The Princess Bride

Let me start by apologizing for the quality of the photos. These were taken with my camera, in crummy church lighting by me, not a professional photographer on a sprained foot. (oops, I didn't tell you that story either - what happened to the month of May???) Well, let the photopost begin... (photopost, I like that word)

Here she is, my baby sister.

Isn't she beautiful?

And my baby girls.

Aren't they adorable?

And let's not forget my little prince.

A most handsome little man.

My Daddy, another handsome guy.

Poppy and Nana

One of my precious neices and a nephew who insist on growing up too fast.

The first dance:

The bride's dance with the younger neices and nephew

The wedding party (the most handsome "Hot Rod" is the one on the far right)

And finally, the happy couple

And so begins the first day of "Happily Ever After..."

Love you, Sis! You really made a beautiful bride.

10 things I'm thinking on the 10th

1. We are officially 1/2 way through our pregnancy! 'Watching' all the babies being born at church (I think there is at least one a month until Nov.) is really starting to make me anxious. Not in a bad way. I'm excited, but I don't want things to speed up. I'm good with the way things are progressing.


2. Four kids! WOW!! Are we crazy or what? I always thought I'd have three children. Once we had number three, our family still did not feel complete. To be honest, Hot Rod always wanted our family to be an even number. Something about theme parks and everyone having a buddy to ride with...


3. I think we finally figured out how this keeps happening. :)


4. The baby has started getting quite active. It's such an incredible feeling when the baby moves. For about a week, I was worried because I wasn't feeling anything. Now, I'm more tuned into the feelings - and relieved to feel that little bit of reassurance that baby is okay.
5. I'm very happy to be through the "morning sickness phase". (I almost typed "faze" LOL!)
6. Now, I seem to have reached that "nesting phase" I know, it's early, but I've got a lot of work to do. I worry that, eventually, I might end up on bed rest which could cut my preparation time greatly. (like by a couple of months!)
7. Carter has started touching my belly and saying "Baby" (in his own way. It comes out something along the lines of "bay-bay") He also leans over and gives the baby a sugar (kiss) So sweet!!
8. We got to see an ultrasound of the baby on Tuesday. The girls were so excited.
9. We found out the baby is now around 11 ounces.
10. And...it's a BOY!!

Check out my new Widget (and other possible titles for this post)

Did you see it? It's in my sidebar. I have a new widget!!



Go ahead, check it out. It's on the right.



I'll wait.......



So, what do you think?





And while we're at it, here are some of the other titles I considered for this blog post:

• Yes, we know how this keeps happening.


• Our friends are gonna think we're crazy.


• Our Disney plans have been postponed.


• Well...this is gonna cost me.


• I took a test for 5 seconds and got positive results in less than 2 minutes.


• Does this baby make me look fat?


• Our two of a kind definitely has a full house.


• I'm sick, ALL THE TIME!


• So much for losing weight from the last baby.


• My FIL thinks there is something in the water here.


• Bring on the ice cream! My diet just changed.


• I think I need a bigger car.


• Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it.


• Hold on to your hat, this one's a doosey.

Anyway I write it, I think you get the message...

This Like...Never Happens!

A couple of weeks ago, I was blog-hopping like I often do when I ran across a contest on one of my favorite little blogs, The McMommy Chronicles.



If you've ever visited McMommy's blog, you know there is nothing little about it. She is hilarious. And most of the time her posts are just real life situations. Things that have actually happened to her. She has the ability to portray her stories in ways that are quite humorous. Other times she provides helpful information like using a diaper urinal or nipple cream lip gloss.



So, as instructed, I made a comment on one of her blog posts about this precious necklace that she got from Bejeweled by Jules. And then, it happened! Random.org picked my number!! I won this custom, hand-stamped necklace. And I love it!

Be sure to check out her Etsy Shop. She has several different necklace styles and even a bangle bracelet.

Tall and Skinny

The girls and I took Carter for his 9 month appointment today.

(the above picture shows off his 5 teeth!!)

Dr. Bel checked him over and was very impressed with his development. According to "the list" he should be (and is) sitting on his own, crawling, pulling to stand, using words with multiple syllables (MA-MA, DA-DA, etc...), waving, responding to pictures, picking up things with thumb and forefinger, holding two objects in hands and hitting them together - well, that's all I can remember.


He eats like a champ! There is nothing he won't try. It's funny, though...when feeding him, we always know what he likes and doesn't like by the faces he makes. This little man has more faces... We're finally starting to get him to drink from a sippy cup, but he still gets choked a little.


On to the real reason you are all here...His current stats are as follows:



Height: 29 1/4 inches (90%)
Weight: 17 lbs 13 oz (10%)
Head: 45 cm (40%)



Like I said, tall (no idea where that comes from) and skinny (wonder where he gets that? LOL!! What can I say, he IS MY boy!)


He LOVES his bath time:

Check out his mad splash skilz:

And I should add...lately, he has become SO kissable. He's gets in these moods where he just gives kisses non-stop. LOVE IT! I don't even mind all the slobber (from teething) and snot (from all the weather changes.)

I am NOT kidding!!! WE...HAD...SNOW!

I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but...it snowed yesterday. Kind of makes "Dreaming of a White Christmas" more attainable.

The kids were all down for a nap when the flurries started to fall. Oh, to have video of this crazy Momma running around like a wild woman trying to dress three kids (and herself) warm enough to brave the outdoors before the snow stopped falling! I'm sure that would make a much better post.


Here are a few pictures - you know, for proof!


This is the snow falling in front of our house:





Snowflakes keep falling on my head...






















Carter even had a few flakes on top of his little cap!

It really showed on the top of the stroller

Here are the girls running around with the neighbor kids. If you look closely, you'll see a few neighbors in front of the other houses in the cul-de-sac.



We had so much fun!

Thank you, GOD, for snow!!!

Side note: I called Hot Rod to tell him about it...he was in a meeting. About 2 minutes later, he called me back, "Who would have thought that YOU could break up one of MY meetings!" Apparently, they were all eavesdropping on our conversation and decided to take a break to go outside to enjoy the snow. You're welcome, Honey!

You Put Your Left Arm in, You Put Your Left Arm Out...

Right through the front door window.

Girl's got an arm. She may be only five, but she can really pack a punch.

Can you believe she walked away with a tiny scratch so small I could hardly see it?

Mid-Year Stats

Hard to believe it, but our little man turned 6 months old on Monday! He is getting so big so fast.

Current measurements:

• Height: 27 inches (75 - 90%)
• Weight: 15 lbs 14.7 oz (25%)
• Head: 43.8 cm (50%)
  

Here's a recap of what we've accomplished over the past 6 months:

• Smiled (around week 3 and he hasn't stopped yet)
• Laughed (7/5)
• Rolled over (7/21)
• Trip to the pool (8/1)
• Two teeth (8/26 & 8/29)
• Big boy food - aka solids (Squash, Green Beans, & Carrots) (Starting 8/30)
• Rocking on hands and knees (mid-September)
• Sitting up (9/21)
• Said Momma (9/24)
• Said Dadda (9/25)
• Military crawl (9/28)
  

Look for me to be posting soon about the crawling. He's been up on his hands and knees rocking back and forth for quite a while now and has about mastered the backwards military crawl. He's pulling up on everything and likes to walk with someone holding his hands.

DADDY, it's time to get the baby gates back out!!!

Goodbye Heat & Noise...Hello A/C & Quiet

It's so great to have power in the house. Fortunately, we thought to pick up a lot of ice to store in our big freezer before the storm even headed this way.

We lost power just after 1 AM on Saturday morning. Waaaay before we expected. Really, we thought the wind would pick up more before the power went out.

Everyone was down for bed in the Master Bedroom. We figured by putting Maddie's mattress on the floor in there and Hailey's bed in the corner, we could avoid little girls flinging our bedroom door open and running into our room crying.

Wind really started to pick up around 3 AM. Boy was it loud in our room. The wind was whistling and the windows were popping. We were afraid that they were going to crack. The rain was coming down hard too.

It was really starting to get HOT!

Hot Rod went to the other side of the house to check things out. He came back to report that the volume across the house was significantly lower and the temperature was slightly cooler.

It was time to move.

We drug Maddie's mattress, Hailey's mattress, and one of the swivel rockers into the hall. By this point, the kids were wide awake. Daddy and Mommy were worn out. We hadn't been able to sleep much due to the high (AND LOUD) winds and heat. The girls read through the pile of books we had borrowed from the library and still were not ready to settle back down.

Finally, we had to make them just lie still. Maddie curled up with Mommy and Carter and Hailey found a spot on the couch across from Daddy in the gameroom. Eventually, the winds died down a bit and we were able to catch a few Zzzzzz.

Saturday, we walked out to find one tree that fell over, the back fence that almost completely knocked over and some possible roof damage. We're still waiting on the contractors to come check things out for quotes. (Pictures to follow...)

Saturday night was another hot one. We went up to Hot Rod's office and set up beds in his office so we could sleep in some cool air for the night. We had been there for about an hour and were just settling in when we received a phone call from a neighbor letting us know our power was back on. Since home is more comfortable, we packed up and headed back to the house.

The house had already cooled off, so we got the kids in bed and settled in.

Just in time for the power to go back out.

And stay out.

ALL NIGHT LONG....

It finally came on Sunday morning about 8:45 AM and stayed on. YAY!!

Sunday, Hot Rod was able to get the tree back in the ground. It looked like the ground just got so soft that the roots got loose and with all the wind, the ground wouldn't hold.

We had a few scares with the electricity flickering - we were afraid we would lose it again. We didn't.

Aunt Laurie and Emma spent the day with us until they received word they had electricity.

Monday, Poppy joined us since he still had no electricity. Which brings us to today, Tuesday.

The girls had an absolute blast dragging Poppy all over the house and eventually out into the backyard to play.

It's all quiet in the house now. The kids are down for a nap and all our company has gone home. Daddy is at work and Mommy...Mommy has to go do some cleaning now!

We Have Power!!!

Whew...the power came back on around 8:45 this morning. Praise GOD! We have been in the heat since we lost power at 1:00 AM Saturday.

I'll post more later when I'm in the mood, but for now we're all okay! I've got a few pics to share as well as some stories.

P.S. If you have arrived here from a link off a friend's blog and you speak to them, please let them know that we are open to company. There's plenty of cool air and water to go around...

When you're bored and you know you should be in bed...

I can't sleep.

I'm bored.

I'm also very ready for this storm to pass. Why is it that even though watching it on TV bores me to death, I am physically incapable of changing the channel? It's like when you see a car accident and you just have to look...you can't turn away.

I know I should go to bed, but I think that deep down, I am trying to soak up every little second of electricity.

I'm totally prepared for the power outage. We've got plenty of food, water, and other supplies. (I've never seen so many batteries together outside a store in my life.) I even made sure to get over to the library Wednesday and checked out 20 books that I could read to the girls.

The weatherman is cracking me up. Apparently, I'm not the only one awake waiting for this creep of a storm to pass through. Frank (the NBC Weatherguy) said that people are saying, "Where's the storm?"

Uh, folks...it ain't quite here yet! Hold on to your hats. And if you venture outside, perhaps you should leave those hats indoors. The wind is picking up and I can hear that all too familiar whirring sound outside. eerie...

I really can't complain. The whole household is sound asleep. It's fairly peaceful (aside from the television I'm currently glued to) Best of all...my little man is curled up with his Momma! I cherish every moment the two of us spend "cuddled" - for one day, he will be "too big"

I SO DO NOT!!

So, do you remember in history class the campaign slogan "I Like Ike!"?

I sooo do NOT! (Like Ike that is.)

We enjoyed an evening outdoors with the neighbors. The weather was fairly cool with a nice "breeze"

Back indoors, the wind was just enough to knock out the electricity for a brief second which killed our U-Verse and Internet connection. I felt lost! How ever would I know when the storm would hit? It had to come back up!!!

After dinner we headed back out to enjoy a beautiful sunset from our driveway. The clouds were just perfect for an awesome reflection of the sun. (I'll try to get some pics from the neighbor - I've got my camera on the charger to make sure I have plenty of juice for the after storm photos)

Obviously, now that we are inside hunkered down watching movies and I am online...our service is back. YAY!

In just a few short hours while we sleep (all 5 of us in one room), high winds will blow over and I expect that power lines will be down. It will be dark and hot...hopefully, I will be sound asleep.

Please let me be sound asleep......

Because I AM THAT Crazy!

Pardon me while I wipe the tears from my eyes. I just can't believe that my baby girl Maddie started Kindergarten today!

It wasn't so bad though...she didn't actually GO anywhere. I made the difficult (maybe a little crazy) choice to homeschool - at least for Kindergarten. She's never been able to stay home with Mommy since I've been working from the time she was 6 weeks old.

For the first few years of her life, she hung out with my oldest sister, Laurie. (For Maddie, it was like visiting an amusement park everyday!)

The past two years have been spent in preschool. She's learned a lot and done quite well for herself, but she's always wanted to stay home with Mommy...

When we made the decision earlier this year for me to quit my job, we started discussing options for Maddie's schooling. She's only been to private Christian preschools. With only one income, that is no longer an option. We live in a great school district and several parents rave about the elementary school she'd be attending, but that wouldn't give Maddie much time with Mommy.

We bit the bullet (WAIT, I bit the bullet! Daddy still leaves for work! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!)

All kidding aside, today was a great day! Maddie was actually disappointed when I told her we were done with school for the day. She wanted to move on to tomorrow's lesson.

I can only hope that the rest of the week goes so well...

4 - 42.6 - 26 - 14 & 9.7

Got your attention? You wondering if I have lost my mind? (I know, there wasn't really much to lose...funny!)

Today, our little man Carter turned 4 - 4 Months that is! How did we celebrate? I took the sweet little boy to be tortured at the doctor's office. He was cooing and smiling and jabbering non-stop. He showed off all his talents for the nurse. Holding his head up while sitting assisted, putting weight on his legs, bringing both his hands together, smiling at her, etc...In fact, he also threw in a six-month milestone - reaching for and grabbing ahold of stuff. He really is a strong little guy. Way to go, Buddy!

He cried the entire time the nurse was administering his 4 shots. I was relieved that the 5th was an oral medicine---only to find that he decided it was not worthy of consuming. Carter 'rejected' it along with his mid-morning meal all over his clothes. Thank goodness I keep the diaper bag well stocked!

Since he was displaying his talent of drooling and bubble blowing for the doctor, she took a look in his mouth to see if she could find any emerging teeth. I must say, this Mommy was happy to hear none would be coming through soon. She did mention that we could start on some solid food whenever we were ready. That's exciting, but I think we'll wait just a little bit longer. He's growing just fine on Mommy's milk for now.

Doctor Bel was very pleased with his stats.

Head: 42.6 cm (50 -75%)
Height: 26 in (75 - 90%)
Weight: 14 lbs 9.7 oz (50%)

Yes, my child is THAT big! And I couldn't be more proud.

WOW Wednesday

I'll be trying a new post called Wild or Weird Wednesday (WOW Wednesday for short.) This will contain either something interesting that I ran across in daily life (which includes internet surfing) or something I saw on the news. It might just be something that made me say WOW!

Check out this video of something I caught on the news earlier this week. Some people really go above and beyond to save money on gas these days!

I Give up...I Mean, I QUIT!

No, really - today I quit...my job! I was planning on going in to the office on Tuesday to give my (5 week!!) notice in person, but my boss was scheduled to be on vacation. That meant I'd have to work in the office all day Tuesday and wait to turn in my notice until Wednesday. A whole day without my baby boy?! I just didn't want to leave my little man at home or worry about milk to feed him. Not that he wouldn't be in excellent hands with my older sister, I just don't want to be away from him. So today...I did it! After 10 years of working there, I called up my boss and told him the end of June was the end of my employment. It wasn't an easy thing to do. I've got a great boss and I work for a great (Fortune 100) company. He took it well and had only kind words to say. I will miss him.


Now I'll be #1 in charge! A promotion and a raise!! I won't be paid money, but being able to spend more time with my children is all the compensation I need. Of course I'm a little nervous, but very excited about my new adventure.

I quit my job for this:

And this:

Can you blame me?