little April Big World

Slinkys First Haircut

2010-08-11T20:29:00.004-05:00

I finally broke down and trimmed the old man do.

Surprisingly its not as emotional with the second child lol! of coarse I had to save lock of hair!

Eat your heart out ladies.....

My Style is Always Changing

2010-08-11T19:51:00.006-05:00

In the short 6 years we have lived in our house my style has changed many times. I started out with a bunch of mix match decorations and sparse furniture, then I turned very French country. I grew very tired of golds, greens, and reds that one day I just packed up all my decorations and dispersed them amongst very excited family members.
Now I don't know what you would call my style. I LOVE all the new modern patterns but I still like a country cottage feel. I guess you can say I'm Modern country if there is a such thing?!?!?

This is one of many rooms that inspire me......

And these are a few things I think I cant live without.......

I found these to lamps at Marshalls on clearance for $20 a piece CAN U BELIEVE THAT?!?! What is more unbelievable is that I didn't purchase them......I know right? The reason for my short insanity was these lamps are totally the wrong color and would clash with everything in my bedroom. They might be worth redecorating my whole bedroom for :-p

And then there is this rug from West Elm that I LOVE!!!!!!!! To bad I am to cheap to spend $300 on it!

Blooger + iPad= not so compatible

2010-08-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Recently I purchased an iPad for my hubs birthday and I am strongly consideing purchasing one for myself. The only problem is iPad and blogger are not so compatible. Your probaly thinking what I'm thinking BOOOOOOO right ?!?!?!
I figured out you can only write in the HTML section but you can not edit font, size, or color. Also no pictures!!!!!!! If you have been looking at my blog long you know I love to post pictures, especially of my beautiful boys. Worst of all NO SPELL CHECK.
I can't believe Blogger doesn't have an app wordpress does.
Anyone else know any tricks????

Ians Big # 1

2010-07-25T09:16:00.020-05:00

Three months ago Mr. Ian turned the big 1 and what better way to celebrate then a Dr. Suess birthday bash........

The decorations :)

My sad attempt to be a cake decorator.....

Horton Cupcakes.....

Its not a party without a bounce house.....
Thing 1 & Thing 2 And no first birthday would be complete with out smashing some cake.....
A quick bath in the sink to wash of all that yummy cake.....

Happy 1st birthday Ian James!!!!

A Sneak Peek

2010-04-09T12:46:00.003-05:00

So excited about Ians Dr. Suess 1st birthday party!!!

Here is a sneak peek........

Hoppy Easter

2010-04-05T07:59:00.007-05:00

****WARNING PICTURE OVERLOAD****

This Easter was a Little quieter then previous years, both the boys had a really yucky cold so we decided to quarantine them and have our own little secluded Easter at home.

We Dyed eggs on Saturday.....

Getting the yard ready for egg hunting..The Easter Bunny Came!!!Let the egg hunt begin...... Look at the big boy standing all by himself...

My sweet boys.....Happy Easter Everyone!!!!

Frugal Friday Fun!!!!

2010-03-26T17:11:00.007-05:00

It was a beautiful day today so we decided to enjoy a picnic at the park.....

So thankful for days like this :-)))))

My Bathroom is Under Construction

2010-03-26T16:55:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lack of postings I have been busy bust busy with my projects! Now that my kitchen redo is close to completion (which we all know will never happen)

I decided to start working on my master bath. I painted my cheap medium oak cabinets black, sanded the edges and used a Mocha stain over them.....
Next I am going to frame out the mirror and ad a head knocker.

I liked the look of the sanded edges so much I decided to do it in the kitchen as well. I painted the cabinet a few month back and did an antique glaze on them... Here are the cabinets sanded and stained......
Not a huge difference but I love it!!!!!

Please Help

2010-03-17T15:53:00.003-05:00

The past couple years have been nothing short of a roller coaster for my sisterinlaw Amber and her family. At the age of three their youngest son Ayden was Diagnosed with cancer. After 6 rounds of Chemo and a liver transplant he is now cancer free and getting stronger everyday!

In May Amber will be running a half marathon in honor of sweet Ayden and to help raise money to fight cancer so hopefully every family can have a happy ending like our family did.

Ayden is truly an inspiration to us all!!!Please check out this link and donate whatever you can, $5 can help change lives....

Amber's Fundraising Page

A Shower for Little Hunter

2010-03-15T09:22:00.007-05:00

Sunday I helped throw a baby shower for my sweet step sister Melissa. My brother in Law Ben is really into hunting, they even planed both there kids around deer season LOL! WE are so excited about baby Hunter that we decided to throw him a party that we knew daddy would approve off.....Camo Cupcakes.....
Gingerbread Deer favors.....The excited parents....The Spread......A super cute Diaper cake made by Kacee.. The Diaper Game, you have to guess what baby food is in each diaper....The Toilet Paper Game, guess how many squares of TP it takes to get around Melissa Baby bump.... finally lots of sweet new baby things for precious Hunter....And of coarse Big Sister gets gifts too....Now all we can do is sit and wait for his arrival!!!

Back Splash DIY

2010-03-10T21:57:00.014-06:00

I am so so so proud of my husband for our latest project. We decided to be brave and install a tile back splash in our kitchen. We talked to a guy at home depot and he told us about this stuff.... Its a fiber glass sticker that can be used instead of tile board also the tile stick directly to it so you don't have to plaster first. This is a bit my expensive than regular tile board at $25 for 10 sq feet but make s it much quicker and easier so it was well worth the money! This is our kitchen before.... we removed the laminate back splash first...

next we placed the fiber glass sticker sheets on the wall....
followed by tile placement and grouting..... The Grout we used was a premixed, it also cost a little higher but made the project easier....

We also went ahead and purchased a wet saw instead of renting one because I have a feeling this will not be our only tile project.

and this is the finished product......

Doesn't that look amazing, it makes such a huge difference in our kitchen!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T07:36:00.003-06:00

Who Knew a Coke machine could be so much fun.....Happy WW!

Birthday Dr. Suess Style

2010-03-08T18:59:00.012-06:00

As crazy as it may seem Ian's first birthday is next month! I LOVE throwing a party and usually go a little overboard when doing so. My Theme for Ian's Big #1 is Dr. Suess. I am so excited about this theme cause there are so many possibilities. Here are a few ideas I have gathered from the Internet.....

One fish two fish RED fish Blue fish...

I found thing 1 & Thing 2 t-shirts for the boys....

Aren't these the cutest cupcakes you ever seen and I think they will be super easy to make.....

I also bought these adorable stuffed animals from Kohls at only 5 bucks a piece to use for decorations....

found these at Hobby Lobby.... and this stacking box set from Barnes and Noble..... Do you have it all pictured in your head?

Big Things Happening This Month

2010-03-02T09:28:00.003-06:00

Taking a page out of Emily's book over at Imperfect and making a TO DO list for the month of march!

Geeze where do I start.........

1. Install tile back splash in my kitchen as seen here. (never worked with tile before so this one should be interesting lol)

2. Put the final touches on my Stepsisters baby shower not this weekend but next. Its going to be Camo theme super cute, will post more on this one later :)

3. Plan Ian's first Birthday party. Its the last weekend in April but I go all out for birthdays so it takes some time to plan!

4. Clean up the back yard.

5. Paint all Base boards, doors and trim. This is a big one that I am not looking forward to but will be so nice when its done!

6.Find and hopefully have installed new carpet for the bedrooms.

7. Start an Etsy store as seen here.

I am sure there is a whole lot more but I will stop here!

Whats yours?

To Etsy or Not to Etsy

2010-02-28T09:46:00.007-06:00

To Etsy or not to Etsy that is the Question?!?!

I consider myself a pretty crafty person and every time I am searching Etsy.com I think to myself I should start my own Etsy store.

ILOVE LOVE LOVE anything girly! I think every little girl should be wearing a bow and a tutu at all times even if its just going to the grocery store. I use to say I wanted all girls but God has a sense of humor and gave Me all boys (I wouldnt change it for the world)!

So here are a couple of my bows and tutus..... Yes that is my son wearing a bow lol....

This is my little niece Avery don't you just want to eat her up.... So what do u think?

Just a Few Things I Need for Working on the House

2010-02-28T09:25:00.011-06:00

I am in much need of my own tools! Its just no fun using my husbands MAN tools when these would be so much cooler.....

What women's life is not complete without a pink drill.....

And of coarse I need a place to store all these sassy tools.....
It would need to be bedazzled lol!

Happy Sunday!

Break Out Your Paint Brushes

2010-02-26T14:51:00.008-06:00

Its been five years since we have painted the main rooms in our house which means time for new paint! Of coarse you know me I cant paint them the same color they were before, its time for a CHANGE! I went to Home Depot and Lowe's an cleaned out their paint swatches. I LOVE LOVE LOVE theses little paint samples you can buy for only $3 a piece....
Paxton decided I needed help.......

I can never just visit one section at home depot. I thought if I cant afford to vamp up my counter tops why not put up a back splash to make them look nicer! I really liked this one and at $2.50 a square foot its a steal!!!Ok back to my paint.......

For some crazy reason I thought I might like a teal green in my kitchen (#4) until I put it up on the wall and decided I lived in Texas not Florida so this was not a good choice for me!

#1 is the current color of my bathroom, which I have never been that crazy about and not crazy about for my living room either

#2 is a Martha Stewart Paint, that girl knows what she doing I think its a WINNER for my living room!

# 3 Another Martha color which I also LOVE! Defiantly a strong contender for my kitchen,

#4 Heck NO!

#5 I like but is kinda boring and predictable

What do Y'all think?

Stock Show 2010

2010-02-25T09:11:00.018-06:00

Back in January we took our Annual trip with Mamaw and Papaw to the Stock Show. Of coarse Poopoos favorite part was the petting zoo.... Not sure what he is doing here... or thinking here lol.... he Loved feeding the goats... till he was out numbered.... I am such a mean mom I forced him to ride the pony... and our tradition would not be complete with out buying new boots...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T08:09:00.005-06:00

You Gotta Wear Shades.....

For more WW Fun visit 5 Minutes for Mom

My New Favorite Show

2010-02-22T14:44:00.004-06:00

Now I know we are all guilty of this!

I try so hard to sort threw the junk at my house so that I don't turn into the people on this show!

I Know I am no were near the serious issues these people are facing but with a small house and limited storage my mind feels like there house looks!

This is such a sad show about people who hoard stuff. I watched an episode the other day were a ladies house was soooo bad they found not 1 but 2 dead cats buried under all her crap! How sad is that to have to dead cats in your house and have no idea.
Watching this show defiantly motivates me to get up and clean out my closets lol!
Set your Tivo to Hoarders on A&E I swear you will be scraping your jaw off the floor!!!

Decorating Insperations

2010-02-22T10:21:00.012-06:00

*** Update on Counter top paint***

My husband agreed to let me order the counter top paint and try to Faux finish the countertops to look like granite. I did a test run on a piece of cardboard and decided its a NO GO!! I am just going to have to save my pennies for the real thing!

I am on a HUGE decorating kick! I have been surfing the Internet looking for ideas, here are some pics of rooms I like..... Do you recognize this room from Extreme home makeover a couple weeks ago.....I love this Living room, Its Classy, young, eclectic and Fun!!!

I love the light colors in this next living room but most of all the trim work, I really want to do this trim around my fireplace to fancy it up a little.....

This bathroom along with the next several picture I cam across on one of my Fav Blogs DIY Show Off. I LOVE the horizontal strips.....

This is my current project for the wall between my laundry room and masterbedroom door...

This Idea also of the DIY blog I LOVE! but instead of using it a book shelf I would use the to hold frames with Black& White pics.....

This Bedroom also off Extreme Home Makeover a couple weeks ago is just dreamy..... I found the excact bedspread at Target for only $80 SCORE!

Finally this last Idea for my laundry room I got from Young House Love, defiantly a must read blog! this is such a simple solution for hiding all the junk on my laundry room shelves....

I better get to work, I have got lots to do!!!!!

An Interesting Twist on Chocolate!

2010-02-17T09:03:00.003-06:00

Yesterday a client of mine brought me the most interesting chocolate bar I have ever eaten or seen! When she first handed me the bacon chocolate bar by VosgesI thought it was a joke but apparently not, these puppies sell for $7.50 a bar. I sampled it just cause I don't know when I will ever have an opportunity to try something so strange again! What does it taste like you ask, well exactly what it says bacon and chocolate.

Don't get me wrong I love Bacon and I love Chocolate but the two should NEVER be mixed. I am usefully a person who enjoys sweets with my salty, there is nothing more yummy than dipping french fries in a frosty but this is taking it to a totally new level of strange. I am sure there is someone out there who thinks this is brilliant but I think Ill pass next time...YUK!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T08:55:00.003-06:00

Sgetti mmmmm.......

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 minutes for mom

Photo Friday!!!

2010-02-12T08:48:00.016-06:00

Mr. Animated.....

Record Breaking!!!

2010-02-12T08:16:00.008-06:00

In my neck of the woods we've had record breaking snow fall in the last 24 hours, 12 inches!!! Can you believe that, I know many of you get snow on a regular bases but were I live it is rare, if any and never like this! Last night my hubby and Poopoo got out and built a snow man.

Can anyone guess what its suppose to be................

Its Wall-E lol!

My husband got out this morning before he left for work and snapped a few shots of the snow...Check out the back of his truck WOW! Poor Wall-E got covered in snow overnight....It was sooooo beautiful I hate that its all going to melt away and be in the 50's by tomorrow, but that's Texas for ya!

A Rough Day

2010-02-11T07:46:00.005-06:00

Poor little Ian had a rough day yesterday! Now that hes pulling up, cruising the furniture and pushing things around he seem to get hurt more! I remember this phase with Paxton I just wanted to wrap the kid in bubble wrap and he didn't have a 3 year old brother making the situation more hazardous like Ian does.

Doesn't that just break your heart :-(((((

Picture Time!!!

2010-02-10T15:08:00.012-06:00

I took the Kiddos to Target and had there pictures taken last week. I love Target portrait studio because its super cheap and they take great pics! you can go to there website and print off a great coupon for free sitting plus 8x10 and $3.99 a sheet. Now of course I have to have every pic they take so I never get out of there as cheap as I like and this time I just went ahead and bought the CD with copyright for $120 but I can print as many pics as I want so to me its worth it, also I like having a CD to put in the fireproof safe.

The "END"!!!

Please Hubby Please!!!!

2010-02-10T07:21:00.007-06:00

I am trying to talk my hubby into letting me faux paint our formica counter tops to look like granite. We have been wanting to replace our counter tops since we moved in 6 years ago but the cost exceeds the need for them. I first saw the idea on Martha's blog So Lovely Creations, she is so talented but has been MIA for a couple months "Come back Martha PLEASE!".

I have since watched many videos, done my research and decided I would use a product by Giani. For $50 you can get a kit that includes all the paint you need to achieve that granite look!Now I know there are probably tons of methods out there and that I could probably use simple Latex paint but I prefer to go with a product made specifically for painting counter tops. Here are some videos....

these are my counter tops now....

And here are the 2 colors that I like ( I am positive my husband would choose the first one)....

Now doesn't everyone agree that would look fantastic with my newly refinished cabinets! Hey whats the worst that could happen they end up looking terrible and force us to buy are much desired granite ;-)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T06:09:00.002-06:00

Lego Time.....

My only hope is the sharing continues

For More Wordless Wednesdays visit 5 minutes for mom

Antiquing my Cabinets

2010-02-08T15:50:00.011-06:00

A couple months back I painted my medium oak cabinets off white. I finally got around to putting the stain on them that makes them look antique. This project was very simple yet very time consuming since I am a perfectionist.

Here are the cabinets painted cream....

I used Valspar Translucent color glaze from Home Depot and the color I chose was Mocha. I also used Valspar Kitchen and Bath enamel paint when I originally painted the oak cabinets white after sanding and using Valspar primer a few months back.To Strain the cabinet doors I brushed on a generous amount of stain in all the creases..... I then used an old t-shirt as a rag to wipes away excess paint not pressing to hard in the areas I wanted to be darker..... I used the same concept for the drawer fronts but with a gentler approach since the creases were not as deep in order to achieve the look....The cabinet in the left was before and the right is after... And here is the finished project...

Now all I need is new counter tops and appliances "Pretty Please"

Where a kid Can Be a Kid Coupon

2010-02-08T09:16:00.016-06:00

Thanks Fiddledeedee for posting a new Chuck E Cheese's coupon. Go here to get Valentines day cards that are good for 5 free tokens. What a cute Idea for the kids to hand out on Valentines day.

My son went to Chuck E Cheese's for the first time a few weeks ago on his birthday. Lets just say HE LOVED IT! I invited 3 of his buddies to join us. I used a coupon out of smart source that included 1 large pizza, 4 adult size beverages, and 50 tokens for only $24.99. It was enough to feed everyone and I split the coins among the kiddos. I brought cupcakes and left over party decorations from his family Buzz Lightyear party. We got to sit in the party area since it was a Monday afternoon and even ChuckE himself payed us a visit. It was a fun CHEAP party for him and his friends.

Buddies....
Score!!!

Games, Games, and more Games....Making a wish...What a Mess... Poops and Chuck E

A MUST SEE!!!

2010-02-07T09:22:00.004-06:00

OK I have to admit when I first saw the previews for Avatar I had absolutely no interest in seeing it. Everyone has been raving about how awesome it is and how its a must see in 3D.

So me and the Hubbs decided it was time for a much needed date night and ventured out to see it.I haven't been to a 3D movie since I was a kid so I was pretty excited about that part of it but still not expecting to like Avatar.

Lets just say I had to pee half way threw the movie but was so into it that I held it for the rest of the time. WHAT A GREAT MOVIE! I could see it 3D again (which wont happen since date nights are scarce) there are not many movies I would say that about. If you haven't see it I suggest you go while its still in theaters and see it in 3D.

Me and my Sexy Husband in our super cool 3D glasses

(the pictures dark cause I took it with my phone in the theater)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2010-02-07T08:15:00.018-06:00

This winter has been a crazy one! Usually in out part of Texas we rarely see any snow and if so very very little.

We have been so excited this year to get as much snow as we have had. The last time it snowed enough to be able to make a snowman Poops was 1 and couldn't walk yet. That's why this time its so exciting since he is big enough to get out there and roll around in it!

I swear he and my hubby spent hours playing out in the snow, just seeing that big smile on his face kept me warm while I was out there taking pictures......

The Blizzard

Building Texas size(mini) snowman....

Snow Mountain....

Dadda trying to break his other hand...Monkey see, monkey do...
Snow Dad...OK enough goofing around lets build the snowman...
Check out those snow boots.....Texas sledding lol.....We all really enjoyed it and maybe we will get snow again next year so Slinky can enjoy it too :)

Big Boy Undies

2010-02-05T11:23:00.004-06:00

Guess who decided he wanted to wear his big boy undies today.......

Poopoo has had poo pooing in the potty mastered for awhile but pee pee is a different story. I have tried everything imaginable to get him potty trained but he is to smart for his own britches! I bribe with candy fancy underpants even going to school but still nothing is yet been worth it!

Today after pooping in the potty I asked if he would like to put on his big boy undies and instead of his usual response "no I want my diapey" he actually said "yeah I put my big boy undie on and go to school". "YES!!!"

Now I am trying to to get to excited, this is not the first time I have managed to get underwear on him, but at least this time it was willingly. I explained to him over and over again that he has to tell me when he needs to go pee pee so he doesn't mess up his Buzz light year undies....WISH US LUCK!!!

My Plate Project

2010-02-05T09:19:00.005-06:00

I have been changing the look of my home for the past several months. At first I was trying to go more modern but somehow it took a Shabby Chic turn. I figured I am just way to eclectic to be stream line modern.....

( Please ignore the garland I took this pic around Christmas time) I bought the white plates from Wal-Mart and added vinyl letters that spelled out Bon Appetite. I got my letters from my next door neighbor who owns a sign company but I am sure you can go to any quick sign place and have some made. Finally I hung them with plate hangers, I think they look really neat and different.

RIP Alice Horton

2010-02-05T07:56:00.005-06:00

Our beloved Alice Horton (Francis Reid) Passed away Feb. 3 2010 at 95 years old. Now I know some of you are wondering who the heck she is! Alice was the beloved grandmother of just about every character on my favorite soap Days of Our Lives. When I was a little girl my grandmother use to make me suffer threw this show everyday now I am a loyal watcher, my Tivo is set. Alice has not made an appearance in years but still is visited often by her family on the show. I think the show says it best "Like sands threw an hour glass so are the days of our lives"

Ian 9 Months

2010-02-05T07:46:00.005-06:00

Slinky 9 months old

Height 28 inches 25%

Weight 17lbs 8%

It is so crazy to compare your kids, I remember when Poopoo was 9 months old HE WAS HUGE!

Ian is such a tiny little man still wearing allot of 3-6 month clothes. When Pax was a baby I would see baby's that were tiny like Ian and say somebody needs to feed it lol!

Thing he can do....

Crawl

Pull up

Feed himself

Say Dadda

Drive a walker like a professional stunt man

Always make us smile

Grannys Door

2010-02-04T13:28:00.004-06:00

For about 5 years I have had a my husbands Great Grannys screen door sitting our garage. I had always wanted to do something with it and finally I did.....

A dear friend and long time client of mine has taken the most amazing photos for us over the years. I bought a box of black frames from target that were all different sizes. I picked out some of my favorite black and white pictures that I wanted to frame. At first I tried to attach the frames with nails but that didn't work as planned so I hot glued each frame to the door. I think my screen door project turned out great and it has allot of old and now new memories for my husband.

To Infinity and Beyond....

2010-02-04T09:22:00.015-06:00

That right Poops turned 3!
Wow the past three years have flown by!!!

Pax is really into to Toy Story and LOVES Buzz Lightyear so we celebrated his birthday Buzz Stlye.......

Yes I made those cupcakes :)

Cousins...Poopoo got his wings......

Did I mention how much he loves Wall-E too!

Make a wish sweet boy....

Happy 3rd Birthday Precious Paxton!!!!

What a Year!

2010-02-04T09:03:00.003-06:00

Last year was the most exciting, busiest, trialing, difficult year of our lives! Just a recap of 2009 we welcomed our second sweet baby boy into the world. Ian is the most amazing child his face just glows. He has been our light threw this difficult year, no matter how hard things get he warms you. He had a rough start himself coming six weeks early and spending some time in the NICU but has defiantly caught up!
Not long after Ian was born I was hospitalized an diagnosed with Postpartum CardioMyopathy, which is basically heart failure brought on by pregnancy. After following a strict low sodium diet and medications I am now much better and able to function normally.
Without the love of the most amazing husband in the world and the help of our family this year would of done me in. I am so grateful for everyone in my life!
As for my blog I have missed it and my bloggy family! Everytime I would work on a new post in the past I'd feel guilty for not being down on the floor playing with my kids so I usually end up never finishing it and just deleting it. Its hard to spend time on some things when u have been reminded how precious every moment is. I am going to try to be better, I'm not making any promises but I will try to update regularly.

Pumpkin Patch 09

2009-10-26T09:56:00.037-05:00

Warning Picture overload!!!!

Friday after my Dr. Appt Me and the Boys went to the Pumpkin Patch with Gammi. The last couple of years we have gone to the same Pumpkin Patch not far from our house but this year we decided to go to one on Gammis side of town. It was awesome and defiantly our new spot!Paxton just played and played......

They had the cutest little push peddle tractors...

There was a corn field maze, which was harder than it looked. It took a good 20 minutes for us to find our way out! Gotta love Poopoos con placement lol...

Cookie Break...

We went on a hay ride......

It was so much fun it stopped twice once to feed Donkeys....

and again to feed some cows with really really long tongues lol!

It was so fun, I love this time of year:)

Happy Fall Y'all!!!

90 Day Dr. Visit

2009-10-26T09:33:00.002-05:00

Friday I went to see my cardiologist for my 90 day Echocardiograhm. This was a big appt for me cause it was the first echo I have had since I was hospitalized three months ago. 50 % of women diagnosed with Postpartum Cardiomyopathy completely recover with full heart function in the first few years after diagnosis.

When I was in the hospital I had a EF Ejection fraction of 15%, The average person walks around with an EF between 50% and 65%. When I had my echo I was really hoping for a EF of at least 45% and judging by the amount of energy and lack of swelling I have had lately I was confident in that number. Well the results are in and I have a EF of 60% which means fully recovered!!! I am so happy I could cry, all my measurement were perfect, no swelling, no damage, absolutely perfect. The doctor said you could wright a text book on how perfect my heart looks, Woohoo!!!!

Whats this mean for my future? Well I will be on my medication life long to prevent a relapse but I can let up on the 2000mg sodium diet I have been restricted to. Also it still means no more babies which is still going to take awhile for me to completely except. Overall I am in complete normal health. Of coarse I have to be more careful than the average healthy person but still I am in good shape.

Thank you Jesus for your miraculous healing!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T10:37:00.005-05:00

Can you say someone has lost there crayon privileges!!!

For more Wordless Wednesdays visit 5 minutes for mom.

The Longest Break Ever!!!!

2009-10-18T12:09:00.002-05:00

How do you sum up 4 months in one post?

My life has been nothing short of complicated since I last posted. Not to long after the last post I had an emergency appendectomy, it was a short stay in the hospital and back home with my sweet babies. To make a long storey short 5 days later I was back in the hospital suffering from heart failure. I have been diagnosed with Postpartum Cardiomyopathy, it is heart failure that is a result of pregnancy. I was very fortunate to have had my appendectomy because that surfaced the condition before it got to bad. I take medication and see a cardiologist regularly. I am not sure what this means for my future health but signs are good, we just have to take it one day at a time.

Little Ian is getting so big I cant believe how fast he is growing, it truly does go by faster with the second one. Even though he has only been here 6 months its hard to imagine a time without him. He is my precious gift! He rolled over for the first time when he turned 4 months old and now he acts like he wants to take off crawling CRAZY! I know everybody says there kid has the cutest smile but Ians smile could light up a room. Even when his mouth is not smiling his face still smiles, he has such a bright personality.

Poopoo is turning into a little man. He is constantly cracking me up and he is the best big brother any parents could ask for! He loves his baby brother and hasn't shown one ounce a jealousy, I was really worried before Ian was born that we would have major issues because he is so spoiled but he has proved us all wrong. When Ian was born it was like Paxton grew up over night. I am so proud of him!

I will continue to update my blog when I have the energy. I have missed the blogging world and feel warmed by all the comments of concern I have received in the last several months. Thanks to all my bloggy friends for caring:)

Happy Birthday Dadda!

2009-07-30T08:28:00.008-05:00

Monday my Hubbs celebrated his 38th birthday!

Poopoo made a sweet Birthday card...

And I made him a birthday cake witch all three boys enjoyed.....

Happy Birthday Dadda we love you soooooooo much!!

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-30T08:25:00.003-05:00

Bath Time!!!
Happy Thursday :)

I Have Just One Question.....

2009-07-30T08:22:00.001-05:00

Monkey Visits the Rain Forest

2009-07-20T15:45:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we went to The Rain Forest Cafe to celebrate my sweet nephew Alex's 10th birthday. Paxton had such a good time! I could kick myself for forgetting my camera but my hubby took some good pics with his phone.....He loved his light up cup.......They had the coolest huge fish tanks......And for Desert we had a Volcano, it was so neat.....
We will have to take him back there again:)

Making it Work Monday

2009-07-13T15:59:00.012-05:00

Today I loaded up the boys and headed to our neighborhood pool. When we puled up to the pool I noticed there was nobody there and a sign on the gate saying "closed for maintenance" I think we all now what that means teehee! Needles to say I had one very disappointed two year old. I couldn't possibly let this spoil my sweet Poopoos day. I decided to make a trip to Walmart "UHGG" to get the boys a kiddie pool! I was sooooo tempted to buy this $200 Little Tikes pool....

(attention Poops & Peanuts grandparents if you are looking for and early birthday/ Christmas gift for the boys here it is)

but I settled for the $20 pool instead! Pax had a ton of fun and forgot all about the neighborhood pool being closed! Even little Ian got his feet wet..... I would say it was $20 well spent!

Vote for my Little Calf

2009-07-13T15:48:00.003-05:00

I need all my bloggy friends to vote for my precious party cow! To Vote Click Here!

Cow Appreciation Day

2009-07-12T15:54:00.015-05:00

Friday was the Annual Cow Appreciation day at Chickfila. Dress up like a cow and get free food.... YUM! This is a tradition for me and my mom. This year my bloggy friend Alyssa form kingdomfirstmom.com joined us.

EAT MOR CHIKIN!!!

The New Do!

2009-07-12T15:32:00.007-05:00

I have been wanting a new style for a long while, so this week I got a sassy new do.

This is my before.... 100 degree days makes chopping all your hair off sound like a easy decision.

This is my hair after.... This is my good friend Lindsey who did the honors...My hair had gotten so long I was able to donate what I cut off to Locks of Love... I love It I feel super sassy!

A Fun Filled 4th

2009-07-05T13:51:00.027-05:00

*WARNING PICTURE OVERLOAD*

We had an awesome 4th of July! Our first stop o the day was at "D" & Damps house for some smoked brisket and a dip in the pool.....

The next stop was at Mamaw & Papaws for some fireworks...

Hope all of you had a fantastic 4th!

July 3rd Celebration!!

2009-07-03T23:00:00.007-05:00

Tonight we went to a local firework show with good friends..... Poops love the fireworks! Every time a firework went off he yelled "POP" I swear he was louder then the fireworks. Ian pretty much stayed asleep threw the entire firework show! It was a good time and a great way to kick off the holiday weekend!

Have a safe July 4th!

Ian 2 Months old

2009-07-02T16:21:00.006-05:00

I know this a week late, but better late than never! I cant believe Ian is already a month old time sure does fly by!

Ian at 2 months.....
Hold his head up very well
sleeps 5 hours at a time
Not crying as much (thank u Jesus)
drinking 5 ounces
cooing and smiling :)
Defiantly a Mommas boy!
favorite place to sleep is on mommas chest
loves his swing
cries if awake and nobody is holding him lol!
still has blue eyes (crazy)
Is looking less like his big brother everyday

Two Month Stats....
Weight 10Lbs
Height 21 inches
Growing Big and Strong

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-02T16:03:00.010-05:00

I am Thankful for Hot Summer nights playing in the sprinklers......

My New Screen Door

2009-06-30T11:17:00.008-05:00

My Mamaw and Papaw came over the other day and installed our screen door. My Papaw has hung many screen doors in the past so that is why we asked for his expert help. Apparently there is a science to hanging a screen door.......

Mamaw took a break to love on little mister....

Poops decided Papaw need some help....The finished door stained and hung.......

Thank You Mamaw & Papaw !!!!!

MIA

2009-06-30T11:05:00.005-05:00

I know I have not posted in awhile thanks for the comments of concern. I really have no excuse other than I little bloggers block. Today is actually the first time I have cracked open my laptop in over a week. Maybe sometimes we need a little Internet break lol!

This weekend I went to watch my sexy, strong hubby compete in a Jujitsu tournament. He has been doing Jujitsu for a little over 3 years. He did really well at his tournament, I love to watch him fight.....

(He is the one in the white gi)

Great Job Baby!!!

Getting Poopoo to use the Potty

2009-06-12T14:19:00.009-05:00

Lately Poops been telling me as soon as he goes pee pee or poopoo and asking me to change his diaper. I took this as a hint he was ready to potty train. I asked him if he wanted to use the potty like a big boy and of coarse his answer was "NO".

I know there are several different methods of potty training and I think it all depends on the child. I know my son well enough to know that the best way to get him to do anything is to use sweets.

I started telling Paxton that if he used the potty I would give him 2 M&M's of coarse his reaction was "OK" but as soon as we would get into the restroom he would change his mind. I decided to get his monkey cookie Jar, fill it with M&M's and set it on his bathroom counter just out of reach. My thinking is that it will be a constant reminder that if he uses the potty he will get 2 M&M's making him want to try.

With my new plan in place I called him into the bathroom. I showed Paxton the monkey cookie Jar and asked him if he wanted to try and go potty "OK". I was so proud that he sat on the potty and gave it a try. I wanted so bad to give him a M&M for his effort but I know I need to stick to my guns.

The Challenge.......

The Reward.......

The Attempt.....
We Were not sucessull this time but I know we will be soon!

Monkeys Bathroom

2009-06-12T13:57:00.012-05:00

This week Show us where you live Friday over at Kelly's Korner is all about bathrooms. I thought it would be fun to share with all of you the kids bathroom. This is our hall bath, its mainly used by the boys but is also the guest bath for when we have company. I wanted it to be kid like in nature but still welcoming to guest. I didn't want people to walk in and feel like the were invading the boys space.
Enough Monkey Business!!!!
Head over to Kelly's Korner and check out some more fun bathrooms.

Dusting off the Old Pink Binder

2009-06-11T16:10:00.003-05:00

So I have been wanting to do this for awhile! Back before I got pregnant with Ian I was a crazy coupon mom! For those of you who coupon, you know what I mean when I talk about the high you get from paying $5 for $50 worth of stuff. ECB and RR use to be regular words in my vocabulary.

When I got pregnant with little man I was so so sick , I couldn't do anything but puke and sleep. I needed every bit of energy I had left to take care of myself and my family that couponing fell to the waste side.

Every time I go to the store and my total is $100 or more I want to burst out into tears when I hand over my debit card. "What I actually have to pay for toothpaste and laundry soap" these things I use to get for free.

So here she is my pretty pink binder. I have been shoving the coupons I get from the Sunday paper in a kitchen drawer and not even looking threw them. Today I pulled them out along with this pretty pink binder and started clipping and sorting. I am not finished yet but soon she will be in order and I will be hitting the local CVS.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T09:31:00.003-05:00

Daddys Little Helper
(now if we can just get him to do this when he is 14)

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 minutes for mom

A Great-Great Day!

2009-06-05T22:35:00.019-05:00

Today we drove an hour down the road to my hometown so that Ian could meet his Great Grandpa & two Great-Great Grandma's. If its not awesome enough for my two boys to be able to know there great grandparents, we are incredibly blessed for the boys to be able to know there Great-great grandmas!!!

Our first stop was at my Mamaw & Papaws house. Poops loves to go to there house in the country and run, run, run. Before long Ian will be running around out there as well.

This is my Great Grandmother, that makes her the boys Great-great Grandmother! I swear I spent half my childhood at her house.

Poopoo gardening...

My Papaw, Gammy Tammy (my mom) and Ian..
Cheers Mamaw!!!

Next we visited My other Grandparents house. When we got there Grandpa was out Mowing the yard, which I am pretty sure he is not suppose to be doing. I had to take his pic, he is the only person I know who mows and smokes his pipe at the same time lol!

Ian and his other Great-great grandmother, can you believe this tiny women is 93 years old....

And every baby loves to sit on top of there Great Grandpas Belly :)

Paxton made off with Grandpas Cheetos, polished off the entire bag and crashed on the way home.....

Truly a GREAT GREAT day!!!!

Blog Problem Solved, I Hope!

2009-06-04T15:40:00.003-05:00

First I would like to start by apologizing if anyone experienced any problem with there computer from visiting my blog. I have had several people tell me that they have received problems when viewing my blog like there computers freezing up or getting kicked off the Internet. I myself have experienced these problems trying to view my blog page.

I knew it was not a problem with blogger because I had no issues viewing my dashboard. I think I have the problem pin pointed. Coupler of weeks back I had noticed a new follower called bookmania located out of France. After this blogger page left a few odd comments I became suspicious. Here are the following comments.....

"I recall these photos to a blog posted in one of my all messages.En cases, voluntarily or not, thanks to the likeness. Bookmanie." (note this was a picture of myself, weird huh)

"I am a loyal subscriber of your blog. Of course mine is displayed in french but you can translate (google translation). Your blog might interest many bloggers in France but also in the world. I do not receive but if you do not understand that this blogger is, Bookman will be compelled to unsubscribe.Bookmanie."

I can't say for sure that bookmania was the problem but every since I blocked this subscriber I have not had any issues. If you continue to have issues viewing my blog please let me know and I will continue to search for the problem :)

Do They Look Alike?

2009-06-04T08:17:00.006-05:00

I was playing around with my camera and tried to duplicate one of my favorite pictures of
Paxton on Ian. The picture of Paxton was taken by my good friend Becky who has also taken newborn pics of Ian but I haven't sen them yet.

When I look at Ian I cant help but see his big brother, I think they look so much alike.

This is Paxton.....

This is Ian.......What do you think?

Back to Work!!

2009-06-03T04:34:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had my first unofficial day back to work. I am so so lucky to have a career were I can work for myself. I have decided to go back to work a little sooner than planned since I went out a little early. I officially start back in the middle of July to my regular schedule of 3 days a week but for now I am just working here and there. Yesterday I went in just for a couple of highlights when my husband got home from work. It was kinda nice to get my hands in some hair again and I got dressed up for the first time in awhile. Yea for makeup.......

I remember with my first son I took 3 months off and cried when I had to return to work but this time it was much easier allot due in part that I now have more freedom in my job. I am very blessed to be have a job I love and be able to be home as much as I am. I had so much fun today it really didn't feel like work :)

I was being goofy in this last picture, I always look like a dork doing the pucker face lol!

Ians First Big Outing

2009-06-01T21:34:00.017-05:00

Today we ventured out of the house and spent the day at the Town Center with Gammy. This was Ian first big outing and Mommy was glad to get out of the house and join society....

The Limo of strollers lol. Me and my mom joked that it felt like we were drawing attention with this Semi-stroller, I swear people were staring or so we felt!

Poopoo worked his Gammy over for lots of coins for the fountain....

He made lots and lots of wishes and ran a thousand circles around the fountain...

Another Failed attempt at a picture of me and my boys, if Paxton is not strapped in forget it!!!

Ian was such a good baby, he pretty much slept all day.....It was a fun day!!!!!

Photo Friday!!!

2009-05-28T21:41:00.010-05:00

Craft Time.....

Happy Friday!!!!!!

Lampapalooza

2009-05-28T10:20:00.017-05:00

Over at Nesting Place there is a Lamp Party going on. I thought it would be so fun to participate in Lampapalooza and share all the lamps that light up my day!

What Lights up your day? Go to Nesting Place and share yours :)

Just Skirting Around!

2009-05-27T20:55:00.012-05:00

Every since I moved Poops into his big boy bed I have been on a endless search for a denim bed skirt. I got his bedding at Target but for some reason they didn't have a skirt that matched the set. I have had my heart set on denim because his curtains are denim and I wanted to tie everything together.

Bed Before......

The other day I had a brilliant idea, Why not just make a denim skirt! Since Paxton's bed is against the wall and has a foot board, I only need a skirt on one side of the bed. I need a skirt that could easily be moved out of the way because we store some of Poopoos toys under his bed.
Here is what I did.......

I sewed a rectangle skirt out of denim fabric and then sewed loops on it using camo ribbon.

I Spray painted round wooden craft knobs black to match the frame of the bed.

I glued the wooden knobs on the bed using a hot glue gun so I would not permanently mess up the frame. Then I attached the fabric by the ribbon loops......

Here is Poopoos big boy bed after.....

Super Cute!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T02:40:00.004-05:00

$5 Sprinkler = Hours of Fun!!!!

For more Wordless Wednesdays visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Honoring My Hero

2009-05-25T00:04:00.013-05:00

I would like to take a minute to honor my hero on this Memorial Day. My Baby brother Matthew is a United States Marine and is currently serving in Iraq.

Mathew is so incredibly brave! I have never met someone so proud to serve and defend there country. I am so amazed at his willingness to sacrifice so much for our safety and freedom.

Not only is Matt so strong but he is also very loving and funny. No matter how grown up he gets I will always see him as that 7 year old kid twirling is hair begging me to build a tent. I love him so much and cant even begin to express how grateful I am for what he is doing and how proud I am to be his sister......
Matthew I love you more than you know and I pray everyday that the Lord brings you home safe. Thank you for all you do!

Brothers

2009-05-24T04:11:00.007-05:00

When we first brought Ian home I was so nervous about how Poops would respond! He has been the center of attention or 2 years so I didn't know how well he would take to sharing the spotlight. Paxton is such an awesome big brother! He loves peanut, he is always giving him kisses and trying to help Mommy with his little brother. I am so proud of my big boy and seeing them together makes me tear up..............

Sweet Boys!!!!

Praying For Ezra

2009-05-23T22:26:00.007-05:00

All my blog moms please open your hearts to help this poor family in there time of need! One of the Blogs I follow Manic Mother just found out her 2 year old son Ezra has been diagnosed with cancer. She is asking for donations to help during this trying time.

I myself have watched a family I love very much struggle with a child who has been diagnosed with cancer. When your baby is sick your who life gets put on hold including jobs and bills. Every little bit will help this family even if all you can give is a few dollars.

For those of you who are not in a situation to be able to donate to this family please do your part and Pray. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and this family will need all the prayers they can get!
If you would like to donate go here.

Playing Around with my Blog........ Again!

2009-05-23T18:00:00.002-05:00

Playing around with my blog today, still trying to find my new look! I have been considering a custom blog but I am to cheap to pay someone else for something I could possibly figure out for myself!
To Make my header I went to Picnik.com. Picnik is a great editing website that has some really fun tools to edit your pics. The Layout is a basic Blogger template that I have used in the past and still love. Of coarse I will continue the search for the perfect layout to go with my new homemade header.

Happy 1 Month Birthday Baby Boy!

2009-05-23T04:43:00.008-05:00

When you are pregnant a month drags on forever but once the baby is born you cant believe how fast a month flies by! 4 weeks ago today at 12:05 a.m. I welcomed my precious Ian into this world. He is such a good baby, I don't know if its easier the second time around or if he is just easier period! In just four short weeks Ian has filled our hearts with more love than we could possibly imagine. He is truly heaven sent!

Happy 1 Month Birthday Sweet Ian James!!!!!

Show Us Where You Live Friday

2009-05-22T08:30:00.006-05:00

Over at Kelly's Korner every Friday she host home tours. Each week she picks a different room to show off and ask you to share yours. This Friday its the Dinning room. I love to decorate and I am also nosey so I thought this would be fun to participate in.

My house is pretty small so we don't have a formal dining room instead I am posting my breakfast nook. My decorating style for this room is very French Country. I love lots of different fabrics and patterns. I feel like the room is warm and inviting with a little bit of cottage feel......

That was fun! Head over to Kelly's blog and share yours.......

Next week is Baby Nursery/ Kids rooms.

Finally Complete!

2009-05-21T17:37:00.016-05:00

Back in March I had almost completed my precious baby's nursery. I know you all remember my many post about Ian Nursery and wondered why I had not posted the finished product. I was so excited with the way the room was coming together and just putting my finishing touches on it when we had a huge hail storm come threw and destroy our roof causing a major leak. Of coarse the leak would be in my little guys nursery :(................

Finally this week workers came and replaced a large portion of Ians ceiling.........

The minute the contractors left I got to work putting his room back together......
Ian loves it of coarse!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T15:15:00.007-05:00

My Lazy Boys....

I am just picturing them as teenagers doing the same thing:)

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 minutes for mom.

My new addiction!

2009-05-17T17:32:00.009-05:00

Now that I am at home more with the new baby I have had more time to spend surfing the web. I saw a post awhile back on another one of my fav blogs Fabulously Frugalicious about this super cute key fob she had purchased on ESTY.com. I have never really gotten on ESTY until recently. I have heard several of my close girlfriends talk about it and even received several really cute baby gifts that were purchased from ESTY.

ESTY is a web site were people can go and sell stuff they have made to the public via the web. There is just about everything you could possibly imagine on there. Tons and Tons of really cute gift ideas! I am now addicted which is a little scary for our pocket book lol! Speaking of Pocket Books I am sure I could find a cute one on there :)

Isn't is cute! I also purchased this one for a good friend of mine who has really helped me out with my business since I have been out on maternity leave...

Have Fun Shopping Ladies!!!!!

Photo Friday!!!

2009-05-15T21:50:00.009-05:00

Whats that I hear?

Is it the Ice cream truck?

Paxton had his first experience with the ice cream truck. He decided on the "Bum Bob Bare Pants" Popsicle.......

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

Easy Flat Iron Curls

2009-05-15T16:06:00.004-05:00

Today I looked up on You Tube how to curl hair using a flat iron. I know what you are thinking, I am a hairstylist and should already know how to do this trick. Well the flat iron didn't become popular till way after I was out of hair school and for some reason or another I haven't updated my flat ironing skills. All that changed today after watching these videos (the last one u need to listen closely because she talks so soft).......

And here is how it turned out......

Simple & Sassy......Have fun trying it out for yourself :)

Under Construction

2009-05-15T05:03:00.002-05:00

I have had many changes in my life lately so I thought why not change my layout as well. Not sure if this is the one, I might change it a few more times till it is perfect! Let me know what you think :)

Mommas Got a Brand New Van

2009-05-14T06:24:00.004-05:00

All of us moms come to this crossroad at one time or another, when does function out weigh style.

If you would of asked me three years ago if I would ever drive a minivan I would of looked at you like you were crazy!!! I was one of those women who claimed I would never drive a minivan no matter how many kids I had! Two kids later I reconsidered.

I started toying with idea of purchasing a minivan after watching my sister-in-law load up her three kids in her minivan faster than I could load up my one kid in the SUV. When u got your hands full power doors sound really appealing!

After several months of looking and negotiating for two weeks on this one particular van, I made the leap to the dark side. I am officially a minivan momma.......

Isn't she pretty!!!

I actually feel pretty sassy driving it around :)

First Bath at Home!!!!

2009-05-13T09:57:00.007-05:00

Last night we gave Peanut his first bath at home. I was a little nervous because his plastibell (his circumcision) had not completely come off yet. The Pedi told me that if I bathed him it would probably fall off, no such luck. Ian was not to thrilled with his bath he pretty much screamed the whole time lol!

Much better!!!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T05:35:00.005-05:00

He even looks beautiful playing in a pot of soil...............For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes For Mom

My Amature photoghraphy session!

2009-05-11T17:15:00.012-05:00

Once again like with Paxton I have attempted to be a photographer! I am pretty happy with the way they turned out, mostly because Ian cant take a bad picture. He is so darn cute.......

Before I Was a Mom

2009-05-10T14:33:00.004-05:00

Before I was a Mom

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.

Before I was a Mom

I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

Before I was a Mom

I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never thought about immunizations.I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Happy Mothers Day to all my Bloggy Moms!

IANS HOME!!!!!

2009-05-08T15:08:00.015-05:00

Finally we got to bring our sweet little boy home after his 14 day stay in the NICU!!!!!!!

Welcome Home sweet Ian......

Now the hard part begins, adjusting to life with two kids lol!!!!!

Time to get ready!

2009-05-07T05:46:00.002-05:00

So one of the nurses mentioned yesterday that it was a possibility that here in the next couple of days we might be able to take our sweet Ian home! They cant tell us for sure because it is all up to little Ian. I am so happy, I know I shouldn't get my hopes up but its hard not to get a little excited!

Ian has done so well the last 24 hours! He is now gulping his bottle down in less then 10 minutes! Before baby's leave the NICU they have to be able to do four things. Of coarse breath on there own, maintain there body heat in an open crib, eat for more than 24 hours straight unassisted in less than 30 minutes, and pass the car seat test. So far as of this morning I believe Ian has fed perfect the last 24 hours, he still is a little fast on his RESP but he seems to handle it well. His body temp is borderline for where they like it to be but we just have to make sure and bundle him up. Now all we need to do is pass the car seat test.

The car seat test is a test to see if they can handle the ride home from the hospital. They place the baby in there car seat for no less than an hour no more than two hours, depending on how far you live from the hospital. I am not sure what exactly they do while the baby's are in the car seat but I know they monitor there breathing and heart rate.

So here is my check list for today....

* Clean, Clean, Clean
* Reassemble Ian's car seat, It has been up in the attic so I washed it like 3 times!
* Try to get his dresser ready. We are still waiting for the contractor to come and fix the ceiling in his Nursery from the leak so everything is covered in plastic.
* Hand wash all his bottles
* Vacuum my car and install his base and mirror
* get his outfit together for coming home :)

Like I said before I don't want to get my hopes up! But keep your fingers crossed for me that he comes home tomorrow or Saturday!!!!!!

Happy Anniversary Baby

2009-05-06T07:02:00.014-05:00

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary. This time three years ago I was anxiously awaiting walking down that isle and marring the man of my dreams.

I met Britt when I was 14 years old and immediately had a huge crush on him. I use to say he looked like Luke Perry and we all know how big 90210 was 14 years ago lol! Britt is the older brother of one of my best friends. He is a little older than me so of coarse our relationship started out nothing more than a school girl crush. I use to hug his picture and tell his mom and his sister that I was going to marry him someday, they just laughed but ...."I WAS SERIOUS!"

Fast forward 4 years later I turned 18 and was now legally available tee-hee! I decided it was time to call Britt and ask him out on a date. Of coarse I dialed the number about 40 times before I actually let it ring. Finally I let it rig "YES!" voicemail. Later that night Britt called me back we talked for hours and decided to go on a date. Our first date was on Christmas day (the best Christmas gift ever) We went on a carriage ride and to a movie downtown, it was so sweet!

After 6 years of dating Britt reenacted that first date one night and popped the question. I know what your thinking yes I am a very patient women, he was well worth the wait :)

Now after 10 years together, 3 years as husband and wife, and two beautiful boys here we are stronger than ever!!!

Britt,

you are the love of my life. I thank god everyday for placing you in my life. You are my strength, my best friend, and my soul mate. I would be lost without you! I love you I love you I love you!!!

Love,

April

Enjoy the pictures of our special day.......

Happy Anniversary Baby!!!!

The Best Day Yet!!!!

2009-05-05T21:01:00.005-05:00

Day 11

Today was a great great day!!! I have been working so hard every since my little man was born to build up my milk supply. Since he is a preemie I had to build using a pump, which believe me is not an easy task. I am really starting to feel like a dairy cow and I am getting a little bored with nursing a machine. But being the only thing I can do for him at the moment I really don't mind!

All that changed today!!!! Ian has been so good about taking a bottle the last few times he has feed. Today when I was bottle feeding him his nurse asked if I would like to try and nurse him on his next feeding. I held back the tears "YES!!!!"

So of coarse the next three hours felt like an eternity. I had to get on the phone and brag to my husband about how I was going to get to nurse my sweet boy for the first time.

At last 2:30 rolled around and I sat by his bed side waiting for the lactation nurse to arrive, this was a BIG DAY!

Ian is such a champ, definitely a boob man! He did awesome!!!!! They will only let him nurse for 15 minutes because they have to follow with a bottle to make sure he is getting enough calories. He nursed well the entire 15 minutes and his stats stayed low, which is fantastic! I am so so so proud of my sweet Ian, he really is making great progress.

I would say from the looks of things he was more than satisfied.......

Oh How I Ache For Him!!!!

2009-05-04T22:24:00.005-05:00

Day 10......

When I was pregnant with Ian I tried my best to prepare for the possibility that he could come early and end up spending time in the NICU. I kept telling myself that this time I would handle it better than I did with my first son! Paxton only spent 11 days in the NICU but it felt like months!!! I handled his stay not so well, I really thought if he stayed there any longer I would lose it!!!!

So here we are day 10 and I feel myself slipping. Each day when I go to see him I know he is that much closer to going home but I still leave in tears! No matter how much you try you cant prepare yourself for the emotional tug a NICU baby pulls on your heart. Everyday I wake up with an empty feeling, like something is missing and I go to sleep feeling the same way , this separation anxiety is killing me. Eight months I carried this precious boy I felt him move and it warmed my heart, he heard my voice and knew mommy loved him. Now he is 20 minutes away and only gets to smell and hear mommy a few hours a day. I will be ok as soon as he is home.

I just need to remind myself to smile like my sweet Ian.........

Happy 1 Week Birthday Ian James!!!

2009-05-02T14:21:00.002-05:00

Today my sweet baby boy is 1 week old! I cant believe it has already been a week and boy what a crazy week it has been. In honor of celebrating Ian's one week birthday he is making huge strides today! They took him of the lights for his Jaundice he is being weaned off his cannula, he ate an entire bottle by himself and they might move him into an open crib. I also got to hold him for over an hour which helped me have a really good pump. It is looking good, hopefully he will be home next week if all keeps going in a good direction. Of coarse they cant tell us when he is coming home but I am just comparing his progress to my first sons.

Keep up the prayers!!!!!!

In My Arms Where He Belongs!

2009-05-01T03:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was awesome!!!!!! I finally got to hold my precious boy. He sleep in my arms for 30 minutes. He was so peaceful and relaxed that he was snoring LOL!!! I really needed to hold my sweet boy before I went crazy!!!

His progress has been great we have had really big steps the last couple days. Wednesday they moved him from the ventilator to the C-pap and today they are talking about moving him to the Cannula, yeah!!!! If that happens they might even try to bottle feed which is a step closer to me getting to nurse him.

Keep the good news coming and everyone keep praying he comes home soon, so far the power of prayer is working!!!!

Welcome to the World Precious Ian James!!!

2009-04-30T10:12:00.013-05:00

Last Friday about 45 minutes after I posted my baby update my water broke! I labored for about 8 1/2 hours ..........

and at 12:05 am on Saturday April 25th weighing 5lbs 9oz at 19 inches long Baby Ian made his grand entrance into this world.....

Ian was born at 35 weeks. I only got to hold him for long enough to snap a few pictures then he was immediately taken to the NICU.......

This is not our first experience with the NICU, our first son who was born at 36 weeks was in the NICU for 11 days. Although that does not make it easier it does help us understand better what is going on. Ian is a perfect little baby who just wasn't done cooking! With a little help from the awesome NICU unit and some time he will be perfectly healthy and able to come home!

Mommy and Daddy couldn't be more in Love!!!!!!!!!!

Baby Update!!

2009-04-24T10:25:00.004-05:00

My Baby Bump 35 weeks....

I know I have had a major lack of postings lately. I have not had sweet baby boy yet but things seem as if he will be here soon. I am 35 1/2 weeks, I had my first son 36 weeks to the day. I went to the doctor on Monday and had a sonogram, the baby weighs about 5lbs 4oz currently. He is head down and has dropped. He also did my Strep b test and went ahead and checked me. I have started to diolate, not sure how much I didn't ask and my cervix is starting to thin.

Tuesday night I started having contractions that were 5- 13 minutes apart for about 2 1/2 hours straight. By the time I went to bed they had slowed to about 15 minute apart. I have been fine every since, thank goodness. I would prefer this baby to stay in for at least 2 more weeks.

For now I am just taking it easy trying to keep my feet up when I am not at work and drinking plenty of fluids!

It wont be long!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T20:45:00.003-05:00

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-13T15:42:00.019-05:00

Paxton had a great Easter this year. I love Easter for many reasons including the fact that Poops started walking on Easter last year. We usually do Easter at our house but seeing that I am way pregnant and in no mood to entertain we celebrated at my sister-in-laws instead.

When we woke up Easter morning it was pouring down rain and had been for several hours. This was a huge bummer since this was Paxtons first truely mobile Easter and I was looking forward to watching all the excitement of hunting eggs with his cousins.

I started the morning with a sad attempt at making egg and bunny shaped pancakes...... (they didn't look very cute but they were super yummy and I have had major cravings for breakfast foods lately!)

Then after Paxton finished eating his bunny cakes we revealed the fun goodies the Easter Bunny left for him.....

Then it was off to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Marks for Easter Lunch, play with cousins, and some egg hunting.......

And the good lord blessed us with just enough sun to hunt Easter Eggs outside...

Happy Easter everyone!

Dying Easter Eggs!

2009-04-12T21:17:00.006-05:00

Yesterday Mommy and Poopoo dyed eggs for Easter...........

Paxton was actually really good at it, he only broke 2 eggs!

Putting the sticker on the eggs was his favorite part!
Our finished product......