Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A Whole Lotta Nothin'!

Not much going on in the Martin household. I haven't wanted to bore you too badly so I have debated about what to post time and again. As you can see, my indecisiveness has resulted in NO action.

I know it's been almost a month since my last post but REALLY, not much to tell you. I see the same thing day in and day out and there isn't much to share. In fact, my poor camera has been so neglected because of this.....who likes a post with no pictures????

The latest on the pregnancy...... I went back to the hospital for another couple of days......this time with a pretty good outcome. My cervix looked like it was stable. They sent me home. My doc appointment last week went well. My cervix was still stable. Strangely I had been monitoring 10-12 contractions per hour pretty consistently......which in turn kept me monitoring for most of the day and well into the night. Annoying. The doc didn't seem too concerned about the high numbers since my cervix wasn't showing any change. This has been a blessing and a curse rolled into one......

I am SO thankful that my body is doing well and that the baby seems safe for the time being. On the other hand, knowing that all these contractions aren't doing anything makes me feel like I am doing the pump, the medicine, the monitoring and the bed rest for no reason. This makes it SO hard to stay down. I was doing really well about staying in bed before I found out that these contractions weren't causing me to progress......now, not so good. As the doc said, we never know when they will start to cause changes so we still need to be very careful......but BOY is that hard.

So many people have asked me what I am doing while confined to my bed. Well, lets see.....

-Playing with the kids......they are still here and they still like my attention occasionally..... I am good for reading to them at least......and of course some serious lovin' : )
- I have worked hard on getting my Home Management Binder all organized and purty! I'm pretty excited about this one even though it officially makes me a big huge dork! (I will try to get some pictures up and more details about it)
- I have gotten a TON of little girl clothes input, hung and tagged to sell in an upcoming consignment show called Just Between Friends.
- I have spent a lot of time on the internet..... oh boy......this one is one I should be a little ashamed of. I can get LOST in blogland. So many great sewing, decorating, ideas for fun stuff to do with kids, Christian encouragement, etc. blogs out there that I have to stop myself sometimes. I have also done a lot of research on different things.
- I finally got all of our FSA stuff in order(which was a SERIOUS chore) and faxed off and am now awaiting over $700 back! Woohoo!
- I have done a few little crafty things......made some pretty cute clips for Sam.
- I have been making some activities for Sam on photoshop that I will share will ya'll soon if I can figure out a way to do so.
- And a little recreational novel reading that I don't normally get to do.

That about covers it.....my life is pretty boring right now! I wish I had something interesting to tell you but.....I don't!


Wednesday, August 5, 2009

My Little Hospital Visit!

OK, so last week when I went to the doctor he told me that he would like for me to change to the terbutaline pump since I was still having contractions. When he saw that my cervix hadn't changed, he told me that I could just call him if the contractions continued and we would deal with it then.

The contractions continued.

When Mom came over yesterday she asked how the contractions were and when I told her that they weren't any better, she convinced me to call the doctor. His response was NOT what I was expecting! I really expected that he would just send someone out to set up the pump. Instead he sent me to the hospital.

I got to the hospital about 12:30. They put me on the monitor and saw that I was having 7-8 contractions every 30 minutes and thought that was too many. They also checked me and noticed I was dilated to a 1. They aren't too concerned about the dilation because the doc says that some women are just that way. (I am probably one of those women considering I have been dilated to a 4-5 by the time I went in to deliver with my previous pregnancies). Regardless, they weren't happy with the contractions.

The doc recommended that I have the terb pump set up at the hospital. The company that does the pumps was taking forever and my contractions weren't getting any better so the doc ordered a terb shot and 23 hours of observation. Ugh....that meant a nights stay at the hospital.

We found out this morning that my insurance company denied the pump. The doc was not satisfied with that response so he did a sono. The sono showed funneling in my cervix, which in turn means that my cervix has shortened and he also saw a contraction. He documented these things, printed out pictures and resubmitted the request for the pump to the insurance company.

We are still waiting for the response......which means another night in the hospital! POO!

Mom has had the kids and thankfully J will be home late tonight.

Praying that the insurance will approve the pump, they will get it set up and I will get out of here tomorrow! In the meantime I am taking the terbutaline orally and spending a lot of time reading! (and starving......the food is HORRIBLE)

Thank you to everyone who is helping out and praying for us!

A Fun Weekend!

Well, after Spencer would NOT go to sleep because of his excitement over the new chair, we decided to get the kids outside to play in the water and the sandbox. Of course they had a wonderful time. Sam really loves to play in the water......Spencer, not so much. He enjoys the sandbox and just exploring!


Daddy spraying Sam! Sam thinks he is SOOO funny!

Spencer enjoying a little snack. Ugh....isn't that gross? Eating sand is just nasty. He seemed to enjoy it though.....he did it more than once! What a goof!
And even though this picture is horrible of me, I just had to share. It is classic Sam. I said, "I'm taking a picture, SMILE!" and this is what I ended up with. She was not upset at all.....she is just a stinker. The girl is so full of drama.....I will be surprised if she doesn't end up making it her career : )
And here is my Little Man after a little fun in the backyard : )

Saturday morning it was raining so we thought we would go outside and watch the rain. I was actually really surprised when Spencer just walked right out into it and played. Of course Sam wanted to get out there after that! How much fun! I remember playing in the rain as a kid and I LOVED it.....probably because it was so "crazy" and I felt free!


Isn't this so sweet? She was taking care of her little brother!


Don't you just love the plumber pants : )

And here are the kids saying "hi" to me! I was trying to be good and resting inside, watching them through the window.


I love these kids! Even though I was stuck resting, I still enjoyed the weekend!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

The Chair

When Spencer turned 1 (June 23) there wasn't anything we could think of to get him so my Mom just got him a visa gift card. We figured there would be something he would want soon enough. We finally decided on something and got it this weekend.

When he was staying at Dawn's, he loved to play in Connor's little upholstered chair. Sam has an Elmo chair at the house that he never seemed interested in......until recently. For the past week or so they have been fighting over who gets to sit in that chair so we figured it was time to get him one of his own.

Babies 'R Us was having a big sale so we went yesterday and got him a little upholstered "Cars" chair. We figured picking out another red chair would limit the fighting over who got what chair.

When we got home, it was time for a nap but my napper was NOT interested. He was SO excited about his new chair. He just kept going over and sitting down in it. It was so cute!

Here it is fresh out of the bag (of course Sam had to put hers right next to his and sit with him)

And here is Sissy showing him the cool car on the back!

And here he is being so proud! (I was so upset that this one turned out blurry)
And for those of you who are asking why I was out running errands........we just went in, got the chair and left. :)

Friday, July 31, 2009

The Big Helper

So, we decided that we would switch the kids rooms since Sam's room is so much bigger and the boys will be sharing a room. Sam was soooo excited to pick out the color of her new room and help Nini paint! Here is her hard work! She was so proud of herself and when she finished she said, "Daddy will be so happy!" That girl loves her Daddy!


As you can see, she chose a light aqua color which is not all that much different from what she had in her other room : ) When we switched the rooms, we put her bed up on rails and attached the headboard. (pictures to come) We originally put the mattress on the floor so that she wouldn't have far to fall if she rolled out but now that she is bigger we thought it would be nice for her to have a BIG big girl bed. She loves it.

And FYI for anyone painting in the near future.....the Behr Premium Plus, which is the primer and paint in one, is AWESOME. We were painting over the intense green and a black stripe and it only took one coat. Wow!

Big Boy Haircut!

My Little Man got a big boy haircut. It's crazy how grown up he looks now. He did pretty good for his first time. They put on the movie "Cars" and he was glued to the TV. The clippers bothered him a couple of times but he did really well and we were outta there quickly!

BEFORE

AFTER
I took him to Cool Cuts 4 Kids. I'm glad I took him there for the first time since she was accustomed to working with kiddos and was super quick and patient but I won't be going back. They are ridiculously expensive and dirty.

Here is his only little freak-out! (isn't it cute)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

She Makes Me Laugh

Seriously.......Sam cracks me up. The things kids say are just great. This is also a little bragging so just know that going in...... I AM one of THOSE Mom's who thinks their kid hung the moon.

So, we were playing with her Aquadoodle. She told me she was going to draw a fish and this is what she drew. I was quite impressed. I realize it's no Picasso but for a 2 year old......pretty impressive.
(grrrr..... I don't know why but every time I upload this pic it turns it sideways)

After that she wanted me to sit and draw with her. I drew a smiley face and showed her how to do it. Here is her smiley face......pretty cute, huh!


So, THEN I drew a house. She wanted to draw it so bad but she was having a REALLY hard time. So, in my very teacherish manner I proceeded to do a dotted line house that she could trace because she usually really likes to trace. I thought that was brilliant.

Apparently she did not.

I was trying to tell her to trace the dots and she was "busy" drawing something else. So, I tried to take her hand and show her how to trace it. She pulled away and told me she was drawing something else. I guess I am a little persistent because I tried once AGAIN to tell her to trace it. Of course, she continued to ignore me so I said, "Why are you being ugly to me?" and her answer......... "I'm not hearing you!"...........WOW! I laughed out loud on that one. Just thinking about what she was thinking and hearing her so serious tell me that was just funny.

And because I am a Mom, I had to explain to her that she was in fact hearing me and what she was doing was called IGNORING.

And the story behind the next pic. I drew the large sun and then she asked me to draw the small sun. She said, "Mommy & Daddy." I asked her which was which and she said the big one was Daddy & the small one was Mommy. This is just funny because she is always saying, "I'm big like Daddy & Spencer is small like Mommy."

I really don't know what to make of this but she says it all the time! (Guess I should enjoy that I am small in her mind)

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Reward

So, we have implemented something new in the Martin household. It's the reward jar......it's equivalent to a reward chart w/ stickers.......I guess I am just more artsy fartsy than I am teacherish and so I had to do something different!

It works like this: I got a small glass jar and a bunch of pretty glass stones. When Sam does something good, she gets a stone. When the jar gets full, she gets a big prize (as opposed to a bunch of little junky stuff each time she does something good) She gets stones for a variety of things but I wanted it to promote independence, character and initiative for doing things.

At what point do you quit telling your child to say "thank you", "share with your brother" or "pick up your toys"? It isn't as if they don't know they need to do these things, they are just hoping to get away with NOT doing them. I was hoping for some positive reinforcement for positive behaviours. So far it has worked beautifully......BUT I must say that Sami is a natural people pleaser so this is right up her alley......don't know that this would work for all the little guys.

So back to what she gets stones for.......here is a small list of things she has actually gotten stones for......

putting away her toys w/o me asking
sharing with her brother w/o me asking
taking a nap w/o a fight
putting the silverware away
putting her laundry away
being a good girl at the store
watching/entertaining her brother while I need to do something
small but important stuff that makes my heart smile because she is such a great kid (character issues)

Sooooo, all this to tell you that she got her jar filled up and received her first reward today. She LOVED it. Her cousins are in town and my Mom was taking them to NRH2O, so we decided that would be a perfect prize. She is hesitant of water but she really warmed up and ended up doing really great and having a fantastic time. She went down slides, played on all the cool kid stuff and swam in the wave pool. It was a wonderful day!

Here are a few pictures.......

Sam & her cousin Parker

Sam & I going down the slide (we are on the left)

Daddy & Spencer


Sam hasn't been to NRH2O since she was less than a year old so she doesn't even remember it. I'm sure we will be going back. Spencer did pretty good. He just got REALLY tired and was fuss talking when we left.......I think his ears are still bothering him.

OH, and that brings up a good question........how do you reward one child w/o rewarding the other? or do you just let them both enjoy it? this isn't so much an issue now but it will be as Spencer gets to the age to do his own reward jar(and I could be wrong in my predictions but I have a feeling that his is going to fill up MUCH slower than hers).

Well, the fam is still zonked from the trip.......hoping they will wake soon.....getting close to bedtime.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A First

Ha! We just got back from the play area at NE Mall. Due to Spencer being sick, we haven't been out of the house in several days and Sam was just about to lose all civility. I decided it was time to take action since Spencer's temp had been gone for over 24 hrs.

It was so stinkin' cute. This was the first time we have been since Spencer has been walking so this is the first time he has gotten to play. It was precious! He was in heaven. There were 8 billion people there but he just thought it was great. He would take a few steps and then just watch everyone, move a little and then just watch everyone. He was mesmerized! He would just laugh and squeal in excitement. It was hilarious.

And Sam was soooo sweet. She is the greatest big sister in the world. She was so concerned about him. She made sure he was doing good, would go play a little and then find him again to make sure he was ok. I don't know how many times she came over to me and asked me where Bubby was. She didn't have to watch out for him......I never asked her to do that. She is just a little mother hen. I'm sure it will drive the boys crazy as they all get older but I think it is sweet that she cares so much.

I am so blessed!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The 3rd Pregnancy.....

doesn't exist. Maybe it's just because my kids are so close but I don't have time to think about being pregnant!

For those of you who don't know this, I HATED being pregnant with the other 2...... like, despised it.......couldn't wait for the day I could get those kiddos outta there. Why?

1) there are too many things that happen to your body that are just flat uncomfortable (some unmentionables, some things like feet in your ribs)
2) your emotions are just RIDICULOUS
3) you get fat
4) nothing you wear looks cute and when you get really big, nothing is long enough to cover your protruding belly
5) you are TIRED.....all the stinkin' time
6) but you really can't sleep because you're either uncomfortable or HOT
7) and most of all for me it is because they are invading MY SPACE!!!!

All of that said, I have actually been able to enjoy this pregnancy because

1) you aren't sure if the things that are so uncomfortable are just leftovers from the last pregnancies
2) well, the emotions are still annoying
3) now you have an excuse for the fat you already had
4) nothing you wore before the pregnancy was cute anyway because you used all that money on making sure your kids look cute
5) you're already tired all the time from the other 2 kids
6) but you can't really sleep anyway since they don't sleep through the night or take up half of your bed
7) space? what space? toddlers just don't understand the concept of space.

and there you have it.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

So much to say

Well, it's been so long I don't really know what to say because there is so much that has happened. I want to tell you some of the things I learned being a working Mom but that is for another post entirely.

Spencer turned 1! My baby boy.......the very reason this blog ever started, is ONE! I can't believe it! He started walking at about 11 months so he is really getting around good now! We had a GREAT birthday party for him......I will share some of those pictures soon.

I found out I am pregnant again! Samara turns 3 in September and the baby is due October 18th! That means a 3 yr old girl, a one year old boy and a newborn baby boy! Wow! This blog just might get REAL interesting come October. We are excited it is another boy. Not sure we could have handled the drama another girl would have brought! Samara likes being the Princess and I'm not sure how she would do sharing that title : )

My brother graduated from basic training and now he and his family have moved to Kentucky! We are sad! Sam and Balin loved playing together.

The pregnancy thing means we will be having to make some changes. Well, the first already happened and that was quitting work. We will most likely have to sell our car and get something a little bigger. And we will have to change the kids rooms around (NOT looking forward to this one) I figure it would be more appropriate for the boys to share and right now Samara is in the larger room. Right now Spencer's room is lime green and black......probably not gonna fly with my girlie girl!

Spencer loved staying at Ms. Dawn's. Conner says that Spencer is his best friend! It is SOOO cute! Sam got jealous when she heard Conner say that so now they fight about whose best friend he is. I know we will look forward to our playdates with the Younger's!

Alrighty.......I'm sure I'm forgetting something but that's all I can think of right now. I'm thinking it's going to take me a few posts to get back into the swing of things! Excited to be back!

Here are a few pictures I took the other day while we were playing outside.....

Isn't this so sweet! Sam is really good about playing with Spencer and helping him!


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I'M BAAACCKK!

Ok, not yet, but I will be soon!

My last day at work will be the 26th of this month! I can't wait to be home with my kiddos again. I have really missed blogging and having those memories preserved, so I will be jumping back on here once I get settled back into the being at home routine.

Can't wait.....the kids are getting so big and so much has happened!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Our first week!

Hey everybody!

The first week of work went great! I really enjoy the job and my coworkers have been so great. I feel right at home already!

I haven't had a chance to update the blog because I don't spend near as much time on the computer that I once did. When I get home from work I just want to hang out with the kids and many nights don't even open the computer......I'm sure you understand.

Life is quite different as a working Mom of 2.

Sam LOVES LOVES LOVES her school and new friends. She is so precious......praying and thanking God for her new friends and new school! She even wanted to go this weekend. I really think she was getting bored at home all day, every day. She LOVES to learn and this is giving her an opportunity to learn and play all day long! I think she will probably HATE staying home with me if I ever get that chance again. : (

It was so cute getting her valentine's and little goodies for and from all her classmates! Soooo caaauuute! They had a little party Friday morning......how fun!

I LOVE picking her up......it brings such joy to see her so excited to see me and excited to tell me all about her day on the car ride home. I get so many sugars on the way outta that Preschool that those people probably think I'm crazy ; )

Spencer was sick all of last week. He had upper respiratory stuff, an ear infection and at the end of the week came down with some funky rash. Poor guy. Things seem like they are getting better on that end!

Spencer is not being very nice to Dawn......only sleeping in 30 minute increments. Please be praying that he can settle into a routine over there. He seems to be doing fine at Angel Land......sleeping good for them......little stinker!

We are all adjusting nicely.......THANK YOU to everyone who prayed.......we could not have done this without you! I really do have the best friends and I am so grateful everyday for you!

I realized while scanning the blog that it has been a while since I have posted any pics......I will try to do that soon! Spencer is getting so big. Josh dressed him yesterday while Sam and I were at church and when I checked the size on the outfit he was wearing it said 24 months! AAAHHH! The kid is BIG! I can't believe how fast he is growing! He is such a sweet soul......he loves to give kisses and this Momma loves to take them : )

Please pray that my heart can continue to be at peace about our new situation!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

A little better!

Well, the week hasn't seemed to get a whole lot better but my attidude certainly has : )

Tuesday and Wednesday Sam stayed home with me because she wasn't feeling well. Today was her first day back and she seemed excited to be going to school and playing with her new friends. Unprovoked by me, she prayed for and thanked God for her new friends all this week! Hopefully I will find a happy child when I pick her up!

Yesterday, I wasn't able to keep my eyes open, my head was pounding, I kept getting the chills and just felt YUCKY! Ya, I'm pretty sure I've got the flu! Thank goodness for WONDERFUL kids who basically kept themselves entertained all day! Mom came and stayed last night to get the kids a bath and feed Spence in the middle of the night! Thanks Mom!

My grandpa is home from the hospital.....YAY!

I am officially starting work on Monday!

Monday, February 2, 2009

What a crappy day!

Sorry for the verbage but, truth be told, that is stating it lightly!

I'm allowed a bad day! Tell me everyday should be a great one because I know the Lord and I will tell you I don't believe it! He asks us to praise Him always and that I can do because guess what, He is still good.....but the day still stinks!

a) Taking Sam to school today was just hard......that's really all I know to say. She did great for those of you who are wondering.......it wasn't that.

b) I got word today that I likely won't start work until next week. A little frustrating considering I am paying for childcare but not getting paid! On top of that, I am just ready to get the show on the road......I am not a real patient gal.

c) My brother sent my parents a letter and it broke my heart. I don't care that tons of other men have gone through all the military mess; this time it's my brother and I don't like it. I hate more than anything for people to be demeaning......bullies. And that's what the military prides themselves on, at least during basic training! I really dislike it! On top of that, most choose to enter at a young age; before having a family.......what a difference that must make.

Matt has never been one to naturally respect authority (runs in the family, BTW) so I'm pretty sure he has had a bumpier ride than some of the others during his stay. He says he gets yelled at alot and does lots of push-ups. In addition he only gets 4-6 hours of sleep, 30 second showers and 2-5 minutes to eat. I mean, seriously......that's just ridiculous! Grrr.....whatever.....just gets me fired up thinking about it. I don't think I would be a very good candidate for the military, huh?

d) My grandpa has been in the hospital for very painful cellulitis in his leg since Wednesday. The surgeon came today and decided he could lance it bedside (make an incision and drain it). He thought the incision was going to be small but it ended up being about 6 inches. The nurse said he could still feel the procedure, despite the local anesthetic. Didn't go quite as planned. Ugh, that stinks!

e) While the procedure on my Grandpa was being performed, my Grandmother was at the neurologist with my Mother, getting a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Wow.....that is not an easy one to swallow! What a sad, sad disease. My heart is broken.

Yes, I am well aware that those "bad" things pale in comparison to what others are dealing with. In my reality though.......the convergence of these events made for a pretty yucky day!

Sometimes life is like dirty shoes.......stinky but not unbearable.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Change

Well, nothing is officially different at this point but things just aren't the same. Being a working Mom of two is going to be a change. If you don't know me well, you might not know that I have a difficult time with change. It's true. I like routine; to know what lies ahead. The prospective is daunting!

Because I serve a good and mighty God who loves me, I know that everything will be OK! (unfortunately that doesn't make it easy)

I will most likely be returning to work on Wednesday. I am working the front desk at the Grapevine Pain Center. I think I am going to really enjoy my job and my co-workers seem like they are WONDERFUL; so I am excited about that!

I honestly don't think I can put into words what the past two weeks have been like for me emotionally. It has been a whirlwind of getting things in order and preparing my heart for letting my children go.

You might say that things have been overwhelming and stressful for this stay-at-home-mom. I have had to jump through all the hoops to get the paperwork and junk done for the position so that it would be ready ASAP and I can get started. I have had to find affordable childcare for both of the kiddos, which has been no small feat. After finding the childcare, I have had to gather all the things the kiddos will need and get through all the childcare paperwork, immunization records....blah blah blah.

I am only beginning to get a feel for this working Mom of two mess.

Life is about to be very different. I HATE to feel rushed and I am beginning to get a glimpse of the rush of the mornings.....trying to get myself and two kiddos ready for the day, to leave the house by 6:45....wowzer! This will be a DRASTIC change. Josh isn't home to help so I will have to be extremely organized and prepare well the night before to make it out on time!

This is going to a big change for Josh as well. He is accustomed to us being home any time he is. If he gets home early, we are there. If leaves later on Monday, we are there. He has really enjoyed being able to be home with the kids when he has spare time. We also would take the occasional spontaneous trip with him, but that will be no more. I think this will take some adjusting for all of us.

We found what we think is going to be an AWESOME solution to our childcare! This has most certainly been the stressful, overwhelming and emotional part of the whole adventure. Having been home with Samara for 2 1/2 years has caused me to feel as if I am abandoning her (more on that in a bit) and I wasn't willing to settle (plus I knew that God had a PERFECT solution). We are sending Samara to Preschool Enrichment (PSE) in North Richland Hills. The other options were either way out of our price range or just plain depressing. PSE is a preschool that is founded on Christian principles. They start the day with God, end the day with God and worship Him through song and study throughout the day! So exciting that they can intertwine God and solid education. This Preschool came highly recommended and we feel SUPER comfortable with it! (BTW, thank you so much to all who recommended somewhere or someone......I know we are all in this together as mothers and I couldn't do this without my AWESOME friends.....thank you sisters!)

Unfortunately they don't take children until they are walking! Welllll, that left Spence unattended to. I had to come up with an alternative because we really felt that God led us to PSE for Samara. There was an in-home care not 5 minutes from PSE that I looked into but the more I thought through the that, the less peace I felt. Because it would only be approximately 5 months before Spence could move to PSE, I felt lead to ask Dawn if she would keep Spence until then. God is so good. She had already been praying about it and I hadn't even asked her yet. She gave it some more thought and prayer and discussed it with Cole and agreed to watch him! Hallelujah!

I could not feel more comfortable with someone watching my little guy. Dawn and I have so many of the same parenting philosophies and everything just feels right. This may sound stupid to some of you but I was so worried about him not being rocked to sleep. From day 1 I have rocked him to sleep. It was a conscious decision I made. I love that time I have with my kiddos. Weening him from that in a matter of days was looking pretty impossible. Dawn will rock him to sleep! YIPEE! Seriously......that may sound petty to you but I know that taking that away from him and his mother all at the same time would have to hurt his heart, which in turn would have broken mine! She already loves the little guy to pieces and that means more than ANYTHING else! Thank you Dawn.....I know you are sacrificing alot but it makes my heart smile!

So, now it's just a matter of transitioning the kiddos to the their new environment and me to a new way of life.

I worry about so many things.......

Will Sam think that I don't love her and that's why I am sending her away?
Will Samara and I and Spencer and I still have a wonderful relationship?
Will the kids still become best buds even though they aren't around each other all day?
Will Spencer suffer emotionally because his mother isn't there for him at such an important time in his life?
Will the people at the preschool make Samara feel loved?
How will it make Sam feel when she gets in trouble there for things that I allowed her to do at home?
Will she feel like a bad kid if she is constantly being corrected because she isn't following their rules?
How will she adjust to eating, drinking, pottying, and sleeping completely different than she has done for the past 2 1/2 years?
When she throws a fit, will they understand that she is just hurting or will they be annoyed and just label her as a bad kid?
Will they see what a wonderful heart she has or will they just see her as another kid that won't follow the rules?
Will they enjoy and laugh at her little quirks....or will they just annoy them?
Will they see her gifts and pursue them or will she be just another kid that stands in line and learns the ABC's?
Will there be someone to cuddle with her if she just needs a little lovin'.......or is it going to be strictly about learning and following rules?
Will she get to play with her friends or just learn alongside them?

I honestly feel like her life is going to be turned upside down and I am the cause of the hurt and pain that it will accompany it! It breaks my heart. I can't even sit here and write this without tears streaming down my face!

I want her to LOVE it. I want her to want to go back everyday. I want her to be excited about learning and playing with her friends. I want her to be happy!

There are so many other questions. Are these unreasonable thoughts/questions? Am I just a freak? Am I one of those Moms?

This is very possibly the hardest thing I have ever had to do but I honestly feel like this is what God wants for us and I know that His plan is perfect. I am pretty sure this is one of the only times, if not THE only time that I have had zero control over my emotions. When we went to visit the preschool for the second time, I couldn't seem to get it together......so unlike me. I do NOT like to cry in front of others so to not be able to get ahold of myself in front of STRANGERS what quite embarrassing. Thankfully the staff understands because they too are also mothers!

I realize this may all seem a bit dramatic to some of you but this is how I feel.

Please pray for the transition!

Friday, January 23, 2009

I Reagan take you Josh........

Just thought you all might enjoy a good laugh!

Yes, I realize the quality is HORRIBLE......I can already hear the disbelief from my children 20 years from now. It is still on VHS. I desperately need to have it transferred to a DVD. (This is a video of the TV screen......how do ya like that!)

I just dug the VHS player and kid movies back out. I figured that would be all this ancient TV would be good for after the HD thing in February.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Finally!

I feel like I have said "I'm sorry" about the lack of posts quite frequently lately! Well here it is again! Sorry ya'll!

The past couple of weeks have just been crazy, not to mention that I haven't had a computer. Going to Mom's to get on the internet leaves me just enough time to check my e-mail and work through my list. It's amazing how much I rely on the internet for information.

For those of you who have not been informed, I am returning to work! The economy stinks and with that comes pay cuts and changes in reimbursement. Therefore, we have been left with no choice but for me to head back into the workforce. Honestly, we have been thinking about this for some time now but I was convinced there was no way I would be able to find anything that would pay for childcare and have anything left over. God literally dropped something in my lap. I am going to be working at a doctor's office across from Baylor Grapevine. I have heard wonderful things from the staff there and I think I will really enjoy it.

The issue at this point is finding affordable, GOOD care for the kiddos. I have a couple of home care options but I am afraid that Sam will be bored. I would really like this to be a positive experience for her. If she is going to have to be taken out of her home I would at least like a little brain stimulation for the girl. I think she would thrive in a preschool setting but it has been very difficult finding a preschool that a) also takes infants or b) has a spot for them both......not to mention the affordable part. I am praying that God has something perfect he will open the door to this week.

So.....what's been up with us??????

For starters, last week Sam and I were sick.....had this mess that has been going around. I had a severe ear infection. I don't think I have had an ear infection since I was a wee one. It was not fun.

I was premature in my excitement about the end to diapers. I actually attribute this to her sickness. I think, being sick, she wasn't sleeping well, which woke her frequently and alerted her to her need to tee tee. After getting well, she just didn't seem to wake when she needed to go and so we are back to diapers at bed time.

There is another HUGELY exciting, momentous occasion to replace the other. The pacis are GONE! Seriously..... 2 1/2, it's about time. I have been DREADING the day that we took those things away! We have been putting it off because we knew the battle that would ensue. I should have known that she would take care of it herself. A few days ago she took a nap at Mom's. When she went to get her pacis, she brought one of them to me and told me it was broken. It looked like she had been chewing on it or something so I told her to throw it in the trash. She went to bed with only one paci for her nap. That night I put her to bed with just the one and told her that it was the only one left, that the other ones were in the trash. About 30 minutes after putting her to bed she came into my room telling me that her paci was broken. She brought it to me in 2 pieces. She had bitten the tip of it off. Clearly, that is a serious choking hazard so there was no chance she was going back to bed with another one. I told her to throw that one away and that was the last one so she had no more. That was it! The end of the pacis! WOO HOO!

My little man is scootin' all over the place! I can't believe he is 7 months old!!!!!! He is funny though......he still won't sit himself up. He can sit up by himself but he can't get there himself. Actually, he probably COULD, but he doesn't. Silly guy!

I am beginning to work out an issue with him as well. Since he was born I have rocked him to sleep. That is not an ideal situation for childcare so I am trying to wean him off the rocking. He is doing pretty good so far but we have a long way to go yet.

OH, and he has this AWFUL squeal! Are boys supposed to squeal? He sounds awfully girly when he does. Mom calls him sissy boy when he does it.....it really is terrible. It's his attitude scream.....when he is really peeved.

Oh, and if you were wondering, NO, he still isn't sleeping through the night. He wakes up and takes a bottle in the middle of the night. UGH! Sam slept like 10 hours at 6 weeks so this is pretty annoying. He is wearing 12 and 18 month clothes so maybe it's just because he's a big boy......though Mom says it's just habit. I tried to let him just cry himself back to sleep the other night. After 45 minutes I decided I couldn't stand it anymore. Really????? 45 minutes????? Who is that stubborn?????

Josh left Sunday morning for his annual National Sales Meeting in Connecticut. He has been super busy all week and we are really missing him. Wednesday night was their big awards banquet and my J-Dub kicked booty! I don't know if I have told you how hard Josh has worked since going into sales but this kid deserved something good, ya'll. He is incredible at his job and apparently others are noticing! God has really blessed him in this position. I truly feel that he is able to use the gifts God has blessed him with in this position and that really has made a HUGE impact on his success. I will let him give you more info on his blog when he gets home and has a chance to write. I don't know all the details yet myself so I am anxiously awaiting his arrival! He should be returning tomorrow afternoon! Can't wait! I sure do love that guy!

Well, I hope I have caught you up......I know I have probably missed a ton but I will try to keep you more up to date now that I have a computer with internet access back at home! (I will also try to get some pics up soon)

Monday, January 12, 2009

One Proud Mama

Seriously.....I don't deserve this goodness! Sam slept without a diaper last night!

The other day Mom and I were talking. I was telling her that I still couldn't buy the cheap diapers for Sam because they broke her out even though she only wore them to bed. So, she suggested I just tell Sam to go tee tee in the potty if she needed to go, rather than in her diaper. Of course I am thinking.....ya right!

Well, 2 days ago at nap time I told her that very thing and she said, "No Mommy, diaper on." I thought, OK, she's not ready, I'll just try again later, it was worth a try.

Yesterday morning she put herself down for a nap without me knowing. I went in there to check on her, saw her lying down and asked her if she wanted me to put a diaper on her. "No." (which usually means she doesn't really want to take a nap, she's just playing.) But she went to sleep and didn't tee tee in the bed!

Then, last night when we put her to bed we put a diaper on her but 5 minutes later she was screaming, "Tee tee potty" Daddy tried to tell her she had a diaper on but she wasn't having it. Daddy told her she could go, so she got up, took off her diaper and went on the potty. She went back to bed without a diaper on. I heard her get up once in the middle of the night and go! No wet bed this morning!

So, the conclusion is, she can do whatever she wants as long as it's her idea!

WOW! 28 months and NO MORE DIAPERS! God is good! (yes, I know Spencer won't be this easy!)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Donuts

Last night we had breakfast for dinner! I have been itching to try this idea for some time now. See those donuts????? They are homemade, cheap, good and SIMPLE (does it get any better?)! You know those super cheap store brand biscuits in the skinny tubes that are usually packaged 4 together? Just open up a can of those, use something round to punch out the center (I used the top to an Ozarka bottle) and fry. I just put a skillet on the stove, poured in some oil, heated it up and laid those puppies in there to fry! I did one side at a time so that I didn't have to use a ton of oil. Once they brown up just yank 'em outta there and lay them on something to soak up the grease. After you've got them all fried up, roll them around in cinnamon and sugar! THAT'S IT! YUMMY to my tummy!

(you see that pile of stuff on the counter over there? EVERY year I find stray bits of Christmas across the house after putting it all away. That is where everything has landed so that I can put it in the garage with the other stuff. Anyone else have this problem????)

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Saturday, January 10, 2009

80's glasses!

Not much to report from this week. I'm sure you all missed me.....I know I would have (he he)! We spent quite a bit of time at the park this week......just taking advantage of the pretty days and staying indoors on the those that aren't.

We missed Josh a ton this week......Sam had a difficult time adjusting!

I really wish I had something interesting to tell you but, I don't. Sam is funny.....what's new..... she just says some of the funniest things......I think it has a lot to do with the age!

Just had to share this picture.....thought it was pretty funny.....my little chiller!

So, I couldn't put up a post without SOMETHING worthy of checking out......I saved the best for last. (sorry for the cruddy quality.....I had to scan this one in) This is a picture of my roommate and I from New Years Eve '01(seriously.....was that REALLY 7 years ago????). The theme was 80's. I didn't want to go all out 80's but I felt like I had to have SOMETHING! My sister-in-law found these sunglasses that she wore when she was a teenager! Can you believe someone actually wore those for REAL! Karen, only you could pull that off! The picture makes me laugh every stinkin' time!


Sunday, January 4, 2009

Gone

Just thought I would let you all know that Josh is leaving with the computer very early in the morning. That means no posts until he gets home......probably Friday.

We had a fun weekend! Friday night we hung out with friends......we always enjoy that......even if it takes pulling teeth to make it happen : )

Saturday we took the kids on a train ride. I would like to say it was the Tarantula but my BIL got the times mixed up and we ended up on the Vintage Train in the Stockyards. This could have been enjoyable except that we chose a day when it was 80 degrees out and there was no A/C (hence the Vintage part)......there also were no open windows. Sam and Levi had a blast riding the choo choo. Poor Spence was miserable......he is SO hot natured......we had the poor kid stripped to his diaper and he was still sweating all over (it might have something to do with the rolls that cover him)! Thankfully it was only about an hour long so we scooted out of there at lightning speed!

Today we finally all got to go to church as a family! Tommy's sermon was wonderful!

I am excited to get back into a routine this week......I have let the washing go FAR too long now! I will be playing catch up all week on that.

Spencer is SOOOO much fun right now! He just cackles......it makes my heart melt! Sam is so funny with him......she will always try to make him laugh! Sam is just hilarious! I know I have said that before and I'm sure I will say it again but she is stinkin' funny! She can say whatever she wants now......she knows so much it just baffles me! A few of the latest funnies......

Sam: Daddy, come play in my room.

Daddy: No Sam, not right now.

Sam: (with finger pointed and shaking at him) Daddy, don't tell me no!

and

Sam: (pointing to the rings on my hand) Mommy, what this?

Mommy: Rings

Sam: (to Spencer, pointing to the rings) Spencer, this called rings.

Mommy: That's right Sam, good job.

Sam: No Mommy, I talk to Spence. Spencer, this called rings.

those probably aren't near as funny written but they were F-U-N-N-Y when they happened.

Also, a few things to pray about.......

My brother is leaving for bootcamp this week......he's got 3 kiddos......one only a few weeks old.

My SIL's brother got mugged on New Year's Eve and is in pretty bad shape (broken brow bone, both cheekbones, fractured neck, chipped teeth, etc).

We are trying to sell our truck.......Josh is renting now and it will free up some money for other bills.

There is a possible job opportunity for me......no details yet but it would be full time and the kids would have to go to daycare......this is a HUGE prayer request.

HUGE praise for some burdens lifted in some family relationships! PRAISE GOD......this was ONLY by his goodness!

Love ya'll!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Forgetting to enjoy!

Have you ever anticipated anything so much so that you forget to enjoy what is going on now?

Having Josh home has been wonderful in numerous ways. Honestly, I was quite nervous at the thought of him being home for 2 1/2 weeks straight. I am all about routines and schedules so I was worried I would not be able to enjoy myself because of the sheer randomness of our days.

It has turned out to be a nice break from my rigidness. For close to 2 weeks now we have just waltzed through our days without thinking about them or preparing for them much! Some days we would be lazy all day, stay in our jammies, and enjoy family time. Other days we seemed to go, go, go. We have finished some projects that I have been wanting to finish for some time now so I am happy as well as surprised that anything productive can be done when there aren't schedules and plans.

Anyway, back to my original question....... I am so dreading Josh going back to work that it is all I have been able to think about for the last 24 hours! Isn't that just stupid! Regardless, this time with him home has been priceless and we feel blessed that his work allowed him the time off!
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