stayed at Sam's Town Casino. Steven & I did a little gambling but weren't lucky at all. So we left & went to the Boardwalk to do a little shopping. I love to shop....I wish it could be an occupation because I would love to do it!

We came home today and this afternoon Steven & I headed out to the lake. I love being outside...especially on the water. Now, I'm sitting watching the Bachelorette eating strawberries & drinking wine. Only 4 more days until my summer vacation begins!!!!

As amazing as my weekend has been I think it's so important to take a moment and pay tribute to the men & women that provide me (all of us) the freedom to enjoy life to the fullest! I'm so thankful to the people who serve (or have served) in our military. I'm so blessed to be an American! Thank you to all those who have served & to their families.

Some gave all, All gave some... May God Bless America!!!!

Back to Dallas

2011-05-27T10:07:00.002-05:00

So yesterday, Steven & I headed out to Dallas for another visit with Dr. Chantilis. The drive there seemed so long...probably because I was so nervous about the procedure he was about to do (hysteroscopy). So we got to Dallas early so we could eat at my favorite seafood restaurant, Pappadeaux. After a delicious meal we headed down to my appointment. Finally the doctor came in and began the procedure (which, if you don't know what a hysteroscopy is...it's where the look in the uterus with a scope). It really didn't hurt at first, just really uncomfortable...but pretty cool at the same time because I think it's neat to see what my organs look like. Anyways, he saw something that wasn't normal. Apparently after 3 months since having the baby...not everything has come out. The place where the baby implanted into my uterus was still there...so the doctor tried to get it out. That's when things went bad..really bad. First of all, I was in pain...lots of it. And there was blood...lots of it! It made the doctor very uncomfortable which scared me. Needless to say...he decided to do an emergency D&C at the Presbyterian Hospital just across the street from this office. Everything went well and now I'm home, resting & relaxing. Of course...I'm extremely sore but I'm glad he got most of everything out of my uterus (he couldn't get everything because of the chance of scaring).

This just goes to show that I am not in control of anything...everything is in God's hands. I never imagined I'd have surgery yesterday...but God got me through it all. I've been praying for answers to my pregnancy problems and my doctors really think it's my hormones so I have a lot of hope. So, I'm a happy (sore) girl right now! And, instead of a 3 day weekend...I'm getting a 5 day weekend! Only 4 more days of school left for me!!!! YAY!!!

Single Digits

2011-05-21T10:35:00.002-05:00

Only 8 more days of school left! I can't wait for this year to get over! I have to say, this is the best class I've ever had, but I'm tired, really, really tired and it's time for a break! The end of the school year is the busiest time of the entire year for me...even busier than Christmas time.

I've got a lot of summer projects that I'm going to have to do this summer, but I am actually looking forward to it. I love to be organized and my house needs a lot of organizing.

Hopefully Steven & I can decide on a vacation for the summer. We keep going back & forth on several places, but haven't been able to make any decisions.

Hopefully this weekend will be a nice and quiet because this week I have:
Monday: 1st grade play
Tuesday: Decorating party at a friend's house
Friday: Track & Field Day & a wedding rehearsal
Saturday: Jayla's wedding

Lots of fun & exciting things happening!!!!

My Hubby is 30!!!

2011-05-14T12:03:00.002-05:00

Happy 30th birthday to the best hubby in the world. Tomorrow we're celebrating with the whole family....I can't wait to see everyone. And, in true "redneck" style, I got him a riffle for this b-day.

Mother's Day Funnies

2011-05-06T13:21:00.003-05:00

So I've been working like a crazy woman the past day trying to get my kids (students) Mother's Day gifts done. First of all, with such a crazy schedule & finals this week...I completely forgot Mother's Day was this weekend...thankfully my partner teacher reminded me. Well, one of the things we do is have our kids make a book about thier mother. Here are a few answers to some questions that made me laugh out loud.
My mom likes to...
Kid's answer: cook

If my mom had one wish come true it would be:
Kid's answer: that me & my dad would help her

Here's my favorite...
It bugs my mom...
Kid's answer: when dad comes home

And I always laugh on the question that asks how much thier mom's weigh.... those answers are either way under or way over (sometimes right on spot, but the mom wouldn't appreciate it).

To all those wonderful moms out there...Happy Mother's Day!!! I'm so blessed to have such a sweet & wonderful mother!!!

O-V-E-R!!!

2011-05-04T07:19:00.001-05:00

Free at last,
Free at last,
Thank God Almighty,
I’m free at last!!!

I am finally finished with the spring semester! It couldn’t get over quick enough. To say I’ve been a little stressed out for the past few weeks would be the understatement of the year! But, it’s over….and I’m so happy & relieved. I’ll start back up in about 4 weeks (I guess…I’m trying to not think about it).

Another positive note: Only 21 more days of school left! I’m so ready for summer!!! I need a break & a vacation!

Love this quote

2011-04-28T12:00:00.002-05:00

I came across this quote today and love it... It makes me want to cry but it's so true!

"We shall come one day to a heaven where we shall gratefully know that God's great refusals were sometimes the true answers to our truest prayer."~P.T. Forsyth

And while I'm writing about quotes...my most favorite quote of all time (I got it off a church sign) is:

"Patience is trusting in God's timing."

Both of these quotes really hit home now more than ever, but they are also points that need to remembered every day no matter what I'm going through.

Happy Thursday!!! Can't wait for tomorrow!

Happy Easter!!!

2011-04-25T07:01:00.002-05:00

Hope you had a blessed day!

Garland Gals

2011-04-23T16:06:00.002-05:00

My two sweet, wonderful friends, Heather & Lindsay came to visit me this weekend. I know Heather & Lindsay from when I worked for the City of Garland. Heather was my supervisor and Lindsay was hired about a month or so after I started. I had such a fun time working with these ladies as well as our friends Carmen & Kerri. I hope someday soon we can all five get together and hang out again.

It was fun seeing these two city slickers come to the small town (or sticks as they referred to it). I showed them around Maud and they thought it was funny how we have a bank in a mobile home, how small our school is, and how we have to drive to Texarkana if we want to do anything.

As much as I enjoyed having them stay with us…it was hard to say good-bye. I wish we all didn’t have such busy lives…hopefully it won’t be almost four years before we do something like this again.

Love you girls!!! Come back and see me soon!

Random

2011-04-15T16:24:00.004-05:00

So I changed our top picture out today...I know it's from Christmas time but it's really the only decent (recent) picture I have of us. (Plus, it's pretty special, it's the picture we took the night we found out I was pregnant with our third baby.) I hope that I can change it soon with Easter right around the corner. I got my Easter dress when we went to Dallas this past weekend and I'm super excited to wear it soon!

Today was our first field trip of the spring. As a kid, I loved field trips. As a teacher, they're not so great. I'm just a nervous wreck the whole time thinking one of my kids is going to get hurt or lost. Thankfully nothing bad happened today. But I was so glad when we were back and especially when they left for the day. I'm exhausted!

But, when I got home, this is what was waiting for me....

I can honestly say, I have the most wonderful loving hubby in the world. I know it's not nice to brag....but I feel that it's alright to brag about him. Plus, he's cooking dinner tonight!

I'm not too excited about this weekend. All I have planned is to work on 3 separate projects that are all due on April 26. I'm expecting some special company this next weekend so I'm going to do my very best to get as far along with my projects as I possibly can....it's not going to be easy though... I hate working on the weekends!

TGIF!!!! And, I can't wait until this semester of college is over!!! Only 2 more left!

Steps in the right direction

2011-04-13T17:11:00.001-05:00

We went to Dallas this past weekend to visit our good friends, Paula & Dave; we shopped and ate, then repeated the process. I always love going to Dallas.

Monday we had our appointment with the Reproductive Endocrinologist. We were very impressed with Dr. Chantilis. He sat down with us and thoroughly went through my charts and asked lots of questions. Steven & I were both so nervous…there were times when I thought I was going to lose it and start crying but I held it together. After our consultation, he said he was going to examine me. I was kind-of taken back, I really wasn’t expecting to be examined but I’m glad he did it. He did an ultrasound and found that I have cysts on my ovaries. My condition is callas Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and it affects my hormones. I’m so glad he was able to find something because now we have a better clue as to what steps to take to have a normal, healthy, complete pregnancy. I am, however, completely shocked that I have this disorder. I had no idea. I’ve done a lot of reading the past two days trying to get better acquainted with the disorder and I do have a few symptoms, but not too many. Most women tend to be: over weight (and I’m far from that), have irregular periods (mine are regular), have unwanted hair on certain parts of their body (I’m a very hairy person, but I always have been so I never thought anything of it), infertility (I haven’t had any problem getting pregnant, in fact I’ve gotten pregnant the first month of trying all 3 times), and acne (ever since I got off birth control pills I’ve had a terrible time with my complexion). The doc also took more blood so we’re waiting to hear back on that to know what’s going on with my hormones. My uterus is still enlarged from my pregnancy so I’m going to go back after I have 2 periods and he’s going to look at my uterus with a scope. I’m praying I’ll start my period when I should.

So all-in-all I feel good about how things went. I’m choosing to be positive and just lean on God to get me through this.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

2011-03-31T16:35:00.000-05:00

I met with my academic adviser today and officially found out that I’m going to graduate this December!!!! You couldn’t erase the smile from my face if you tried! I’m SO happy and relieved that only a few more months of school and I’ll be done. FOR-E-VER!!! I am so proud of myself, but December can’t get here fast enough. I hate school. But I’m proud I’ve done this….having my master’s is something I’ve always thought about and I’m glad I bit the bullet and will have accomplished something I really never thought I’d be able to do.

So, needless to say….I’m a very happy girl right now!!!! Plus, only one more day until the weekend!

Baby #2

2011-03-23T20:44:00.002-05:00

Well, today would have been my due date for baby #2. It's so hard to imagine that I'd be done with another pregnancy by now. We had so much hope for that baby because we actually got to see it's little heart beating before things went wrong.

As sad as all this is.... I'm a happy mama because I know I have 3 sweet angels in heaven. Even when things don't go my way and I'm sad or heartbroken I know God is taking care of me and for that, I am so very happy, thankful and blessed.

Positive News

2011-03-22T16:17:00.002-05:00

So my appointment yesterday went a lot better than I expected. We really didn't come away with any answers so I was a little bummed about that...but what was I thinking? I was hoping for this to be easy and it's going to be anything but easy. The good news is that there doesn't appear to be any major problems with the baby, which is very good news for us. Not all the results are back so we still don't know everything.

I gave blood...lots of blood. 10 vials to be exact. The lady kept pulling out more and more vials and I kept wondering if they were all for me, sure enough they were. I survived it and I didn't faint when I was done.

Next step is to get all the results from my blood work back, hopefully we'll get some answers from that, then on to the specialist in Dallas on April 11th.

I prayed for strength to get through the appointment yesterday and God gave it to me. Of course I cried a little, but I was able to ask questions and carry on a conversation....I was really proud of myself. No matter what's happening...I feel SO blessed. I have the most wonderful husband in the whole world, a wonderful and supportive family and the best friends ever! It's hard to feel sad all the time when I'm surrounded by so many blessings every day!

Dread

2011-03-20T21:45:00.003-05:00

The word dread isn't a happy word...but it's how I feel about this week. Here's why:
1. Spring break is over...I'm dreading going back to work.
2. Tomorrow is my follow-up appointment with my doctor. I'm dreading what we might find out.
3. This week would have been my due date with our second baby. March 23rd was the actual day. I can't help but to think about the second baby and feel so sad and heartbroken.

It's times like this I wish I could change things...but I can't. I just have to keep faith that God is taking care of us and that no matter what happens...everything is going to work out for the best. So with that being said...this week I look forward to: seeing all 17 of my little sweethearts in the morning. I look forward to more beautiful weather. I look forward to only 10 more weeks of school!!!

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

So, Spring Break is here and I’m loving it! I kicked off my SB by watching Gage play his first baseball game of the season then went fishing with my wonderful hubby. He did the fishing and I soaked up the sun. Sunday I hit the road for Mississippi to visit my best friend Jessica. I had such a wonderful time catching up with Jess and watching her beautiful daughter Mary Ella entertain us. Jessica’s mom, Linda, was also in town for the weekend so it was nice to catch up with her as well. Linda also watched ME while Jess and I went shopping, got pedicures, grabbed lunch and watched a movie. Tuesday I loaded the car and came back to Texas. I got back in town just in time to watch my cousin Kara play her softball game. Kara is a senior this year so I’m going to try to make it to as many games as possible. Wednesday, I got up and went shopping. I got some things for the house, 2 tank tops, and a new purse. All the accessories for the house were free (gift card), and the purse and shirts were on sale! So, I was pretty proud of myself. Steven didn’t give me a hard time either so that made it even better. Today, I got up and went shopping again. I can’t imagine staying inside when it’s so nice outside. After I got home I washed my car. Now, I’m sitting around and relaxing until the hubby gets home. Tomorrow we’re planning on going fishing again. I look forward to spending time with Steven and being outside. I love this time of the year! I’m just sad how fast SB is going….only 3 more days then it’s back to reality. The good news is that we only have 10 weeks until summer!!!!

2 Days til Spring Break!!!

2011-03-09T17:04:00.003-06:00

Only two more days until Spring Break is here!!! I'm so ready for a break. I'm looking forward to going to Mississippi and visiting with my best friend. I'm also looking forward to sleeping late and being lazy....and maybe doing a little shopping if I can get away with it without my hubby finding out!
I'm so excited that my mid-term is over and I made a 93!!! I'm pretty proud of myself considering I really didn't study for the test!
Tomorrow is Open House and then it's downhill from there!!!

Mid-Term!!!

2011-03-06T20:23:00.002-06:00

I take my mid-term this Tuesday for one of my classes this semester. Mid-term! Where has all the time gone?? When I was pregnant I was watching the calendar and counting down the days until August 25. Then when we lost the baby and I was off from work it seemed like time flew by and I was left behind. Before I knew it, it was March. I have one more week until Spring Break...then it's down hill from there for the rest of this year.
I'm going to make it a goal of mine to start enjoying each day while it's here. I know there are going to be some bad days, but that's life. I've got to learn to be more thankful for what I have and live in the moment!

Back to work

2011-03-03T16:59:00.001-06:00

I went back to work today…and it went really well. When I walked into my classroom I saw that my students had wrote me a note on the board saying welcome back and that they had missed me. My eyes started to fill up with tears but I kept it together. I quickly got busy and that helped me. I could tell my students missed me while I was gone. However, some of them were acting crazy! (Like bouncing off the walls… it was weird!)
I think going back to work was good for me. It keeps my mind busy and that’s a good thing. But, with that being said, it didn’t stop me from thinking if things hadn’t gone bad last week, I’d be 15 weeks pregnant today. It’s weird how even when I’m in the middle of talking and teaching I still will think about the baby. It will be a while before I stop thinking about the baby we just lost. We loved all three babies, but we just really thought since we’d made it so far with this last pregnancy we were going to make it this time. Plus, going through the birth process also created an even deeper bond with this baby.
But, I am determined to be positive and focus on finding answers about what’s going wrong with my body. I go back to my doctor for my follow-up appointment and bloodwork on March 21st. Then we’re going to Dallas to meet the specialist on April 11th. I’m hopeful that we’ll find some answers.

Picking up the pieces….

2011-03-02T15:46:00.001-06:00

So, it’s been a couple of days since the baby was born….my body is starting to heal and I’m slowing starting to get back into the swing of life. I went back to grad school last night and did pretty well. I cried just a little at the end when my professor and classmates gave me a card and note. I was pretty worn out but I’m proud I got out. Today I’ve been grading papers…I have so much to do when I get back to school tomorrow. I’m excited to see my babies in the morning. I’ve missed my students. I haven’t seen them since last Tuesday. This is the longest I’ve ever been absent from work. The good thing is that I only have 7 days of work until Spring Break!!!! I’m so excited about that because I’m making plans with my VERY best friend in the whole world (Jessica) to either go to Mississippi or she’s coming to Texas…I can’t wait to spend time with her.
Today my nurse called to tell me we have an appointment in Dallas on April 11th to see a baby specialist. I’m really excited that hopefully in the next month or two we’ll hopefully have some answers to what’s going wrong with my pregnancies.

Sometimes the answer is no…

2011-02-24T18:03:00.001-06:00

Unfortunately, the third time is not the charm in our baby situation. We went for our appointment Tuesday; we got there at 2:30 and didn’t leave until like 5pm. This was the first appointment where neither Steven nor I were really nervous about go to… we just felt we’d finally made it past the danger zone and we were really excited about this baby. Finally, around 3:50 the nurse called us back. My doctor came in about 4pm. (I was keeping up with the time because I had to be a school at 4:30 and I had 2 presentations that night!) Anyways, the doc came in and started trying to find the baby’s heartbeat but couldn’t. She told me not to panic so I really didn’t…I was just thinking how stubborn this kid was and how I was going to be late for class, but on the other hand I was secretly happy that I was getting to have another sonogram because I was aching to see the baby’s sweet face & I wanted to see how big it was getting. But when we got to the sono room I got nervous and very scared. The lady had to finish up with the last patient so I had to wait a minute and I started to feel the tears build up…I just all of a sudden had a bad feeling. So she got everything ready and started…and the baby was bigger..I could see it’s spine and it’s arms & legs were longer…but there was nothing where the heart should be beating. Just nothing. My heart broke. In a split second, all our hopes and dreams were gone.
So, we’re faced with our 3rd miscarriage in a year. It honestly feels like a horrible nightmare that you can’t wake up from. This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever been through…it’s just horrible…I wouldn’t wish the heartbreak on my worst enemy.
Tomorrow night I go to the hospital to have the baby and I’m scared. I don’t know what to expect and I don’t know how I’m going to feel when this is all over. But I know I’m so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. Everyone has been was wonderful and supportive. The prayers are really bringing us comfort.
I don’t understand why Steven and I are having to endure something so horrible, but I do know that God is with us and HE is going to take care of us and get us through this terrible time. We are heartbroken, sad, angry, and scared…but we will get through this…we always have! These three miscarriages are a very big part of my life…but they are not going to define my life. I don’t ever want to forget about these three babies we’ve lost this past year…but I do want to move on and hope for success in the future when it comes to expanding our family.
Please keep us in your prayers!!

The First 3 Months

2011-02-13T15:57:00.006-06:00

We found out on December 10, 2010 we were going to have a baby. I was shaking I was so nervous to find out...but I knew I was pregnant. Three pregnancies in one year...you kind-of know when it happens.

Us the night we found out.

2 months (8 weeks)

3 months (12 weeks)

So far I've gained 1 pound. Now that I'm not so nauseated maybe I'll start gaining some baby weight.

Mixed Blessings

2011-02-13T14:13:00.000-06:00

We’re going to have a baby!!! I’m so excited, happy, thankful, nervous, and scared. Our journey to parenthood has been anything but normal or easy. I must start from the beginning.
Last January (2010), the hubby and I decided we were ready to try to start a family. I was turning 30 in May and I knew it was time to make a move..plus we’d been married for 3 years, had our nice home, both have vehicles that work, and we have good stable jobs. So I went for my yearly checkup around the middle of January and talked to my doctor about getting started on trying to get pregnant. I told her how I wanted to get pregnant in the summer so I could have a baby around May or June…that way I could be off all summer long with a baby. My doctor told me, “all teachers say that…but don’t count on it working out the way you want it”…so after talking to Steven we just decided we’d stop trying to prevent a pregnancy and see what happened.
Five weeks later, while Steven was out of town for work, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive!! I was shocked I got pregnant the first month of trying. I couldn’t tell Steven over the phone we were going to have a baby because I had to see his face and reaction…so I kept quiet for about a week and a half. When he came home from his trip I handed him a card that said, “You’re going to be a daddy!” He was shocked and excited. We decided to stay quiet about the pregnancy until we went to the first OB appointment to make sure everything was okay.
Well, that day came, and everything wasn’t okay. During the sonogram the lady told us that the baby was only measuring 6 weeks instead of 9 weeks like it was suppose to and there wasn’t a heartbeat. I was heartbroken. Steven was heartbroken. We were both in shock. A couple of weeks later I had a D&C which was a horrible experience. It didn’t hurt but it was just an awful thing to go through. My doc told us we had to wait 3 months before we could try again.
So we waited the months and decided to try again. Once again, after the first month of trying, I was pregnant again! This time we were happy but scared. I went for blood work at 5 weeks and everything looked good. We went for a sonogram at 6 weeks and the baby had a heartbeat! We were so excited…Steven thought we were going to make it this time…but when we went back at 7 weeks for another sonogram…no heartbeat. Another miscarriage. More heartache. This time it was worse because we knew something was wrong.
I had another D&C, doc told us we had to wait 3 more months before trying…and she decided to run tests on both of us to see if she could find out what was going wrong. After a few weeks all the tests results came back….all normal. So we were still at ground zero… no answers why we had 2 miscarriages and really didn’t know what to do to keep from have a third miscarriage.
The next few months were hard…very hard. October was probably the lowest point because that was when the first baby was due. Then the holidays were upon us…I love the holidays but couldn’t help from thinking about what it would have been like with our baby. I lost a lot of weight during the time…I just didn’t have an appetite. Through it all, Steven was my rock. He was so good about listening to me cry about stuff and being a shoulder to lean on. And we both leaned on God. I don’t know how people get through life without depending on God. He gets us through the roughest toughest times in our life. God has a perfect plan for us all and he’s always looking out for our best interest.
November came around and we could try again. So once again, we decided we’d give it a try. And for the third time, I got pregnant after the first month of trying. I found out on December 10th I was pregnant. I cried a little, but I was so excited. The next week I went for my blood tests and everything was good. My doc put me on progesterone and baby aspirin this pregnancy. At 5 weeks, I had a sonogram and everything looked good, but the baby was too little to really see. At 6 weeks, I went back for another sonogram and the baby had a heartbeat!!! At 7 weeks, I thought I was having another miscarriage (I had never made it past 6 weeks in the past) so I went in for another sonogram and the baby was fine and had a healthy heartbeat. I cried when I saw the heart beating. I was so relieved. We went back at 8 weeks for another sonogram, and the baby was still growing with a healthy heartbeat. Two weeks later we went back in for another sonogram and the baby was growing, had a strong heartbeat, and was moving!!! We went back two weeks later and the doc heard the baby’s heartbeat on the Doppler. I was so happy!!!
Last night we had the whole family over for a Valentine’s Day celebration and then surprised them with our good news. They were all so happy for us. Now our little secret is out and it makes me even more excited about this baby. It’s nice to finally be able to talk about our baby with family and friends.
I’m so so so so happy we’re expecting this baby!!! I can’t wait for August 25th to get here!!! I’m so ready to hold him/her and kiss him/her and love on him/her.

The H Word

2011-02-04T10:52:00.002-06:00

I know it's not nice to say the H word, but I'm going to. I HATE all this cold weather! I am SO ready for spring and warmer weather to be here! I HATE wearing a bunch of bulky clothes. I HATE being stuck inside all the time. I HATE seeing bare trees. I just don't like winter very much at all.

I am SO looking forward to warmer days, leaves on the trees, beautiful flowers starting to bloom and flip flops! I can't wait to go get my first pedicure of the spring! I hope it's not too much longer until warmer weather gets here.

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T15:29:00.002-06:00

What a day! I love Christmas..it's so fun, especially as a kid. But, man it's a lot of work! We had our big Christmas get together Thursday night. There were about 30 family and friends at our house. We had so much fun. Lots of food, fun, and laughs. But it was also a very long and tiring day. I was exhausted when it was all over.

Then came Christmas Eve, we had 4 stops to make. Everything went smoothly. We really have such wonderful families.

Today, we've made 3 stops, we're taking a little rest then will go to Steven's parents for Christmas with them tonight. I love getting together and visiting with everyone, it just drains you when it's all over.

I'm already thinking about after Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, our pre-lit Christmas blew some lights...so now we have to buy another one. I'm hoping I can find a cheap one.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Busy, Busy!!!!

2010-12-22T09:42:00.000-06:00

I thought after the fall semester was over my life would slow down… boy was I wrong. This time of the year is never slow. There is so much going on and so much to do.

Last Thursday, the hubby & I celebrated our 4th anniversary. I can’t believe we’ve been married for 4 years. Time is flying by so fast…I wish it would slow down…but I also catch myself wishing for certain days or events to get here…I just need to learn to be more patient. Maybe that will be my New Year’s Resolution #1 thing to do in 2011.

This past weekend, the hubby & I went to Dallas to just get away for the weekend and celebrate our anniversary. We were supposed to stay with Dave & Paula, but Paula’s mom got sick so they had to come to Texarkana to take care of her. Instead, we spent the weekend with Gin & Howard. It was nice to get to visit and catch up with them. It’s been a while since we got to spend much time with them, so everything worked out. We ate, ate, and ate some more…then did a little shopping in between eating. I think I gained 2 pounds…but that’s okay…I don’t ever get to eat like that here.

I been trying to finish my last minute Christmas shopping. I hate that I’ve waited til the last minute to finish things up but it is what it is. I only have Steven’s stocking stuff left..and I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to get him so it shouldn’t be too hard.

Today, I’m meeting with Jenny to have her birthday lunch. I always love visiting with her…I miss working with her and it’s always fun to catch up. Thursday marks the beginning of Christmas for us. Everyone is coming to our house Thursday night. We have 3 places to go on Friday and 3 places to go on Saturday. I enjoy Christmas, but it’s a lot of work! I’ll be exhausted by the time Sunday gets here. Thank the Lord for these 2 weeks off! I love being lazy and going shopping when I want to.

So Thankful!

2010-12-11T21:41:00.001-06:00

I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am right now. Things just seem to be working out so well. Monday is my last class for this semester!! I’m so happy Fall 2010 is about to be O-V-E-R!!! This week is also the last week before Christmas break… Halleluiah!!!! Thursday is the hubby & my 4th anniversary. I can’t believe we’ve been married that long. Time is flying by. Christmas is right around the corner. I’m just the happiest girl in the whole world!!!

Final Countdown!!

2010-12-05T16:33:00.003-06:00

I can "almost" see the light at the end of the tunnel! The fall semester is almost over. I finished writing my Research Proposal yesterday. I sat & worked for 7 straight hours to complete it. Now Kayla is proofing it, hopefully there won't be too much to change and tomorrow afternoon I will turn it in...I'll be almost done with everything for this semester. I still have my Action Research Project to do...but I'm not going to stress out too much about it... I'm so ready for Dec. 14th to get here and I can take a sigh of relief. This has been such a tough semester!

Black Friday

2010-11-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

Before Thanksgiving, I had only bought 4 Christmas gifts. I wasn’t one of those crazy people (like my mom & sisters) who got up at 2, 3, or 4 am to get so awesome deals… I slept in but got up at a decent time to get a few good deals. I started my shopping around 9am, which was plenty early for me. And, I’m happy to say I was actually very successful. I am finished with my mom, dad, stepdad, sisters, niece, nephews, brothers, and one friend. I still have to buy for the hubby’s side of the family…but I’m not too worried about it. I’m so proud of myself…I made a lot of progress in a very short amount of time.

So Thankful!

2010-11-27T08:16:00.000-06:00

I love this time of the year…it really makes me stop and focus on all the blessings I have in my life. This year has been a year to remember…some good memories and some not so good… However, whatever I’m going through…no matter what…God has been there for me the whole time. I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life. I’m especially thankful for my wonderful hubby, great family, and sweet friends. I enjoy good health, have a good job, nice home, nice stuff, etc… This Thanksgiving has been about focusing on the blessings I have in my life rather than focusing on the few things that I don’t have in my life. I am so blessed!

11????

2010-07-31T09:20:00.003-05:00

I am in disbelief that my nephew, Gage, will be 11 years old on Monday! It doesn't seem possible for him to be that old. (It doesn't seem possible for me to be as old as I am either, but that's beside the point.) :)

I'm excited about the stage in life Gage is in right now. He's a really cool kid, easy going, and gets along with pretty-much everyone. I just hope these next few years go by a little more slowly than these first 11... It makes me sad that he, Makenna, & Gavin are all growing up so fast.

Pray for us....Kayla, Kristian, Gage, Makenna, Gavin & I are all taking a family vacation this week. We leave on Tuesday for Tampa, Florida!!! It should be an interesting trip!

New Hobby

2010-07-20T15:35:00.002-05:00

So I have a new found hobby.... bird watching. Yes, I know it may seem weird, but it's actually fun. Well, let me be specific...hummingbird watching. We hung a hummingbird feeder outside our kitchen window about 3 weeks ago. We have 3 hummingbirds that LOVE to eat!

I named them: Hummer, Midnight, & Bubba. Midnight is mostly black, Bubba has a red neck & I thought Bubba was a good "redneck" name...and Hummer surely doesn't need any explanation on how he got his name. :)

It really is fun to watch them fly around, sit & eat, and fight with each other. It's a good, cheap way to be entertained!

Summer Heat!

2010-07-11T16:56:00.002-05:00

I love summer! Even though it's 100 degrees outside, I love summer!!! I love swimming. I love sleeping late. I love not having to work. I love it all!!

In a few short weeks I'll be going to Tampa, Florida.... I'm so excited & can't wait to be on the beach again. Hopefully the oil spill will not affect the beach in Tampa and the weather will be nice!

Finally!!

2010-07-02T10:26:00.002-05:00

My summer 1 class is finally over! Human Growth & Development has been the MOST demanding class I have ever taken in my life! I had to read a chapter every night & had a test every day! I was so demanding, time consuming, and stressful! But, I loved the class & feel that I learned so much. And, I didn't do too bad either. If I did good on my research paper then I think I'll pull and A!!! We'll see!

Hello Summer!!! Finally!!!

Stressed Out!

2010-06-17T01:11:00.002-05:00

I am SO frustrated these days...I haven't gotten a good nights sleep in about a week or so. My class (Human Growth & Development) is killing me! We have a quiz over a chapter every single day! I've been studying like a crazy person trying to get a whole chapter read every night. I honestly don't think I've ever read an entire chapter before in my life and now I've already read 4! The good news is that this class is only 4 weeks long. I have 2 weeks and 2 more days to go! However, in addition to taking a quiz every day...I've also got to find time to type up my 12-15 page research paper too! Ugh!!!

I'm not wishing my summer away....but I will be so happy when this class is over!!

FINISHED!!!!

2010-06-04T22:06:00.002-05:00

Well, I can finally take a deep breath and relax...summer has officially began!!!!! I am SOOOO happy this school year is finally over & look forward to getting some small projects completed around the house before the next school year begins.

I start back to college on Monday, but only taking one class so it (hopefully) won't be too bad!

Happy Summer!!!!

Proud Big Sister

2010-05-16T16:37:00.002-05:00

Proud big sister moment: My middle sister, Kayla, graduated from Texas A& M-Texarkana yesterday with her masters in counseling! I couldn't be prouder of her. She has worked so hard & it has paid off...she completed all her classes with a 4.0, all the while working a full-time job & raising two kids!

She is an inspiration to me to continue to work hard to further my education. I can't wait for the day when I can walk across the stage & finally be finished with research papers, projects & tests!!!!

Thank the Lord the spring semester is finally over!!! I only have a few weeks to rest before my summer class begins!

Fun Center Friday

2010-05-14T13:44:00.002-05:00

Every Friday afternoon I reward my students who have made good choices all week and "stayed on green" (my behavior chart). They get to play with some of my math manipulative and games for the afternoon. It's really fun to listen to what the come up with while playing with each other. And I'm always amazed at how well they pretend. It's a good time for the kids to get to work on their social skills and for me to get ready for next week.

But this week is different....the kids are playing in FCF and I really don't have anything to do...which means.... School is ALMOST over!!!!! I usually use Friday afternoon to get all my papers & notes ready for the next week so I don't have to come to school on the weekends and work. But not this week... we're practicing for our play so we're not going to be doing many more papers or lessons!

I can't wait for this year to end and for my summer to begin. I'm taking summer classes, but it will be nice to not have to work all day & go to class in the evenings...which makes for a VERY long day!!!

Twenty-Ten

2010-05-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

My 30th birthday was last week and it was awesome! It felt more like April Fool's than a birthday, let me tell you why....

I woke up, my birthday morning, to find out I'd been rolled (with toilet paper) the night before. I don't have much to roll but what we had...they rolled.

Then I get to school to find that my room had also been rolled. When I got back from our field trip, may car had been rolled.

Then when I was opening my gifts, Steven tricked me with his gift. I told him I wanted something that I could always keep from him.... He acted like he had given me a new camera (which I didn't want). He gave me a bunch of empty camera boxes...but my real present was a diamond cross necklace. It's beautiful & I love it.

For my birthday weekend, Steven, Kristian, Mike, Anita & I went to Dallas to go to Six Flags & a Rangers game. It was so much fun plus I got to eat at my favorite restaurants!!!

I wish every day was my birthday!!!

Spring Break

2010-03-13T20:10:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness it’s finally Spring Break. What a long and tough year this one has been. I’ll be so glad when it’s finally summer but for now…I’m just gonna enjoy Spring Break.

I don’t have any big, fancy plans for the week, just plan on sleeping late and relaxing! To all my teacher friends…Happy Spring Break!!!

SNOW much fun

2010-02-12T20:54:00.004-06:00

Talk about attitude adjustment… for the past month or so, I have done nothing but complain about the weather. All I’ve been saying is how much I’m ready for spring & summer to get here and how ready I am for warm weather…but, God went and made this happen yesterday…..

Talk about beautiful…. I don’t remember there ever being snow like this in Maud before. It wasn’t the usual ice and sleet with a little snow mixed it…it was all snow.

School was cancelled today so Steven, Kayla, Gage, Makenna and I made the best of our day off….

New Mexico Ski Trip

2010-01-04T19:41:00.003-06:00

Kayla, Steven & I left Wednesday to go to Red River, New Mexico to ski for the first time in our lives!!! We drove to Dalhart, TX on Wednesday then got up early Thursday morning and drove on into Red River.

We got to the condo around lunch time, unpacked our stuff, ate lunch, bought souvenirs then rented our ski equipment and hit the slopes (literally). The first mistake was that we jumped right into skiing like we’d done it before (which none of us had) and we tried to go down a slope that said “don’t do unless you know how to stop and turn”. Well… we did it anyway…first off, I didn’t know how to get on the ski lift…then I didn’t know how to get off it…needless to say they had to shut it down while they helped Kayla & me get up….it was so funny....we were crying we were laughing so hard at ourselves. Then, Steven falls out of the ski lift chair…that made it even funnier! We made one attempt to go down the slope and that was more than enough for me! I couldn’t get down it…every time I would go, I’d fall and my skis would fall off…and I didn’t know how to get them back on. Fortunately for me a “good Samaritan” came along and helped me down the hill…. I don’t know what I would have down without that woman.

Friday we woke up early, grabbed a bite to eat then headed to the slopes again, but this time for Ski School. Our instructor, Chris, was wonderful and he really taught me a lot. It was, however, the coldest I think I’ve ever been…there was a lot of standing around, in the shade and I was miserable! My whole body hurt from being so cold (especially my hands & feet)…I was nauseated and felt like I was going to pass out…but I stuck it out and made it through. That night (New Year’s Eve) we went back to the slopes to watch the instructors ski down “The Face” of the mountain with torches and watched the fire work display in the background…it was pretty cool! We also met up with an old friend from back home, Denna, and ended up spending the rest of the evening with her and her friends.

Saturday, we hit the slopes again; this time to really ski…We were going to go down an actual path. We practiced a few times on the remedial slope then made the 12 minute trek to the top of the mountain….Once up there we ate at the restaurant then started our dissention down the mountain (on a green course, of course!) It was so hard! It was very narrow and if you happened to get off the path...you’d fall off the mountain and/or hit a tree. I was horrible. I fell every couple of feet…I was hurting so bad (all over) and I honestly didn’t know if I was going to make it down. Every time I fell, I just laid in the snow…thinking “what was I thinking?? What am I doing??” I did, however, make it down and I was done! Kayla & Steven continued to ski a little longer then we packed up and left for Amarillo before it got dark.

We made it home yesterday around 4:45pm and Maud never looked so good. We drove over 1600 miles in a short time span but it was worth it. I did enjoy myself and I’m so glad we took this trip. Steven is ready to go back next weekend if I’d let him…but I think I’d rather stick to the beach and warmer weather. haha

Special Night

2009-12-24T09:50:00.002-06:00

Last night, my hubby & I had our families over for a Pre-Christmas dinner. It’s so hard to spend much time with everyone when we’re trying to make our rounds on Christmas Eve & Christmas so we decided that since we have our house now…we can invite our family over and spend a little more quality time with everyone. We’re so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Another reason why last night was a special night is because it marked our one year anniversary since we’ve moved into our house. I can’t believe we’ve lived in our house for one year…time is flying by.

I hope you all have a wonderful and very Merry Christmas!!!

Will I ever be smart?

2009-12-22T09:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I’ve made a big decision….I’ve decided to go back to college. I’m going back to get my MS in Curriculum & Instruction, concentrating in reading.

I’ve had some circumstances happen this year (at work) that have opened my eyes to the fact that I might not want to be a classroom teacher for the rest of my life. I want to have options and I know I need to do something now before I have kids.

So, I go back to school this spring and will hopefully be finished next spring. I’m taking 9 hours this spring so start praying for me now!

I can’t believe……

2009-12-16T21:27:00.001-06:00

..that I’ve been married for 3 years!!! That’s right, today is our 3rd anniversary. Three years ago I stood up in front of my closest friends and family and promised to love Steven for the rest of my life. I seriously can’t believe it’s been 3 years already!

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and loving husband. I did a really good job of picking Mr. Right. He’s sweet, loving, caring and treats me like the queen I am (most of the time). haha Of course, we have our moments…but we always work through our disagreements and come out stronger than before.

The past 3 years have been fun and full of changes. We started our married life out in a small duplex and quickly found out that we needed more space. We have taken some fun trips, Steven got sick…that was a pretty tough time, but he finally pulled through....we both have changed jobs and we built our first home. I’m really excited to see what this next year has in store for us.

I have a picture hanging in my house that says: once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love comes along and brings you a Fairy Tale…. It doesn’t get much better than that! My prayer is that God will continue to bless our marriage for many, many, many more years to come.

Christmas Time!!!

2009-12-01T21:43:00.001-06:00

I finally got my Christmas tree up and decorated this past weekend. I love Christmas time, but I was determined to not put up my tree and decorations until after Thanksgiving.

My Christmas tree is so special…it tells our love story…of all the exciting places my hubby & I have traveled to… Every vacation we go on I always pick up a Christmas ornament.

We also got married a week before Christmas (almost 3 years ago) so of course we had a beautiful Christmas wedding. Some of my closest friends gave us an ornament shower and I just love putting all those beautiful ornaments on my tree every year that our beloved friends and family gave us… It’s so special.

Steven gave me this ornament the day we got married.

We went to the Bahamas for our honeymoon and swam with the dolphins. We stayed at a Sandals Resort...it was beautiful. I wish we were there now!

We went to Vegas for our 1st anniversary (Dec. '07)

This ornament was giving to us by Paula & Dave when we moved into our new home last year!

My dream is to someday go back to NYC during Christmas time!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T22:40:00.002-06:00

This was our first Thanksgiving in our new house. My hubby decided to cook prime rib so we decided to invite all our family over for Thanksgiving dinner. We entertained 20 people!

I love Thanksgiving…it’s such a wonderful holiday. I’m so thankful for all the many blessings that I enjoy every day of my life. I’m thankful for my family and friends, my home, my health, my country, my church & church family…I’m especially thankful and blessed to have such a wonderful hubby and most of all I’m thankful for Jesus and his great sacrifice for me and for the forgiveness of my sins.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my bloggy friends!

49 & Holding!

2009-11-22T21:18:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my mother-in-laws 49th birthday! We celebrated by going to Roadhouse (Teresa’s most favorite place to eat) then had birthday cake with the whole family.

Gavin was our entertainment for the evening…he was loving all the attention. Happy Birthday Teresa!!!

Our Backyard

2009-11-15T15:52:00.003-06:00

I love fall! I love when the leaves start turning colors. Take a look at the view my hubby & I enjoy from our back patio. It’s so beautiful… the pictures don’t do it justice.

Weekend Getaway

2009-11-15T15:40:00.002-06:00

Last weekend my hubby & I went to Dallas for a weekend getaway. We stayed with our Dallas family, Dave & Paula. They’re really not related to us but while I was living in Dallas, they treated me like family and I even lived with them for a year before I moved back home. It is always so much fun to go back and visit with them. I always look forward to our visits.

Our main goal for going to Dallas last weekend was to do some Christmas shopping but we ended up only buying for ourselves…which is usually the case. We went to Denton on Saturday to meet up with my best friend from college, Bonny, and her new hubby, Kirk. It was so nice to visit with them and catch up. Then we went to a UNT football…they aren’t very good this year…so we stayed until halftime then left to do more shopping. We ate like pigs all weekend! I loved it. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Happy Haunting!

2009-10-31T19:00:00.003-05:00

Here's a look at my little spooks...Enjoy!!

Gavin (Bugs Bunny)

Kristian & I made his costume.

Makenna

Gage
(I'm not sure what he was...but he was scaring Gavin half-to-death!)

Skyler & Taylor (my cousins)

Hope you have a great & safe Halloween!!!!

I tried…..

2009-10-30T16:00:00.004-05:00

I tried to do something cute for my kidos' Halloween party…I’m not sure how successful I was. I saw the idea in my Southern Living magazine. (FYI: I LOVE Southern Living!!!) I tried to copy the idea and this is how it turned out….

I wasn’t too disappointed considering this is how they were supposed to look.
I guess, when it all comes down to it….it was the thought that counted. My kids were excited when I handed them out…so I was happy.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Royal Walk 2009

2009-10-26T17:29:00.006-05:00

This past weekend, Gage and Makenna both participated in the annual Royal Walk held at our school. The Royal Walk is like a little pageant; each elementary class picks a boy and a girl to represent them. Gage was picked by his 4th grade class and Makenna was picked by her 3rd grade class.

They were both cute as a button and Makenna and her partner, Hunter, actually won the whole thing. She was so beautiful. They made a very cute couple. Gage and his partner, Harley, were very cute as well. All the couples, for that matter, were adorable…I’m glad I wasn’t a judge! It would have been a hard decision.

Makenna was very excited to be crowned queen, she even wore her crown to church the next morning to show it off.

Makenna and Hunter

The Queen & King
Gage & Harley

The proud mama (Kayla) Gavin

save the ta-tas

2009-10-18T21:03:00.009-05:00

I will begin this blog with a brief history of why I ran the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. For at least 8 years now I have wanted to run a marathon or something to the effects of a marathon. After several “attempts” and “failures” to get in marathon shape I gave up on the goal to run any kind of race……

Back in January of this year I decided it was time to get in shape. I wasn’t trying to loose weight, I just wanted to tone up and be healthier. Kayla and I started working out in my living room to work out shows I recorded.

When spring finally arrived we started going out to the park to walk and run a few laps. That’s when I decided now was the time to run that race I’ve never had the discipline to train for and run.

I have trained all year long to run the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure 5K that’s held in Texarkana every year. During the summer I made myself get out of bed and go to the park to train, and I have continued to train even with the weather being as bad as it’s been lately. I’ve trained at the park and on my in-laws’ tread mill. The closest I’ve gotten to running 3.1 miles was 2 weeks ago and I only ran 2.5 miles and it took me 40 minutes to do that, so I’ve been very worried that I wasn’t going to be able to complete the race.

Morning of the Race
Yesterday, my sister, Kristian, and my 2 cousins, Kara & Erin met at my house at 6:45am to make the trip to downtown Texarkana to “run” the race. Erin & I were going to run; Kara & Kristian were going to walk it.

We got there really early, I thought the race started at 8am but it really didn’t start until 8:30 so we did a lot of walking around trying to stay warm (it was about 40-50 degrees yesterday morning).

Finally, it was time for us to get in line to start the race….the anticipation begin to build….I was so excited and nervous all at the same time. When the gun went off….it just about scared us all half-to-death…but then, we were off. We all started out running so we could break away from the pack, but about ½ mile into the race Kara & Kristian started walking. Erin & I were off…we had a good pace going and I was feeling good. Erin is only 14 years old and she has really long legs so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to sustain her pace for the whole race but I was going to try.

It seemed like we had been running forever and I hadn’t seen a marker telling us how far we’d ran. I asked Erin if she knew how far we’d ran and she said, “we past the 1 mile marker a long time ago…we’re getting close to two miles.” I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that because I thought I was going to die if we hadn’t already gotten to at least one mile…I was hurting! Finally, we saw the 2 mile marker….I knew we were getting much closer…but I was really hurting by then! The whole time I kept thinking how bad I wanted to stop and walk, but I didn’t, we just kept running.

Finally we saw the 3 mile marker and knew it was almost over….then the finish line came into sight I think we got a spurt of energy because we sped up to pass some people at the last minute. When we crossed the finish line I asked a woman what time it was and she said 8:57…. I thought, dang, that took us 57 minutes to run….but then, I remembered…the race didn’t start at 8:00…it started at 8:30! We ran 3.1 miles in 27 minutes!!!!!!! I was so happy I almost started crying!!! We both couldn’t believe it!!!

If it weren’t for Erin….I don’t know if I would have reached my goal and ran the whole race…I defiantly know I wouldn’t have ran it in 27 minutes! She was the BEST partner ever!

This is us before the race.

This is Erin & I after the race….much warmer and red faced.

This is Kara & Kristian after the race.

They walked/jogged the course in 40 minutes!

These are the amazing women I know that have had, fought and beat breast cancer. It was such an honor to wear their names on my back.

Girls, we have to take care of ourselves….watch your breast and check them every month! Go to the doctor if you notice any changes….it might save your life!!!!

And one more bit of advice….don’t ever give up on your hopes and dreams! It might take you 8 years to finally bite the bullet and do it, but I promise you…when you achieve something you’ve wanted to do…it’s the greatest feeling in the world!

Family Royalty

2009-09-27T17:22:00.003-05:00

This past Thursday I went to the junior high football game to watch my cousin Erin represent her 8th grade class as homecoming princess.

She was beautiful!!! Congratuations Erin!

Gavin's 3rd birthday

2009-09-22T20:26:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday was Gavin’s 3rd birthday. It’s so hard to believe he’s that old. We met at my mom’s house for cake and ice cream and of course presents!

He loved opening his gifts....Christmas should be fun this year!!

Super Man cake

This is what his aunt Chelle gave him for his 3rd b-day.

Welcome to 1st Grade

2009-08-19T16:33:00.004-05:00

Well, it’s back to work!!! We (the teachers) started back to school Monday and the kids start this coming Monday. I’ve been working like a mad woman trying to get everything organized and ready to go on that first day of school.

It is SO hard to believe this summer is over. This has been the best summer I’ve had so far (as a teacher). I got to go on 2 amazing trips, decorate my house (a little), and just relax. I also didn’t have to completely do or redo my classroom this year (Thank the Lord!)

Last night was Meet the Teacher night so I got to see about half my students. Most of them brought their school supplies so I got all that organized today. Right now, I have 19 students…I’m sure that will change come Monday.

Here’s a look at all my hard work so far….
Switching gears....take a look at my beautiful hibiscus!!! I love hibiscus ~ they are my favorite summer flower.

The Wild Man

2009-08-07T15:42:00.003-05:00

For the past 2 days I’ve had the privilege of babysitting my youngest nephew Gavin. We have had a fun time together but he has wiped me out!!! Yesterday we went to the park, McDonald’s, Sam’s and Wal-Mart. Today we’ve just played around the house. I’m so blessed to have such wonderful kids in my life.

New First

2009-07-14T13:43:00.002-05:00

I have experienced a new first for me. Today I went to the dentist for my 6 month check-up and I have my first cavity. I had been preparing myself for a couple of days that this might happen because I’ve been feeling some plan for the past month when I chew on the left side of my mouth. However, even with all the preparing….I still had to work hard to hold back the tears as I drove from the dentist office. I’m very sad…I’ve made it 29 years without a cavity. After my last appointment in December I kind-of knew there was a chance that I’d have a cavity soon because they said there was a spot that they wanted to keep a close eye on, but still….I at least wanted to make it until I was at least 30 before my first cavity!

Anyways….enough pouting…It’s time to get over it. I’m very nervous about getting my tooth filled next Tuesday so keep me in your prayers!

Florida Fun

2009-07-04T17:37:00.005-05:00

Last week Kristian and I took a little vacation to Pensacola Beach, Florida. One of her friends from high school got married on the beach and she needed someone to go with her….I cheerfully volunteered to join her.

We left on a Thursday and came back on Monday. Our hotel was right across the street from the beach so it was a short walk across the parking lot each day….it worked out perfectly.
We spent most of our time on the beach laying out and soaking up the rays. The beach was beautiful. The sand was so white and fine. The water was nice and warm the first three days…but the last day it was pretty cool. There were also lots of jellyfish in the water the last day we were there.
We ate dinner at a local restaurant, Peg Leg Pete’s, 3 out of the 4 nights we were there…it was delicious! We shared the fried shrimp and we didn’t leave a drop of anything on the plate each day. I loved it.
It was a great vacation with my youngest sis…I’m so glad we had the opportunity to do this together, hopefully we’ll be able to have more little vacations together in the future.