Thankful Heart November 7, 2009

I just got back from driving 3 hours in the car…I had all that time to listen to my CDs and think.  I started thinking about all of the blessings in my life…I know there are more than this…but these are the particular ones I was thinking about tonight.

• Thankful that Carter has a wonderful teacher.  She is always positive and validates him at every turn.  I picked him up from school today and as he is getting in the car she says, “This is a smart boy!” He just beamed!!

 

• Thankful for my sweet  husband.  He texted me today and said, “You are an amazing mother to our loving children, I love you!”

 

• Thankful for a great house…that came at just the right time…which we are enjoying tremendously.  God is so good!

 

• Thankful for a job that I love, with people that I enjoy working with!

 

• Thankful that 9 years ago my mom got re-married to a great guy and she is happy.

 

• Thankful for my 2 aunts, Deedra and Ninna, whom I love talking with, venting to, and getting advice from.  We have a very unique relationship for which I am greatful for! I have to call them each week to catch up!

 

• Thankful for a darling little baby girl. When I hold her, all is right with the world.  When I hold her,  a total peace comes over me and I am  full of joy and I am content.  I tell Ben nightly, “Can you believe God gave her to us!”  I adore her!!!

 

• Thankful for a best friend who is the most self-less person I know.  Who totes my kids around like they are her own.  Who I can call at the last minute to ask a favor and if she can, I know she will help.  Who I just LOVE talking to about day-to-day trivial things and deep things as well.  Who I know would NEVER judge me no matter what I say…because I can think out loud with her.

 

Just wanted to take time to write down what I am thankful for…so that through the loads of laundry…and the piles of dust sitting on everything…and disciplining the kiddos…I am brought back to what really matters!!!

Sweet Pictures November 6, 2009

Here are some of the pictures we had taken when I was 8 months pregnant.  We LOVED the photographers we used.  www.munfy.com    They are so great to work with…we would highly recommend them!  Check them out!!!

 

This is what the kids were doing while I was taking my pictures!

We had the photographers come over last week to take Leighton’s newborn pictures.  They sent us a sneak-peek today…

Ohhhhh…so precious!!!

TRICK or TREAT November 2, 2009

My sweet little pumpkin

 

My tough S.W.A.T team member

My darling little Raggedy Ann

We had a great time trick-or-treating last night.  The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast.  Caroline doesn’t like candy so I got all of hers…what could be better??

Carving Pumpkins October 31, 2009

Carter loved CLEANING the pumpkin…a boy after my own heart!

Caroline wanted to try CLEANING the pumpkin…

She did not like all of the mess…a girl after her daddy’s heart…so she decided coloring the pumpkins with markers was a much better idea!!

This is what “itty bitty” thought of the pumpkins

When we put the candle in JACK Caroline decided she needed to go get her ghost costume:)…I guess she thought he was scary!

She kept saying, “Don’t worry mom, don’t worry mom, it’s just me Caroline…don’t be scared of the ghost!”

What we’ve been up to! October 26, 2009

What we’ve been up to…besides rocking, bathing, feeding, and changing diapers of a newborn!!

CARTER

Carter recently had a “silly hat/word parade” at his school.  He picked out his fishing hat…and pinned all kinds of fishing lures on it…and was SO PROUD to wear this to school.  He is LOVING Kindergarten!  He wakes up excited to go every morning and loves getting in the car and telling us every last thing that he has learned in the afternoon.  We are amazed at how much he is learning.  He totally eats it up and soaks it all in.  We had parent-teacher conferences last week and his teacher had nothing but great things to say about him.  We are so proud of him!  We thank God for a wonderful teacher…just perfect for him!  Definitely an answer to my prayers that I prayed all summer long!

Caroline

Caroline had “western day” last week at school.  Is she not the cutest little cowgirl you’ve ever seen???  She is a MESS!!  Sweet as can be…LOVES Leighton…miss independent…LOVES arts/crafts…but she has definitely started pushing the limits.  I knew she had been WAY TOO EASY up to this point:).  She is trying to decide WHO is really the boss around here:).  I try to win that battle every time…but it has gotten harder with a newborn to tend to!  She actually reminds me a lot of myself…which is a scary thing!!

Little Leighton

My little baby doll!!  She is 3 weeks old!!!  It has gone so fast!  We had her professional pictures taken the other day.  She was a trooper!!  After 2 hours…she had all she could handle and curled up and fell asleep!  She is truly my easiest child EVER.  She NEVER cries…kind of grunts here and there if she is hungry.  She is absolutely precious.  Just stares up at me with her big eyes…LOVES to hear my voice.  I can soothe her in a second by just talking to her.  Last night I put her to sleep at 10pm…she woke up at 3:30am to eat…and then I woke her up at 8am to eat again!  She is such a good baby!  I left her for the first time yesterday with the grandparents while I took Carter and Caroline to the movies.  I was gone about 4 hours…and then I started getting a little anxious to be with her again.  It was such a funny feeling to really notice that something was “missing”.  That being with just Carter and Caroline does not “feel” normal to me anymore.  I was missing my baby!

So overall things are going really good around here.  Still trying to figure out how to deal with all 3 kiddos when they are all wanting things at the exact same time!!  I need 5 more hands I’ve decided…and I am already a GREAT multi-tasker.

Miss Leighton Abigail October 19, 2009

Now that Leighton is 2 weeks old…I finally feel like I can take a deep breath and sit down at the computer!!  I have had numerous calls/texts/emails begging to see this little doll…so here is the “picture” story!

We are patiently waiting the arrival of our little girl or little boy!

I had my typical EASY delivery…truly pushed ONE time…and out she came!  Dr. Walters opened the baby’s little legs so we could see if it was a he or a she…and Ben and I were so shocked we just stared in disbelief!  The Dr. kept saying, “OK, say what it is!”…and we still were just staring/laughing/crying…and finally Ben said, “It’s a girl!”  I truly COULD NOT believe it was a girl!  I was so sure it was a little boy…that it took me by surprise!

She weighed 7 pounds and 8 ounces

20 inches long

Born at 3:30pm on October 2nd

We are officially a GIRL family!

Ben showing Leighton to the kids for the first time.  He walked up to them and said, “It’s a GIRL!”  Caroline said, “That is exactly what I wanted!”  and Carter said, “Can I hold her?”

 

Carter loves holding Leighton.  Caroline did not want to hold her because she was afraid Leighton would cry.  When Leighton cries it really upsets Caroline. 

Daddy loving on little Leighton!

How darling is this little face?  I just LOVE all of her black hair!

My two little girls!!  I pray they grow up to be best friends!! Caroline has taken such good care of Leighton!  She truly adores her!

Family of 5 giving Leighton her first bath.  She DID NOT enjoy this experience:).  Carter and Caroline DID  NOT like hearing their baby sister cry:).

Leighton has been the BEST baby!  She  is so easy!  She truly never cries…in fact I keep asking Ben if something might be wrong with her and he told me that I  said the SAME thing when both Carter and Caroline were babies.  God truly blesses us with the EASIEST babies!  Although she has been so easy…the adjustment to 3 kids has been crazy!  3 to feed…3 to do laundry for…3 different schedules going here and there (doctors/school)…3 to pick up after.  It has been 2 weeks and just today am I finally feeling a little bit more “in control” of this house!!  I LOVE the newborn stage…I could kiss on her and stare at her all day long!!  I don’t want her to get one day older!!  She is absolutely precious!

Family of Four! October 2, 2009

The last picture as a family of FOUR!!!

Well, it’s official!  Bags are packed…kids are at grandparents house…and our alarm is set for 4am to head to the hospital!  It is all very surreal!  Not so much with us here alone without the kids…headed to the hospital…we’ve been here before.  What was surreal was saying goodbye to Carter and Caroline tonight.  We will never just be the 4 of us in the car again.  I was leaving them thinking…they have no idea that our lives are about to change FOREVER!!!  I will never just be the mom to the two of them.  It was all a little strange!  To think that the next time I see them I will be in the hospital!!  So here is the last photo as a family of four!  We are very excited about tomorrow…I cannot wait to see who this little one will be!  Next time I post…it will be a picture of the munchkin!  Keep us all in your prayers!

37 Weeks! September 25, 2009

 

 

37 Weeks!!  I have been on “bed rest” for the last week due to High Blood Pressure.  As much as you can “rest” with a 3 and 5 year old…and a new house with tons of boxes in the garage!  I have been keeping track of my blood pressure and it has stayed around 140/90…so far so good!  I went to the Dr. today and I am dilated to a 2. I am scheduled for an induction next Thursday or Friday…depending on the availability at the hospital!  I have been getting more and more excited washing all the little boy and girl clothes…baby swing…bouncer…bottles…pump, etc.  I forgot how much STUFF a newborn uses!  It really is crazy!!  Of course mentally I am constantly  thinking, “This is the last time________” (fill in the blank)!  I sleep through the night, I only have 2 kids to bathe and feed, I get to carry a purse instead of a diaper bag, I only have 2 car seats in the back, and I could go on and on!!  We are very excited…and Carter and Caroline are as well.  Keep us all in your prayers…and I will keep you all updated!

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Caroline! September 19, 2009

My sweet little doll turned 3 years old!  She is at such a great age!  She is so pleasant…joyful…funny…helpful…patient…we fall more in love with her every day!!  We both wish we could freeze her right here!!    She was so excited for her birthday party…she has literally been talking about it for 4 months now!  She wanted an Ariel (Little Mermaid) party.  It turned out just perfect…and she loved every minute of it!  We had everyone come dressed as princesses and pirates.  The big surprise was that Ariel showed up to her party:)!!  Caroline had the time of her life….the look in her eyes throughout the entire party was priceless!!  Ariel had a treasure chest hunt…music to dance to…stories to tell…face painting…and balloon making.  It really turned out perfect!

The girl cousins…Taylor, Cassie, Bailee, and Caroline

Princesses and the maid!

 

The boy cousins…Canon, Carter, and Kellan

Julia and Caroline

Caroline’s eyes of adoration were priceless!

 

So as you can imagine…the party is all that Caroline has talked about since last Saturday!!  She kept telling me, “Mom, I can’t believe I sat on Ariel’s lap!”  “Mom, Ariel really is my friend to come to my birthday party!”  Such sweet memories!!

Moving Houses! September 1, 2009

Wow!  I don’t even know where to begin!  This has been the longest 5 weeks of my entire life!  OK, so we put our house on the market back in March…and planned on taking it off the market on August 1st.  We were leaving for Florida on July 26th when we got a call that someone had made an offer on our house… and wanted us out in 2 weeks.  We cancelled our vacation (the last “adult only” vacation before #3 comes) …and began the negotiating…house hunting…looking at rent houses…apartments, etc!  Frantically I might add…because I am 8 months pregnant and Carter started Kindergarten this year! 

So we find a house we like…place an offer…and find out that there is already another offer on the table and they are deciding between the two!  They take 3 days to make up their minds while we wait on pins and needles!!   Seriously what is so hard??  Pick the highest offer!!  COME ON!! 

So our offer got picked…Great!  Right?  Right, except the buyer buying our house is a NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!!!!!  She is soooo picky!!  We get a terrible inspector…who picks the place apart.  Then she has an engineer come check the foundation and WE HAVE FOUNDATION PROBLEMS!!  We had no idea….had not seen any cracks or anything.  So we have 4 different companies come out and give us estimates!!   We talk it over for another couple of days and decide to get it fixed.  We fix the foundation…and as a free service they do a full plumbing check when they are finished.  The next day they find a leak under the slab of the house….which they do not cover. So  the next day I get 4 more estimates.  They come out the following day…decide that the foundation repairs did not cause this leak…that it is a slow leak that has probably been there for years…but because this buyer has an FHA Loan it has  to be fixed and reported.    The following day he comes out here with a jack hammer…pulls back the carpet in my living room…and digs a 4 foot hole down under the house to repair the slow leaking leak that has been there for years!  That NEVER would have shown up had we not had a “complimentary plumbing check“ !!!   We have not had one thing go wrong in this house in the 7 years we have lived here!  Within 3 weeks it is falling down before our eyes!!  Ugh!!

Well, I guess that about covers the disaster we have been dealing with…not to mention a whole lot of $$ in repairs!!Between all of this MESS and being 8 MONTHS PREGNANT…I haven’t slept more than 5 hours a night in  a looong time!!  I haven’t cried this much in 9 years of marriage!!  I seriously can cry at the drop of a hat…which is sooo not me at all!!  Between all the pregnancy emotions…and the emotions of leaving the house where we brought our babies home to…where they first learned to walk…ride a bike…etc.  Oh my, I better not start reminiscing!!  Caroline took a bath the other night….for the last time in that bathtub…and I got all teary eyed!!  I truly need to get a grip!! God blessed us with a GREAT house for the last 7 years!!  So  here is what we have been doing the past few weeks…

Overall the kids were great helpers!

 

Caroline wrapping up the dishes

After the house was all cleared out, we took Carter and Caroline back to say goodbye!

Our empty kitchen…

Goodbye Sweet House!!

We have been living with Ben’s parents the past 2 weeks and it has been great.  For the first few nights the kids were waking up all night long…a lot of transitions going on in their little lives:(!!  We close on our new house this Thursday and move in on Saturday!  We are very excited!  I think the kids will LOVE it…we can’t wait to show it to them! 

I will update with pictures as soon as we get moved in!