More than a mom

Abby's Third Birthday Party

2010-02-08T08:24:00.004-12:00

Saturday we celebrated Abby's third birthday, which is actually today! Can't believe my baby is 3 already. Several people were sick and didn't get to come, but we still had a houseful of people and had a great time. Abby seemed to really enjoy herself this year, which is always a plus.

Ashleigh has her preschool graduation photos made tomorrow!! Can't believe I've already paid for her first cap & gown. I'm sure this will be the easiest and least expensive graduation.

Below are a few electronic scrapbook pages I made of Abby's party.

Big Birthday Bash

2009-11-16T05:31:00.006-12:00

Well, Ashleigh's 5th Birthday Party was Saturday. Almost a month early, mind you, but at least now it is done for another year! Why so early? Well, we'll be in Gatlinburg, TN the weekend before her birthday, which is when we'd normally have it. The weekend after Thanksgiving would have been a disaster, the weekend before that the community center wasn't available which left us with this past weekend. My first time inviting loads of kids, along with their parents I don't necessarily know, so no way I was having it at home. Plus, I figured people knowing how to get to the party would increase their chances of attending!

I was very pleased with the turn out. Quite a few people called to say they couldn't make it for one reason or the other and I was beginning to panick, I'll admit. But then most of the kids she talks about regularly from preschool starting showing up and before I knew it, we had a pretty full house. And we ran out of almost all the food, etc. which is also a good sign, I think.

Here's Ashleigh with one of her Lollipop Pillows. They were meant for decoration, but were great entertainment for the kids!

Abby enjoying her lollipop before the party started. I figured sticky fingers were a small price to pay for her happiness!

My big centerpiece, so to speak. They don't allow you to use tape, tacks or anything on the walls, so I had to change my decorating plans on the fly.
The cake! And yes, I made it. I know it's not as pretty as a professionally done cake, but at least I knew it would taste good!

I had variations of this on the tables. Different colors & candies, you get the idea!
An overall shot of the counter where I set the food up.

These got loads of comments. Multi-colored marshmallows on lollipop sticks, dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. They were pretty, but I don't think I could've eaten one. They were all gone, though...
Blowing out her candle. She loves having the number candle rather than several little candles.

A kinda-sorta group shot. I say that because there were at least 10 kids who didn't want to be in the picture. Including sister Abby and cousin Elana!

At home with quite a load of gifts! Did I mention TEN Barbie Dolls? I did mention Barbies though. She really liked everything she got. And there's more to come-KT and I are waiting for her actual birthday to give her a gift.

Have to share photos of her modeling this! Mentioned to my cousin/good friend that Ashleigh needed a raincoat and she got this super cute Stephen Joseph raincoat with matching boots! And my aunt got her the matching backpack.

Whoops!

2009-08-17T08:03:00.004-12:00

It's been awhile, and this post will be really short. Just wanted to share some photos from a princess birthday party the girls went to Saturday. We had a great time at the Clemmons' home celebrating Caiden's sixth birthday! Got tons of cute pics, even if Abby was out of sorts with an unfamiliar place and did NOT cooperate with the photo session. I would post a group pic, but don't want to put other people's children's photos online without their permission. Probably wouldn't mind, but still...

Ashleigh was ALL ABOUT posing! Rachel got more candids during the party, but I don't have copies of them yet.

Can it get any hotter?

2009-06-26T09:52:00.002-12:00

Wait, don't answer that, because I know the answer is a big, fat YES! Some mornings, the heat and humidity just make me angry as soon as I walk out the door. Ugh. I've lived in Mississippi all my 36 years and you think I'd get used to it. Not so much. I feel like writing Mother Nature a letter and asking her to please turn down the heat. Also, if it's not too much to ask, keep any and all bugs and creepy crawlies out of our house! I can't stand bugs either. Eewwww!

In other news:

Surprisingly to me, I felt more sadness over the announcement of Jon & Kate Gosselin's divorce than Michael's Jackson's death. Trust me, I think that's bizarre and I'm the one who feels that way. Divorces always sadden me. And I guess since Michael Jackson has gone crazy and all I don't feel as connected to him. Not that I should feel connected to Jon & Kate at any rate.

Really Sad

2009-06-15T02:00:00.002-12:00

One of my best friends is moving to Arizona.

I am not happy.

I haven't been this sad since Kelley moved to Texas.

The situations are very similar: leaving me behind is a co-worker who I like very much who also knows how to do their job well. Trust me, this is hard to come by. The differences are that Anthony is a guy so we didn't spend time together outside the office, but he and my husband did.

Anthony is a computer nerd in a cool way. Who will help me with my dilemmas now? I'll be left to muddle through on my own. Will the new guy we hired do a good job? I'm sure. Will we have the same kind of friendship? Doubtful. Anthony and I get excited over the same things like cool fonts and awesome vector art. Free cool stuff really gets us wound up. We have a lot of the same tastes graphics-wise, but we are quite different as well. We compliment each other and help each other out. I help him make ads more "girly" and he helps me de-frill my ads on occasion.

I hear that Flagstaff, Arizona is a great place. But right now, I will hold a grudge against it. Not against Anthony and his wife; I wish them all the best. They are doing what's best for their family and I can't fault them for that.

But Flagstaff? You totally suck.

New Newspaper!

2009-06-08T04:12:00.003-12:00

Well, after a few months of keeping quiet, I can finally spill the beans: The Commercial Dispatch has launched a new publication in Starkville, The Starkville Dispatch!

I've gotten to do some pretty interesting things, like put a newspaper in a bulldog's mouth, see below.

I think it's pretty cool that we're starting a new newspaper when so many papers around the country are going out of business....and did I mention it's FREE?

Check it out at http://www.thestarkvilledispatch.com/

#dispatch

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

2009-06-03T06:01:00.003-12:00

Fifteen years ago today, I married my best friend, Kenneth. I know that is rather corny and cliche, but it is true.

I honestly can't imagine life without him. I can always count on him to be there for me when it counts. I've never doubted his love for me and never had a reason not to trust him completely. He is a wonderful father to our children, which is a good thing because I couldn't be married to him otherwise.

Now, don't get me wrong. He makes me mad regularly, drives me nuts and has habits that annoy me. I will readily tell you if we spend too much time together, we'd kill each other. And he'd tell you the exact same thing about me. When we get angry with one another, there's never any worry that this will be "the end." And I think that's what a happy marriage is all about. It's not about never fighting and always getting along. It's about always being yourself, speaking your mind and knowing that at the end of the day, your spouse loves you in spite of yourself.

Now that I've gotten all that out of the way, here's a photo from our wedding. What a difference 15 years makes!

Rambling...

2009-05-18T05:05:00.005-12:00

Well, I'm not exactly keeping up with the once-a-week pledge I made when I started my blog again. But I'm still doing better than some folks, like MY SISTER who hasn't updated her blog since April 1st! Then again, I'll never keep up with Kelley who posts almost daily. In my defense, I do update my status fairly often on Facebook. It's just so easy to do from my phone!

Things have been pretty ho-hum. Our dog, Rusty (aka Little Paw, Monster) is settling in quite nicely and his made himself a part of the family. I just realized I haven't posted a photo of him here, so here you go:
He's a long hair miniature dachshund and will be two years old tomorrow!

Ashleigh got her first "major" haircut this weekend. It was to her waist and while beautiful, was totally unmanageable! No amount of conditioner could make it easy to brush. The only "easy" thing to do was keep it in a French braid and if you rarely ever wear it down, what's the point of having it? I got Kenneth to take her because I didn't want him fussing at me that I got it cut too short! I love my hair dresser and would've liked her to do it, but I wanted him in charge of it! After they left, I began to freak out a bit? What if he cut it off above her shoulders? Would I end up freaking out? In the end, we are all happy with the outcome. Here's a before & after shot. (Her hair is wet in the before.)
It is SO MUCH EASIER to deal with now!! I miss the super-long hair, but we've got to be practical!

I'm currently reading this. It is very interesting and just a little scary! But I managed to buy quite a few organic things this weekend. I want to do the best I can because I owe it to my children to give them the healthiest foods & environment I possibly can. And I owe it to them to be the healthiest Mom I can be!

Just love this picture of Abby. I took it while she was eating breakfast at my parent's house Mother's Day morning.

And to be fair, I'll post one of Ashleigh that shows her face! Also taken Mother's Day morning at my parent's house.

joys of a waiting room

2009-05-05T02:13:00.000-12:00

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology & a well behaved child I am posting this from a pediatrician's waiting room. Abby has big insect bite looking spots all over her arms & legs & this isn't the first time so I'm having her checked out. She is currently telling everyone to watch out. She just got though singing for them. My sweet girl!

Other than skin troubles we are well. The dog seems more at game every day. He's now set up in a bigger crate for the day while we're gone & sleeps in bed with us at night. Got a new brush for him that helps pull out loose undercoat hair and he does NOT like that. Found something he doesn't cooperate with. But it makes him so shiny! Better sign of before Abby gets called back!

busy weekend

2009-04-26T23:30:00.000-12:00

Whew! What a busy weekend I had. Friday night tried to get some house work done as well as make sure the girls don't make the dog nuts. Saturday was scrapbooking @ Pam's with NO KIDS which was great. Saturday night I lost my mind a bit though. Kenneth was out for a while and when the girls we're in the tub, I caught the dog pooping in our bedroom! As I was cleaning that up, Ashleigh starts screaming that Abby pooped in the tub so I had to drain and clean the tub then rewash them! SICK OF POOP!!! And Abby's foot has been red & swollen from an insect bite & she couldn't even wear shoes so no church today. But I got lots of stuff done around the house AND Kenneth washed and waxed my truck! Woohoo! Very nice & shiny now. Maybe a little thanks for the HTC Touch Diamond I surprised him with Friday? That is a seriously cool phone! But I'm still content with my BlackBerry for now. I'm posting from it now, actually, so please excuse any goofy typos. I'm going to try to upload a pic of the new dog but might not be able to figure it out!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T06:32:00.003-12:00

Well, neither the girls or I felt very well after church yesterday, so believe it or not, NO Easter photos of the girls in their dresses. I know, I would normally think this is a tragedy. BUT, if they don't want their picture taken, it will not go well. And they aren't going to outgrow those dresses within the next few weeks, so we'll shoot at a more convenient time for all parties involved.

Saturday was a different story!! Following are a few photos of the girls at my parent's house. The other little girl in one photo is my cousin's daughter, Jayden, and the man in the photo with Abby is my Daddy.

Get ready for cuteness!!! : )

Ready for the Weekend

2009-04-03T09:22:00.002-12:00

I'm so ready for the weekend, but that's no new thing. I'm always ready!

Last week I finally went to the doctor for my knee pain and a few other things. I forget exactly what he called it, but basically, my kneecap isn't tracking in a straight line as it should, because my quad muscle strength isn't evenly distributed. He gave me some meds for the short-term and an exercise plan to get me back into my fitness routine. It's going to take a little longer than I'd like, but I want this fixed and I suppose it'll just take time.

Had a great Saturday hanging out with Pam, Rachel and Pam's SIL, Terri. It was a scrapbooking/card making session with lots of talking about everything under the sun. And constantly checking on the three children to be sure they weren't destroying Pam's house! I got 7 pages completed for a gift album I'm making for my cousin & his wife. They're having a baby this summer.

This weekend won't be as fun, I'm afraid. Tomorrow will be housecleaning, pretty much all day. Not as much fun, but necessary. I can't stand a dirty home! I also need to clean out the girls' closets. Out with the too small, etc. Then church on Sunday, relaxin' in the afternoon.

Sleep Deprivation and Home Invasion

2009-03-20T05:38:00.002-12:00

I completely understand now why my parents always got such joy from dragging me out of bed early every day. It's payback for when you're very young and never let your parents get a decent night's sleep! I'd say with confidence that I've gotten a good, continuous 8 hours of sleep less than 10 times in the 4+ years since Ashleigh was born. Seriously; I'm not exaggerating. In the past two weeks I've been up for the day before 4 am more days than not. Well, up for the day until I do something silly like sit down to put my shoes on and then fall asleep. Then I'm late for work. OR I don't fall asleep but my girls lose their minds, turn the morning into a game of "let's make Mommy crazy" and I'm late. Or I'm on time but so tired I can't even concentrate on my work.

So, when they're older and want to sleep late on the weekends, guess what? I'm going to be the mean woman gleefully dragging them out of bed. So HA! I will get my revenge. And by then they'll be able to earn their keep a bit by helping with things like washing dishes and doing the never-ending laundry.

(I feel the need to point out to anyone who doesn't know me well, I love my children and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. But is a little decent sleep too much to ask?)

Now for the Home Invasion part. Ugh.

Their are mice in our house. I thought I might have seen one a few weeks ago but wasn't sure and figured it was my imagination because I've never found any evidence of mice. I SAW THREE THIS MORNING!!!! Oh my goodness, I almost had a heart attack, especially by #3. And doesn't that mean there are like, a million in the house or something? Laugh if you want, but I am truly distressed. I mean, those things are GROSS! They poop everywhere and gnaw on everything. And ewwww, I saw on tv that they constantly chew on things to keep their teeth worn down because their teeth never stop growing. Ick! And I find myself wondering where they can go. Can they get into my dishwasher and contaminate clean dishes? Will they get in the cabinets and on the counters? YUCK YUCK YUCK! I find myself wanting to take everything from the house and dump it into the yard this weekend and clean everything and make sure they're gone and never come back. I know this is irrational and I won't have the time or energy for that. But how do you truly get rid of them? Forget humane or environmentally friendly--I want those suckers DEAD AND GONE BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. But then I don't want dead mice in my house either.

Any suggestions on either problem will be greatly appreciated! :-)

Missing Sis

2009-02-26T06:27:00.003-12:00

I'd had another post planned for today; but a thought struck me as I was getting ready for work this morning.

I miss my sister.

I wish we lived closer together. She was 12 (I think) when I got married; 8 or 9 when I left for college. With the age difference, after Mom returned to work, I felt like a second mom a lot of the time. Not in a bad way though.

Now, she lives in Hattiesburg with her hubby. They have a great life there with friends etc. and for the sake of simplicity I'll say we live in the Columbus area. For those of you not up on your Mississippi geography-that means it takes several hours of driving to get together. And I just don't like that. If I could just rearrange the state a little, that'd be great! Who cares if MSU, MUW and USM were a stone's throw from one another? I know my parents would love it!

I just think it would be nice to be closer together so we could hang out more. Maybe work out together. We wouldn't be together every waking moment by any means. She and Josh are still practically newlyweds-KT and I will soon celebrate anniversary 15 with our daughters in tow. We have wildly different interests. Sometimes when she gives me idea lists for Christmas gifts I have to consult with others as to what exactly some things are where to find them! I dearly love my Mac; she and Josh are both in computer fields and are PC all the way. KT would side with them there, I'm sure. And while I do work on my computer all day as a graphic designer and know some basic maintenance stuff, I'm screaming to the top of my lungs when something's not working properly. Cory and Josh are in the business of fixing problems for people like me. Cory put purple streaks in her hair not too long ago and while I make no secret of coloring my hair, I definitely want it to look natural!

I'm not angling for a favor or trying to butter her up for anything. I just miss my sister, that's all.

On the upswing...maybe

2009-02-25T06:28:00.003-12:00

Well, yesterday was my "I think I might die" day! I originally planned on staying home with Abby, my youngest, who was running fever for no obvious reason. But she got up and going and was fine. I couldn't keep my mind off work because we have a magazine deadlining soon and tons of work to do for that. After about 4 text messages to co-workers for various things, I decided I might as well go in and get a little work done. I managed to work 11:30-4. It was a test of my endurance but I survived. I went home and crashed after taking some prescription decongestant/cough medicine I'd forgotten we had. And to address Kelley's comment on my previous post: Kenneth really does about all he can to make them let me rest. But they are at the age where that's much easier said than done. Ashleigh wants to take care of me like I do her; and at two, Abby just knows what she wants and expects to get it right that second. And what she usually wants is me. I'll be so glad when this stage ends. Ashleigh was bigger tantrums less often. Sometimes it seems like one tantrum ends when another begins with Abby. Kenneth says that's my side of the family coming out. : )

One of the worst things about being sick to me is the recovery period. You know, when you aren't really sick, but still feel weak and cruddy. Blah!

Watched Biggest Loser last night. I thought Bob and the team members he lost were a little over the top with their reaction to the situation. Of course, that's easy for me to say because I'm not there living with all the stress and emotional and mental fatigue they're dealing with. Wonder what will happen tonight. Maybe it won't be such a struggle to stay awake for tonight's episode.

Well, it's time to get back to work, even though I'd rather take a nap...

Clarification

2009-02-23T05:36:00.002-12:00

I don't think my last post was entirely clear and after re-reading it, I can see where someone could get the wrong idea.

I was considering password protecting my blog; but I would generally give the password to anybody who wanted it. I don't think I'll do that. I mean, how important do I really think I am, anyway?

I'm feeling the full force of the dreaded "crud" that has been going around for a few weeks. The girls are doing much better though and that's what really matters, right? If I could just sleep for a couple of days I think I'd be much better. But that ain't gonna happen!

This weekend was pretty low-key. Kenneth was out and about some with his brother AND he had to work a few hours too. I really think his job might kill him; I'm beginning to really not like that place! Allegedly things will change...someday. HA!

The girls and I watched a lot of cartoons, especially after church Sunday afternoon. Or I should say we snuggled up and I tried to sleep while they watched. Notice I say tried.

Really nothing much to write about-I just feel really sleepy and tired, like I need to sleep a few days. Luckily I have plenty of work to stay busy and keep me awake! Our annual Progress magazine deadline is coming up soon and I have a major stack of work to get done!

A little privacy

2009-02-20T04:30:00.003-12:00

Please let me know if you're reading my blog. I think I'm going to make it private for a few different reasons but if you're already reading this, I don't want to shut you out!

I think I'll feel a bit more free to really talk about my thoughts and feelings if everyone with an internet connection and knowledge of English can read it. I think putting stuff out there will help me; just not putting out there for EVERYONE to see. ; )

Also,
TGIF

Random Thoughts

2009-02-10T02:21:00.004-12:00

::I love Cinderella as much as the next girl, but does anyone think it's odd that she sewed clothes for mice? Just asking....

::To the person driving the green Taurus in the parking lot behind my office-learn to park, please. The car should be between the lines, not on them.

::Why is there never enough time in the day? I never have enough time and I don't even do any extra stuff! No clubs or weekly (or even monthly) meetings with friends. Just work Monday-Friday & church on Sunday. People who don't have dishwashers, or who have to go to the laundry mat to wash clothes...I really don't know how they do it!

::How is is possible that I get rid of truckloads of stuff, literally, and I still feel we have too much stuff in our home? Does it multiply like rabbits or what? We had a massive yard sale in October last year where I even got rid of lots of toys. Ashleigh still periodically asks about certain things that were sold! And gets very upset when I tell her they are gone for good. Not sure if it's worth that drama to get rid of toys...

::I have a few friends that are going through various difficulties right now. I won't go into details, but they all need your thoughts and prayers.

::I'm on Face Book, but I don't look at it all the time; not even every day. So if you send me a request or something, please don't get your feelings hurt or get bent out of shape if I don't respond quickly. (See random thought #3)

::Saturday was Abby's second birthday party; I'll post photos on Face Book when I get a minute

::My new love is audio books! Since it is so hard to fit in leisure time; I've discovered that audio books let me "read" while doing lots of other things. I just load them onto my iPod, stick in my earbuds and enjoy. Not quite as good as curling up with the book, but I just don't have time for that these days.

::Tonight is Biggest Loser night-woo hoo! I will admit, however, that I'm so thankful I have a DVR. Not only to fast-forward throught commercials, but also repetitive (and sometimes boring) parts of the show. I really think 2 hours a week is overkill. One would do just fine, I think.

::Speaking of DVR, mine is perilously close to being full! YIKES! I try to watch shows while folding laundry and when doing home workouts, but I've not watched much lately. I just like too many TV shows, I guess.

A "New" Blog

2009-02-09T07:55:00.003-12:00

I put new in quote marks because it's still the same URL; I just changed the name. I haven't posted in over a year, but I didn't want to start an entirely new blog. This is still under construction...it will probably stay that way.

Hopefully this will differ from my last attempt at blogging because the whole point of it is to express and explore those parts of me not related to motherhood. Sometimes I think the girls are overtaking every aspect of my life. It's very easy for me to let that happen. I love them and Kenneth (my husband) beyond words but I know it is vitally important for me to have an identity separate from "mother" and "wife." I'm probably not doing a good job at expressing what I'm trying to say; but hopefully you get the idea. This is basically the online equivalent of "me time." Of course, photos and stories about the family will pop up from time to time because they are a HUGE part of my life!

One thing I'm currently working on is my overall health. Not just diet and exercise, but all of it. Of course the diet and exercise is more a struggle than the rest of it.

Here's a list of my motivations for a healthier lifestyle:
::I want the be the happiest I can be.
::I want to be healthy to help me live a long and fulfilling life.
::I want to set a good example for my children and hopefully prevent them from having the same weight struggles I've had my entire life.
::I want to be comfortable in my own skin.
::I want to be able to look at photos of myself and not almost cry in embarrassment.

So far I've lost 5.5 lbs. That took over a month which is just pathetic to me. Of course, I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but I also know I've not given it my best efforts. I hate knowing that; but it's true. I have plenty of excuses, but that's all they are: excuses! So enough of that! Off to the gym I go...

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T06:10:00.000-12:00

Hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve & Day.

Let me tell you, our NYE was WILD!!! I won't take time to list all the details, but the highlights were:
::Kenneth trying to play songs for the girls on Ashleigh's xylophone and
::Kenneth giving the girls "rides" in a little round clothes basket. This involved sliding and spinning them on the floor. He had two "wrecks" with Ashleigh, but no serious damage was done to her head or to the floor. ; )
We actually stayed up until midnight this year, which was the first time in a few years. We are getting sooo old! Had a pretty laid back day yesterday, spent a lot of time together as a family which was very nice indeed.

Quick little recap of December:
::My 35th birthday was very low-key but quite nice. Kenneth surprised me with an iPod shuffle which I absolutely love. How did I survive before?
::Christmas was just wonderful. Lots of nice things as far as gifts go, and lots of wonderful time with family. Ashleigh went nuts when she saw the rocking horse under the Christmas tree! The red wagon was also a big hit. Can't wait until we have a warm day and I can take the girls out for a ride in it. Super nice wagon too, thanks to my Mom and Dad. The bottom flips up on each end to make seat backs and they have seat belts and cup holders!! Be really nice for the festivals coming up this spring.

2007 in Review:
::Had another beautiful daughter who just happened to arrive in the world at a whopping 10 lbs. 12 oz. Watching her grow and interact with all of us, especially her older sister has been a huge blessing.
::Learned to juggle two children, not always easy, but not nearly as difficult as I feared.
::Celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. Still happy I married my best friend.
::Had to find a honest-to-goodness babysitter for the girls; as Kenneth's Mom just wasn't up to keeping them full-time, along with our niece and nephew.
::Lost a co-worker who moved "back home" to the coast; but hired another great designer-his personality makes him a blast to work with as well
::Celebrated Ashleigh's 3rd birthday, which I STILL can't believe

Third Birthday

2007-12-10T10:33:00.000-12:00

How can my child possibly be three years old? I remember everything from pregnancy on like it was just yesterday! Having a sweet little baby that I was sure would wither away and die if I was out of eyesight and/or earshot for more than 60 seconds. Now we have a sweet little opinionated, lively little preschooler. Just doesn't seem possible to me...

Enjoying some gifts:

Love this of my Daddy and Abby, like they're thinking really hard about something...

Ashleigh and Abby with cousin Jayden

Abby enjoying some leftover cake Sunday. She even had it in her ears!

My children shouldn't be dressed like this on December 10th!!! It's 80 today!

This big honking cake took two cake mixes!!! Glad it turned out OK.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T04:49:00.000-12:00

Well, I'm posting twice in one month...put it on your calendar. If anyone's still reading, that is. Not that I can blame anyone but myself for that.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I took some photos of the girls outside Sunday afternoon, thought I'd share....

Hello out there!!

2007-11-14T04:33:00.000-12:00

If anyone out there is even bothering to check anymore, I'm still here!

Just been really busy and to be honest, just a little down in the dumps. Nothing serious, really, not in the grand scheme of things. It's just money, right? Kenneth constantly assures me everything will fine. And it will be.

The girls are doing great. Ashleigh is such a little girl now. Nothing really "baby" left about her. Except for her absolute refusal to be totally potty trained. That's making me crazy. But she is so sweet it's hard to stay mad long. Same goes for Abby. Like this morning, for example. She peed on me and then started laughing. How could I be mad at such a cutie? I just laughed with her, told her what a stinker she was as I put her diaper on and then quickly changed clothes. Got to admit, I'm ready for the time when the girls bodily functions aren't such an issue. Oh, I dream of the day when they just "go potty" all by themselves!!! (And for any parents out there, you'll understand this: I also dream of the day when I get to "go potty" all by myself!)

Ashleigh's third birthday is less than a month away!!!! How crazy is that?? It doesn't seem that long ago that she was the 9 month old and Kenneth and I were thinking we'd probably be a family of three. Now we have a preschooler AND a 9 month old! It's just nuts to me.

Enough of my rambling, how about I just show some photos?!?

From Halloween:

At about 6:30 on Halloween night, Ashleigh decided she wanted a costume change; to be a princess. Oh goody!!!!

Typical Ashleigh-always hamming it up!

Got some really cute shots of Abby at 8 months:

But for 9 months, this was about the only "decent" one out of the bunch:

But OH!!! The blackmail fun we'll have with the ones that look like this:

Another shot of the girls. It might be hard to get the "perfect shot" of them, especially together. BUT one thing's for certain. In years to come when we look back at all these photos, two things will be perfectly clear: They love eachother and we were always having fun!

Sweet Girls

2007-09-10T08:56:00.000-12:00

Here are a couple of shots from the monthly photo shoot. I didn't realize until after that Ashleigh had food (I hope!) all around her month. Thank goodness for Photoshop.

Took Abby to the dermatologist this morning and got some prescription medications to clear up (hopefully) her ezcema. One of the meds is something similar to Benadryl, but stronger, according to the doctor. He said it should "help her rest" at night. I don't know if he could tell how sleep deprived I am or what, but I wanted to tell him I'd come back and give him a hug if it knocked her out! To say she hasn't been sleeping well lately would be an understatement. Lately, 5 hours of sleep scattered through the night is a "good" night's sleep. 3 hours is an average for me. I'm feeling a little zombie-like. It's worse than her newborn days!!!

Both girls are over their little stomach bug--I hope. I'm tired of all those unexpected surprised!

this & that

2007-09-06T05:43:00.000-12:00

Here are a few shots of the girls on Labor Day. Everyone always comments on how happy Abby always is, smiling all the time-but why can't I capture that on camera? People will think she never smiled as a baby! And it's been awhile since I shared any photos of Ashleigh with her hair down & halfway fixed! She was thoroughly dirty from playing with sidewalk chalk, but I still think she's cute!

These photos are to demonstrate the size of my children. The photos are cute in and of themselves. BUT Ashleigh's friend Jordan is about 2 years older than her. And she's a normal size child--look how tall Ashleigh is next to her!! And Abby...those cute little PJs she's in? They are size 24 months!!! Do you see how well they fit??? She's still wearing some 6-9 month stuff in her regular clothes, but in sleepers forget it! I think they're going to be tall like their daddy.

Now for anyone who watches the Travel Channel: There's a show, I think it's called Bizzare Foods with [host's name]. Kenneth watches it some. And a few nights ago, they were on the coast in Louisiana, Mississippi & Alabama. I was horrified that the guy was eating raccoon and oppossum in Mississippi!! YUCK, GROSS and YUCK some more. EEEWWWW. Not only have I never eaten those things, I didn't know people ate those animals. Like chitterlins weren't bad enough. And NO, I won't try those either. Nor will I eat frog, turtle or mountain oysters. Or regular oysters. If you don't know what mountain oysters are, don't ask. I wish I didn't know. OK, enough of that.

About 2 am after another bout of Ashleigh being sick in the middle of the night, we got in "Daddy's" recliner to watch cartoons. I didn't want to have to fiddle with the DVR every 30 minutes until she went to sleep, so I tuned in to Sprout-the PBS kids channel-because I knew nothing innappropriate would be on there. I'd never seen the Teletubbies or Boobahs, Boombahs, whatever they are. I might have been deliriously tired, but I'm sure that the people who make those shows are on drugs. Aging hippies doing acid maybe, I don't know. But Ashleigh LOVED it. A little too much because not only didn't she go to sleep, but kept wanting to talk about what was happening.

WHAT!!!

2007-09-04T07:59:00.000-12:00

No way it's been a month and a half since I last blogged. Man, time really does fly, I suppose.

Things are the same as ever. Too much to do, not enough time. Want to be thin, but apparently not badly enough, because I'm not. My babies are growing and seem to be more adorable every day. I know it seems impossible, but it's true! Not that Kenneth and I don't get a little frustrated with them from time to time, but that's all part of parenting. Right? ; )

Since I really don't have anything of interest to say, I'll resort to my usual: PHOTOS!
Ashleigh loving "Baby Abby":

We can either hope her fashion sense improves, OR that she will be a trend-setter:

That's right! In the south we all learn to operate heavy machinery before we turn three. (I'm joking, for anyone reading this who's a little dense.)

She's already practicing mothering skills...if she'd just put that energy into face washing and hair brushing...

Her aunt and uncle gave her this little toy phone for her first birthday and it's still one of her favorites!

A couple of shots from our "6 Month Photo Shoot." Hard to believe she'll be 7 months old Saturday!!! And she is trying to crawl. She wiggles, rolls and squirms everywhere now, but she's to that phase of getting up on her hands and knees and rocking front to back. She'll be racing around in no time!

Couldn't resist getting a few shots of this! Looking cute and eating dinner was just too much to take! She had to nap before bathtime.

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Ours was pretty good. Aside from me ruining a tire by running over what we guess was pieces of a broken toilet Friday evening. Saturday, the girls and I did grocery shopping, which totally wiped me out; Sunday we were all pretty worthless and Monday we had lunch with some "new friends" as I explained to Ashleigh. A girl I graduated high school with has moved to town with her family and she got in touch with me. It's really cool to get to know her, her husband and daughter because we didn't really hang out together in school. Now I think we'll be good friends. Funny how time changes things, huh?

Guess What?

2007-07-17T06:40:00.000-12:00

Just realized I hadn't posted to let you all know:
Ashleigh had a piece of foam larger than a quarter in her nose!!! Oh. My. God. It looked like she'd taken a huge (for her) bite out of a pink Nerf-type ball, then shoved it up her nose. Aside from the fact we don't let her have anything foamy like that because she bites, tears and makes a huge mess of it, like a puppy, I can't imagine how or why she'd put it up her nose! So far the pediatrician couldn't even see it! The ear, nose & throat doctor, Dr. Ryan Simmons, was awesome with Ashleigh. He was even getting me prepared to have a procedure done in the hospital. Then he saw it, and out it came! And you couldn't even tell by looking at her that anything was in there. Mind-boggling.

Aside from that, all is well. Things at home and work are wonderful, except for finances, but isn't that always the case? The girls will be on different health insurance at the end of the month and on a cheaper policy, which will help a bit.

Enough of all the gab, here are some pics of my beautiful babies:

Pretty Little Girls

2007-07-10T05:15:00.001-12:00

Can't believe my baby was 5 months old Sunday! Oh, and she rolled over for the first time on July 3rd!

Ashleigh loves ponies & horses. This is her with Lanie's horsey at their house on July 4th. I swear she was smiling when I took the photo!

These were taken Father's Day weekend; that's my Daddy. This was my favorite of them, maybe because he looks so happy! Most everyone says Abby looks like him. His response is usually that she has more hair.

That same weekend, Ashleigh got in the pool with my parents. I decided just to hang out with Abby and take photos. Imagine that!

And I thought toddlers were messy! HA!!!! When she was about finished eating, she took the spoon from me, and I decided it was a good time for a photo.

Today, Kenneth is meeting me and Ashleigh at the pediatrician's office. We thought she had a cold, but over the course of a few phone calls, the doctor has decided she has shoved something up her nose. (I'll spare you the gory details!) We catch her doing stuff like that all the time, so I don't doubt it. Wish us luck, this will be horrible!

Also, on a sad note, we don't have a cat anymore. Last week, I took Abby to the doctor (too bad I don't get a frequency discount!) and mentioned some scratches on the back of her head. They looked terrible. We weren't seeing her usual pediatrician that day, and the one we saw said the cat must have done it. I was surprised because the cat doesn't get near the children. But we couldn't believe she'd done it to herself. So Kenneth bought a flea collar, moved his food, etc. to the patio and put him out. After several hours, he was gone and we haven't seen him since. He irritated the crap out of me sometimes, but I sure do miss him. And it seems like now everywhere I turn people are talking about cats!!! But he still had his claws and was quite the hunter, so maybe he's just out "cattin' around." I sure hope so....

Conversation with a toddler

2007-06-29T08:56:00.001-12:00

This morning, as I was applying my makeup, Ashleigh said something to me about growing up. I didn't quite catch it, she was mumbling.
JT: Oh, you want some makeup like Mommy?
AT: Yes! I want to grow up so my booty will get bigger.
JT: ooookaaayy (laughing, of course.)
After I applied some makeup:
AT: Oh thank you, Dr. Mommy, thank you for doctoring me. My booty is getting bigger already! See?
and she turned around and shook her booty for me.

Where do kids get this stuff? I'm beginning to worry that she has a fixation with her butt, though. Several months ago, she started telling us she had thorns in her tail! (Which she did not, by the way!)

Have a great weekend!

Yes, I'm still here...

2007-06-18T05:07:00.000-12:00

Well, things have been busy and with my aging computer & crappy dial-up internet at home, I just don't have the patience (or time) to do anything online from home.

Many things have been going on though:
::Celebrated wedding anniversary number 13, actually left the kids with Rachel and went out. Very nice.
::Moving right along with Ashleigh's potty training. Starting to see some real progress there, I was starting to really get discouraged.
::A few weeks ago, Kenneth decided it was time for Ashleigh to go to bed in her room by herself. I told him that he had to be in charge of that task, I couldn't do it. Well, he did it! Within a weeks time, she went from crying (wailing) and carrying on to actually telling us she wanted to go to bed in her "big girl room." We still have to spray the room & her with the "No Scaries" spray, AND she still gets up in the night and comes to our room, but we're getting there.
::Abby is trying to roll over, but hasn't made it all the way yet. She is cooing and making all sorts of racket! Such a little darling and so good natured. We've been blessed with a very laid-back baby. She can throw some fits, but it doesn't happen too often, thankfully.

Here are some photos:

Abby's 4 Month Photo

Ashleigh at 2 and a half

Abby's first cereal. And if you think this is funny, you should see the video!

Ashleigh's Crazy Hair! This is what can happen when Kenneth has the girls most of the afternoon. But you know what? I love it! Not the hairstyle, necessarily, but the fact that Kenneth plays around with her hair. And he can fix it nicely when needed.

Another Month Almost Gone

2007-05-25T09:43:00.000-12:00

Can't believe that it will be June soon. Next month, Kenneth & I will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary, Abby will be 4 months old and Ashleigh will officially be 2 and a half! YIKES!!!

Things have been crazy busy at work at home, but in a good way. Well, all the housework can be overwhelming at times because while it's important to me to have a clean home, time with my family is more important. Kenneth helps out, so it's not too bad.

My first Mother's Day as a mother of two was quite nice. Nothing too over the top or anything. Got a really pretty necklace and a few other bits & pieces from the girls. Visited my family Saturday where this photo was made:

Abby was 14 lbs. 9.6 oz. Wednesday at her check-up. How can she seem so big yet so small? Ashleigh seems more grown up every day. STILL not potty trained but she's making progress. Slowly but surely. Just too slowly and not enough "surely" for me. BUT I am taking a more laid-back approach to the potty training because if we push too hard she'll resist out of spite. She's too much like her Mama and Daddy in that area! Abby is sleeping very well. I've even started this week not giving her a bottle right before bed. I feed her, give her a bath and after she's lotioned up and snug in her PJs, I put her in her crib, turn on the mobile and turn out the light & close the door on my way out. And she goes to sleep! All by herself, no tears involved. I am determined not to make the same "sleep mistakes" I made with Ashleigh. She is still in the bed with us much more often than not.

We actually have some plans Memorial Day and I'm quite excited about that. One of Kenneth's co-workers (Michelle, his "work wife") invited us to grill out with her family that afternoon. The kids will play in a little kiddie pool. Ashleigh will LOVE that!

Oh, and I know the change to my header is a little iffy, I just really wanted to see if I could use an animated gif for a header. Now that I know I can, I'll see what I can come up with....let me know if you have any ideas!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Market Street & Milestones

2007-05-10T05:15:00.000-12:00

Milestones first! Can't believe Abby was 3 months old Tuesday! And it continues to amaze me how different she and her sister are. Abby sleeps much better, but Ashleigh was holding her head up better by this age. Kenneth fussed at me for comparing them, but I'm not comparing them in a "your sister is better than you" kind of way. And honestly while their personalities are quite different, I think Abby sleeps better (and in her bed) because she's been laid down to sleep since she was born. Ashleigh wasn't. And Ashleigh was able to raise her head and chest up off the floor because she got plenty of tummy time. Abby hasn't been getting much at all. But I'm working on that...

Last weekend was the Market Street Festival in Columbus. Kenneth stayed home with Abby and Ashleigh and I headed out to meet Dora. Ashleigh was so excited, it was almost impossible to get a "good" photo of them.

Next, we went to The Commercial Dispatch booth for a little painting. Since she sees me painting quite a bit and always wants to help, she really loved this! This is when Kriesten met up with us. She is my friend Evie's daughter. She got to play big sister to Ashleigh and I hope she had a good time.

Funny story about this pony ride. For Ashleigh, it was a pony sit! The man put her up there an would back away when I got my shot set up so it would just be her and the pony in the photo. Before they started walking, she started crying for me. I went in and tried to get her to stay, but she was having none of that. She rubbed the pony's head while I was holding her, but she was not getting back on it! Me being the photo & scrapbook crazy person I am, was fine with that. I had my photos and I wasn't going to force her to ride. Then the nicest thing happened: they gave me my money back! That's always a good thing, right?

After this, she and Kriesten went in the petting zoo and rode a little swing-type ride. The we left, Ashleigh drank too quickly and threw up in my truck. But I won't go into details on that!

Let's Compare

2007-04-26T07:04:00.000-12:00

I've been meaning to post the girls' hospital photos for a while, and finally remembered to do it. It's just fun to look at them side by side. It's also how funny these photos look nothing like them. And when I say that, I don't mean as compared to now, because that's pretty obvious. I mean they didn't look like that in the photos we took of them at the hospital on the same day! I've always joked that these photos are almost always horrible, but you just have to buy them!

Even more amazing to me is how much Ashleigh has changed! I think she'll be the person that nobody can tell their baby pictures are theirs. Wonder if Abby will change as dramatically...

That's about all for today...Kenneth and I have the crud, AGAIN. Abby has a bit of a runny nose and Ashleigh is over her runny nose and going wide open, as usual.

WEEKEND PHOTOS

2007-04-24T08:36:00.000-12:00

Took some photos of the girls Saturday morning and like how they turned out.

Had a birthday party Sunday afternoon. Ashleigh's first skating party and Abby's first party ever. Ashleigh skated from one end of the rink to the other after telling me to "let her do it!" meaning I didn't need to cramp her style by holding her hand; then sat down, took the skates off and told me she was finished. She liked the big pit of balls much better. And Kenneth also got several cute shots of Abby in her little crown. This probably isn't the best photo of them overall, but something about her expression just draws me to this one.

Had a good weekend, but Monday was interesting. In a bad way. Abby started shreiking and wailing right after I got to Diane's house to drop her and Ashleigh off. I stayed awhile and thought I'd gotten her calmed down, but I wasn't 10 miles away before I was called back home. I took her to the doctor and she couldn't find anything wrong with her. And I'm really not a freak-out-over-nothing type person, not even when it comes to my babies. This was some serious screaming going on. Worse than when she had thrush and that was horrible. She's cried more today, but not as bad. Wish us luck!

Little Things...

2007-04-20T09:54:00.000-12:00

Sometimes the smallest things make me feel good. Things like:

: Waxing my eyebrows
: Buying new lipstick
: Buying new eyeshadow
: Having my nails freshly trimmed and painted-all nice and neat!
: No dirty dishes in the sink
: Hearing Ashleigh laugh
: Seeing Abby smile
: Joking around with Kenneth
: Having my Mom come visit
: Getting a call from Kenneth during the day just to see how I'm feeling
: Wearing a comfy t-shirt and PJ pants
: Getting a few uninterrupted moments to read or watch tv
: New songs on my MP3 player
: Painting
: Prozac (gotta be honest!!!)

What are some little things that make you happy?
Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!!

Cutie Pies

2007-04-18T09:17:00.000-12:00

Here are a few pics of the girls from this past week:

I love my babies!! I just can't get enough of them. (OK, maybe I can when we're all tired and cranky, but you've got to take the good with the bad, right?)

Here's a little bit of truth I've found the past few weeks. Isn't it Murphy's Law that anything that can go wrong will? Well, when you are a parent of small children, it's a little different. When you are pressed for time, anything that can go wrong will. The more time-crunched you are, the more things go wrong. HOWEVER, if you allow yourself an extra 2 hours, EVERYTHING will go smoothly.

I have a great husband

2007-04-11T02:40:00.000-12:00

{Note: Last night was much better than the one before. Crying and whining was minimal-and none from me! That's always a good thing.}

Kenneth is home with the girls today, that lucky duck! Even if they can be a handful, I'd rather be home with my babies. But there is a benefit for me to him being home: the laundry should be done! It's mostly clean and dry and just needs to be put away.

The first day he kept the girls he told me (and my coworkers) that he didn't know how I did it, meaning keeping them all the time and not losing my sanity. And then cleaning, cooking, etc. too! But he doesn't hesitate to take time off to keep them when needed. This is a really good thing considering I don't have any paid time off left & he has PLENTY.

He helps with the girls baths (well, Ashleigh's-I haven't asked him to handle a slippery wiggling baby yet! He vaccuums, straightens up and even made dinner one day last week.

When we've talked about things before, he's admitted he should do more and I'm not going to pretend I don't agree. But, I also know that he does more than many husbands/daddys do. For example, he picks the girls up every day and has them by himself for an hour or more every day.

He's a good Daddy and that means everything to me. I couldn't stay married to him if he weren't. And being a good Daddy is part of what makes him a good husband.

Love you sweetie! (If you ever read this)

And no, I don't want anything!

Not so great...

2007-04-10T09:34:00.000-12:00

but doing better.

Quick recap of last night:
Started out pretty well, but went quickly downhill within an hour. After dinner, Kenneth left the house to work on a project and I started trying to get a few things done around the house. HA!!! Abby was fussy. OK, not so bad-that happens. Ashleigh was very high maintenance last night, probably partly because of a nap that lasted only 20 minutes yesterday. I finally gave up on trying to accomplish anything, so I tried to just console Abby and watch a little tv. Hard to do with a 2 year old trying to climb you like you're a mountain. All the while singing/talking VERY loudly. By 9pm, I was just about at the end of my rope. Did I mention my sinuses are all messed up, I'm still VERY tired and I had a headache?

I turned out the lights, put Abby in bed, Ashleigh in bed with me-with instruction to be still and quiet, I didn't care if she slept or not! About the time Abby decided she would NOT be ignored, Kenneth got home and I told him to "get her" and very shortly after that, I was blissfully asleep.

Tonight's plans are for things to go much differently that last night! Hope Kenneth feels like helping with everything, because we're going to be busy bees. I just cannot stand for my house to be in disarray. And man, is it ever in disarray right now.

Wish us luck!

Easter Weekend

2007-04-09T02:31:00.000-12:00

Well, it was really cold this weekend, not exactly "Easter weather." Especially since last week we've had highs in the upper 80's! Hard to get used to highs in the 40's just a couple of days later. Had a really nice visit with my family though. Got to see almost everyone, which was a nice change. I ate way too much, but that's OK. I'm "back on the wagon" this week and hopefully with the help of several new workout DVD's (courtesy of my sister, Cory) I'll start dropping this excess padding. I sure hope so because I'm not feeling too happy with myself these days-appearance wise.

Here are a few pictures of the important people from this weekend:

My sweet girls in their matching dresses that "Mommy Dale" bought them. Ashleigh's hair was just a mess Easter morning! But that just adds a little humor to the memory, right?

There sure were alot of eggs for just Ashleigh and Jayden to hunt! We'll be stepping on plastic eggs for months, I'm sure...

I decided this would do for Abby's "2 month" photo. Yes, I'll be doing photos of Abby each month on the 8th, just like I did with Ashleigh. Maybe for her 3rd month I'll get a really good one with her eyes open.

Over a month?

2007-04-06T15:20:00.000-12:00

Has it really been over a month since I posted? I just can't believe it's been that long, but apparently it has been.

This is the end of my second week back at work. : / It's nice to get out of the house more and have more adult interaction. Not long before I came back, Kenneth said he'd be glad when I came back to work because we'd have stuff to talk about! As far as being back at work, I pretty much fell back in like I never was gone. Everyone seemed happy that I was back and it's always nice to feel needed!

Of course, now the housework is starting to pile up. I do a little each night, but it's almost 6pm when I get home. There's dinner and baths for the girls and you know I have to fit in some time with all the family! I try to sneak in a few tv shows a week (Thank God again for DVR!) and I try to be in bed by 9pm. Needless to say, my evenings fly by.

The girls are both doing well. Abby will be 2 months old Sunday! And Easter is also my Mom's birthday. We're going up for the weekend, so wish me luck. I'm always nervous about spending the night away from home with little ones. It puts us both out of our comfort zone. And Lord knows, it's going to look like we're moving with all the stuff I'll pack. And there's the little matter of the Easter Bunny coming to see them at "Papaw & Mommy Dale's" house. But I think I have that figured out too. It will be fun.

Ashleigh is just as cute as ever. The things she says and does are an endless source of amusement for us. And an endless since of frustration. Pretty much everything is a battle with our strong-willed little 2 year old. BUT I'm currently reading "Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Harvey Karp. If it helps me as much as the "baby" version, our lives will get much easier pretty soon. I should have finished it by now, but it's hard to find the time! (I can't imagine why)

Photos!

2007-04-06T09:16:00.000-12:00

{See another post below!}

My sweet little Abby. Photo taken by Angela Jett:

LOVE this one of the girls. Also taken by AJ:

Ashleigh and her cousin, Jayden:

Took this one of Abby a few days ago:

One of my all time favorites of Ashleigh, also by AJ:

The wait will soon be over...

2007-03-01T03:19:00.000-12:00

for my contacts, that is. I was happy to find out yesterday at the eye doctor that I'm no more blind than I was about 2 years ago at my last visit! So I won't have to buy any more glasses, which is great since my contacts (toric, for astigmatism) will cost an arm and a leg. Hopefully my trial pair will be in at least by the first part of next week and then I'll be glasses-free. Not that there is anything wrong with glasses, I actually like mine as far as glasses go. There just such a pain. My eyelashes hit them when I blink if I have them pushed up where they feel comfortable, so they are forever sliding down my nose; they get dirty; they get in the way; and they are like a magnet for Ashleigh-she wants to touch them all the time.

On the home front, things are going pretty well. Still dislike our ancient computer but I'm thankful I have one at all. Have a bit of laundry to do today (imagine that!) but I'm very glad we have a washer & dryer and don't have to go to a laundry mat. Ugh! Which reminds me of something. When I was growing up, we had a dryer, but didn't use it. OH NO.....we had to hang our clothes out on the clothesline. After I was old enough to help with this chore, I hated it. But of course Mama told me I'd understand when I was an adult paying the bills that using the dryer ran the electric bill up and I'd be voluntarily hanging my own clothes out to dry. Yeah, right! Let me just say that Kenneth and I will be married 13 years this June and I have NEVER, EVER even had a clothesline in my yard. My dryer is my friend.

This of course, brings up something else Kenneth and I have discussed before: we're starting to sound like our parents! YIKES!!! What I mean is, we've already made comments about how our kids have things we never dreamed of when we were children, etc. We joke about how when they get a little older, we'll be telling them stories of the tall TV antenna outside the house that someone would have to go outside and turn to pick up different stations while someone inside would shout when the station was "good." AND you were lucky if you could pick up three channels. And at my house, there was only one TV the entire time I lived at home and if you didnt' want to watch what Daddy was watching, you just did something else. (NOW they have more than one TV; just like they got a satellite dish after I left for college. Hmmm......)

Sorry for this rambling post...I've pretty much been up since about 4am; Abby just did NOT want to lie down after that. She's sleeping now though, the little sinker!!!

Big Girl Day

2007-02-28T04:01:00.000-12:00

Ashleigh and I had our first outing yesterday; left Abby with her Grandma for a few hours. My co-workers weren't too happy about this when we stopped by, but I promised I'd bring Abby next time, and hopefully really soon.

I bought some ink cartridges for the printer and was all set to print some photos last night. Hmph! I should have bought a new printer that I found. I really should have. Because something is wrong with this printer. And of course it took spending over $30 on ink to figure this out. I printed out a photo and it looks horrible! Spotty, dotty and the color is all wrong. I'm hoping maybe something just needs to be cleaned. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I didnt' buy the new printer because, well, for one, I am off work for another month, and two, I would really rather get my photos from WinkFlash or somewhere like that.

Anyway, after that fiasco, I decided I'd just get a few prints online at Wal-Mart. I would just like for Kenneth and I to have a photo to show off when we see people out and about. Well, guess what?!? I couldn't do THAT either. Apparently, our computer is so old it just wouldn't let me upload. Just like I couldn't manage to pay our DirecTv bill online this morning. Grrrr......

At least I've got my eye doctor appointment this afternoon, so I'll soon have my beloved contacts again!

AND, Abby is just wonderful. She had a fussy spell last night and I finally got that to end by swaddling her. Kept her wrapped up all night long and she stayed in her bassinet-only woke up to eat about 3 times. She is now asleep on my chest. I better lay her down and take Ashleigh's crayons away (her front teeth are pink! don't know why she likes eating them so much) and try to get ready for my next trip out of the house!

Hanging in There!

2007-02-26T07:22:00.000-12:00

Well, we're all doing pretty well, I'm happy to report. While there are new challenges this time-dealing with a toddler and a newborn, I've got to say that overall it is much easier this time. We aren't as stressed out every second of every day about that baby's well-being. Only every third second-LOL! But Abby is doing really well and Ashleigh is adjusting quite well to being a big sister. She still can be a little overly-clingy to me from time to time, but I know it could be quite worse. And sometimes I don't know if Ashleigh is acting up because she's two or because there's a baby in the house. I little of both, I suspect.

I personally haven't had the urge to cry for no reason (or any silly reason) in several days now and I'm sure Kenneth is very happy about that. One night, he came out of our bathroom after helping Ashleigh with her bath to find me in the nursery with Abby crying my eyes out. I finally managed to explain to him I was crying because everything was just so wonderful. Abby is so sweet and listening to them playing and laughing across the hall just did me in; we are so blessed to have a happy marriage and two wonderful healthy daughters. I was tellling the truth, but I still don't know if I ever convinced him that I wasn't crying because he'd done something wrong! But the rest of the night he teased me by telling Ashleigh that they couldn't be too sweet or have too much fun, Mommy might start crying again!

Last post I think I promised a funny story. This isn't a story really, but it is funny. A couple of times Ashleigh has managed to get my breast pump off the counter and pretend that she's pumping milk for Baby Abby. I think it's sweet and hilarious, Kenneth doesn't find it as amusing as I do.

I took some photos of the girls this weekend and as I told Kelley, they aren't the great professional quality photos I envisioned, they are better than a polaroid!

RRRAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't post my pictures. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!! When I click browse to upload a pic, the window changes and it won't let me browse to find the photos. Damn PC...... Oh well, I e-mailed the photos to some people; sorry if you aren't one of them. I might have to get someone to post them for me. BLAH!!!!

Two Weeks Already?

2007-02-22T13:39:00.000-12:00

I can not believe our youngest daughter is two weeks old already! Time really does fly when you're having fun.

And dividing your attention between two lovely daughters and a great husband.

And pumping endlessly, it seems. (I'll explain that in a moment!)

And there is the sleep deprivation, but it hasn't been that bad. Yet. Knock on wood!

We are all doing really well. Today Abby had here two week check-up and she weighed 10 lbs. 6.5 oz., up from 10 lbs. at last weeks check-up. Her pediatrician, Dr. Clements (love her!) said she was happy with that because she lost quite a bit of weight after birth, mostly just fluid, she thought.

Oh!! Before I forget: THANK YOU SO MUCH KELLEY FOR POSTING FOR ME!!! I will find time to call you, I promise!

The Big Day
Kenneth and I arrived about 5:50am at the hospital and the nurses starting getting me ready for my surgery. My parents arrived about 6:30 am and then we were waiting on the doctors, etc. to arrive. A nice man came and told me he'd be doing my spinal block and how all that would go. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled off to the OR where it was approximately 10 degrees below zero!!! After they put the THIRD heated blanket on me and I was still shivering uncontrollably, they decided to kill the AC. Then the "nice man" proceded to try to do my spinal and bent quite a few needles on my spine. Oh yeah, it hurt! And I know he bent them because he'd say so and ask for a new one. Dr. Murphree did the spinal on the first try. I really like him. I was so glad when it took effect because I wasn't cold anymore. Then Kenneth came in and we were underway. As Dr. Otey was getting started, he asked how big we thought Abby would be. I guessed about 8 lbs., Kenneth about 9. As soon as they saw her head, they knew she was over 9. But nobody guessed 10 lbs. 12 oz.!!

About 9:30, my parents had to leave and come to our house to keep Ashleigh. She was sick, as was my mother-in-law. Diane (MIL) had to have lots of tests run and has a few more to do tomorrow. She has some intestinal problems that will require surgery, so please keep her in your thoughts.

Kenneth had to come home Thursday night and keep Ashleigh. That's right, all by myself the first night. But I was just fine. Things rocked right along, had a few visitors--but not many, too many people sick! But thank GOD the doctor let me come home Saturday morning. I missed Ashleigh so much I thought I'd die.

We got home and Ash was so excited to meet her sister, she is such a little mama.

I'll try to post a few cute stories and maybe even more photos soon.

Abby Photos!

2007-02-13T02:20:00.000-12:00

Here she is!!! What a cutie!!!

Abigail Raven Has Arrived!

2007-02-08T04:02:00.000-12:00

Join me in congratulating Jackie and Kenneth on the safe arrival of Ms. Abigail Raven Taylor!!

I just got off the phone with the proud mama AND daddy, and here are the details:

Weight: 10 lbs 11.8 oz
Length: 21 in
Born at: 7:58 a.m.

Jackie was just getting ready to hold Abby for the first time, and her first impression was that she "looks like Ashleigh"...

Kenneth's coworkers are supposed to email photos to me, and when that happens, I will post them here! So check back!!!

Kelley

Not Long Now!

2007-02-05T14:31:00.000-12:00

I had a pretty good report at the doctor's office Friday, but my OB thought it would be best if I went ahead and took off until I have the baby. My blood pressure was up a bit (not horrible) and I'd started retaining some fluid. Nothing major. I think he new I was just really tired because both times he came in the exam room, I was asleep! I went in Friday afternoon for a few hours and feel like I left a million loose ends, but I know the office won't close down without me! Besides, I've already called once to tell them a few things I'd forgotten to write down.

Got my hair done Saturday. Can't have little Abby meet me with terrible roots showing! Not to mention all the pictures. Other than that, mostly relaxed. Did some laundry and put away some of Abby's new stuff from the baby showers. Sunday we really didn't do much of anything at all. And we didn't watch the Super Bowl! I'll even top that: It's 8:35 pm Monday and I don't even know who WON the Super Bowl. LOL. UnAmerican? Nah, just otherwise occupied.

Today Ashleigh and I both woke up feeling fine, in happy moods, so I decided I was up to going shopping to stock the pantry, etc. for the next couple of weeks. It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time. But man, did it kick my bootie! We took lunch out to Kenneth and visited with him and a few of his co-workers then came home. And we both slept for over 2 1/2 hours! That was nice. And, the beauty of my shopping trip? Only 2 bags had to come in immediately. Poor Kenneth got to haul everything else in when he got home. ; )

Back to the Main Event: We have to be at Labor & Delivery by 6am Thursday. I have a feeling that's one day I'm not going to have trouble getting out of bed! I have a call list made out and am hoping to have a very dear friend (Kelley!) post the information, hopefully along with a few photos on my blog. The photo part will require the help of some of Kenneth's co-workers, but they helped us out last time, I'm sure they will this time too.

So the next couple of days I'll be spending loads of time with Ashleigh, making sure everything is packed,and keeping the house clean. All the while getting lots of rest!

I'm so weird....

2007-01-31T09:50:00.000-12:00

At the end of last year, I bought a calendar/planner to keep in my purse. Between the forgetfulness of being pregnant-then having a toddler and a newborn I knew I'd need it. Especially when there's more to keep up with. Babies go to the doctor alot. I just made a hair appointment and realized something. I'm using the planner, but not the way it's intended. I'm writing most everything on post-its, then sticking them on my planner. I'm just going to tell myself it's because getting the planner in and out of this purse is a tight squeeze and when I change purses (probably tonight) this little post-it situation will be gone. We'll see...

Had another doctor's appointment yesterday. I wondered what I'd find out because the night before I'd had a few hours of real contractions. By real meaning that you could see them from the outside and if they'd gotten much worse or closer together, we'd have been headed to the hospital to be checked out. Without going into any details some folks don't want to know, I'd begun to progress just a little, but nothing to worry about. Abby's doing well and my BP was pretty good. I go for my pre-op visit Friday morning. That's exciting to me, even though that means I'm another step closer to major abdominal surgery AND the hormone induced psychosis that goes with having a baby. I'm as ready as I'm going to be, time to get this show on the road!

Kenneth's been helping out in the kitchen with dinner and the past two nights that has involved grating cheese. Well, night before last, Ashleigh was telling us she was "very, very, hungry" and we were trying to hold her off with a healthy little snack that wouldn't ruin dinner. I asked her if she wanted cheese: "NO!" Kenneth picks up a long piece of shredded cheese and asked her if she wants a cheesy worm. Well, little did I know, our little girl LOVES cheesy worms. In her words, they are "Yummy, yummy, deliciouso!" And I'm sure I misspelled the Spanish version of delicious, BUT Dora doesn't teach spelling...

Coming to terms...

2007-01-25T06:31:00.000-12:00

I've tried to deny it for awhile now.

I thought that if I didn't acknowledge it, it wouldn't be true.

But today, three people mentioned it to me and I've come to terms with the fact...

I have the pregnant waddle.

I know it's a normal thing, but I NEVER waddled with Ashleigh. Seriously. I'm so much more pregnant this time around.

But, I only have to waddle for 2 more weeks. Because by this time on February 8th, we should have our sweet little wonderful Abby in our arms.

And to anyone who wishes to ridicule my waddle: bite me. Be glad I'm walking at all. Especially if you've never been pregnant. I wish you knew what it felt like!

AND
My doctor's appointment was good yesterday. No weight gained since last week. And after the 4 lb. loss the visit before, that puts me at 11 lbs. total gained through this pregnancy. Hard for me to believe, trust me. But there are no signs of labor starting, which is a good thing this time and Abby is growing like she should and has a steady, wonderful heartbeat. The nursery is coming together, although I wish it was DONE. Because if it was, I could truly say I'm ready to meet our second daughter. I'm getting really excited about it. That outweighs my fear of total failure today!

Don't mess with a pregnant woman's food...

2007-01-23T09:30:00.000-12:00

Yes, this sign is posted on the refrigerator door of my workplace. I actually wished them death by explosive diarrhea, but decided to tone it down a bit since the fridge is by the timeclock. There were 3 or 4 ice cream cones left in that box!!! I really do wish very bad things upon this person. Really, I do.

Old, boring & blimp-like

2007-01-20T12:29:00.000-12:00

That's me. Don't get me wrong.

OLD is a relative term and I know that in the grand scheme of things, I'm not even into middle age yet. (I hope!!!) But compared to many of the 20-somethings I work with I feel old. But in a good "I'm wiser with age and experience" kind of way. There is the little fact of my getting totally sucked in by an infomercial this afternoon. And I really want that product. It's a GTXpress101. I think. Kind of a take-off on George Foreman's idea. Can't wait till that sucker shows up on the "As Seen On TV" isle in the store!!
BORING would accurately describe my life to many people, and that honestly doesn't bother me in the least. I've spend most of the day playing with Ashleigh, doing (a little) housework, finishing up some projects for Abby's room and reading. And don't forget the infomercial! (I only saw about 10 minutes of that. If I'd seen the whole thing, I might have one being shipped to me as I speak!) Presently, Kenneth is watching the Barret-Jackson car auction, Ashleigh is determined to play with the computer mouse and we're waiting on a casserole to finish for dinner. SNORE!!!!!!! But I like it. The only drama I'm interested in comes on TV, in movies or books.
BLIMP-LIKE I really need to take another photo of my round profile. Even though my OB announced at my Thursday appointment that I'd lost 4 lbs. in two weeks, I'm not exactly ready for swimsuits!

VARIOUS OTHER THOUGHTS:
::The nursery is beginning to come together. The walls are painted, pretty much all the decor is ready to put in place. Kenneth and an unknown helper just need to get a few final pieces of furniture moved around and we'll be in business. This week I'll probably start washing up baby clothes for Abby's arrival.

::I am still not convinced that I'll be able to handle being a mother of two. At times I know it will be fine and wonderful, at others I'm convinced it's a wonder that Ashleigh survived-thrived even-and know it will be a matter of time before someone decides that they made a mistake when they decided to bless us with another child. I don't even have nipples for the baby bottles yet!!!!

::I was very pleasantly surprised last week by learning I would have not one, but two baby showers before Abby arrives! I'm hoping for lots of diapers, wipes and bath stuff. And of course some cutesy stuff just for Abby. Our poor hand-me-down girl...

::We're still on schedule for a February 8th delivery. Very curious how she'll look, how big she'll be, what sort of personality she'll have, if she'll have hair...

::Rachel got her dream job as an assitant teacher in in kindergarten class. Well, almost dream. She hopes to be a certified teacher at some point. I'm so thrilled for her. She's one of those people just meant to teach young children. (NOT at all like me!) But I'm also very sad because we had lunch together every day, talked on our cell phones to and from work most of the time. OH! For those of you who didn't know, we not only worked for the same company, but in the same department. So this is quite an adjustment to make. NOT as big as when Kelley left, however. When she left, she moved to TEXAS!!! I cried buckets over that and even seriously looked for another job. At least Rachel's still here, I just have to get used to not seeing her all the time.

Well, the exciting casserole is finished, so I think I'll go have dinner with my family, followed by a nice boring evening. ; )

Oh yeah...

2006-12-28T09:52:00.000-12:00

We definitely had a great Christmas. How could we not with this beautiful child to entertain us?

NOT that she was good the entire weekend, but...I won't complain.

Try to post more later, super busy!!!

Better Late Than Never

2006-12-22T10:27:00.000-12:00

OK, I'm finally posting some photos from the company Christmas party and my latest pregnancy photo.

Yes, only 32 weeks. But that means I only have 7 weeks to go. YIKES!!!

Me and my wonderful Hubby, Kenneth. On our second "date" since Ashleigh was born. (Yes, you read that right. We're homebodies!)

Me & my Rachel!!!

This is the entire advertising department. Well, almost...2 people were missing. But these are the crazy folks I spend 40 hours a week with!!

Takin' a Break

2006-12-13T04:53:00.000-12:00

I decided that for this post, I'd take a break from talking about Ashleigh, Abby, pregnancy, family life, my bahumbug mood, etc.

I thought I'd share with you two actors I think are really hot right now.

This is Julian McMahon. I had trouble finding any photos that really do him justice, to be honest this one doesn't really either. But you get the idea. Hot, hot, hot! Especially if you've seen him on Nip/Tuck.

This wonderful man is David Boreanaz, who plays Agent Booth on Fox Network's show "Bones." It just struck me a few weeks ago that he's really good looking. And something about those eyes.....sigh.....

But Kenneth is still my NUMBER ONE MAN! And we are secure enough in our marriage that we can let eachother know when we think members of the opposite sex are attractive. I mean, he knows I've had the hots for Hugh Jackman for years! We're married, not dead, after all!

Birthday Party Photos

2006-12-11T06:58:00.000-12:00

Well, the party went very well, I think. At least everyone said so. And Ashleigh certainly got lots of wonderful gifts. And she loved her cake. Almost as much as the Dora and Boots that were stuck on top!

Friday night Kenneth had to work late, so Ashleigh and I had a girl's night out. This included last minute items for the Birthday Party and a trip to the ever-popular McDonalds! I snapped this after we got home; I think she was as tired as I was!

My first attempt at a homemade birthday cake. It didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped, but it sure did taste good!

She was Mommy's little helper all morning long!

This was the best shot I got during the Happy Birthday song. She blew her candle out really quick, on the first try!

She was ready to taste her cake, and decided it was "yummy."

Even though she loved all her gifts, she got the most excited about her tricycle when Kenneth brought it in.

My Mom gave her this pillow & pillowcase to match the bedding set my in-laws gave Ashleigh. She decided she was sleepy, so she used tissue paper as a blanket and entertained us by "snoring" for a few minutes.

My parents gave her this table & chairs which she loves as well!

After opening her gifts and playing with some toys for awhile, she had to get back to the yummy cake!

Christmas Pics

2006-12-08T06:29:00.000-12:00

Here are some "character shots" from our Christmas photo shoot last night. They show what a little nut our big girl is! Love the adorable shot Kenneth got of her playing with the little rocking horse; my Mom gave that to me when I was young...

Can't belive she's 2 years old today!!! Got lots to do for the birthday party tomorrow!
Have a great weekend...

A Sneak Peek

2006-12-07T02:45:00.000-12:00

All was well at the doctor's visit yesterday. Abby and I are both doing great. She weighed 3lbs. 15 oz. yesterday. Might as well say 4lbs., right?

Anyway, here are some photos:

I wish she'd have moved her hand, but I will definitely take this!

A Little (big) Comparison

2006-12-01T10:10:00.000-12:00

OK, here's a comparison of how I look today compared to how I looked on my due date with Ashleigh.

Whew!!

P.S. If anything, I weigh LESS in today's photo than in the 2004 photo. Notice how the jeans are looser? Same jeans, same shirt.

Yes, I'm still here...

2006-11-30T09:02:00.000-12:00

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm a busy and tired girl. But here's a rundown recent events (that I can remember!)

::Haircut and color on Saturday, Nov. 18th. Hair is a little darker (not drastically) and shorter-about collar bone length.

::Last OB visit was OK. Abby weighed about 3 lbs. A little big for her age, but within the normal range. Heart rate, etc. were good. My BP was a little high, but not bad. The doc said my amniotic fluid was "borderline low" so I go back Dec. 6th for another ultrasound. I go from not really worried to totally freaked out about this development.

::Started getting the dreaded itchy-scratchy throat/cough combo the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and felt pretty crappy on Turkey Day.

::Was better by Saturday for all my family to visit, just in time for Ashleigh to be sick with a crazy fever-spiking virus. She played just a little bit with her cousin, but not alot. She was a big time Mama's girl. But she was wonderful Sunday. At least Cory and Josh got to see her in her usual play hard mode.

::That's really about it. Now you see why I haven't posted!

Oh! The ceiling fixture in our kitchen bit the dust Saturday afternoon. I'm hoping to talk Kenneth into replacing it Sunday. I think proper lighting is very important in the kitchen! (We have lots of "task lighting" so I'm not cooking in the dark!

Another tidbit: I decided after much deliberation to forgo my big ole 7.5' tree this year. Just not enough time or energy. AND Ashleigh is a bit of a Christmas Tree terrorist. Many of my mother-in-law's ornaments met their death on Monday. So I got a 4.5' pre-lit tree and it's on top of a piece of furniture in the living room. It's not a Charlie Brown tree, it's nice and full. The only problem is most of my ornaments are really big, so I can't use them. And I'm not using those colored glass balls because my daughter seems to think they taste good. I've got to find a way to add some more color and I think I'll be done with that.

This weekend, in addition to making more progress on the nursery, a little trip to Tupelo is in order. Have to go to Hobby Lobby to get canvases, etc. to paint for Abby's room. I'm so ashamed. I think all Ashleigh's paintings were finished by this point! Man, I'm getting stressed just thinking about it. We still have to paint the walls!!!

Another thing, my sweet child has lost her mind. Also known as the terrible twos or learning boundaries, trying to gain independance...I don't care what you call it. She's went nuts! All is well one moment, then she's crying or whining and won't/can't tell you why. She'll ask for something, then doesn't want it. Gives you something, then is furious because you took it...it's very trying to say the least. I've had some moments where I'm convinced I'm a horrible mother, but I remind myself (or get Kenneth to remind me) that it's just a phase, this too shall pass. But I feel so darned guilty for feeling so frustrated with her! I just want to shake her, yell at her, give her the butt-whipping of a lifetime...you get the point. But I've realized something today: I'm NOT a bad Mom because I don't do that stuff to her. Don't get me wrong, she'll get a swat on her hand or leg but that hurts her feelings more than anything. (And if you don't believe in that-save your breath-I'm old school and believe spankings never hurt anyone. Not beatings-just a spanking.) I just think that parents are human (and I'm a pregnant one at that) and that no matter how much you love your cute little offspring it's perfectly normal for them to drive you bonkers when they are at this psycho time in their lives. (and I know this won't be the only psycho phase she goes through) But as long as I don't physically/emotionally abuse her and she always knows that she is loved I'm doing alright. Because the worst thing that's going to happen to her when she throws herself down to throw a fit because she's been corrected is maybe a bump on the head if she's overly dramatic.

OK, there's a long post to do you awhile! ; )

Only 27 Weeks?

2006-11-16T10:20:00.000-12:00

Yep. That's me today. I am 27 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I hate to even tell my people my due date at this point because I really look like I could go into labor at any moment! The common reaction I get now is, "You'll never make it to February!" I certainly feel alot closer to my due date, that's for sure. I'll have to post some comparison photos so you can see just how much bigger I am this time around. Oddly, I don't weigh more. Hmmm.....

Random Thoughts...

2006-11-10T10:06:00.000-12:00

::I feel like I kinda look like Jabba the Hut these days. I'm sure I'm not THAT grotesque, but I feel that way, just the same.

::I think some of my shoes make me look like an elf. My black loafer-type and brown loafer-type shoes (that are becoming a staple of my pregnancy wardrobe) are curling up at the toes a bit. I'm sure nobody notices, but the make me feel a little like an elf. Especially the black ones, they're worse.

::On the subject of elves, I know what Santa feels like when he laughs and his belly shakes like a bowlful of jelly.

::I'm getting so excited about Ashleigh's birthday and Christmas. She's getting some things I know she'll really like. She's really getting into imaginative play, so I'm sure after Christmas, we'll be cooking and doing all sorts of things with her new goodies!

::I think some of my co-workers and I should form a posse to catch the toilet paper bandit(s). I'm referring to the person(s) who always leave an empty roll on the holder. I mean, are they in that big a hurry? Take the time, put a new roll on. It's not hard. We have the same kind of holders that are common in homes across the country. While we're at it, we need to find the person(s) who regularly leave in ungodly stench in the restroom and make sure they get the medical attention they obviously need. Trust me, it is foul!

::A week or so ago I bought new eyeliner and mascara because what I had was old and bothering my eyes. I was way to excited about trying it out the next morning. Rather than thinking that's sad, I prefer to think I'm easy to please. I'm sure Kenneth would disagree. ; )

::I'm looking forward to a nice weekend. My parents are coming to visit tomorrow and that's especially exciting because I really didn't expect them to make the trip this soon after my Mom's total knee replacement. She's doing really well. If I can just get her to sit down a bit while they're here.

::I'm still in the ohmigosh-how're-we-gonna-get-the-nursery-completed frame of mind, but not as bad now. I've come to the realization that everything really WILL be OK.

::Gotta find some tv time. My DVR is getting all full...

It's NOT just my imagination...

2006-11-08T06:51:00.000-12:00

My belly really is MUCH larger this pregnancy. For those of you not in the know on pregnancy doctor visits, the doctor measures your uterus from top to bottom and it should measure about 1 cm per week of pregnancy. I usually measured 1-2 weeks "big" with Ashleigh, meaning I might measure 25.5cm at 24 weeks. Not a big deal.

WELL. Today I am 26 weeks pregnant. BUT my uterus measures 30!!! Oh my God. This doesn't mean anything is wrong, because all my bloodwork came back perfect (as in no gestational diabetes, YAY!!!) and Abby is definitely doing well. Dr. Chaney thinks she might be a soccer player, the way she started kicking and wiggling when he tried to listen to her heartbeat.

All this "bigness" really means is 1) I get a much wanted ultrasound in 2 weeks; and 2) He hinted at an earlier C-section.

As for the #1, I had already asked him for another one because I can NOT shake this nagging feeling that Abby is actually a Mason. Never felt gender-doubt with Ashleigh and I'm probably just being crazy. Their sonographer has an EXCELLENT track record, so I really have no reason to doubt her. She was sure our little baby is a girl.

As for the #2, AAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me explain. I'm already freaked out that I am scheduled to have a baby three months from today. There's just so much to get done before she arrives! And I have holiday festivities taking up time that I feel I don't have. And to think I could have even LESS time? It freaks me out. Just...ALOT!! But it'll all be alright. It always is. We have all the essentials (except little bitty diapers) and the baby bed is still up in Ashleigh's room. But you know me, I want everything done just the way I want it.

Cute Ashleigh Story
This morning it was really foggy at our house. Probably the foggiest it's ever been since she's old enough to notice such things. Well, I never could understand what she was calling the fog, but she would stick her finger up in the air, then put it in her mouth and say it was yummy. And we couldn't leave until I had tasted the yummy fog too. And this was another moment when I realized what a total Mom I am: I didn't feel the least bit silly standing there with my almost-2-year-old, tasting the fog with my finger and telling her that yes it was very yummy. Then the pregnancy hormones kick in and I get all sad because I know these moments won't last forever.

Halloween

2006-11-02T08:46:00.000-12:00

Well, things have been a little crazy and Ashleigh and I have both been a little under the weather this week, BUT here are some photos of our little fairy princess:

And this one isn't blurry...it's a special effect...the fairy effect... ; )

Another week goes by

2006-10-30T09:16:00.000-12:00

I've had all sorts of random thoughts flowing through my mind lately. Not helped by the fact that I spent a good chunk of time cuddling a sickly toddler this weekend. Or going to my niece's 2nd birthday party which reminded me very much what my life will be like very soon. A 2-year-old of our own in just over a month; and a newborn of our own in just over 3 months. Oh. My. God. How will ever get ready for Abby's arrival? There's so much to be done and things keep getting in the way. Like steam cleaning the living room carpet where Ashleigh was sick. But enough of that talk...

Everyone ready for Halloween? I am. I'm going to be a pregnant woman. I've been working on the costume for over 6 months now. ; ) Hope Ashleigh is up to trick-or-treating. We're only planning on about 3 houses anyway, so it's not like we're planning an all-night event. She was sick last year and didn't get to trick-or-treat, so if we don't get to go this year, I'll seriously consider not even getting a costume next year!

Kenneth had to dig a grave this weekend. Yep, a real, in-the-cemetery to put someone's grandfather in grave. Not from scratch, mind you, he hasn't started a second career. He and his Dad went by the cemetery where Kenneth's grandparents are buried and noticed this grave (for a funeral that afternoon) was half-way done, to put it nicely. So they went and got some shovels and finished it up. You might call it a nice thing to do, good deed for the week/year/month, but you know what I call it? Karma! See that morning, he made a comment about me attending to my maidly duties when I was mopping (he was joking) so I told him that's what he gets!

Well, I better go. Sick little girl to take care of...

I know it's been awhile...

2006-10-20T08:47:00.000-12:00

but I'm past making excuses. I'm busy, pregnant and tired. ; )

It's too bad too, because over the past week or so I've actually had some good/interesting ideas for blog entries. Too bad I've forgotten them...

So as usual, I'll just subject you to some photos!

My sweet little nephew, Aidan Riley He's a month old now, but this was taken the day he came home from the hospital.

This is a look I get from Ashleigh quite a bit. One of her funny little laughs

OK, I know these aren't National Geographic material, but for me to have taken them at dusk, through our patio door from quite a distance without a tripod, I think I did OK.

Being a fairy princess is hard work! I got this Halloween costume for Ashleigh earlier this week and one of our sales reps thought that Ashleigh asleep in her costume would be perfect for an ad she was doing. Well, the "pretend" to sleep thing wasn't going to work so this morning, I took her PJ's off, put her costume on her and snapped away! She never woke up during the whole thing. I can't imagine sleeping through all that, can you?

23 weeks (and 2 days) I just want it to be know that I really don't like this photo, but it's not the photographer's fault (Rachel). BUT I've put taking it off for over a week so I knew I just had to suck it up and take care of it today. So here I am, very humpty-dumpty like.

We have a pretty full weekend planned. Saturday, a small family-reunion type gathering and Sunday is my company's family picnic. The weather is supposed to be nice and cool-ish, so I'm excited about the outdoor activities. I can do without the hotness of summer, thank you very much!

Loving the Cooler Weather

2006-10-13T05:55:00.000-12:00

Fall is making a guest appearance in North Mississippi and I am enjoying it tremendously. The sky is the most beautiful shade of blue, the high's supposed to be in the mid-60's and there's just enough of a breeze to put some pep in your step. Or make some people bundle up like Eskimos. But we'll discuss the "freezy-weezy's another time.

I wish the leaves were turning a bit more already. I'm going to try to get some good outdoor shots of Ashleigh this weekend. We haven't had a photo shoot in quite awhile. It's also time for my next "belly shot" so maybe I can work that in too. And as always, I plan to make more progress in making our extra room Abby's room. (Bet you'll all be glad when I get THAT done!)

I've had lots of random thoughts lately (even more than the Forest Gump tirade) but they're just a little too random and jumbled to even try to sort out here. So I'll fill you in on my latest doctor's appointment, which was yesterday.

First off, all is well. Abby's heart rate was 151 (perfect) and I was a little alarmed by my blood pressure, 138/80, the doctor didn't mention it. I know that's not really too high, but last month it was 112/60! Quite a jump, I think... I did have a little scare though. I had some bleeding Thursday morning. I didn't freak out, and even debated on telling the doctor because I knew he'd want to "investigate" and I just really wasn't wanting to do that yesterday. But of course, the well-being of my child overrides any silly modesty and shyness on my part, so I told him. And he investigated. And found absolutely nothing wrong. And trust me, he looked. And looked. I have a sneaking suspicion (dread) that the stupid bladder infection is STILL here and causing the trouble. Guess I'll know in a couple of days. He also told me that weird back/hip pain think was sciatic nerve irritation. That's just great! I just pray that by following his tips and suggestions it won't turn into that excruciating, shooting down my leg pain. That would really suck! But then again, what's a little pain for a beautiful darling child? Totally worth it to me!

Another weekend gone...

2006-10-09T02:57:00.000-12:00

I had a mild panic attack over the weekend. Well, maybe that's being a little over dramatic, but I did freak out a little bit. It all started with a book I just finished about a home for "troubled" teenage girls and then I watched some shows this weekend that coincidentally carried a similar theme: kids messed up by their parents actions or inaction, etc.

So I started thinking about how you never really know how your children will turn out. Ashleigh is growing up in a home filled with love, as will her baby sister. We're already teaching her right from wrong in addition to her alphabet, numbers and colors. She's good now, but she's not even two. How will she be 16 years from now? There is absolutely no way to know and that drives me a little nuts. I just have to have faith that all the love we give our children will be enough to smooth over all the mistakes we're bound to make and our children will turn out to be wonderful people.

Otherwise, our weekend was good. Had lots of fun family time AND I was quite productive. Finished moving all the scrapbooking stuff into its new home. That might not sound like a big deal, but it was-trust me. That, in addition to all my regular chores added up to a busy weekend. I did take a long nap with Ashleigh Saturday afternoon, though. MAN, that was nice.

Totally unrelated random thought:
Am I the only one who just flat out doesn't like the movie Forest Gump? The only reason I watched it once was because we were at someone's house watching it on video and I couldn't escape. The whole movie was just irritating to me AND I think Jenny was a 'ho. I did not cry when she died. (This thought came to mind because Kenneth flipped past it this weekend. Ugh!)

Just a little list...

2006-10-06T03:40:00.000-12:00

Today I am:
-Feeling like I have some ugly, ratty looking hair
-Really enjoying Nickelback. (I know, a few weeks ago it was Faith Hill, go figure!)
-Tired of having so much excess mucus in my head.
-Upset that the dreaded middle of the night pregnancy induced leg cramps have already started. At 21 weeks. Joy.
-Really enjoying feeling Abby moving around.
-Looking forward to the weekend.
-Wishing I'd be HALF as productive as I wish I'd be this weekend
-Resigned to the fact that I'll be a little productive this weekend BUT I'll spend lots of time with Kenneth and Ashleigh and that's WAY more important! Right?
-Glad Kenneth is home after 2 nights away for a work thing AND touched that he brought me two gifts! A beautiful pair of silver hoop earrings and a cool copper cross necklace.
-Still a little "wowed" that Kenneth complimented my hair last night when I got home.

I also feel the need to share with everyone that I truly believe that McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers (of the $1 menu fame) are truly a gift from God. I'm not joking folks. I could eat them several times a day. They are so wonderfully cheesy and good. And cheap. Now if they could just make the fat grams and calories go away I'd be set. Those pesky health issues keep me from eating them very often and that's really hard when you're pregnant and you truly believe you will DIE if you don't have one. Oh the sacrifices I make for my unborn daughter... ; )

Monday Evening

2006-09-19T03:39:00.000-12:00

Note: this was written several days ago but I couldn't get the photos to upload!
Well Monday night was actually a good night. I didn't have to cook and Kenneth, Ashleigh and I spent alot of time together. That makes for quite a winning evening in my book. Even IF I got to help Kenneth fill out 30+ pages of a crazy form. We had fun with it and that's all that matters, right? Watched a few season premiers last night; have the rest recorded. Thank GOD we decided to get DVR. It's a wonderful thing. Truly. It removes all the stress of trying to watch a show at a certain time. I can record an 8:00 or 9:00 and then watch it after Ashleigh's asleep; over the weekend folding laundry, whatever. OK, enough of my love of technological advances...

First, here's a photo of me at 4.5 months:

Ashleigh looking all cute in one of her Daddy's shirts from his high school days:

Another weekend comes to an end...

2006-09-18T09:24:00.000-12:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was alright, pretty laid back. Trying to get more of that doctor-prescribed rest. BLAH! I know that some of you are probably wishing a doctor would tell you to get more rest, but I just don’t really have time for that right now. But I’ll do as I’m told since I have little Abby depending on me.

“Exciting” highlights of my weekend include:
::Stepping on one of Ashleigh’s toys and bruising the bottom of my foot. Think I also bruised that tendon that runs down the bottom of your foot because it’s still throbbing today. Trying not to be too obvious with my limp--I work with people who have real health problems...
::Accident prone that I seemed to be, I also sliced my thumb peeling potatoes.
::Made some really yummy chocolate chip cookies.
::Made a big dent in the recordings I’d saved on my DVR. Actually got around to watching Monster-in-Law! (I know, I’m pitifully behind!)
::Of course, the really good thing this weekend was getting to spend lots of time with Kenneth and Ashleigh!

In other news, ; ) Abby is really starting to make her presence known! Her movements are getting stronger every day. This afternoon I almost giggled because the way she was moving, it was tickling. This pregnancy is SO different than the last, but one thing hasn't changed. I wonder constantly about what Abby will look like, what kind of personality she'll have, if she'll have the horrible acid reflux (exorcist baby) that Ashleigh had, etc.

I'll try to upload some more photos soon. We have some cute ones of Ashleigh in one of Kenneth's old Led Zepplin t-shirts!

Here She Is!

2006-09-12T03:55:00.000-12:00

The photo I promised yesterday. Even though it's not incredibly clear, there's our little girl. I thought I'd save her a little dignity and not post her privates for all the world to see. ; )

Not much to report; just busy here at work. "Smoke Break" over!

And now we know...

2006-09-11T10:20:00.001-12:00

We'll be adding another girl to our happy home!

Our sweet little daughter now weighs 7oz. And she is a major wiggle worm. I don't feel it all yet, but the sonographer had trouble getting good, clear photos because she wouldn't stay still. Makes for good video though. I'll try to post a pic or two tomorrow.

Kenneth was really hoping for a son, but I think he'll adjust to the idea of being the only man in the house soon enough. I'll really try to play up the advantages to him, like how we already have so many clothes for a girl... ;)

Just wanted to get the news out, think I'll sign off for now. I ended up being at the doctor's office for most of the day for a variety of reasons and I'm pooped. AND it's time to start dinner.

And now we know...

2006-09-11T10:20:00.000-12:00

TGIF

2006-09-08T05:09:00.000-12:00

Well, I'm sure glad it's Friday! (Like most people, I'm sure.)

I'm feeling much better than yesterday; thank God!

It was a pretty quiet evening at the Taylor home last night. I watched a Discovery Health show last nigh, From Conception to Birth, I think was the name of it. OH MY GOD!!! And please keep in mind that this bit of freaking out is from a woman who watched every birthing show I could find when pregnant with Ashleigh and prayed I wouldn't have a C-section. Well, last night just re-affirmed my commitment to keep my scheduled C-section this time around. I'd had this little, itsy, bitsy, tiny little notion in the back of my mind that IF I actually started dialating, etc. and went into labor this time, I might just go with the flow and give the "regular" way a chance. (I didn't say natural, because some people might think I mean without drugs and you can bet your booty that ain't gonna happen!) But thanks to Discovery Health, no way. Nope. Not that it wouldn't be worth it, but I'll just stick with what I know.

This morning was actually fun at home. Ashleigh woke up early (just before 6am) in a good mood and Kenneth and I were in good moods as well. They were playing when I got out of the shower and the sounds of them laughing made me so happy.

No big plans this weekend. Just a trip to Tupelo to see my Mom in the hospital. She had a total knee replacement Tuesday and was able to get into the recovery unit or whatever they call it. She'll get about a week of intensive physical therapy before she goes home. I'm excited about that because even though she's doing really well, this means she'll do even better! It will be interesting to see how Ashleigh does in the hospital, though. Considering how she freaks out at the doctor's office. Guess we'll just play that by ear...

I'm also very excited about Monday morning: we have an ultrasound appointment about 10:15. So the next time you hear from me, I'll probably be telling you if we'll be having a boy or girl!!! I'm so excited!!! I need to revisit a website I found that lists all sorts of wive's tales to determine the gender. I need to do them this weekend so I can see how accurate they are!

Have a great weekend!

Bad Mood Outta Nowhere

2006-09-07T08:12:00.000-12:00

Don't you just hate it when you are cranky and don't even know why? I suppose I can blame it on hormones or something, but I sure do hate to blame bad things on the sweet little child growing inside me.

Hitting a small deer on the way to work didn't help matters, I'm sure. It was just a little bitty baby--didn't damage my car at all, just hurt my feelings. And the deer, of course. Then a stupid squirrel killed itself my running under my truck too! I dread the drive home...

I just hate blah days, don't you?

What is it about those Hispanic kids?

2006-09-06T03:49:00.000-12:00

First of all, let me just say I bet you got the wrong idea when you read my title. There will be nothing derogatory in this post, I promise!

The kids I'm talking about are Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego, who has his own show.

They're cute, have interesting characters and are very educational. I'm sure Dora is responsible for my 21 month old's ability to correctly count to 10. While both shows can become very tiring to me (I watch with her often and ask her questions, etc. to make it more interactive) Ashleigh never gets tired of them. She asks to watch them all the time and has quite a fit when I tell her no. And I tell her no quite a bit because I don't want her to watch tv all the time. (And sometimes there are shows Mommy wants to watch. Like House and Nip/Tuck, for example.)

What the whole point of this is, I wonder how Nick Jr. came across something that is so addictive to little ones. And I mean addictive like crack or something. Not that I'm complaining--I can use that to my advantage when necessary. But I'm afraid it's not going to be too long before telling Ashleigh that Dora and Diego have went to sleep isn't going to cut it!

I suppose I should just count my blessings that she isn't ga-ga over something that irritates me to death. And remind myself not to go too overboard on the "Dora" stuff for her birthday and Christmas because she probably won't even like them this time next year...

{Totally unrelated side note}
Less than a week until we know if we'll be having a boy or girl!! I'm really excited because I can't stand NOT knowing, but dread it just a little because that will mean no excuses for not getting in gear and cleaning out that room for the nursery. Ugh...

All Is Well...Pretty Much

2006-09-01T09:22:00.000-12:00

Sorry I haven't posted in so long! I'm sure your'll all just dying to hear about my boring, ordinary life. (Don't get me wrong-I love my life, drama-free!)

I was sick, then Ashleigh was REALLY sick, had to go to the doctor and all that. Tried a new pediatrician and really like this one. Don't get me wrong, I really like the father/son team I'd been taking her to, BUT it's just such a large practice that I felt we were getting lost in the shuffle way too often. I didn't get angry with them and officially "move her"or anything like that, just thought I'd give someone else a try. I think I might stick with this one. We'll see....

And we've been busy here, amplified by the upcoming holiday and me missing work so no time for blogging!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

I think mine will be nice. I just have to get over the fact that my friend/cousin is arriving at my home about the same time as me tonight and our home is NOT visitor ready. Especially not overnight visitor ready. It's not horrible. It's more of the "I wish I'd known you were dropping by and I'd have straightened up" kind of thing. But she is my friend AND she's family, so I don't think she'll be too judgemental. Especially since she wants to help me clean Saturday to prepare for the arrival of my family on Sunday.

I just hope Kenneth took the trash out this morning....

Well, it's almost time to begin my weekend--ya'll be safe!

Today I Am

2006-08-23T03:04:00.000-12:00

::Feeling great
::Really into my Faith Hill mix on my iTunes
::Comfortably busy
::Looking good (according to my coworkers-not my opinion)
::Feeling like my tummy is enormous
::Absolutely, 100% sure that I'm feeling Peanut move occasionally. YAY!!!
::Tired of being broke (too bad that isn't likely to change)
::Thankful for all the blessings in my life
::Totally in love with my husband--he really is great
::Enjoying every minute I can with our daughter; she's just so darn cute and sweet!
::Thankful for all my wonderful friends
::Thinking I need to be a better friend by keeping in touch better
::Wishing I had someone to clean my house and cook dinner every night (but there's that broke thing...)
::Enjoying my job, but at the same time wishing I could be a stay at home mom, at least part time (that money thing again!)

Hope everyone is doing well!

Little Peanut

2006-08-21T08:07:00.000-12:00

Well, we still don't know if Peanut will be dressed in pink or blue, but things are looking good health wise! From crown to rump our little one measures 3.25", which is quite a change from .75" 5 weeks ago! (If memory serves me right about the measurement during my first ultrasound.) Everything looks great with the baby and his/her cozy little home in my uterus. My next appointment is September 11 (I know...) and then we should know if Ashleigh will have a brother or sister. And also, surprising to me, my C-section has been scheduled for February 8th!

Things are good with me too! I got some prescription sinus medicine AND found out I have a bladder infection so I of course got meds for that too. By Saturday morning I felt like a new woman! Felt great Sunday too. Feel pretty good today, BUT since I threw up (LOTS) about 15 minutes after taking my wonder drugs, not AS good as I probably would have otherwise.

Saturday we had a wonderful time at Caiden's birthday party. Ashleigh and Caiden played in the pool and I was very diligent with sunscreen so there was no sunburn. Not even a tan line! ; ) Ashleigh also got to play on their swingset, which was a big treat for her. To my knowledge, it was the first time she'd been down a slide. (Sliding board to you Yankee people-ha ha!)

Sunday was very productive in the areas of grocery shopping, house cleaning and good old playing and hanging out.

It was a great weekend, just WAY to short!

This and That

2006-08-16T08:04:00.000-12:00

I've had so many random thoughts the past few days, and of course, since I didn't write them down, they're gone...probably forever. But here are a few:

::When I get old, I hope I'm not one of those old women who look like they just got through sucking on a lemon. I mean, has their life really been THAT bad?

::I washed a glass by hand last night for the first time in years. I'll wash plastic cups, but little scared of the glass. I've got a big old scar on my left index finger to show why. The boogers are wicked if they break while your hand is in it!

::It still amazes me how much I love my daughter. I really didn't even know that kind of love existed. And I love lots of people. It's just different when it's your child. And humbling to know my Mom feels the same toward me.

::I don't really get the whole "being stressed out" thing. I mean, over some things-like life and death situations-sure. But work? Not really. And that's not just the Prozac talking, either. I learned a long time ago it's just not worth it.

::I'm such a pregnant geek. I'm all excited because the doctor's office called yesterday and moved my appointment from 10 to 8 Friday morning. So I'll get my ultrasound 2 hours earlier!! I can do without the poking and prodding that will come after on this visit, but I'm all about an ultrasound. She MIGHT be able to tell the gender, but I'm trying really hard not to get my hopes up. I'm sure we'll have to wait on that until next month. ; (

Enough of my idle ramblings...here are some photos!

Ashleigh riding around "our property" ; ) with her Daddy on the 4-wheeler. She loves it!

Looking pretty at the baby shower Sunday afternoon:

Our girl loves her ravioli! AND cutting up for the camera...

Get Real

2006-08-11T09:37:00.000-12:00

OK, after my last post, which was a bit of a downer, I just had to share this.

I was looking at some pregnancy website stuff, and was looking at the exercise related stuff. Because while I am quite certain I won't overdo it, a girl's gotta be sure, right?

Well, one little "tip" said to weigh yourself before and after you work out and to drink 2 glasses of water for every pound they lost during their workout.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

HA! I say.

I'm pretty darn sure that I have never lost a pound of sweat during a workout. Ever. Much less during pregnancy. I mean, I'm all about the AC and fans. And if I start sweating buckets...well, it's time for the cool down.

Of course, this could be why my maternity clothes are large and extra-large rather than medium, but...oh well. I'm not going to sweat away POUNDS of fluid. Not voluntarily anyway.

Have a cool weekend!

So much for feeling better...

2006-08-11T06:54:00.000-12:00

Thursday I thought I might die. OK, not really. But if I hadn't been able to sleep most of the day, I'd probably have wished at least a temporary, non-harmful coma.

Headache doesn't even describe what I felt. It wasn't a migraine, although most people who haven't had a real migraine would say it was. This morning it was much better, only to begin throwing up. Great. Luckily, that didn't last too long, and I think I'm on my way to feeling kinda-sorta good. Hope so, we've got a visit to my family scheduled for tomorrow!

I feel sort of petty even complaining about my minor ailments, though.

I have a friend that I work with that needs everyone's thoughts and prayers.

She just turned 30 this spring, which makes all these health problems even more troubling. She was first diagnosed with heart disease, then it was later determined she also has kidney disease. She's been in the hospital all week and will be there a good bit longer, it seems as they run more tests. I'm sure that she will be fine in the long run, it's just so scary for anyone, especially someone as young as her to have all these problems. And all the waiting is so hard, because you can't really deal with anything until you know what exactly you're up against.

I have another friend who's 32 who's just had her second chemo treatment...

It's so easy to get discouraged, but I will stay positive.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Could it be?

2006-08-08T07:19:00.000-12:00

Dare I hope? Could it be?

This is day number two of feeling good. REALLY GOOD. I mean, I still get tired and winded more easily and all that fun stuff, but no headache (knock on wood). No sickness or anything. Well, brushing my teeth is a little tricky still, but otherwise, all is well.

I felt so good yesterday...get this: I worked out. This is something I did regularly before getting pregnant, but I haven't been able to even think about it for about, oh...3 months! I plan on working out again tonight, too. Look out world! ; )

So could this all mean that my all-day-long-think-you're-gonna-die sickness might be coming to an end? I sure hope so. I hate feeling like crap. I have stuff to do. Like clean out an entire room and closet to make room for the little one causing all the changes. And try to get my daughter to crawl into her toddler bed and fall alseep on her own and stay there all night long. Then work on potty training again. Because this first go around just hasn't worked AT ALL!

Sweet Baby Girl

2006-08-07T02:59:00.000-12:00

First off, let me say that my daughter is normally dressed! But I decided to let her have some ketchup with her french fries and really didn't want another ruined shirt!

She loves to color these days! This particular session, however, she decided she'd rather color herself...then as always happens when she gets bored, she starts to eat them!! I hate it when she does that and take them away as soon as I realize what she's done, but I'm pretty sure eating crayons hasn't killed a child yet!

Ashleigh got a special treat a couple of weeks ago when her Mamaw took her to McDonald's for a Happy Meal. Doesn't she look like a little heathen in her do-rag?

Several weeks ago, I got Caiden's toddler bed from Rachel. Ashleigh hasn't slept in it nearly enough, but she sure loves to play in it!! If she ever gets quiet and I have to go looking for her, I almost always find her with some of her stuffed animals in her bed.

Shamu

2006-08-07T02:44:00.000-12:00

OK, I finally decided I wasn't going to get any better, LOL!

Just keep in mind this was taken about 7:30pm, after a long day during which I felt particularly crummy...

And I weigh 3 pounds LESS than when I got pregnant!!! This is what I looked like at about 6 months with Ashleigh.

Where Did My Baby Go?

2006-08-03T02:10:00.000-12:00

Seriously. I mean, I know where Ashleigh is, but what happened to my baby?

I've lost count of how many words she knows. It's unreal. And she's speaking in short little sentences. Here are some examples:
::Look Mama?
::Where did {insert whatever here} go?
::What was that?
::I'm sleepy.
::I'm OK!
::I want {juice, milk, cookie, nana, grape, etc.}
::Help me! (This one cracks me up every time)
::Bye-bye, miss you!
::Bye-bye, see you later!
::That's my chair.
::Get me down.

And I'm sure there are more. She'll be 20 months old Tuesday. I don't think we've got a baby genius, but I do believe she's ahead in the verbal skills area. Oh, and I'm sure you can imagine these aren't all pronounced perfectly, BUT you don't have to live with her to know what she's saying either. Everybody can understand her!

In other news (LOL)::
::I'd also like to thank the aliens for returning my car & house key. The sneaky suckers put them underneath my truck seat. But they sent me some sort of subliminal message to get me to look there, so I can't be too mad, I suppose.

::I'd also like help coming to terms with how quickly my waist has disappeared. I'm 3 months pregnant today I promise, this is how I looked at 6 months with Ashleigh!!! I'm going to try to take a "belly pic" today, even though I think I look a total mess. I plan on posting my monthly "belly pics" of course, and I think I'll also post my Ashleigh-pregnancy pics so you can compare. It's CRAZY!!!

Oh, how I love thee...

2006-07-31T08:06:00.000-12:00

Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips. All I can say is YUM!

I think this qualifies as my first true craving this go around. I craved them with Ashleigh too, but not this early. With her, my first craving was refried beans. I still love those too. That was a much healthier craving than this chip business. I buy the fat free kind, and they're loaded with all sorts of things good for me. S&V Chips? Probably one of the worst things I could want. All that sodium? Don't need it. All those calories? Don't need them. All that fat? Don't need it. So I'm indulging myself very sparingly.

Of course, I've tried to get myself fixated on something much more beneficial...like cucumbers. But I only like those in large quantities when they've been turned in to yummy dill pickles!

I really need to not think about food at all, but it's hard some days. Last night, Kenneth and I watched a Travel Channel show about the Top 10 Places To Pig Out. Oh, that reminds me Kelley, have you ever eaten a pizza from Pointers in St. Louis? I can't imagine ever ordering the Pointersaurus (28" pizza that weighs 11 lbs. I think) but man, it sure did look good!! The steaks in Texas looked good, as well as the burgers that were in Boston, maybe? Of course, NOT at those gigantic proportions! I just don't see why anyone would even want to TRY to eat a 3 lb. burger and 5 lb.s of fries! OR a 72 oz. steak and all the sides. Ugh. There were some gross things on there too, like raw oysters (BLAH!!!), 12 egg omlets (ICK!!), really, really hot chicken wings (WHY??) and believe it or not, some HUGE bucket o' ice cream and topping of Ben and Jerry's. I, the sugar fanatic, thought that was just WAY too much.

Then today at work I had to type recipes for a project.

Then I decided to blog about the one thing I'm trying NOT to think of....

I think I'll go get a snack...

Bad Day/Good Night

2006-07-29T03:22:00.000-12:00

Isn't funny how a bad day can morph seamlessly into a good night?

Nothing bad happened to me on Friday; I just felt...blah. I just didn't have the energy or inclination to do anything. Of course, I had to get up, go to work and do my job anyway--that's just what being an adult is about.

But when I got home, an almost magical transformation occurred! Kenneth had come home early and he'd done a little housework which is always welcomed and appreciated. But that's not what really did it. When I came in, he and Ashleigh were playing "Horsey." Which means he gets to be the horse while she bounces around and yells giddyup horsey! So fun to watch. I made a real quick dinner and then the three of us just hung out and played. It was WONDERFUL. The things she comes up with are just hilarious. Like right now, one of her big things is rubbing our back--and we have to rub hers. Well, she started rubbing Kenneth's back and he said "rub my foot." She started to, then said "Foot dirty!" Hilarious, to say the least. But to be fair, she said my feet, her feet and even her Pooh Bear's feet were dirty.

Speaking of dirty feet, she is a little TRAITOR! My dear sweet hubby has taught her a terrible thing. Each night, she decides her Daddy's boots and socks must come off and she helps. About a week ago, after each sock, he told her to go throw it on Mama. AND SHE DID. With great joy and glee, I might add. Now he doesn't even have to tell her. Last night she asked him if she could!!

I wish I'd had a video camera set up just to record our time together last night, so I could replay it when I'm feeling down. I started to get out the camera, but I was afraid the spell might be broken. So I guess other than sharing it here, it will just have to be our little memory to replay in our minds when the mood strikes us.

Pole Counter???

2006-07-25T05:48:00.000-12:00

You'll never guess what I saw recently.

A "Pole Counter Contractor." At least that's what the magnetic signs said on the door of the SUV. And there was a lady, probably early 50's, in shorts, t-shirt and reflective vest who appeared to be counting poles. Hmm....

Wonder what that pays?

And who needs to know exactly how many there are? I'd think the phone company knows how many poles they have installed over the years, just as the electric company would know how many they have installed as well. Maybe someone thinks that there is a pole bandit out running amok placing poles willy-nilly all over the place?

If anyone knows the purpose of this person's job, please let me know!

It Must Be Aliens (and other random thoughts)

2006-07-21T01:35:00.000-12:00

Yesterday when preparing to leave the house for work, I couldn't find my keys. Now understand, I have NEVER lost my keys before. EVER. I'm a "always keep them in my purse" kind of girl. I looked and looked to no avail. So I grabbed the spare out of the magnetic box on the bottom of my truck and off to work I went. Then during the day I thought I must have put them in my pocket when going in the house the afternoon before. Nope! More searching last night. Nothing. I even looked through the trash because when pregnant with Ashleigh I threw away Kenneth's cell phone! I wasnt' sure whether to be disappointed or relieved they weren't in the trash either. SO........aliens obviously stole my keys!

You know your taste in music is weird when you can't even understand it yourself! For example, I really can't stand Rihanna's song "Unfaithful!" I mean, come on. Stop your whining. Either dump your man, or stop being a ho! But I LOVE her song "SOS." BUT, I really like the Pussycat Dolls song "Don't Cha." Which, if you don't know...well, here's a line from the song, "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?" How can this be? I'll just say it's because "Don't Cha" is a fast "fun" song.

I got unreasonably upset this morning when the convenience store didn't have small containers of milk. Just plain old milk. Not chocolate milk, but milk. Why can they have about a quarter million containers of BEER but no milk. I was all upset, but didn't have time to make a second stop before work. So I bought Dr. Pepper. That's almost the same, right? And as I left, guess what was outside? A BEER TRUCK MAKING A DELIVERY! The new Texaco is obviously catering to the alcoholic crowd....

Hope you all have a good weekend. I plan to see if I can find where the aliens stashed my keys...

25%!

2006-07-20T03:46:00.000-12:00

This is what Peanut looks like about now. Cool, huh? Weird to know that my little one could have the hiccups right now, or jump at a loud noise, and he/she is so small I wouldn't even feel it!

Today officially puts me 25% through my pregnancy.

Only 210 days left to go....

Oh wait!!! Dr. Otey said we'd do the C-section a week early, so that's 203 days, right?

Update on Life

2006-07-19T07:05:00.000-12:00

Haven't posted for awhile, so here's a little recap:

Saturday
Felt great! Had one cranky child though. Did manage to get loads of housework done, in spite of that inconvenience.

Sunday
Didn't feel nearly as good, but my Mom came to visit which is always a treat. Especially this time, since she brought me TWO MORE maternity shirts. I still can't believe I actually NEED them this early. But I weighed again this morning, still 3 lbs. down from my prepregnancy weight. I'm beginning to get my appetite back, though. When I fully enter the "Hungry Cow" phase of pregnancy, that weight thing will change, I know.

Monday
Ashleigh's hospital testing. OH MY GOD IT WAS HORRIBLE! The first test involved inserting a catheter, filling her bladder with dye, then X-raying her when she peed. Well, it was bad enough when I was in the room with her, but I had to leave before the X-rays started due to my pregnancy. She was yelling "Mama, help!" and "I'm sorry!" over and over. I think I cried as much as she did! She calmed down quicker than I did though. When I went back in there to her, she was still crying, but said, "Mama, I on TV." Talking about the X-ray monitor. The ultrasound wasn't nearly as bad. As of now (Wednesday night) still haven't heard anything from the doctor's office. Beginning to lose patience. But the ultrasound tech said that everything looked good, so I'm not too worried about it.

Tuesday
Pretty easy day at work, felt kinda blah. No particular reason...just blah. Ashleigh slept in her toddler bed until about 3am. I couldn't sleep well until about 3am, when she was in bed with us. How much does THAT suck? I want her out of our bed, she needs to be out of our bed, but I couldn't sleep well when she wasn't there!

Wednesday
Felt not quite so blah, very tired though because I didn't sleep well. Made a squash casserole for dinner, it was pretty good. A little too runny, but good.

Ready for the weekend already!

Bits & Pieces

2006-07-14T03:22:00.000-12:00

Well, here are two more things I said last night that struck me as terribly funny. I was talking to Ashleigh in both cases, just in case you wonder...

::Baby, don't rub your face in my crotch!

::Stop sticking noodles in your nose. No ma'am! STOP IT!! ACK!! Not in your ears either!!!

OK, in retrospect, the noodle thing isn't nearly as funny as the first one. But she was so darn INTENT on getting those noodles into her nose.

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Just found out that Ashleigh's tests are Monday morning at 8:00. Joy. A renal ultrasound and some other test referred to by letters. VCU or something like that? All I know is she freaks out when the doctors try to look in her ears. She might have a heart attack over this. NOT looking forward to it all ALL!

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Last night as I was trying to go to sleep, I realized I needed to adjust my attitude a little. I've been really caught up in worrying about money, bills, etc. Wondering where we're going to put all our "stuff" to make room for the little one on the way. I realized that while that stuff does have to be dealt with, I need to refocus my energy on the joy of bringing a new life into the world. I had such a great pregnancy and actually enjoyed it with Ashleigh; with the knowledge that she might be our only child. I had to remind myself how neat it's going to be when I can feel the baby moving. How exciting it will be to find out if we'll have a boy and girl or two girls. The anticipation of meeting our child for the first time. The joy of seeing Ashleigh with her sibling and knowing that she'll have someone to share her life with that grew up in the same house as her and all that involves.

And on a less "meaningful" note, I had to remind myself that hopefully feeling crappy will end in a few more weeks. Of course, stopping to throw up on the side of the highway this morning didn't really help that pep talk any...I'll spare you those details!

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Totally unrelated to anything really, but just feel the need to share: Shakira really bothers me. I've never been a huge fan, but her song came on the radio the other day and I almost hurt myself changing the station! That voice, UGH! Worse than nails on a chalkboard to me. I'm sure she's a nice person but if I NEVER hear her sing again I'll be truly happy. Sorry if I've offended any Shakira fans; I'll just blame it on pregnancy hormones run amuk!

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Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I have all sorts of ideas about cleaning out closets, etc. But lets be honest; I'll do well to keep the regular housework done. That and hang out with my family...

Due Date: February 15

2006-07-12T01:55:00.000-12:00

Here's a look at our little peanut, about an inch long right now. Everything about our little one (and my inner workings) looks great, and we even got to hear the heartbeat yesterday. A heartrate of 176 seems awfully fast, but that's normal.

My doctor was really happy for us and answered all my questions. I don't know what came over me, but I didn't even ask him everything I intended to. I think it's because Kenneth was sitting there, I don't know... But I can now safely take certain sinus medicines which is a great relief!

He said he wanted me to come back to see him in 3-4 weeks, but my appointment is actually 5 weeks away, August 18. I'll have another ultrasound at that time (YAY!) just as a precaution since I was on the pill (Ortho Tri-Cyclen, just in case you're wondering) when I got pregnant. I think he's going to want to see me more often this time, for whatever reason. When I asked when we'd find out the sex of the baby, he said about 18 weeks-three visits from yesterday's visit. Well, that'd be 3 visits in 10 weeks (really closer to 9 weeks) and that's alot more than once a month by my calculations! But I don't mind, whatever they think is best. I don't care if I get ultrasounds at every visit! Hearing the heartbeat is nice, but actually seeing your little one is very exciting!

Ashleigh has been sick, with another urinary tract infection. Now they want her to have some tests to make sure there aren't any underlying problems. : ( I don't think there are. I think that it's the first one rearing it's ugly head because giving Ms. Priss her medicine is, well...really, really difficult. Do you know how hard it can be to force an uncooperative toddler to swallow? If not, you are truly blessed!

Fun Weekend

2006-07-06T04:09:00.000-12:00

Ashleigh and I went to my parent's house for a few days over the holiday (Kenneth couldn't-he had to work Monday) and Ashleigh had lots of fun in their swimming pool. We didn't get any photos the first time we got in, but here are a few from the second time. Didn't my Daddy do a good job as photographer?

I think this expression is priceless! Wonder how many times I'll get that look as she grows up?

Love how joyful she looks in this one:

She LOVES to splash! I like the way the water drops look in this shot.

Better Late Than Never

2006-07-06T04:04:00.000-12:00

I know this is a little late, but here are the Father's Day gifts I made. The one with the handprint is Kenneth's, and the one with the baby carriage is my Daddy's. That's how I told my parent's another grandbaby was on the way!

A little photo entry...

2006-06-23T07:44:00.000-12:00

It's been awhile since I've posted any photos, so I figured I'd overdo it today!

Last weekend, we visited some family and here Ashleigh is, playing with her cousin Jayden, who's just a few days younger:

Ashleigh got lots of presents from the grandparents last week:

Some photos we took during my Mom's last visit:

Ashleigh's first time in the pool:

These are two of my favorite photos of Ashleigh from the past month or so:

In pregnancy news:
I'm six weeks along and feel about 4 months. Seriously. I haven't gained ANY weight, don't feel like eating half the time...BUT MAN, my clothes are sure getting tighter. Especially pants. I've already outgrown all the stuff that fit, and fear I'll quickly outgrow the things that were too big a month ago. I think before long I'll just have to switch to maternity stuff so people will know I'm pregnant, not just getting fatter at a frightening pace. You might think I'm exagerating, but I was looking through my little pregnancy scrapbook last night, I I think I look about like I did when I was 4 months along with Ashleigh. YIKES!! I know they say you show quicker with the second baby, but I'm beginning to worry all those twin predictions might be true.

Have a great weekend!

Things I've Realized

2006-06-20T07:33:00.000-12:00

Today while working on a very tedious project, I had lots of time to think and I've realized a few things about myself:

-I really like alone time on occasion. Usually I can't get it when I want it.
-When I have alone time, it really ticks me off when I can't enjoy it; for whatever reason.
-My music tastes are very fickle. What I love today, I might HATE tomorrow.
-Even though I've done this "pregnancy thing" before, I've forgotten alot! I feel compelled to read every pregnancy book I can get my hands on. (Still skipping all the scary parts, of course!)
-I have been blessed with the most adorable, loving wonderful daughter. Can I be so blessed the second time? (OF COURSE!)
-I'm really hung up on the pregnancy stuff. Obsessed, really. Even though now I KNOW that things get infinetly harder AFTER birth.
-Will this be a boy or girl? Will he or she look just like Kenneth? Or will there be a little bit of me in there?

-I thought of a few other things, but I've forgotten them. (Yes, that little forgetfulness thing you've heard about pregnancy? Very true!)

Top 8 Mom Sayings

2006-06-18T08:47:00.000-12:00

These are things that remind you that you're a Mom the second they come out of your mouth. Be sure to read to number 1, it's a doosey!
9. Don't grab other people's pee-pees. (Ashleigh walked up to me, grabbed my crotch and yelled pee-pee. Thank GOD we were at home.)
8. Don't eat the cat food!
7. Get your finger out of your nose. (At least, I HOPE you're talking to a child on this one.)
6. Stop chewing your toe.
5. Don't drink your bath water.
4. You can't eat that, it's been on your bootie! (Food out of high chair seat before I get it cleaned out.)
3. Don't stick your tongue in my nose!!! (Yeah, that was my reaction too!)
2. Don't try to look under someone's butt when they're on the toilet. (too hard to explain, trust me.
1. Sweetie, you're going to be a big sister because Mommy has a baby growing in her belly.

Yep, that's right. We found out last week that Ashleigh will have a brother or sister sometime in February, probably. I go to the doctor on July 11, I'll have an exact due date then.

And yes, it was a surprise.

And yes, after the shock wore off, we're very, very happy.

We don't care if it's a boy or girl, we just want a healthy child.

Yes, we'll find out if it's a boy or girl as soon as they'll do a sonogram! Not caring does NOT equal not wanting to know.

Just trying to answer all the obvious questions. ; )

OH, and for those of you out there on Ortho-Tricyclen...be careful. That's all I'm going to say...