The Slagley Family

My First iPhone Dump

2012-01-09T09:41:00.002-06:00

Kate has become quite the helper! She loves doing anything to help me with Morgan, and has even helped with a few things around the house. When she helps, it takes a GOOD bit longer, but I am trying to appreciate her willingness! Yesterday, she helped me vacuum and wash dishes.

My sweet Morgan isthe dress up doll around here! Kate loves putting any costume on her. I have to watch Blake, he tries to put his entire blanket over her head.

Blake got a REAL football uniform for Christmas this year, but I can't figure out how to turn it the other way. I got a new iphone for Christmas, and I am LOVING it! I am just not 100% comfortable with all the tricks it does. I talk to Siri on a daily basis, whether it is to ask her when a certain tv show starts back, or to get directions while I drive without using my hands.

We rang in the new year in Greenville this year, and the kids loved doing fireworks in their pajamas!

This Thanksgiving

2011-12-07T20:21:00.004-06:00

I have to say that this Thanksgiving, I was MOST thankful for family. Especially my sweet Nanny! She joined us at my parents' house this year, and it was so sweet to have her there. She isn't quite the same Nanny as I grew up with, since she had a stroke/brain injury the beginning of 2011, but she still has moments where she surprises us all with her comments and random memories. She remembered Brandon's name without prompting, but then she told me that Morgan has "pretty blue ears." A year ago today, her husband, Dink, went to his forever home with Jesus, and I miss him just as much as I did this time last year. Losing him was hard, but it also makes us thankful for the family we do have here! I had to post a picture of my girls with Nanny!

Kate has loved her "big girl bike" and rode all around her GiGi and PopPop's driveway. All of the sudden, I look at her and realize just how big she is getting!

Not the greatest picture of the kids, but I wanted a family picture with Nanny.

A little better, with my parents.

This year, Brandon had to work on Thanksgiving morning, and the morning after, so it limited our traveling. So, we had his parents drive here to celebrate with us! The kids loved having their 4 grandparents all in the same place. Nothing like a little extra attention!

Now that I have posted about Thanksgiving, Christmas is coming around the corner! I guess I will get to that after the New Year!

My Helper

2011-11-11T09:27:00.003-06:00

Bathtime has gotten easier at our house now! I bathe Kate and Blake first, then Blake gets out... He is just a little too active, messy, dangerous, etc. to keep in there with Morgan! And then, I just pass Morgan to Kate. She helps me lay her down to wash her not much hair, then sit her up to rinse her off.

Kate's new name for Morgan is Mor-guinea-pig. Didn't love that at first, but it is kind of catching on for the kids at least. So now we have Katebug, Bubby, and Morguinea Pig... awesome! A funny story about Blake- he calls himself Bubby all the time and will correct you if you don't. He was in the church nursery the other day and came home with a family tree craft with the names "Mom, Dad, Kate, Bobby and Morgan." I laughed outloud because the sweet lady thought his name was really Bobby. Either that, or he corrected her when she said Blake. What a mess!

I am posting this picture mainly for myself... Morgan seems so tiny, and is very light, but she has some thighs! Her leg chub makes me laugh because you just don't expect to see this when you see her with her clothes on. We go to her 4 month appointment next week, so I will keep you posted on her growth progress.

Sharing Our Saturday

2011-11-05T12:20:00.002-05:00

Morgan is being sweet, sitting up in her Bumbo watching her brother pitch a fit for no reason. She really looks at me sometimes like, "Could you tell him to be quiet?" or, "Can you tell them to get out of my face?"
She was sleeping great for a while, but has been waking up in the middle of the night again. Maybe a growth spurt? I think I remember a weird sleep time around 4 months with the others.

We went to the grocery store this morning, and he has been screaming since we got back because he wants to go somewhere else. I think he is tired of me, Kate, and Morgan. He turned 3 on Halloween, but he isn't acting any bigger. People have told me that boys are worse at 3 than at 2, and I might believe them. He has been pitching some wild fits lately. We are pushing through it, spanking regularly, and maybe, just maybe we will kick this habit! Don't get me wrong, he is a wild man, but he sure is sweet too! He has gotten a lot more interested in Morgan lately, he loves to giver her the pacifier if she is crying and when he is sad, he asks to hug her.

Kate has been laying on the couch watching Mary Poppins, and she told me it was "so long it passed her right out." She then told me that Blake was driving her nuts. Me too, Kate! I wish I had more exciting things to share on Saturday, but this is it, folks! Daddy is working, so we are relaxing and trying to clean up around here.

New Tricks and A Big Trip

2011-10-06T18:38:00.008-05:00

Remember those curls in the last post? GONE! His hair was out of control, so we went for his first professional haircut, and he did great. I wouldn't have put him through the trauma of cutting it myself if I had known how easy it was to get it done, although way more expensive than it should be for a child!

Morgan is into her new play gym. We had a terrible one from when Kate was a baby, but I got this and she can lay on it for over an hour. She kicks the piano keys with her feet, and has started grabbing the toys that hang down. She sees herself in the mirror and just coos and coos, it is sweet! This baby continues to amaze me with her laid-back spirit... just not used to it!

She likes sitting in her Bumbo (for a little bit). Her eyes are looking more like Kate these days, and she reminds me of her when she smiles.

Morgan went on a getaway weekend with just me and Brandon a few weekends ago. It was so nice to get away and relax. Here is what Morgan did while I sat on the beach. Brandon just sat on the porch reading with her in the swing so I could enjoy some cool beach breeze and a good book. Heaven! And while we were there, the "big kids" went on an exciting trip of their own!

Their Papa G and JoJo took them to DISNEY WORLD! I think it was the trip of a lifetime, they did everything fun, and more! I was impressed when Jody said they wanted to take them by themselves, they are sweet kids, but a few days with them will wear anyone out! They ate with the princesses, went to the Not-So-Scary Halloween Parade, and saw "the real" Finding Nemo. Kate has an autograph book from all of the princesses, Donald Duck, Eeyore, etc. So cute! I was sad to miss seeing it all in person, but I know they couldn't have had more fun- they are just slighty obsessed with Papa G and JoJo. And they kept us up to date with picture texts of all the fun things they did.

Kate with Belle... she was probably so excited, she couldn't stand still!

Donald... I love Blake's body language.

The kids in Mickey ears.

Riding fun rides with JoJo!

Time Is Flying By

2011-09-08T21:47:00.005-05:00

Mothers' Day Out starts in the morning, and I am ready! I told Kate I would miss her tomorrow (a little), and she told me I could take a picture of her with me and wave it around so I would think she was with me. Smart girl! She is so excited about school, I really will miss her help during the day, but it will be nice to run errands with just a carseat.
I just had to show you the difference in my girls' eyes. At first glance, you think Morgan looks like Kate because of the pointy chin and pretty pointed top lips (that Kate is hiding)... but the eyes make all the difference! I think Morgan's eyes are a lot like Blake's- but they are getting bluer (is that a word) everyday! Blake's are more hazel.

A good picture of Blake's eyes- he is my sweet boy! He tells me he will NOT cry when I drop him off at MDO in the morning, we will see. :) He is still my shy one, doesn't love jumping into social settings quite like Kate does.

Wanted to show you Blake's sweet curls in the back that tell me it is time for a haircut.

Morgan started smiling between 6 and 7 weeks old, and it is precious. She is 8 weeks now! She has also started the soft "talking" to you when you make eye contact with her. Love it!

Kate still LOVES Morgan, and tonight I walked in to find her "patting" Morgan's cheek while she cried because I pat Morgan's bottom when she cries. I don't think she realized Morgan was crying BECAUSE she was smacking her face- yikes!

Nothing like a sleeping baby! Morgan is still doing great in the sleep department- waking up once a night. I feed her around 8:30 or 9 and she wakes up around 4:30 to 5, then sleeps till 8 in the morning. Once again, NO COMPLAINTS here! I told Brandon I don't know what it would have been like if she had been our first, but he just laughed and said, "Like we could have had more kids any sooner?" I guess the sleep doesn't matter all that much anyway, I just love babies!

Maybe Weakness Isn't So Bad

2011-08-20T08:38:00.003-05:00

This post is to remind MYSELF of God's truth. The past week, the "big kids" have driven me CRAZY... is that horrible to admit? I think they are stir crazy, tired of summer, and bored with me. So, they pull out every toy they own, destroy everything I have just cleaned, get toothpaste all over the bathroom sink, tear up paper into tiny pieces to "decorate" their room, etc, etc. I have lost my patience, been visibly frustrated, sent them to time out just so I wouldn't yell at them, and broken down in tears. You would think a newborn would be the "thorn in my side" at the moment- NOPE, she has been sweet. She has started spitting up some, a little fussy sometimes, but she still sleeps well and snuggles like a champ. I told a friend that I would love a day just with the baby, that would be a vacation from these wild kids. Not to discredit how hard one child is, I know how hard babies are, whether you have 1 or 3! It hasn't helped that Brandon has been on a bad rotation at work this month, the first two weeks were night shift, and now he just has long days and works all weekend. He is helpful when he is home, so it hurts not to have him!
This morning I sat down with coffee to do my quiet time, and I was reminded that I should be thankful even in times like this! I need Him to remind me that when I feel the weakest, I should be relying solely on HIM! He is using these times to draw me closer to Him.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10- "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, 'I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

4 Weeks

2011-08-09T17:54:00.005-05:00

Don't worry about this girl, she is well loved! From a big sister who wants to be with her all day, to a post-call sleepy daddy who just wants to snuggle before he sleeps, she is in someone's arms A LOT! How have 4 weeks flown by?

Kate is surprisingly good with her, she is getting a little more brave, unfortunately Morgan's neck control is not strengthening at the same speed. I keep having to explain that just because she CAN move her by herself, she is not supposed to. Morgan is laid back, and I think God made her just like that for her siblings.

Don't let Blake's gentle kisses fool you... he is ALL BOY! He just runs full force towards anything, even if it means pain for him or whatever he is running towards.

We get lots of kisses, and lots of nicknames. Kate has started calling her "my sweet cherry pie."

She is filling out more and more, so she is starting to have "a look." The picture where she is asleep in the swing reminds me of Kate, but the one where she is awake reminds me of Blake.

I am still enjoying this sweet girl, I think God keeps reminding me with the other two how fast this phase goes by. She is waking up twice a night (in twelve hours, so no complaining here) to eat, and is still not spitting up. Both things I am totally unfamiliar to! Kate and Blake spit up A TON and didn't sleep for longer than 3 or 4 hours until at least a few months.

Remember the crooked toe? It was "fine" when I got it checked out right before Morgan was born, but it was not x-rayed. Now it is making me nervous because it is not bending at the joint, and the entire big toe will not flex when I try to raise my toe. So, I am going back to the orthopedic specialist on Thursday to make sure we are "fine." I will keep you posted!

The First Two Weeks

2011-07-29T10:51:00.004-05:00

Our first two weeks have flown by! We have made it with everyone intact and healthy, but the house is falling apart. The "big kids" get out every toy they own EVERY day, so it is hard to keep up with their mess. But, we are loving our new baby, so the house can wait!

We have had some visitors come see us- Grandma and Grandpa Slagley came to visit and get their hands on Morgan. Morgan slept on Grandma for a good long time.

This is just to show you how long she is- it is hilarious that she seems so tiny, but she is just long and skinny.

Sweet girl has been staying awake for longer periods of time during the day, and it is funny to just watch her look around. She has a busy world to watch!

And don't worry, Kate hasn't lost interest yet! She still loves to hold Morgan any chance she gets. She helps keep her covered up, tells me is she needs a new diaper, and buckles her into the bouncy seat. It is nice to have such an attentive helper!

Sweet Baby

2011-07-22T09:21:00.003-05:00

We have had a great first week with sweet Morgan. People always say third babies are low-key, and that has been the case so far. She eats, poops, and sleeps. She stays awake after a feed two or three times a day, and sleeps the rest of the time. I am NOT used to this, because Kate and Blake had reflux from such an early age, and were pretty fussy. I do realize that babies change every day, so I am not getting too used to anything yet. I think I am taking more time to enjoy the little things since this could be (probably is) our last baby. I always said I wanted four, but pregnancy has done me in! I think it is pretty sad that I feel better and have more energy AFTER having her- that just shows all my complaining was legitimate!

The big kids have handled Morgan very well, it helps to have each other as playmates. Kate is still REALLY into Morgan, and sometimes a little too hands on. Blake is sweet to her, but holds her hand a little too hard and runs past her a little too fast. There has been some hyper-sensitivity too, they get really upset when they are punished or corrected, which they should be very used to by now. And they don't really like for us to be out of their sight. All of these things should be better soon, at least it isn't worse! I will take some extra snuggle time with the bigger ones, which seem HUGE by the way, compared to my little peanut.

We went to the doctor on Tuesday for Morgan's one week and a really late 4 year checkup for Kate. Brandon was able to be off and go with me, and I don't know how I would have done it without him! Kate got a finger stick and two shots, so we had our share of drama. Morgan got a heel stick, but recovered quickly. When Kate cried, I was trying to entertain Blake so he wasn't watching, and he burst into tears because Kate was sad. So my hormones couldn't handle it, and I teared up at his tender heart. We were a sight! The good news is that Morgan was above her birth weight. When we left the hospital, she was down to 6 lbs 6 oz, and at one week she was up to 6 lbs 14 oz, so I got the go ahead to let her sleep more at night. I was having to wake her up after 4 or 5 hours the first few nights, but now she is back to around 3 to 4 hours between feeds at night. Another thing I was not used to from the other two. They were 2-3 hour night babies, so I will take this! I had planned on putting her in her crib, but I chickened out (or got lazy) and put her in the Moses basket next to my bed, and it seems to be working pretty well. She doesn't really cry when she wakes up, she just makes grunting noises, so I worried I wouldn't hear her.

It is an adventure, but we are making it! And enjoying this sweet new baby. I forgot how much I love a newborn curled up on my shoulder, no wonder I have 3 babies in 4 years! I am going to have to volunteer at a nursery or something after this!

By the way, check this link back to a blog post when Blake was a baby to see how similar they look.

Morgan May Slagley

2011-07-15T09:08:00.007-05:00

These kids are so proud to announce the arrival of Morgan May Slagley, born Tuesday at 11:06 am.

I was induced around 6:40 in the morning, and let myself feel painful contractions until about 8:20 until I got the epidural... why wait? It was STRONG! Stronger than my other two epidurals have been, so I couldn't feel much of anything, until I shifted and felt pressure very low and thought I might need to let me nurse know. When I did, she told me we could let the kids back in to say goodbye until after we met Morgan, she was ready to go! It was kind of crazy fast, but we knew once she was coming, she was going to be quick. Two pushes later, she was screaming in front of me. It was so surreal, I was still waiting to exert any sort of effort, but she was already here... thank you epidural (and two other kids to pave the way)! She looked little from the start, and she was our smallest, at 6 pounds 10 ounces. I am a little partial to the smaller ones anyway with my NICU nursing history. :)

They got everything ready for visitors and the kids came running back in. I had so much fun introducing them to their new sister. Their faces were so sweet and excited. Kate's hasn't changed since, Blake has already lost a little interest.

Our new normal...

There is not a better moment than the one where you meet your sweet baby. I just stared at her and tried to see who she looks like- still can't tell you! I see Kate and I see Blake, I see me, and I see Brandon. She is her own little person!

We got settled into our room upstairs and the kids got to come marvel at her again. See Kate's super smile?

There is the super smile again! She is really good at holding Morgan, she stays still until she tells you she is ready to move. Blake will hold her for a minute until something else comes along, then he bails.

Sweet sisters.

Sweet brother!

Getting her first bath. Kate got to help with the lotion after the bath, and she loved it!

We got home yesterday, and we are starting to adjust to life with 3 kids! Thank you for all the calls, texts, and emails- we are so thankful for a healthy sweet girl.

Last Minute Before Morgan

2011-07-09T11:04:00.002-05:00

A few more additions to her room... I love the pale blue of her room, and it ties into the bedding, but I had to add a few touches of pink to make it more girly.

I have been busy making her some burp cloths, onesies, bibs, and gowns. She is using SO MANY hand-me-downs, it is nice to make something just for her!

Brandon's work did a diaper and wipe shower for us, and it was a huge blessing! We have diapers and wipes stored behind the glider, under the crib, on her changing table shelves, everywhere! It is so nice to get "showered" with a third baby, especially with things you know you will use! There were a few extra treats thrown in there too, along with a gift for Kate and Blake.

She will be coming on Tuesday if she doesn't make an appearance before then! So, this is my last post before she gets here! I am praying for a smooth delivery and transition to a family of 5! Kate and Blake think they are going on a vacation for a few days with my parents, so I am not so worried about them!

And- I forgot to tell you that we got great news at the foot doctor the other day- I will not need surgery, and I got out of that ridiculous hot boot. Now I am just trying to get used to wearing normal shoes again and keep kids from running ON my toe all the time!

I will be back soon with news about Morgan...

A Few New Things

2011-06-27T12:20:00.004-05:00

Even though she is the third, Morgan is still getting a few new things. I am finally getting to the point where I want things a certain way in her room, for her carseat, etc. I won't even call it nesting because it is NOTHING like I had with Kate, and even less than I had with Blake. It is just wanting to be ready, I guess. Both other kids liked the green soothie pacifier, but there was no easy way to keep up with it, until I found this cute paci clip. It is by a brand called "Booginhead," and I found it on Amazon.

I am normally a COLD natured person, but this pregnancy and heat has almost sent me over the edge, and I am afraid it will send Morgan over the edge too. I have seen some friends with stroller fans, and then I found this little stroller/carseat fan with foam blades in case any little fingers get near it. Also found on Amazon!

I know we will be outside a good bit, so I got a carseat net so the mosquitoes cannot get her. I think I would cry if she got the huge welps that my other two get even when they are covered in bug spray. I got a super cheap one at Babies R Us.

I know most people have a pack n play by their third baby... but mine was borrowed and mysteriously returned broken a few years ago, and my kids were big enough not to really NEED one. I found this one on Target.com for way cheap, and I love how plain it is.

And finally, the diaper bag. I fell in love with this green diaper bag with the pink lined straps. I have a friend whose mom works for Pottery Barn and could get me a discount on it, so I went ahead and treated myself. :) I think diaper bags are something you have to get new with each child, because they get worn out, spilled on, etc., so this is the one I chose for Morgan.

I am getting excited, we will meet her two weeks from tomorrow at the LATEST! That is July 12th, the day after my birthday, and I couldn't imagine a better birthday present. I go back to the OB this Wednesday to see if I have made any progress, and back to the orthopedic next week to check on my toe. I was not feeling too much pain last week, so I let myself take off the boot for a little bit, and even drive myself around, but then I think I overdid it. Yesterday and today I have been hurting pretty badly, so Brandon put me on house arrest. I am not the best patient, I get too restless, and I have these two other tiny people who don't want to prop their feet up and rest. I am enjoying a reason to rest when I do rest, but I also feel like Morgan is going to get a little too comfortable in there if I am not active at all- and I wouldn't mind if she came a little sooner than expected. I will get some pictures of her nursery and a few other things I have done for her, and show you guys a little more of what we have done to prepare for sweet Morgan.

OUCH

2011-06-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

Sorry for 2 things: Sorry I couldn't turn the picture around. AND

Sorry this picture is gross, but I just have to post it for myself. If you are grossed out- just wait to read another post and hang this one up!

We had Kelly and her kids over yesterday morning to play outside and wear all the kids out, and I am so glad they were here! John Burke was getting up from his nap and the "big" kids were jumping on the (zipped up) trampoline, so I decided I could water our garden and porch plants while I had a chance. I was trying to get the hose back down to the backyard, while keeping the fence closed, while stepping around my dog, and I started to fall. I turned around facing back up the stairs to catch myself, but my toe stayed where it was- not sure if it was caught under the step, by the hose, or just caught in my flip flop- but it hurt IMMEDIATELY! I started hopping and crying, and Kelly asked if I was ok, so I pointed to my foot and she saw the beautiful crooked big toe and knew I was NOT ok! I just picked up the phone and called Brandon, luckily he was able to leave work to come get me since I could not drive. Thanks to Kelly for staying here with all 4 kids and managing lunch and naptime until we got home around 3:30 or so! I don't know what I would have done if I had been alone with my kids when it happened!

One perk of the countless hours Brandon spends at the hospital is a little quicker treatment at his ER. We got there, he had let them know we were coming, so they got my information, and then we were in a room with the doctor. Thank God for the speedy process, because I was crawling in pain, shifting side to side, and crying nonstop. They asked what I wanted to take for pain, but I hated to take anything that could hurt Morgan. Keep in mind that I will be meeting her in just under 4 weeks, so the stress was causing some pretty painful contractions too. I decided that I would take something to take the edge off so at least I wouldn't add a delivery to my day too. Once I got some pain medicine in my system, I was able to go get an x-ray and wait for the results. We were hoping for a simple dislocation that could be snapped back into place and we could move on, but it wasn't so simple!

The ER doctor came in and told us that the x-ray was pretty nasty, and he took Brandon to see it. The big toe had a spiral fracture (broken into 2 pieces and twisted around) with an avulsion (a piece of bone chipped off) in the joint space. We talked about options to reset the bone, but my pregnant options were not great! He said he would normally sedate someone to reset this kind of fracture but NOT ME. When I asked what we could do for the pain, he told me I could "have a stick to bite." I started crying all over again because that was not funny when they had already built up how badly it would hurt. Then, I decided that it is just a toe, I will be fine until after she gets here, but he quickly told me that your big toe accounts for 80% of your balance, so it needed to be fixed now. We knew the foot specialist at St. Vincents East was great, so we asked if he could look at it and give us more options. He had already left the hospital, but they called him and he came back! He said that any other patient would get to have surgery and have a pin placed to hold the bones together, but again, NOT ME. I got a nerve block of my big toe, which is a series of shots going all the way around the toe, and it was the most painful part of the whole day- not kidding! But, once the block worked, he was able to snap my toe back into place with only a little pain. It was so nice to look down and see a straight toe again!

Now I have my big toe taped to the toe next to it, and we are just going to hope that it stays where it is supposed to. I have a boot to wear to help me get around and keep it protected, but it is HOTTT. I was fine last night, but once that nerve block wore off, I was back to the pain from earlier. I don't want to have to take much pain medicine, but right now it is needed to be able to put any pressure on it at all. Remember these two kids I have? They don't understand why I can't pick them up and run around to get their cup or find their book, etc. I go back to see him either right before or right after Morgan arrives and we will see if a pin is still necessary, and see if I have kept it straight enough. I don't think surgery immediately after having her sounds good, so pray with me that everything stays where it should! In the meantime, I am on self-imposed bedrest, my kids destroying the house, watching way too much tv, while I prop my foot up and hope nothing touches my toe. They are not kidding about pregnancy making you clumsy and off-balanced! Sorry for the details- just want to make sure we don't forget this. I can tell Morgan one day that I sacrificed my toe so I wouldn't fall on her. :)

Birthday Girl

2011-05-29T14:40:00.006-05:00

How is she 4? Didn't I just start this blog when she was born? She has been looking forward to this day for a while, and it seems like it shouldn't be the end of May yet. My Kate Bug is 4, and she wants everyone to know it! Luckily, she has let Blake think that it is his birthday too and they have shared the celebration.

She had a BLAST celebrating with friends and family. She mostly loves attention, but she got a little overwhelmed a few times and needed some space. Blake was pretty unsure of the whole thing, so he just stuck to his popsicle.

She had plenty of help opening her presents, but she quit halfway through to play in the water some more.

Brandon picked out a new bike with training wheels that will be fun to learn how to ride. It is strange that she is big enough for a real bike!

She loved her party hat so much, she didn't take it off for the water fun. We had baby pools, slip n slide, and other fun yard toys for all the kids, so she just went from one to the other. It is amazing what a little water in the yard can do for kids! We spent another few hours on the slip n slide and in the pool again today. It is fine with me, it wears them out and allows me to sit to the side and rest while they play. I am glad we got to celebrate Kate before Morgan comes in just over 6 weeks! She has had lots of questions of what happens when Morgan comes, where will she stay, will she get to see me, and will I be leaving her alone- that one made me sad! I hope she will always know how special she is to all of us, our lives changed forever 4 years ago today!

A Way For You to Help

2011-04-19T22:05:00.004-05:00

Some of our very best friends, seen HERE, are in the process of adopting. They have made these shirts as a way to raise support. The shirts are actually a darker gray, more of a charcoal, and they come in toddler, youth, and adult sizes. They are $20 each, and go towards an amazing cause- bringing their sweet baby home! Let me know if you are interested in a shirt, or one for every family member like we will be doing! Not only will this help them bring their sweet baby home, it will also be a way to support adoption altogether. James 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

We Have a Name! And a Room!

2011-03-28T08:24:00.003-05:00

So, we have had a few crazy weeks, a crashed computer, some traveling, beautiful weather, and 2 busy toddlers keeping us pretty busy and keeping me from blogging. That, and I have been really lazy about taking pictures. I am feeling better for the most part now. I can't seem to get rid of a head cold, but Brandon just thinks my allergies are out of control and causing the rest to stick around. My mom tells me that she kept a cold the whole time she was pregnant, so maybe that is just a gift she passed to me.
I wanted to update and say that the kids have done extremely well sharing a room. The first few weeks were pretty good, but still included spankings a few times each nap. Now, it is rare that I have to go check on them at all. Which makes planning for a baby MUCH easier for me. I think the main thing that made me worry about a new baby was thinking about the lack of space and noise and kids not sleeping. So, now she has a room! I went on a girl's fun weekend and came home to an assembled crib, with the bedding all set up. I did get her a new crib bedding set... which is pictured below. It was on clearance at Pottery Barn Kids, and was cheaper than anything I have ever seen at PBK. She is using Blake's old room, which is a really pale baby blue, so the polka dots and stripes bring out the blue that just matches perfectly! Our crib is dark wood, but when I get it all together, I will show you a picture. Just wanted to give you a little preview.

Now, for her name... Brandon picked her first name, and we both picked her middle name. I was so surprised that he picked a name that I liked so much, and that we don't know any kids with that name, and that sounds good with Slagley. My grandmother's (Nanny) name is Elizabeth May, and I loved the idea of using one of her names. So her name is Morgan May Slagley. I was telling Nanny about naming her, and she asked where I got the name May... I laughed and said "From your name, Nanny!" And she smiled and said she just wanted to make sure. She is back home in her "independent" living, but with an aid around the clock. She is doing much better and gaining strength and some memory back all the time. I can't wait for her to meet her namesake this summer!

Chick-Fil-A Free Fries

2011-03-03T08:19:00.002-06:00

CHECK THIS OUT! Tomorrow (March 4) is free Fry-Day at Chick-Fil-A from 2 to 4 when you mention that you are trying their new ketchup dip and squeeze. 2 to 4 is kind of a hard time when you have kids napping, but we may have to get up a little early from naps for a good snack. And, they are Medium size, so not too shabby to share!

It's Another Girl!

2011-02-18T13:24:00.002-06:00

We are so excited to be having another girl... not to mention Kate thinks it is HER little girl. We got to take a peek at her this morning, and everything looks perfect! We don't have a name picked out yet, but we need to soon so Kate will quit getting attached to every name she says. She first wanted us to name her Rapunzel, then she stuck with Sally, then said she would settle for Callie. How am I supposed to break it to her that she will have no part in the naming process? I am not one of those people who refuses to tell the name until birth, so as soon as we know, you will too! Thanks for sharing in our excitement. For the record, I was right. I told Brandon it is just mother's intuition... :)

Kind Of Sad When...

2011-02-13T18:49:00.004-06:00

You are so excited about a kitchen appliance that you blog about it.
But, you NEED to know how much I love this thing. It amazes me how easy it is, and how much it really does eliminate freezer burn. I am the kind of person that buys my meat at one time, then portions it out into serving sizes and freezes, so this thing is a dream come true. Like I said, kind of sad!
Brandon gave me the Food Saver for Christmas, and I wondered if I would really use it, and I HAVE! Last night, we just had leftover peppers and onions that were already sliced, but I don't need them this week, so I put them all in a bag and it shrunk the bag to about 1/3 of the original size, and got all of the air out.
If you have seen the Food Saver, and have been wondering if it is worth it, IT IS! And no, the company is not paying me to promote it. I just thought you should know about my new friend in my kitchen.

We Haven't Disappeared

2011-02-07T08:34:00.005-06:00

I have started functioning a little better- not always feeling better- but I can accomplish a few things these days. We just moved Blake into Kate's room last week- here is a picture of the not-so-manly space he has. Somehow, all of the baby dolls ended up on his "green bed," as he calls it. Sorry for the mess, like I said, I can only accomplish a FEW things, and their room hasn't been at the top of my list. This is is first "big boy" room experience too, and they have both done great! If I had known how well they would do, I would have done it a while ago. They have even been napping in the same room. We had to remind them a time or two after we shut the door that we can still hear them and that it is rest time, not play time. It took a night or two, and now we just put them in bed, shut the door, and enjoy some peace and quiet. This will make traveling this summer easier, and give this new baby a little space of it's own. IT will be called a he or she next week!

In other news, Brandon and I got away a few weeks ago to Gatlinburg, TN, for our anniversary (which was in December). It was so nice to go relax, watch some movies, read, eat, drink coffee, eat, and relax some more. Thankfully, the kids were passed between family members who made them think that the kids were actually the ones on vacation. We were gone four days, and I wasn't even sick at all for two of those days, big relief! Since then, the sick days have gotten fewer each week.

The only thing that made it hard to be away is missing time with my sweet Nanny. We happened to be visiting her three weeks ago and she started mixing words up and acting very confused and disoriented, so I called 911, and it turns out that she had a pretty bad "insult" to her brain, and they think it was a stroke. She has been in the hospital for 3 weeks now, and it has been up and down the whole time. When I visited her yesterday, she seemed like a slightly disoriented version of herself, and it was sweet to hear her talk and see her smile. I was wearing a scarf and she told me she loved it and that you "are always warmest when you have a scarf." I don't know why it made me laugh to hear her say that. She told us that she wants to go home and that she would cry if we didn't help her, it about broke our hearts. I would love to help her leave, but she is in no health to go back home yet. Please pray for Nanny's recovery and the doctors who care for her since her condition changes daily. It is hard for anyone to make decisions when it seems like a different patient every day!

This is just a shot of what I looked like most of the last few weeks. I had some respiratory infection junk, and was down for a few days, then had no voice, etc. So- we have done a lot of snuggling on the couch! Fine with me! I think the kids enjoyed it for about one day, and then wanted to get OUT of this house! Maybe this week will be more fun for them, and me.

War Eagle (a week later)

2011-01-17T08:42:00.016-06:00

We got to take a fantastic trip to Glendale to watch our Tigers play, thanks to Papa G and JoJo! What a Christmas present to remember!

This was our crew, and we all fit in one Suburban to get to the game. Guess who had to sit up front to not get carsick?

We tailgated in the parking lot and ran into some of our best friends from Auburn.

Then we went to "Tiger Walk," which was pretty lame compared to normal. This was my view behind two fences, but I guess they had to be careful, who knows what kind of crazy people were there! The band and cheerleaders walked through and the buses brought in the players.

The jumbo tron alternated images of Auburn and Oregon logos, I just cared about seeing the AU.

Our seats were just under the ESPN booth, so we got to see them filming, that is Urban Meyer's head on the left.

Hey Cam! A picture of Gus Malzahn with his quarterbacks.

It was amazing to see the confetti shoot out and the players run out, flags were waving... it was great! The crowd was probably at least 70% Auburn fans, so you can imagine the excitement in there! We were sitting in the Auburn endzone, so this was the scoreboard above us with the final score!

I am not always the first to pay attention to football games, but this game was easy to watch! I am so glad we got to go out there, and experience it all in person, but it was probably just as fun to watch on tv. We were scheduled to take the red-eye flight back home, and it was cancelled on Monday morning due to bad ice storms in Alabama, and they said they would send us home on Thursday... not going to work! I ran into some friends at the game, and when they told me they were flying home without any problems, I was determined to get home! After the game, we checked our flights, and saw that our original flight was open again, but we hadn't brought our bags. So we left the game, went straight to get our bags, and then raced to the airport. When we got there, they told us the flight was full and that we could just wait on standby. We reminded them that we were originally booked for that flight, so we should be on it, and somehow a manager let us go with "seat requests" to the gate. We had to run through the airport, because we arrived as they announced it was the final call for our flight. We made it, and I was furious, because I could count more than 20 empty seats on that plane! How many people were sitting there waiting to get home?! Anyway, we made it home, but I was feeling ROUGH! (Maybe this is TMI) On our way home from the airport, I was tired, starving, etc., so all I wanted was a biscuit, but nothing was open due to the weather. So I sat in the car with my barf bag in my lap trying not to gag the whole way home. We made it, I shoved slices of bread in my mouth and climbed into my bed. I didn't even call my mom to tell her we had made it home until lunchtime, and she was just glad it wasn't Thursday! Thanks Slagleys for making this trip happen, and thank you to my parents for watching the kids (in an ice storm) for 3 nights!

Remember This?

2010-12-29T08:29:00.002-06:00

Me at the hospital with sweet Kate-2007.

Me with sweet baby Blake-2008.

Well... get ready to see a similar picture this July! We are having Baby #3, due July 19th. Sorry I have been MIA, I have not felt great, but have had a TON going on as well. I am a little over 11 weeks, so I am hoping to feel better soon. I am still exhausted and can't do a lot of cleaning or sewing, it seems all I can do well is rest. :)
Just wanted to share the good news! We are praying for a healthy baby and I do not care if it is a girl or boy, but we ARE going to find out, I just can't handle the wait!

New Recipe

2010-12-21T18:49:00.002-06:00

I have a new recipe we tried that you have to try. It has dijon mustard in it, but it is not very mustardy once it is cooked, it just adds a little flavor. It is a Paula Deen recipe, and anything from her is delicious to me! Even my kids loved it-Kate loved that it was crispy. Try it!
Oven Fried Chicken
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and spray with Pam.
2. In one bowl, mix 1/4 cup dijon mustard, 2Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper.
3. In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups panko breadcrumbs, 1 cup shredded or grated parmesan (it tastes better to shred some fresh parmesan and makes it crispy), 2 Tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper.
4. Pound out 2-2.5 lb chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Dip in the mustard mixture, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture and place on top of the cooling rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Babysitting

2010-12-20T08:17:00.002-06:00

I need some help from other moms who use babysitters. I have always used family to babysit, but now that my parents have 5 grandchildren, they aren't always available. I need to know what is the "going rate" for 1 kid, 2 kids, 3 kids per hour. We shared a sitter with a friend this weekend, and she normally pays $10 for 1 kid per hour, but we added my two and I felt like I needed to pay way more. I am out of the babysitting loop! What about overnight babysitting? Can any of you give me tips so I don't run off babysitters.

Missing Him Already

2010-12-10T20:19:00.004-06:00

I just lost my precious grandfather, Dink, this week, and I had no idea that it would feel like someone took a part of me with him. I don't even know how to write about how I feel because I am not used to feeling so many emotions at one time! I feel sad that I will not see him, but I feel so thankful that I know he is in Heaven rejoicing and thankful that his body is now whole again. I was so blessed by the number of people who showed up today at his funeral to honor him. He touched more lives than I ever knew, but that shouldn't surprise me. His smile was contagious! He made everyone feel like they were a part of his family. I used to sit at their house when I was in high school and college, and he and Nanny would ask about our friends by name. They took an interest in our lives like we were their own kids. Our friends all new Nanny and Dink!
My sister and I used to talk about how we dreaded the day we would have to say goodbye to Dink, and while it was so hard, it was harder to see him suffer. We went to visit him just a week ago, and he had such a different look on his face than usual, he looked like he was in pain and exhausted, and he wouldn't talk. In all the years of pain from broken hips, broken legs, etc., he always smiled and pushed through. The other day, I just held his hand and he squeezed it a few times. Kate tried to talk to him, and she held his hand and later told me that he squeezed her hand too, and I never knew I would be so thankful for such a sweet memory. We left and Kate asked why he didn't talk to her, and I had to start explaining to her what I didn't even want to deal with myself. We knew that his end was getting closer.
Dink was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He was a leader, a great example, a generous giver, and he could make anyone smile. He loved kids, and would light up whenever I brought my kids to visit. He was the only person in my life to call me "Lynn," and I loved it when he did. He loved my grandmother with a protective, unselfish love. He was a great father and grandfather, I tell people that he was really more like another father figure to me. We lived next door to him since I was about 14 years old. They would take us on trips to the beach every year, they would keep us for weekends, and they took each grandchild on a special trip for their 13th birthday. He made sure each one of us had everything we needed, and made sure we were happy. He and Nanny took me to England when I turned 13, and sent me to Germany when I graduated high school. I can thank them for my international travel before I was 18!
Dink was such a good example of what to look for in a husband, and Brandon has said several times how much he looked up to him. We would go to their house and Brandon would help Dink plant his garden. Dink would be on his hands and knees, covered in ants and probably in pain, but he would get his garden planted. I loved watching him eat his fresh tomatoes like apples. On our way to the beach, we would pick up a basket of peaches, and he would finish the whole basket while we were at the beach. He loved to eat! He loved working outside, so Brandon loved going out there with him and hearing stories about his life, about war, and about all of the things he had repaired in his little workshop.
I am so thrilled that my kids knew and loved him like they have. We would walk in their door and they would start heading for his room calling, "Dink, Dink." I know it will be hard to take them to see Nanny and watch them look for him again. It has been interesting explaining to Kate how we will not see him again, but that he is in Heaven with Jesus. She understands more than I thought she would, and she has even tried to comfort me and my mom. I picked her up from MDO the other day, and Kate said, "Let's go cheer up GiGi and tell her we love her." I was crying the other day, and Blake just came and held my leg and said, "No tears, mommy." When I picked the kids up from school the other day, Kate asked me what I did while she was at school, I told her I went to see Dink and she couldn't understand why I would go without them.
While I write this, I am sad because I miss Dink, but it makes me so thankful for the family we do have here, and so thankful that I can still share these sweet memories with Nanny. I keep wondering why I am even sad, because I know where he is, and that is the place we should all long to be, but I miss his sweet face! As they took his body out today, it was like they took a piece of me with him, and I am sure I embarrassed myself with the crying and sniffing, I almost couldn't take it. I ache for Nanny, thinking about how it must feel to lose her best friend of 70+ years. I ache for my mom and her sisters saying goodbye to their daddy. I ache that I won't see him the next time I go over there, but I rejoice knowing he is in the arms of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ. What a comfort, KNOWING that he is there!

From Their Eyes

2010-11-23T18:10:00.003-06:00

I have a lot to be thankful for! Two of my biggest ones would like to share some things they are thankful for now. I have been asking them to tell me what they were thankful for, so this is straight out of their mouths.

Kate- Campbell (her BFF), Mommy and Daddy, Bubbie (Blake), all my grandparents, Sage and Montana (some more friends), Caroline (a buddy from MDO), rambling about when she behaves and gets to watch "toons."
Blake- Mommy, my head (as he points to his head), Dora and Boots (Do NOT forget Boots!), Cheetos, Kate, John Burke, Turner, K.K. (Kelly), baby Chloe, Pop Pop, my back (pointing to his back).

Obviously there are a lot of things left off of this list, but these were straight from them tonight. Just thought I would share that you are never too young to be thankful! I am thankful for these 2 silly kids.

She Is NOT Shy

2010-11-15T07:43:00.002-06:00

I sometimes think that Kate should belong to Kelly. She talks to ANYONE any time, loves talking about silly things, wants to stay up all night reading, always wants to be around people and says things that could make you stop in your tracks and say, "Did she just say that?" Most people who know Kelly already know she is this way, but it is always funny to be around when she meets new people. Kate is the same way. If you try to not talk to her, she will go out of her way to say, "Hi, my name is Kate." Even to strangers walking by while we play in the yard! Other times, she will say things that I have to quickly correct... some quick stories:
Last week, I was picking up my kids from the nursery after Bible study and a men's group was leaving their meeting at the same time. A "little person" was leaving just in front of us and my friend Jamie said her daughter pointed out the little man, so I thought I was in the clear. Until we were in the parking lot and he was a few steps from us, Kate said loudly, "Look Mom, he is a little boy daddy." I gave her a look and said, "let's get to the car." But she continued! Then she explained to me, "he is a daddy, but a little boy too." At this point, Blake chimed in too and pointed while saying, "A little boy" over and over again. I was MORTIFIED. The man was very kind and just smiled at us while I mouthed "Sorry." We had a little talk in the car about appearances, and how God makes each person different, and we shouldn't talk about it.
Apparently, the talk didn't work! We were out to dinner and a little girl (who happened to have an afro hairdo) said something loud and Kate stared until she was redirected to our table. A few minutes later, Kate said, "Did you hear that little girl with the fuzzball hair?" No You Did Not! Of course, I grabbed her arm tightly and said we do NOT talk about other people's appearances, EVER! We have been talking at home a lot lately about the way God makes people different and getting her to understand that she is not the definition of normal.
Let's hope these talks spare me from more public red-faced events, and her from hurting someone's feelings!

Happy Birthday Blake and Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T20:27:00.003-05:00

Blake turned 2 on Halloween! My baby is 2, I cannot believe it! We didn't have a party because I have only had first birthday parties for each, and I didn't want to have another for him and not for her, etc, etc. So we had a family cupcake night. Blake had asked for green cupcakes, so I just did green sugar on chocolate icing. The sad thing is he didn't even want the cupcake!

Kate is always happy to cheer him on!

Kate was a ladybug for Halloween, and Blake was supposed to be a monkey... but he would have NO part in dressing up. So, it was a good thing we didn't end up Trick or Treating.

My parents came over to celebrate and go out to dinner. When Blake woke up from his nap, he ONLY wanted Gigi... as in, would not let go of her. My dad (and Kate) put together his tricycle they gave him, and then Kate played with it since he wouldn't let go of my mom. We went to dinner and came home, not too eventful, but we did get to celebrate our favorite 2 year old! He is still his sweet self, but has been throwing some fits like you would not believe. We are going to nip this "terrible twos" behavior in the bud! Brandon worked most of the weekend, so we just rested and let Kate trick or treat from my parents, Blake didn't care! I don't know where I have been but I have been busy, and our computer was down, so maybe I will be back to the blogworld now!

Makes Me Smile

2010-09-29T16:32:00.003-05:00

Something about sleepy kids makes me smile. Kate has been resisting naps lately, which means she will pass out later or be terrible the rest of the day. I let her watch cartoons so she wouldn't wake Blake one afternoon while I sewed, and I turned around and found her like this.

Blake is a typical boy- he wants food immediately when he wakes up! In the mornings, he gets out of bed saying, "I want bar," which means a Nutrigrain bar. In the afternoons, it is all about the "kackers." His sweaty bed head made me laugh today, and the fact that he couldn't shovel the Cheezits in fast enough.

First Day of School

2010-09-07T16:56:00.002-05:00

Sadly, these are the best pictures I got of the kids' first day of Mother's Day Out. I would have tried to take them before school, but we were already running late, and they were exhausted after school. So, this is after their nap and they were a little more smiley for the camera. Kate went to "school" last year, but this was Blake's first day, and he did great! His entire class (except his buddy York) was crying and screaming, and there were a few crying moms outside the room... what a welcoming sight! His teacher was blowing bubbles as he walked in, so he was fine. They did say that he got a little grumpy and took a 15 minute power nap, and he was good to go play some more.

(Kate had her pants on backwards and you can see the dirt she collected on her bottom!)

Kate's teachers said she was a trooper and that she just walked right in like it was nothing new. Thank God, because she has been super clingy the past few weeks. I think it is a good situation for all! Kids happy=mom happy. Mom happy=Dad happy!

Trees of Goodness

2010-09-05T11:36:00.005-05:00

This morning I was praying for friends who are suffering with where they are in life, have just lost a baby, longing for a baby, lost a loved one, etc., and I saw a verse in my devotion book, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young (the real book that should get credit is The Bible though!). Isaiah 61:3 says, "He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad and to help the sorrowing people of Jerusalem. I will give them a crown to replace their ashes, and the oil of gladness to replace their sorrow, and clothes of praise to replace their spirit of sadness. Then they will be called Trees of Goodness, trees planted by the Lord to show His greatness." Anyway, I was so encouraged by our Father's renewing grace and how He alone can provide the gladness when all we can feel is sorrow, and the praise to replace sadness. I hope this verse reminds you of His love too. And I hope that I can look to this verse the next time I am feeling down, and be called a Tree of Goodness instead of wallowing in my own sadness (because that is what usually happens :)).

Ready to Slow Down

2010-08-30T09:26:00.005-05:00

We have been going in a million directions! We have been out of town for a week, and just got back last night. Brandon took his Step 3 boards last week, but we had to go to Dothan to take them, so we made a vacation out of it and stayed with his Grandmother and Grandaddy in Geneva. We played with Brandon's cousin and her daughter, Rylie. We forgot our camera, so these are pictures from our last trip there. These are two peas in a pod! Blake played too, but he found a friend in Grandaddy! He would go sit in his lap and read the same book over and over again.

After our trip to Geneva, we went to Greenville to see Brandon's youngest brother play his first football game of his senior year. It was a little humid, and the kids were WILD, so the kids and I left at half-time. We have eaten well, rested, and spent time with family, so now we are ready to wind down and get back into the real world.
The kids start Mothers' Day Out next week, and Brandon is starting a busy rotation, so here we go!

Chloe

2010-08-19T12:12:00.002-05:00

Meet my niece, Chloe. She is Derek's (my brother) little girl, and if you have seen how wrapped around Kate's finger he is, you could only imagine his own daughter!

Chloe is playing at our house today, and I could eat her dimples with a spoon. My kids are loving it, especially Kate because she thinks she is the babysitter. Better go, I am not used to 3!

Delicious

2010-08-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

If you like Rice Krispy Treats at all, you have to make them yourself! The recipe on the box is good, but I used less rice krispies to make them Gooey-er.
Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a saucepan (on low heat), then add 40 large marshmallows and stir until melted. Then add in 5 cups rice krispies into the marshmallow mix. You will probably need to use wax paper over your fingers when you press into a pan to cool, because these are extra gooey.
Enjoy!!

Playing Inside

2010-07-29T08:09:00.013-05:00

We have had to get a little creative to play inside since it is too hot to stay outside for long. So, last week a fairy princess invited Batman over for a tea party. She was so excited to put on her wings and princess high heels. And he was just excited to play at all!

They slaved in the kitchen for a little while. But, they acted like it was the best food they had ever eaten. I might have slipped a twizzler in their teacups.

Batman was a very sweet guest, and the fairy princess was quite the hostess! This took up a surprising chunk of time one day, so we will be doing it again very soon!

We have also played some Rock Band with the kids, and Kate thought it would spice it up to play the drums with ski goggles on. She is so random!
We have tried to play with sidewalk chalk a few times, but Blake always turns out looking like this... so this is becoming less frequent!

Hot Days

2010-07-15T10:31:00.003-05:00

It is so hot and we didn't have the baby pool set up, so why not just use the hose? It is too hot to play outside without being in some kind of water, so these two loved every minute!

Blake just wants to fill that watering can so he can water all the flowers, but his sweet sister is not always willing to share the water.
Sometimes she gets him right in the face, but he has learned to turn around and enjoy the cool splash.
He follows her around begging for water...
Then he gives up, and squeals with delight!

Dying Laughing

2010-07-08T22:06:00.001-05:00

Brandon and I were watching this video tonight and were dying laughing. You may have already seen "Swagger Wagon" by Toyota, but this is right up there with it. Enjoy!

Everyday Stuff

2010-06-25T07:58:00.007-05:00

Blake loves to dance, even if it is to Justin Bieber on the Today Show. I laughed so hard because the band's dancers were all over the stage and waving arms around, so that is exactly what Blake did!

Brandon collapsed after a call night, and the kids were running all around him and screaming... he didn't budge! He is finishing his last week as an intern this week! On to brighter days and less call nights!

Blake has been getting his incisor teeth- the pointy canine teeth- and has been a little whiny. One morning, he was up so early that he was exhausted by 9, and this is what I found around 10 am... a sleeping Blake with the world moving all around him. I guess he takes after his daddy in the sleep department.

We watched John Burke the other morning, and he is one easy/happy baby! Kate was a big helper, and I had to beg her to let me hold him. If I didn't have to carry it, Kate took care of it, and it was as easy as this one, I may think I could handle another one now! I think we will wait.

Blake is getting more independent these days too. He was a little bit of a plumber this day. He wants to feed himself- which is why he is only wearing a diaper- and has started pitching some nice fits. He is doing well with time out. I set him in his room and tell him that we do not pitch fits and when he is done he can say he is sorry. I really was doing it for consistency reasons, but he actually does calm down and walk into the room I am in and says, "Soddy." Funny little guy!

Happy Birthday Kate!

2010-06-08T09:37:00.002-05:00

We were at the beach for Kate's 3rd birthday this year. Brandon had a crazy week at work, so he couldn't come with us, but we celebrated when we got home. Kate's birthday always falls on Memorial Day weekend, so it is hard to have a party because people are always traveling. But, we had a sweet friend bring us cupcakes when we got home, from Dreamcakes in Homewood. AMAZING!!! They are all different flavors, and Kate had strawberry with a cream cheese filling. You can tell by her face that she enjoyed it! Blake had chocolate icing on a yellow cupcake, one of my favorites!

We celebrated with my parents, Kelly and her family, and Derek and his family at the beach. We had all 5 grandkids on my side there to help Kate blow out her candles. She said she wanted a pink cake, so we got her a strawberry oreo ice cream cake, and it was pretty good! Kate loves all of our big family, and she loves holding these new babies. She tells Kelly and Stacy, "I can hold him/her for a little while." There is no asking, she just tells them that she can. We got home and Brandon had a few surprises waiting on her. She may not have had an actual party, but she celebrated for the whole week! I like it!
P.S.- she did not get her ears pierced, but she got some play makeup and sticker earrings for her birthday... someone asked me if that is what she got for her birthday.

Still Here

2010-06-03T20:53:00.002-05:00

I promise I am still alive, but we have been busy! Kate finished Mothers' Day Out, so we have had a lot of energy in this house. Brandon and I got away for a weekend without the kids to go to the beach, and it was MUCH NEEDED! He has not had a break in a long time, and it is always nice to get a break from these wild kids. Brandon had to get back to work, so Kelly and I took our kids to the beach and had a few low key days there. It was still great to be at the beach, even if everyone around us thought we were crazy. Life with little kids is just what you make it to be. I always tell people that you can stay home with 2 kids or you can go to the beach with 2 kids, and I would rather do the beach sometimes! Anyway, my laptop crashed, so I have no way to get pictures up right now, but I am hoping my tech-savvy husband will work on it this weekend. The kids are getting so much better around the pool. Kate just puts her floaties on and she is in the pool for hours. Blake will hang around the steps and play with water toys, and occasionally get in the water with floaties. My plan is to go to my parents' house all summer and get them very used to the pool, and maybe try to get a little sun while we are there! I hope I can get some pictures up so you can see some cute beach shots.

Too Funny!

2010-05-12T14:05:00.003-05:00

I had to share these for my own memory, but they may be a little "politically incorrect" or something. We went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and one of the waiters walked right by Kate speaking Spanish very quickly and she stared at him the whole time. A few minutes later, she started talking a bunch of gibberish and when I told her to stop talking like that, she pointed at the waiter and said, "That is what he said, mommy." I am sure he saw her pointing, so that is awesome! I wish I could have stopped laughing long enough to really explain why we don't do that. She is pretty smart, but a little rude to do right in front of him.
Also, this is an old story, but I was reminded of it with her cultural "experience" today. Last year, I was at the beach with Kelly and Turner and my kids, and we went through the McDonalds drive thru for a quick meal. The lady at the window was oriental (not sure if she was Chinese), but Kate shouted from the way back of my Suburban, "Ni Hao, Ni Hao Kai Lan!" If you don't know, there is a cartoon about a Chinese girl called, "Ni Hao Kai Lan" on Nick Jr, and she loves it. She was really trying to be friendly, but I quickly shushed her and told her that we don't assume people speak Chinese just because they look like they might. She really does keep me on my toes!

Fun and Cheap Clothes

2010-05-09T20:48:00.004-05:00

Kate and Blake (Brandon) gave me some spending money to buy a new bathing suit, but they (he) didn't know that I had already found one on sale a while ago... so they (he) bought me a few other things. Happy Mother's Day to me! I am thankful for two sweet babies to keep me on my toes.
I don't know about any of you blog readers, but I have a hard time finding clothes that look cute and are in my price range. I know many of you are moms, and you know that bodies just don't look the same after babies, or some clothes look like people are trying too hard to stay young. So, I thought I would let you see some of my finds.

I found some cute new clothes today! I was so excited to find shorts that were not to short and not too long. These are called the "boyfriend shorts" from New York and Co. Their whole store was 50% off, so I paid $14 for each pair of these shorts. I got the colors pictured here, but there are plenty of other colors available. I also found the fun tube dress at Old Navy for $15, and it will be a favorite for the summer. It has a strap that comes up from the middle and ties around your neck.
I hate to bore you with a commercial for clothes, but I was pretty excited to find a few things- and you can bet that you will see me wear them over and over again!
I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day with their mother or their children today. I am thankful for all the mothers in our families!

Sound Machines & Other Important Things

2010-05-03T08:10:00.003-05:00

Do any of you use sound machines? We sure do! We have always used one for Kate, because when we had her, we lived in a tiny condo and her bedroom wall joined to another condo. And then we used one when we had Blake because Kate was loud and because he was in our room for a while. We like the white noise/rain sounds, and we like it pretty loud!
I used one in college, and Kate used that same one until it recently broke. A while back, Kate started needing a nightlight because she was scared, so we started using the light projector one for her instead of a nightlight. She loves it! We usually love our sound machines... except for at 3 o'clock this morning. Our power flickered and they were gone! Kate's was off completely, and Blake's was a LOUD nightmare of birds chirping. Kate woke up immediately begging for her light, but she went right back to sleep. Blake didn't wake up (I don't know how), but I had to go into his room and turn off the birds and put his rain back on. Seriously, can they not put in a battery backup like my old-school model had? Who in their right mind wants to wake up to a host of chirping birds?
In other news- my sister and sister-in-law had their babies last week. Kelly called me early Wednesday morning as she headed to the hospital. I got to be in her delivery, which was not the most fun one for a previous NICU nurse. She will post the story on her blog soon, but I was just glad to be in there. It is amazing to see every time! John Burke is so sweet and little, and hopefully I will get my hands on him soon!
Then, Friday morning, Derek called and said that Stacy was in labor too. Seriously? We waited to hear more news later, and it was slow to progress, but baby Chloe was here around 5 that night. I finally got my hands on her Saturday morning, and she is tiny- 5 pounds, 5 ounces!
I have to say that it was perfect timing because Brandon had a pretty easy rotation last month and it was all ending this past weekend. He was able to watch the kids so I could be in on most of the action. The kids went up to the hospital 2 or 3 times, but it is no place for kids. They ate junk, tore up waiting rooms, probably annoyed lots of people, ate way too much junk, and just got bored! So, it was great that Brandon kept them home for most of the time. I am sure that is how he wanted to spend his off-time, but he sure didn't want to chase them through the hospital! Also, it was so nice because Kelly was still in the hospital, so we made a home-base out of her room while Stacy was in labor. Their rooms ended up being right next to each other, but Kelly was leaving as Stacy was coming up! We couldn't have planned it any better.

Sharing

2010-04-26T21:28:00.002-05:00

We have been working on sharing lately, and I got some rare pictures of the kids trying to share candy, of all things. Having them so close together has given them no choice but to share, which is nice, but we all need a little reminder to share every once in a while. Sometimes, it is sharing a toy, sometimes a sippy cup when we are out and I can only find one (I don't care though, I would rather have them sick at the same time anyway), and sometimes it is sharing someone's attention. I feel bad- I have been busy sewing lately and I know that they are craving my attention when they want to just sit in my lap while I monogram things. I am trying to share time with them, time with Brandon when he is off, and time sewing... which is why this blog has been a little bare lately. And to be honest, I just don't have anything exciting to blog about. Give me a week to a month and I will have a new neice and a new nephew to show you!

I have to admit that today I didn't feel very good, and I have been VERY impatient and snappy with the kids. I love having such a talker in Kate- she makes me smile or laugh right when I need it! Earlier, I told her that I was sorry that I had lost my temper and she said, "That's ok, but where is your temperature? Can you find it?" I laughed because she had no idea what a temper was, and she was already over the fact that I had hurt her feelings. Also, sometimes God uses that little girl to change my heart in a second. I was so frustrated getting them into bed and was waiting for her to come back to her room to get her pajamas on (after she did a naked lap through the house screaming "naked jaybird"), and right as I was about to scream at her, she ran in and hugged me and said, "I love you this much." My entire mood changed in a second, and I thought of Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath..." Her sweet words turned away my bitter frustration in a second. I am thankful for these babies that teach me more than I ever knew was possible. I promise I won't go so long before the next post!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T20:32:00.006-05:00

Happy Easter! We have had a whirlwind of a day! I worked like a mad woman doing the finishing touches on the kids' Easter outfits this morning... yes, this morning! You would think I might have it ready to go, but I think I bit off more than I could chew. And, Brandon was on call today, so I was alone for church and lunch. Needless to say, Sunday school did not happen.

This was definitely my last opportunity to dress Blake in a smocked john-john. Brandon is DONE with them! There is nothing wrong with them, but I have a husband who would appreciate more "manly" clothes on his son. I worked hard on it, so I was able to squeeze it in for one last holiday. But isn't he sweet with his little white sandals?
He was mesmorized by the dandelions in the yard. We have always laughed at his squat to look at things down low. It doesn't look like it would be comfortable, but he does it every time.

My little man!

I thought this picture was funny looking, mainly because it does not look like him at all. But, his haircut made me laugh, so I posted it.

And this fireball... she behaved like a 2 year old today! She was sweet, but she wore everyone out. She wanted to be in constant motion and constantly eating candy. Then, she was definitely anti-nap today... which is never good for me when Brandon is on call. It makes for a long day! She tends to make my whole family (and anyone that meets her) laugh, so she made up for her moodiness by her funny little antics.

Gigi and her babies! The older "kids" sat outside by the pool while the babies took naps (or Kate watched cartoons on the couch), and it was HOT! But, we tried to put our feet in the pool, and it was shockingly cold. So, we just enjoyed the peace and quiet and put our feet in the pool every now and then.

Kate fell asleep on the way home from my parents' house, but that was it for her nap. So, we played outside as long as we could- but then we melted down. We just had a snuggle night, and she stayed close to me and read lots of books. I tried to put her down a little early, but she wasn't too keen on the idea. She stood at her door (remember the baby gate?) and screamed for a good 15 or 20 minutes, but then she went to sleep, so maybe she was just too tired for her own good. We are still good on the no-pacifier front, which is a blessing.

Now, for the GOOD NEWS!

It was nice to get them in bed and actually reflect on what today is really about. It is not about naptime, or how much time to myself that I get, or even having a husband present on a holiday... it is about the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross so that you and I can live at all! I am so thankful to be loved by a Savior willing to die so that my sins can be forgiven. And OH- how evident my sins are every day as a mother!

Shouting It Out

2010-03-26T18:31:00.003-05:00

I really wish I had something more exciting to tell you about on a Friday night, but I just changed a load of the kids clothes from the washer to the dryer and was amazed! There are a few shirts with what I thought were set-in stains, but they came out! I used a ton on each thing, but I didn't even let them sit very long before putting them in the wash- and all the stains came out. One shirt was COVERED in strawberry juice, orange drippings, and remnants of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... all gone! It is Shout Advanced Action Gel for Set-In stains- they are not kidding!
Random, I know, but I feel like I need to share when something works! Here is Blake showing you his staining skills and his toothy smile.

Free

2010-03-23T07:43:00.003-05:00

We are officially pacifier free at our house! Blake hasn't taken one since he was about 6 months old, but Kate has not wanted it out of her sight her whole life. She could only have it for bedtime, but she would have loved to have had it in 24/7.
We tried to give it up a while back, but the night we took it away from Kate, she woke up with the stomach bug, and then she was afraid of bedtime for a while... which started the worst behavior I have ever seen at night. So, I talked to my pediatrician, and she said that she probably associated taking away the pacifier with waking up sick, and she started throwing fits, which just became a bedtime habit. Then, we got the baby gate to keep her in her room, and she just had to cry for a few nights, but it was all better.
Last week, my grandmother, Nanny, fell and broke her elbow, and I was visiting her in the hospital after surgery around 7:30 or 8 at night, so Brandon was putting the kids in bed. I came home and Brandon had somehow talked Kate into giving her pacifier to the "paci fairy" to give to babies who need it. I thought it was a hoax and that I would hear her screaming all night, but she did it! We have been free from it for over a week now (I waited a week before mentioning it just to be sure). I was not too thrilled to take it away last week because the kids stayed with Papa G and JoJo this weekend, but the kids did fine.
I was at one of my best friend's weddings in Mississippi this weekend, and it was so fun. I am hoping my friend (hint, hint Melanie) will email me pictures so I can show you the fun. Brandon had to work, so I went alone, and I had my own king size bed from Thursday to Sunday... Heaven! I could shower, get dressed, fix my hair and makeup all by myself. I laughed on Saturday morning as I realized that normally, I get out an outfit, lay it on my bed, and then the kids run off with it and play dressup until I need to put it on. I then pick out shoes, but Kate just throws them on and tries to walk around in them, and then she wants to know about every little bit of makeup I use. She is a girl, through and through! Hope to show you pictures soon!

Entertaining Themselves

2010-03-10T20:48:00.002-06:00

Kate and Blake make me laugh all the time. I can turn around for a minute, and there is no telling what they have gotten into! They are in Kate's doll stroller. She looks like she is enjoying it in the first picture, and then he ran her into a dresser, so he is laughing in the second picture.

This morning, I heard giggling, but I could not find the kids. They were behind the chair in Blake's room "making a cake." She usually comes up with a plan and Blake just follows and giggles. He has started trying to repeat everything Kate says. She takes pride in her teaching skills too- she tells me, "I am teaching Bubs (her name for him) how to say 'please.'"

He tried to escape when I found them, which made me think they were up to a little more than pretending to make a cake. I haven't found any evidence yet, but who knows what I may find later. I have found the wipes container emptied 3 times today, a cookie container under the dining room table, and Kate's entire bookshelf emptied. They are funny, but they are a mess too!

Just What We Needed

2010-02-27T18:35:00.004-06:00

We had a great Saturday of rest and fun around the house. We took the kids on a long wagon ride around the neighborhood, which they liked. But they LOVED when Brandon took them up the "hill" (small slope) of our yard and back down in the wagon. Buckled in, of course! It was a little chilly, but still felt good to just be outside. So, we used our firepit while Brandon grilled out for dinner. You can't have a firepit without s'mores!

I wasn't willing to give up two perfectly good metal hangers, so we just did two marshmallows on one hanger.

Brandon likes to set them on fire, but I think it just chars them and doesn't make them squishy enough for me. If it wasn't so hot, I would eat it right off of the hanger.

We didn't have graham crackers, so we just used saltines-which were really good. A good twist of sweet and salty. See the char? This one was Brandon's.

While we played with fire, we just zipped the kids in the trampoline. Every few minutes, Kate would demand a bite, and I think she was showing me her bite in this picture. They love being outside, and we are going to be so glad when it gets warmer and we can wear ourselves out.

See the marshmallow smeared on her face? I think she is a fan of s'mores. I wish we didn't all smell like bonfire now!

And here is my static-haired boy. He had a blast, and he screamed when we came back in. He got one more marshmallow and forgot all about why he was crying.

Then, Kate wanted to be a princess while we cleaned up the kitchen after dinner.

After all of the fun we had today, Kate wrapped it up with a little dancing in the kitchen with her daddy. I feel like I should tell you they were dancing to Kanye West... maybe not getting the Parents of the Year award, but she had so much fun. Brandon will probably LOVE this picture of the clenched-fist-jog-slowly-in-place dance move. :) Hope your weekend was restful and fun.

Mmmmm

2010-02-23T14:21:00.007-06:00

We had homemade chocolate croissants a few weeks ago at Bible study, and I have been dying for them ever since! I found a recipe and decided to try and make them. These are the ingredients- butter, butter, butter, milk, flour, oil, eggs, sugar (in the canister), yeast and water.

Make a ball of dough, set it out to rise. And rise, and rise!

Roll it out into a huge rectangle, and place a big rectangle of butter in the middle. At the very beginning, you shape softened butter into the rectangle and chill on a cookie sheet.

You fold up the dough around it and pinch the edges tight. You roll that out and then fold it into thirds, chill, roll, fold, chill, etc.

Finally, you have a smaller rectangle and wrap it and chill it for 8 hours. I just let it chill and rise overnight, and it busted through the foil!

You split the final dough into 4 equal parts, roll it out to flat circles, cut into 6 wedges.

You roll the wedges wide side towards small point and bend into crescent shape.

If you want to add a special twist, you put chocolate in the wide end before you roll it up.

Let them rise once again, and then bake. Luckily they only bake for 8 minutes, because once you smell it, you won't be able to wait!

They are a huge bite of buttery goodness! Especially great when they are warm. This recipe makes 2 dozen, so I made 1 dozen regular and 1 dozen chocolate filled. Brandon doesn't care for the chocolate ones, so we have some of each. I highly recommend this recipe, if you have time to let bread rise and rise and rise!

Who could resist a bite into chocolate filled buttery croissant?!

The full recipe is here, it is from Southern Living.

Don't Judge

2010-02-14T20:39:00.004-06:00

That is not Kate in the pink furry-hooded jacket, that is my sweet boy! Poor Blake didn't have a jacket that would keep him from getting wet in the snow, so he had to wear one of Kate's old ones- don't judge. Brandon was not very excited to see Blake in a pink jacket! But- he agreed that it is not worth buying Blake a waterproof jacket when we get snow maybe twice a year here. I still hesitated to post pictures, for blackmail purposes, but they were just so cute playing in the snow!

Kate had a blast making snowballs and learning how to make snow angels. Derek and Stacy came over to play, which was nice because I don't enjoy the freezing, wet melting snow all over my clothes and boots!
Uncle D kept Blake from getting wet by a shoulder ride. He has one little girl who LOVES him. He even brings her puffy stickers, so she is hooked on him!

Sweet Blake, please don't hate me for the pink jacket. You screamed so loud to go outside, I had to do something so you could enjoy the snow. Forgive me for the evidence!

No Soliciting

2010-02-04T07:56:00.003-06:00

We moved into this house last April, and we quickly learned that people try to solicit just about anything at your front door. We have had countless young people who have said that they are trying to get off the street, so they are selling their mystery cleaning liquid, or they need you to pledge money to "earn points" towards their goal, etc. We constantly have men trying to sell us the paper, kids trying to raise money for their basketball teams, vacuum salesmen, etc. I am a sucker for all these things, but I am married to a "NO" man. It is good and bad, I would probably say yes to too many, and be taken advantage of, but I can always hear his voice in my head saying "ABSOLUTELY NOT." We had a bad experience last fall of a vacuum salesman staying past his welcome on a call night of Brandon's and it made me (and Brandon) very uncomfortable. Shortly after this, Brandon made a handmade sign for our front door that said "no soliciting." I wanted to rip it down because it was tacky and I felt so rude, but he said that he refused to take it down since I am here with 2 kids by myself so much. This weekend, I hosted a baby shower at my house, and I thought it may be rude to have the sign up, so I took it down and forgot about it. Until yesterday...
I was vacuuming in our bedroom when Kate came and told me that there was a man standing in the door. That will make your heart speed up a little. I turned off the vacuum and ran to the front door and sure enough, there was a man on our front porch. (I just wish Kate knew the difference in "in the door" and "at the door".) I opened it and kept both kids behind me and he said that he wanted to do some yardwork for me. This is not a huge surprise because Brandon had to leave 86 piles of leaves in the yard to pack into bags later. He told me he could do it "real cheap" and when I told him no, he rode away on his bike with the rake tied to the back. :( I really thought, for $20, that may be nice for Brandon to not have to worry about it on his day off. But the Brandon in my head told me that $20 needs to go towards bills!
A few hours later, both kids were napping and I was on the couch working on some sewing designs. Our doorbell doesn't ring, it just vibrates, so I looked at the reflection of the clock and saw another man standing there. I decided to ignore it until he started pounding on the front door. I went and opened it and he told me he didn't want to scare me, but that he needed some help. He and his wife live a few streets over and they had a baby 8 days ago. He said he had recently lost his job and that his power got shut off yesterday. He said he would do any yardwork I needed and clean all the branches off the roof, he just needed to earn $49 to get his power back on. It physically hurt me to tell him no, but I knew that there was a chance it was a made up story, and we don't have $49. I told him that I was sorry and that I would pray for him and his family. I shut the door and started crying. I pray that he made that $49 and his power got turned back on (if that was true). It just made me realize that I complain about so much that I want, I need, or that I wish I had- but I have 2 healthy kids in a warm house.
While it was a touching story, I am still putting our sign back up today. Brandon is right, I am too big of a sucker to handle these guys!
Another note- Kate decided Sunday that sleep is ok... so we have been napping and sleeping all night since then. I would love to know what goes through that head!

Lately

2010-01-30T15:30:00.003-06:00

We started our morning off with beignets. Cut some biscuits in half, fry them in some Canola oil, then cover them with powdered sugar. Thanks to Katie Compton for showing us just how easy it is to have a yummy treat anytime!

We had some happy eaters too! Kate wore the powdered sugar all over her face, and Blake stuffed the whole thing in his mouth.

Everyone got haircuts today but me- but that is only because I am the hairdresser. This is Blake's finished boy haircut, compared to his earlier mullet. He looks stressed in this picture, but he actually enjoyed climbing all over the chair while I tried to cut his hair. I didn't plan on cutting Kate's hair, but once she watched me cut Brandon's and Blake's, she said it was her turn.

Brandon ended up getting the bug on Monday, so we had another few fun days at home! I wish I could give you a good report on Kate's sleeping, but it just seems to get worse. I think it started with waking up throwing up last week, and she was scared it would happen again. Then it just turned into a control issue. I finally talked to her pediatrician about it the other day because I don't want to shut her in her room if she is legitimately afraid. BUT, Dr. Peters said this is definitely a Terrible 2 fit. I put a safety knob cover on the inside of her door, but she figured out how to open it. Then, I thought about turning her knob inside out so I could control the lock and not worry about her locking herself in, but I got a tight pressure mounted baby gate so she can still see out if she is afraid, but she cannot run out of her room. This has made for some serious noise! Sweet Blake just sleeps right through it, but I keep wondering when he is going to get fed up with it. She has fallen asleep sitting up a few times when I go in to calm her down, and she even fell asleep during lunch at Mother's Day Out this week. At least we know she is human and still sleeps sometime.

We are trying to read, say our prayers, and get out of her room without looking back- but she is pretty smart. She has pulled every toy that could hold her weight and slid her changing table to the door to try and climb out. Last night, I heard her scream something about her pajamas while she was throwing a fit, and I got nervous. Sure enough, when I got to her room, she had all her lights on and was standing stark naked in her doorway. All this was after she had thrown every book out of her room. Can you say TEMPER!

Please pray that this battle of the wills will end soon, it is taking its toll on me!

Where Have We Been?

2010-01-23T21:23:00.005-06:00

Kate wants to show you her boo-boo on her chin. I picked her up from the nursery after Bible study, and she had a band-aid on her chin. When she finally let me pull it off (which took a while), there was a tiny dot of a scratch- drama queen!

Blake wants to spend EVERY WAKING MINUTE outside. If you even crack the door, he stands there begging, "side, side, side." I have started walking him out for every little thing I do outside, feed the dog, check the mail, etc. He doesn't care if it is freezing cold, he just is an outside boy. This day happened to be pretty warm, so the kids were able to play outside for a while.

Brandon and I raked while the kids napped, and when they woke up, they wanted to help. I am sure you can imaging how much "help" they were. Do you see Blake walking right through a pile of leaves?

Anyway, onto news around here... there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Kate put her pacifiers in an envelope to mail to the "paci fairy" so she can give them to a baby that needs it. She did ok with it, but we have had a few temper tantrums for it lately. I guess it didn't help that the night we took it away was also the night she got the stomach bug. That is the bad news! Kate came home from the nursery after Bible study on Wednesday and played all afternoon. She started telling me her tummy hurt, but how can you believe a 2 year old? So, we didn't do anything special for her tummy. We put her to bed, and she was so excited about giving her paci to the paci fairy, that she did pretty well, until 10 or so. She coughed and then cried and whined until Brandon went to check on her. Then he called my name to come help, which is never a good sign! We decided not to give her the pacifier because we didn't want her to know we still had them, she had done such a good job "mailing" them off. She did fine, she slept on me all night long on the couch.

She was pretty much over the bug the next day, just kind of weak. Brandon was on call Thursday night, and Kate was particularly difficult to put to bed. I was tired from no sleep the night before, but I also felt a little queasy... so I let her sleep with me. I just knew I was getting the bug, and then it hit! Wow does it hit adults harder than kids! I was up all night, and finally texted Brandon in the morning that he had to find someone to call in some Phenergan for me or I was going to die (he doesn't like to prescribe things for his own family). Somehow, he was able to come home in the morning instead of the afternoon after being on call, which was amazing. He picked up my medicine and some gatorade, and then I disappeared in my bed for the entire day. Literally, the entire day! I slept all day, and then all night last night. Kate was my little nurse. She refused to go play in the den, she wanted to lay with me. I told her if she could be still and quiet, she could stay. She stayed in my bed with me from 10 until 1:30, not moving and not talking! When we got up, she asked me, "can I talk now?" Isn't that sad? Anyway, I woke up this morning feeling much better. I washed clothes, sheets, scrubbed bathrooms, cloroxed everything I could see, etc. And then, Blake started throwing up tonight! It is like a domino effect, but Brandon has not had it yet. Please pray that he doesn't get it, because by the time it hits him, it will be when he needs to be working, and he can't really miss any work!

I was thinking how funny/gross it is to be a mom of kids with the stomach bug. First of all, I would NEVER have thought I could handle throw up on or around me, but when Kate was sick, she freaked out if you weren't holding her, so she actually laid on me with a towel in between us, and she threw up on the towel. Disgusting, I know! But, she was comforted and it was easier to clean up. Secondly, when I was sick, I realized that I was not even concerned about how long I was going to be sick, I was just praying that Blake wouldn't get it because I couldn't take care of him. Part of that prayer was answered, he did not get it that night, but he got it afterall (at least I can take care of him tonight). Thirdly, I was kind of thinking that I may want to catch another bug before bathing suit season comes along. There went a good five pounds I wanted to lose!

I hope you aren't too grossed out, and I sure hope you are not home sick with the bug! I hear it is flying around!

Cold Day Fun

2010-01-12T10:45:00.006-06:00

On cold days, we tend to not get out much. And things get a little crazy! The kids climbed up onto the chair in Blake's room to play one day. Once I got the remote out of Kate's hands and the sound machine out of his, we were safe to play on the chair. Kate is really into "funny face time" these days. I think we have Uncle Derek to thank for that one!

The kids get a little whiny when there is nothing to do, and there are only so many cartoons we can watch, and I can't physically watch Shrek again! So, we got out the tunnel that my parents gave them for Christmas. It was A HIT! They just went back and forth over and over again, and it provided fun for a whole morning! It comes with a tent, but it looked like it may be more than I wanted in my living room, so we went with the tunnel alone (they will never know anyway). Please excuse Kate's hair in her face... we are fighting control battles with bows, jackets, etc. lately and it is just not worth it to argue about a bow at home!

We hope you are staying warm and having fun!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T21:02:00.009-06:00

A glimpse at Christmas at our house... No chimney, so we just hung stockings on the china cabinet.

The kids playing at their new table and chairs set. It was so cute, they each had a fake cell phone and were playing so seriously.

Blake got his very own Pottery Barn chair. These are BIG hits at our house, and it has been the source of some fights lately (who knew a 1 and 2 year old could already fight?), so we got Blake one too. He got some cute new clothes too! Mostly manly clothes, so Brandon was pretty happy.

For Kate, it was boots, boots, boots. She told Santa at the mall that she wanted boots. And she got them! She got real cowboy boots, and she is obsessed with them. She did not take them off all night! Here is a nice pose for you.

Everybody wears smocked dresses with cowboy boots, right?

Precious little boots!

The kids got a 2-seat wagon, and they love it. Kate gets right in and buckles herself in. Blake just opens the door, climbs in, the climbs back out, again and again.

Kate also got some warm Ugg-like boots. They look hilarious/adorable. She is looking so big all of the sudden. Maybe it is the fact that she is carrying on the funniest conversations with us and making us laugh like she is our age.

We have been trying to stress the fact that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth, and that we just get gifts as our celebration of him. She was so sweet saying her bedtime prayers tonight. She said "Dear God, thank you for Jesus." (And Daddy, and Mommy, and Bubba, and Raggedy Ann, and Dora, etc.) Not sure she totally understands, but it made me so proud of her to know that at least she had picked up on the true gift of Jesus! I hope we always remember to thank God for Jesus on Christmas, and everyday!

Getaway

2009-12-18T10:25:00.005-06:00

Headed to look at this...

Happy 5 year Anniversary to me! Brandon and I have been married 5 years today! We are taking the kids to stay with my parents, and we are off on a getaway! He has been working ALL THE TIME for the past few weeks/months, and we are ready to both be in the same room for longer than 2 hours at a time. I feel like lately, he comes home from work (if he comes home from work, he has been on call too often), we eat dinner, play for a few minutes, bathe kids, put them to bed, and then we both crash. I am looking forward to some sleep, some strolling through stores, some good food, some sleep, some sitting by a fire, and some more sleep!
We are going to...

Gatlinburg! Hopefully we won't have the lovely bedding in our cabin... I will take pictures of ours. I am pretty sure all the cabins have the tacky quilted country motif. These are not necessarily our cabin or room, they are just random pictures to give you an idea of what I am looking forward to. See you soon!

Having Some Fun

2009-12-13T09:18:00.002-06:00

I haven't blogged lately because we have been so busy, but we are having some fun around here! I have been doing a ton of sewing, trying to do some Christmas shopping, and trying to keep up with these guys! Don't let Blake's "unsure face" fool you, he loved this!

I don't think this toy wagon was intended to carry a small child, but no harm done! They were literally squealing while they were going through the house. It was funny because when Blake got out, Kate got in and looked right at him and said, "It is my turn, you pull me!" I am pretty sure he just turned around and found something else to play with. Isn't it funny that she thinks he can understand and play with her like other kids her age!

See his smile now? He is a sweet boy! He likes to run up to you, give you a hug, and then get right back down to play some more. He doesn't have too much time to snuggle, so I take it while he gives it to me! He is getting so big, I can't believe this will be his second Christmas.

These Kids...

2009-11-24T06:57:00.003-06:00

These guys make me laugh all the time! (And make me want to scream a lot too!) I was doing laundry the other day, and came in to find them lounging on the dirty pile watching tv. They looked at me like, "can you move please, you are in our way."

Blake's hair has the cutest little curls when his hair first dries. I had to post a picture just for the memories!

This picture is the epitome of these kids. Kate is doing something to Blake, and he is looking at me saying, "Is this ok?" She sure does love him! We were going to Bible Study last night, and I told her to come on, that we were leaving. She said, "Wait, can Bubba come too?" Like we would leave without him! I guess I don't just tell him to come on, I have to pick him up, so she thought we didn't want him to go. I love these guys!

Happy Birthday Blake!

2009-11-16T16:05:00.006-06:00

It is a few weeks late, but we celebrated Blake's first birthday on Nov. 1st. He is a Halloween baby, but it is too hard to plan a party with all of the Halloween parties going on.
We had friends and family over to help us celebrate, and we had a blast. It was a pretty big party for a one year old, but we were sort of over-compensating for not having any celebration for Kate's second birthday. And good thing, because she thought it was HER party! We had kids jumping on the trampoline, swinging, playing on the slide, and parents playing beanbag toss. There was a ton of food, and lots of fun people. We could not have asked for a more fun party!

I love his cake! Brandon's parents let me pick out a design and they brought the cake with them, which made my life easier!

You can see, he enjoyed it! He does not waste any food, so he made sure to get every last bite.

After the party, he was worn out! He loves the Pottery Barn chair just like Kate!

Happy Birthday, we love you!

Guess Which One Enjoyed It More

2009-11-06T14:58:00.007-06:00

Kate and her ballerina friends, Campbell and Anna.

Kate figured out REALLY fast that she could get free candy by just saying Trick or Treat.

Kate would run towards us waving her arms- I think she was the first kid to every door.

My little giraffe just hung out on Daddy's shoulders, and that was just fine for him. He didn't want much to do with being on the ground that night.

"Look what I have!" She was a little not-so-put-together on Halloween, she had a wal-mart bag for her candy and she was wearing her Nike tennis shoes. At least she could run and not bust her face!

Holding Campbell's hand... sweet girls!

Blake didn't have quite as much fun as Kate, but maybe next year!

Happy BIrthday Blake!

2009-10-31T20:49:00.020-05:00

Enjoy a picture show of Blake now, compared to Blake last year!

Blake- you have changed so much in this first year! You are the sweetest baby that can make me smile any time you look at me. You have had me wrapped around your finger since day 1. People always say there is something special between a mother and a son, and it is true! We love you so much, and Kate cannot get enough of you! Notice how pictures show that Kate is often "loving" on you. I also noticed that you end up on Daddy's shoulders a lot too, maybe protection from the wild girl on the floor! It was an adventure having you two kids so close together, but I wouldn't change it for the world, you are more fun everyday! Happy Birthday!

Boots Were Made For Walking

2009-10-25T10:19:00.003-05:00

Kate found my cowboy boots the other day. She put them on herself and had a blast.

She thinks they are just her size!

I love how they come halfway up her legs. I would love the find Kate some tiny cowboy boots, anyone seen any?

Begging To Be Outside

2009-10-15T11:46:00.005-05:00

When the weather is ugly, Kate is miserable! She was begging to go outside, but it is just misty-rainy, which is even harder to explain to her why we can't be out there. I like to open the blinds of our front door window so they can look out, and they love it! Please excuse Blake's funky hairdo. He has a lot of curl that appears with humidity- why is it always the boys?

Who wouldn't adore these smushed-nose faces peering out? It cleared up for a minute, so I snapped pictures, and then we headed out for a walk. I love that it is cooler, but can the rain stop?

Sorry about the sporadic posting frenzy... we have been home a lot more. Kate's mothers' day out has had "fall break" and Blake has had a fever. More new posts below!

Mid-Week Date Night

2009-10-14T11:33:00.003-05:00

Who says it has to be a weekend for a date night? Brandon has been working a lot lately and was on call for a lot of the weekend... so I planned a special night last night. I had planned on making some yummy quesadillas, but he called in the afternoon and said he wanted to eat leftovers (I never like to eat leftovers, but he acts like it is a new meal every time). So, we had a good repeat dinner, and then we put the kids to bed. We got The Unit Season 4, Disc 1 in the mail from Netflix yesterday, and we have been waiting to see it- we love that show. Once the kids were in bed, we fixed a bowl of ice cream and a glass of wine, then we curled up on the couch and watched all 4 episodes on Disc 1. It was so nice, and we should do that more often. I always feel bad asking my parents to come watch the kids if we are going to be out for awhile, because they both work. And, we really can't afford to pay a babysitter AND go out on a date... so we improvised and had a "date" at home. I highly recommend watching The Unit if you haven't already- it is a show that both of us like, and that is hard to find!

Worn Out

2009-10-10T21:28:00.003-05:00

Kate started going to Mothers' Day Out 2 days a week this fall... and she LOVES it! She talks about school all the time, and she really wears herself out. She goes down for a nap around 2 or 2:30 on school days, and this day, I woke her up at almost 6. I went in, talked to her, she didn't budge, so I went to get the camera, and she didn't budge until I stepped on a noise-making toy. When I woke her up, she was so grumpy because she wasn't ready to get up. And, yes, we are still attached to the pacifier for naps and bedtime. I have tried to talk her out of it and that is NOT going to happen. My pediatrician told me not to worry until she is closer to 3, so that is what I am banking on. Maybe I can talk her out of it by then!

Campbell and Kate are in the same MDO class and they do everything together. It is so funny to hear them talk to each other. We were walking the other day, and Campbell leaned towards Kate and said, "I love you Kate, you are my best friend." If we do not see the Compton ladies for a day or so, Kate will say, "let's eat with Campbell" or "I need Mrs. Katie." She loves Campbell's daddy, Ben too. He is also a resident, but does not work at the same hospital as Brandon. But, if you ask Kate where her daddy is, she says that he is "at work at the hospital with Dr. Ben." So cute! These pictures were from after "school" one day, and you can see how tired they are. We are so thankful to have such sweet friends!

If That Is Not A Big Boy...

2009-09-27T20:52:00.006-05:00

I don't know what is!!! Whenever Blake wakes up and Kate is not up yet, he makes tons of noise just to wake her up. When I walk him down the hall, he is so loud. I put him down with toys in the living room while I make coffee, but he gets down the hall so fast and starts hitting Kate's door. Too funny! It is like he doesn't know what to do when she is not there.

Kate is hugging Blake- looks like she is tackling him, but he was giggling... sometimes we have to quit hugging because it gets a little rough!

Just another "hug."

Blake has TAKEN OFF! It is like he went from a few steps to really walking around in just a matter of days. He walks from room to room now and has started walking with his toys in his hands.

Cute little diaper butt! I love how babies are bow-legged, I think it is cute.

Taking steps while flashing his teeth. He also started saying "mama" today and has gotten to love the sippy cup. It is like he just grew up all of the sudden! I guess I will have to enjoy him for awhile, because even though I miss my baby, we are not ready for number 3!

Kate has had so many posts, I thought it was time for a just Blake post. We love this boy!

Busy Weekend

2009-09-20T19:25:00.005-05:00

This was not supposed to be that great of a weekend! Brandon was originally going to Auburn without me and the kids this weekend- which I was not thrilled about, but he doesn't get to go often. But, late Friday night, Brandon's brother called to tell us he had two tickets. Brandon got off the phone and I told him that I would love to go, but it was too late notice, and no one would be able to keep the kids. Five or ten minutes later, Brandon's parents called to tell us about his youngest brother's high school football game and Brandon told him about the two tickets and they said, "if you ever get tickets to the game, we would love to keep the kids." We immediately made plans to drop the kids off with them on our way to Auburn the next morning... they did not have to ask us twice! While they were there, Blake improved his walking skills and can now walk from the couch to the tv or from the kids' play chair to the computer chair where I sit. He goes slowly, but if he is unsure of himself, he just squats for a second and gets back up to go. So, he is off! We have a way to go, but he is our early walker- not even 11 months- yikes!
This was on our way home today- Kate was giggling and saying, "I want to hold you." She says this a lot in the car, and I always say that I will have to hold her when we get there because I can't reach her, so I thought she was talking to me. But, I turned around and saw her holding Blake's hand and it melted my heart. We were in Brandon's car, but they normally can't reach each other in my car. (Disclaimer- it was not sweet much longer after this, she started yanking his arm and we had to cut out the hand holding.)

Here we are in the game. We looked like drowned rats after we sat in the rain for an hour. I kept asking if we could leave, but Brandon just reminded me that we had no kids to rush home to- we should just enjoy being there. We were so soaked that I think we smelled like mildew by the end of the game, and my jeans were still damp this morning!

The POURING rain in Jordan Hare Stadium. I did not get out my camera for this, I copied this picture from somewhere else, but it is what it looked like. A friend works on rain/storm drains and said that drains are built for 2 inches of rain an hour, and anything above that is a 1 in 100 year storm... which just happened to be last night! It was at least 2.5 inches of rain in an hour- and we stood in it! We had such a great time seeing friends and enjoying Auburn- hope we get to do it again this season!

Cute Phrases

2009-09-12T12:53:00.002-05:00

I have been noticing Kate saying all kinds of funny things lately, and I don't want to forget them, so I thought I would share...
Kate has a hard time saying words that start with "sp" so she just uses an "f" to start it instead. For example, "sprinkler" is "frinkler." One day, Blake was trying to climb up the legs of a barstool in the kitchen and I heard Kate scold him and say, "Bubba, don't climb that." And when he did not quit, she said, "Do you need a fankin?" I wish she hadn't learned the spanking threat from me, but it is used quite a bit around here!
When we go out to eat, she gets to drink a "frite" and drinks every last sip! Some moms are funny about kids and soft drinks, but I could care less with a caffeine free sprite! Kids need a little treat every now and then too! And, is there that much difference in sugar content between apple juice and sprite?
She started Mother's Day Out this week (hallelujah!) and loved it. Yesterday afternoon, when I picked her up, I told her that Blake and I missed her and that he wanted to hear what she did all day. She simply said, "Dude, I went to school." I just could not stop laughing! I couldn't figure out where she got "dude" until Blake was whiny later in the afternoon and Brandon said, "Dude, you need to chill out." She picks up on everything!
She was screaming her brains out the other day because she wasn't getting her way, and I was ignoring her (which has actually been the best way to get her to stop, because she is not getting the attention she desires) and my mom called. She heard Kate screaming, but we talked anyway. When I got off the phone, I said, "Kate, that was GiGi and she was very sad that you were acting like that." And she immediately stopped crying and said, "I'm sorry GiGi, I'm sorry Mommy." Later on, Blake whimpered in the car because he was so sleepy and Kate said, "No no bub, that makes GiGi very sad." I guess I have found another way to stop temper tantrums.
Anyway, she never quits talking! When I picked her up from her first day of school, her teacher told me that she is definitely the "class talker." I don't know how much she will enjoy that as the year goes on! I am sure there are things I am forgetting, but these are a few funny ones.
As for Blake, there is no talking! It is kind of freaking Brandon out because they are supposed to know a few words by the time they are one, but Dr. Peters told me from the beginning that the second ones take a while to talk, especially with a very verbal older sibling... so we will just let him take his time! Sometimes I wish Kate couldn't talk quite so much anyway!

Riding Horses

2009-09-07T21:27:00.008-05:00

Our friend Montana had her 3rd birthday party last weekend at Oak Mountain Stables and Petting Farm. We had so much fun! Kate had a blast riding the horses- and Blake was a ladies' man and enjoyed being passed around. I didn't know how Kate would handle riding a horse, but she did it all by herself and even cried when it was time for her to get off. We just got back in the end of the line to ride again and again. Here are some pictures of our fun day! Katie loves Bubba, and you can tell he loves her too!

Want some pretty grass?

Petting the goat flipped her out! That same goat tried to eat the leg of my shorts.

Look at the dirt on Kate's face! Kate and Campbell are best friends and these pictures capture their sweet personalities.

The big girl riding all by herself.

Allergic

2009-08-30T19:17:00.005-05:00

Apparently, Kate is allergic to fire ant bites. Brandon went to get her from Sunday school this morning and they said she was in the office. I had gone to get Blake and when I saw him walking towards me empty-handed, it kind of freaked me out. They will page you if your child is bad or sick, but I had not been paged. She was sitting in the lap of the nursery director eating a sucker smiling, so I figured that whatever had happened was ok now. Then, the director asked me if Kate always reacts this way to ant bites, and I realized that these may be her first ones. (Mosquitos are a different ball game, she is covered in them!) Her foot was fat, red, hot, and tight! Her sandal wouldn't fit over it, so she was carried to the car. We went to Walgreens on our way to lunch to get some Benadryl, and then met my family. Kate was a ZOMBIE the whole meal! My whole family could not believe that she was that quiet and zoned out. She passed out in the car on the way home, and then slept for 3 hours once we got home. When she woke up from her nap, she played for a little bit, but then collapsed on the couch and covered up. Brandon was reading her some books and snuggling with her and said she was hot, and she had a fever of almost 103! She is now dosed up with more Benadryl and Motrin, and she is off to bed! Poor thing!

On a more fun note, Blake is all over the place! He has taken a few steps at a time and then sits down once or twice, but he is climbing all over the couch, the kids' chair, and trying to get onto the coffee table! He is busting out teeth everywhere too- he is showing you his top 2 (and tip of 3) teeth here. I can't believe he is already this big!

Playtime

2009-08-26T18:10:00.004-05:00

Turner came over today and he was a little less excited than Blake to play. Blake was a little too in his face!

A sweet "hug" from Blake and a gentle "high five" from Turner, and somehow Kate slept through it all.

The stare down. It is funny to watch kids this age stare at each other and make noises like they are actually trying to communicate.

New Projects and Bossy Kate

2009-08-18T20:47:00.003-05:00

These are some new projects I have been doing lately. The little dress is so cute on! It has little side vents that button and it just makes it hang so cute on Kate. The john-john was fun to make, but I am not used to so many details! The smocking part was fun, but the actual construction of the outfit was tedious! It turned out very nice though, and it is fully lined, so I feel like it will hold up nicely. The pattern can be unsmocked and reversible, which is my next venture! The john-john took so long that I don't think I am going to sell them on my sewing blog because I barely have time to make one for my own child! But, I will probably end up selling that style of dress once I make one or two more and get comfortable with the pattern. I really do love smocking and sewing but my love of sleep has suffered lately to get these finished. :)

Kate loves "talking down" to Blake. She is constantly saying, "No No, Bub!" and "Don't bite!" when he is just putting toys in his mouth. She just doesn't realize that is what babies do! We laugh that she has started calling him "Bub" because it sounds like a northerner- my dad still has a touch of a Michigan accent and we like to say that is where she got it. She has gotten a little mean recently, I hate to say. She has this evil little giggle and I know she is torturing him. Yesterday she was pinching his cheeks so hard they turned bright red, and she pulls his ears (like they need to stick out more) so hard. I get more upset than he does. For some reason, he puts up with it. He may whimper a little bit, but he just looks at her wondering what she is doing. I had to explain that if she loves him like she says she does, then she cannot want to hurt him. Then she gets tender-hearted and hugs him and tells him she is sorry. She got so sad that she cried today, but I had to explain that he loves her and forgives her even if he can't tell her. It has made me tear up more than once to see her realize that she is hurting someone (I know it sounds cheesy, but I can't help it- I used to say the random tears were pregnant/nursing hormones, now what can I blame it on?) She really is sensitive, but I am hoping she will learn soon to not hurt him in the first place. The picture of him by the jumperoo kind of reminded me of Brandon's brother, Christopher. Some of Brandon's family has said that Blake looks like Christopher since birth, so I thought I would show this little glimpse that we saw. More and more people have been saying that Blake looks like Brandon lately- it is funny because we look at him and only see Blake!

How can Kate hurt this sweet face? :)

They Will Hate This Later...

2009-08-09T20:29:00.006-05:00

"I will help you in."- Kate
"No thanks, I can do this myself."- Blake
I couldn't resist the bottom pictures. They couldn't wait for the water to fill up. Blake was dying to get in. He watched Kate hike her leg up and he thought he could do the same. They won't love these pictures later, but they made me laugh.

Before the splashing began. They had a blast in the tub tonight. Brandon is on call tonight and it is sad when I use bathtime as an activity just to pass time until bedtime. I let them play until they were little prunes!

After the splash fest... all smiles (for Kate). Blake does love playing but sometimes he looks at me like- can you stop her from splashing me now?

Best Buddies

2009-08-03T22:17:00.003-05:00

These kids crack me up! They are really enjoying each other these days. Kate gets a big kick out of playing with/torturing Blake, and he gets a kick out of all the attention. She loves dressing up- notice the nice dress over some pink play pants- and putting her dress up stuff on Blake too. If I hear her giggling and him whining, I know that she has put something on his head, and today it was her mesh laundry bag. She also wants to go with me to get him from naptimes, and I let her get in his crib to play and she pretended to put him "night night." He is doing his whiny face saying, "get her out of here." I really think this is getting more fun everyday. But, they are wearing me out. That Kate is something else. She just decided that she didn't want to sleep in her big girl bed last night and cried, screamed, and threw herself against her door until after midnight. She said she wanted to sleep in Mommy's bed- which she has NEVER done in her life- so I was not giving in. Until Brandon reminded me that the morning was coming sooner than we would like and we needed sleep, however we could get it. So she slept with us for the first time, and then today she got a night light so she would have no reason to be afraid, and she is quiet so far... fingers crossed. Anyway, sometimes I couldn't smile more because of them, and sometimes I want to sell them on Craigslist.

Girls' Weekend

2009-07-27T22:23:00.008-05:00

I had another weekend with NO kids! Brandon stayed home with the kids so I could go surprise a college BFF (best friend forever- for those family members who may be reading and not know) after she got engaged. Melanie and I went to Oxford, MS, on Saturday afternoon and showed up shortly after Lauren and Christopher got engaged. It is hard for me to call her Lauren, because I have only called her by her last name since I have known her. Anyway, he proposed and had her family waiting back at his parents' house for a little party. She had no idea that friends were coming too. Melanie and I were the outsiders, being her Auburn friends, so we had to wait and meet some of her MS friends to make sure we were in the right place. (Because Melanie's GPS told us to go way down the opposite end of the street... glad we can read good ole street signs and house numbers ourselves!) We were just kind of hanging around outside of Christopher's parents' house and then he came outside to let us know we were in the right place. Nevermind the fact that his parents' house looks like a major historical landmark and I just couldn't believe it was their home! Beautiful! Anyway, we walked in the front door and Lauren's back was to us but she turned around when she saw other guests' reactions. She really stared at us for at least 10 seconds before giving us a hug... I felt like I needed to re-introduce myself to her. Oh yeah, one reason it was such a big shock is that I have been MIA as a friend since I have been pregnant or with a newborn for over 2 years. I did get to see her last summer, but I am sure she was not expecting me to show up! So she was very excited that we could be there to share in such a fun weekend. I was on CLOUD 9 all night, just being with old friends and being around so many of her friends and family that I feel like I know because of living with her. Did I mention that I lived with Lauren and Melanie for 3 out of 4 years of Auburn? So, I was thrilled to be with them all night again. (And maybe that old bond is so deep down and that is why we all had white jeans on?)

The couple in the bottom picture is Lauren's parents- I love them! They were so much fun to be around and they have always treated me like I was one of their own. And no, I am not sitting in Donnie's lap, I was on the arm of his chair. Also, I am not a wino, but just happened to be carrying around my wine glass because the caterer snatched it up the one time I set it down. Lots of the guests were amused at the fact that I have 2 kids, so one guest didn't know my name and I was dubbed "2 kids."

The lucky man- Christopher! Can you tell he and Lauren had been in the sun all day? I guess that day was worth the sunburn! I got to know Christopher better this trip, and it makes me laugh how perfect he is for her. Lauren is one of a kind- she knows what she wants and doesn't take anything less... and he takes it all in stride. I can't wait to be around him more in the years to come!

Ok- more on the party... when I think of a party to celebrate the night of the engagement, this is not what I think of. I think of maybe a few appetizers and some drinks on a countertop. Keep in mind that we got engaged at Brandon's hunting land and I am pretty sure there was camouflage somewhere on his body (hat maybe?), but that totally was perfect for us. This house was straight out of Southern Living or House Beautiful, inside and out. And, the party was catered with great food (better than I have had at some weddings), and a cocktail bar. We thought we would be going out to celebrate later, but there was no need to leave, the party was so much fun. We took a tour of Christopher's parents' house and saw their wine cellar, movie room, and I was AMAZED at the mirrors in their bathroom. If you want to watch television while you get ready, you just aim the remote at the mirror and a tv appears inside the mirror. I was pretty baffled by it, it took me a few times of turning it on and off to really believe it. I am sure they were laughing at me, and at one time someone asked where I was from and when I said Birmingham, they just nodded and said "oh." Still not sure what that was all about! Anyway, this weekend was so much fun and I was so glad I got to be a part of it. I love you Lauren, congrats again!

PS- I love you Brandon, thanks for taking the kids all weekend so I could feel like I was in college again! (To brag on him, he was on call Friday night, and he offered to keep them after he had been up for 30 something hours just because he knew how badly I wanted to go.)

Birthday Treats

2009-07-14T09:07:00.012-05:00

My birthday was this past weekend and I got some fun treats! My mom gave me some Trish McEvoy makeup and some new necklaces and earings (these aren't the exact ones, but pretty close). Some sweet friends brought me beautiful roses that were light pink turning to hot pink on the tips- beautiful!!! Then, my brother gave us a night of babysitting and paid for our movie, so we went to see The Proposal, and it was GREAT! We laughed so hard, and Brandon even enjoyed it! Brandon took me to a great dinner at Brio, and it is so nice to sit and enjoy a meal and talk to each other. Plus, the food at Brio never disappoints! I got some money from Brandon's parents and grandparents and my grandad, so I ordered a new carseat for Blake. It doesn't sound too exciting, but trust me it is! We needed one and don't have a lot extra in the budget these days, so at least I could get the one I wanted! So I am very excited to see this coming soon. My parents took us out to eat at PF Changs last night, which was also great. And they are watching both kids this weekend so that Brandon and I can go to the beach with a friend from college. I am excited to read and relax all weekend! Last week wasn't the best at our house (Brandon's schedule was awful and he was only home 2 nights), so these birthday surprises were a nice treat!

Recent Happenings

2009-07-10T09:02:00.003-05:00

Kate turned 2 on May 29th, but she just went for her 2 year appointment on Wednesday. She weighs 26 pounds, which puts her in the 40% for weight, and she is 33 1/2 inches tall, putting her in the 30% for height. When she was born, she was in the 95% for height, so she is falling off the curve a little bit! Kate had to have a finger prick to check her iron, which was low AGAIN, but she did not cry at all! I told her that she could get a sucker if she was a big girl, and it worked. Little did she know, she would get a sucker even if she had cried. I talked to Dr. Peters for a while about Kate's diet, since she would rather eat snacks and crackers all day than any solid meal. I am just trying to make her snacks healthy, rather than goldfish all day long. Evidently all kids do this at some point or another, so the doctor was fine with it, as long as we push the meals.
Kate has had a light heart murmur forever, but Dr. Peters said it was louder than she remembers it being, so we are going to see a cardiologist on July 29th. I am not that worried about it because she had a cardiac ultrasound when she was born and there were no structural problems. I also talked to Dr. Peters about Kate's nonstop repeating and strange OCD behavior. She will replay situations or conversations days after they happen, and she is constantly repeating things I tell her. For example, when we were at the beach, if the upstairs neighbor opened their glass patio door, it sounded like thunder in our condo. She would gasp and run to me every time, until I told her, "It is ok. It is not thunder, it is just the neighbor." Then, every time after that, she would say, "It's ok it's ok it's ok, it's not thunder, it's the neighbor." Repeating it so much that we were going crazy. If an older child displays this much repitition, it can point to autism, so it kind of freaked me out a little bit. She also does things with an OCD nature. I leave Blake's carseat in the car now, but when I used to bring it in, Kate would always have to buckle his seatbelt. Also, she has to have shoes on all the time, but she puts them on the wrong feet... EVERY TIME! When I asked Dr. Peters about it, she laughed in my face. She said that Kate seems like her mind is just running 90 miles a minute and that she is just excited about learning new things and wants to repeat them. She said that she was even a little ahead of the game and just not to worry about it. That made me feel better, and when I told Brandon, my sister, and my mom about it- they all said, "I can't believe you asked her if she thought something was wrong!" To set the record straight, I do not think Kate has learning problems, but I also do see her doing things that seem unusual. I guess I have a girl that marches to the beat of a different drum!
Another recent piece of information- I quit my job, for good. I haven't worked recently anyway, but I at least made it official. I feel like when I have worked since having kids, I have not been fully THERE, but just doing my job and going home. Which, in an NICU, is not good. Your heart really has to be in it or your head can't keep up! Brandon's schedule is also pretty rough right now and he just said that he didn't want to come home from working 36 hours to stay home while I go to work. I also heard that they were not hiring flexi positions because they didn't have anymore and it just made me feel guilty for hogging a position when I am really not working much. I handed in my resignation letter on Wednesday and I feel a real peace about it. I know that the Lord has provided and will continue to provide for us in any situation. That is about it for our house right now!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2009-07-01T14:29:00.004-05:00

This is Blake's "lovey" or "Lamby" that he sleeps with. I have been letting him cry it out for a little bit now and he has done great so far (except for when he is sick). I noticed that he was losing interest in his pacifier, which makes me very happy since I am dreading taking it away from Kate. *Side note- she only gets her pacifier for naps and bedtime, but she frequently talks about/begs for/throws fits for it anyway.* Anyway, I realized what was soothing him instead of it, and it is Lamby! He loves his Lamby, but he is chewing the ears right off of it. Do you see the funky dark colored ears? That is straight out of the washing machine!!! I am loving this though because it is truly soothing him. I guess I will just keep washing it and buy new ones when they get too gross to stand.

My roses make me happy! And, that big tomato that will be ripe soon makes me very happy too! Do you see the rose that is about to bloom in front of the tomato plant? We take walks everyday to look at our plants, since Kate "helped" plant them. It is nice to show her the pretty flowers and see how excited she gets. The kids are feeling better today, but we are still laying low to rest before a fun July 4th weekend!

*New (er) Post Below

Happy Birthday Kate (a month late)!!!

2009-06-30T10:52:00.004-05:00

Kate got some very fun things for her birthday this year! We love playing outside and now we can stay busy while we are out there! My parents, Gigi and Pop Pop, gave Kate this all-in-one slide that has "rock climbing" on one side, a slide on the other, a basketball goal, a place to throw a football and a place to kick a soccer ball. She has been having a blast with it!

Brandon and I knew we wanted to get Kate a trampoline, but we hadn't found a good deal on one (and we really haven't had much time) until yesterday. I went and picked it up and Brandon set it up all by 4:30 or 5. She LOVES it! She kept jumping until she would fall and say, "I ok mommy." After just a few minutes of jumping, Brandon and I laughed because she was completely out of breath. After her bath, she came into Blake's room (Brandon always dresses Kate and I always dress Blake after baths) and said, "thank you tramp." Good thing I know what she meant! Tramp-oline is hard so she just sticks with tramp. She has already asked several more times, "jump, ok?" She is excited to have some friends over to play with it soon!

Meanwhile, she and Blake both have a random fever virus that just makes them spike a fever and be very irritable. They have been really sleepy though, so at least that has made it ok. A virus doesn't stop her from enjoying her new birthday presents.

Busy Boy

2009-06-20T20:18:00.005-05:00

Blake loves to eat real food! I don't think I let Kate have adult snacks until she was closer to a year old, but Blake just grabs anything he can find and shoves it in his mouth. Today, he and Kate were playing outside and she was eating cheese puffs, and he just had to try one too. Can you see the precious smile after he finished it?

Going, Going, Gone! Blake is crawling all over the place and now he has started pulling up on everything too. He pulls up on his Elmo toy, then he is so proud that he has to flash a smile, but then he knocks it over. He hasn't hurt himself on it, but I redirected his attention to the big Pottery Barn chair. He loves it. Kate doesn't love him creeping into her territory, but she is getting better at sharing her stuff. The other morning, she had a bowl of dry cheerios while she sat in her chair and I was in the kitchen when I heard her tell Blake "NO BUBBA!" and when I checked on them, he had his hand in her bowl grabbing a handful of cheerios. He doesn't love milk much anymore, he wants the real stuff! I guess the second one does things a little sooner than the first.

And, I wanted to end with a sassy picture of Kate because she is so funny running through her sprinkler. And, NO, we did not forget her birthday! We just haven't totally celebrated it yet since we all went out of town and life was just a little hectic. More to come on Kate later!

Tagged

2009-06-18T08:54:00.004-05:00

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Went to Bible Study

2. Ate yummy lunch at Iz Too

3. Trimmed hedges in my front yard

4. Appliqued 4 burp cloths

5. Made a delicious dinner loaded with vegetables- we are trying to eat healthier around here

6. Worked on smocking a new dress for Kate

7. Read some of my book

8. Kept Kate from shoving an entire animal cracker in Blake's mouth

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Speak another language fluently- I really don't like Spanish, so I would rather speak French

2. Get Blake to sleep through the night

3. Read books more often

4. Keep up with old friends better

5. Hide my facial expressions- they get me in trouble a lot

6. Exercise- and enjoy it... right now it is just so hard to find a good activity for me to do with the kids in a good time frame (not interrupting naps, etc.)

7. Lay out by the pool all day long

8. Keep my house incredibly clean

8 Shows I Watch

1. Tori and Dean- Home Sweet Hollywood

2. Jon and Kate Plus 8
3. Desperate Housewives

4. Army Wives

5. Today Show- yes it is liberal, but I do love it

6. Brothers and Sisters

7. Extreme Home Makeover- Brandon loves this show

8. Criminal Minds

8 Favorite Foods

1. Mexican... cheese dip- yum!

2. Ice Cream

3. Fruit

4. Dips- any appetizer dips, spinach and artichoke, salsa, etc. There is a restaurant in Orange Beach called Cosmos and they have the best homemade non-mexican cheese dip- That was for you Katie Compton!

5. Taziki's Friday Special

6. Macaroni and Cheese

7. Feta Cheese

8. Fish with lemon seasoning

8 Places I Have Traveled

1. Utah

2. Bahamas

3. England

4. Grand Cayman
5. Honduras
6. Germany

7. Mexico

8. Jamaica

8 Places I Would Like to Travel

1. New York

2. St. Lucia

3. The beach more often

4. Africa

5. St. Thomas

6. Cape Cod

7. Canada- it is supposed to have great skiing

8. California- been there but I don't remember it

Oh Yeah, and I would like to tag
1. Katie Compton
2. Katie Finley
3. Jamie Booth
4. Ginger Turner

The Beach

2009-06-08T12:30:00.006-05:00

Gigi and her grandbabies. Kate was not sad but it was the only picture where all 3 kids had their eyes open. It was nearly impossible to take a picture with 3 kids.

Thank God for Uncle Heath! The whole time he was in town, he carried both carseats so I could just keep up with Kate. I had to make Turner and Blake matching outfits, but it just made everyone think they were twins who look nothing alike.

We are having fun, but we sure miss Brandon! It just makes me excited to take a family beach trip with him next time. Kelly and I tried to take all 3 kids on the beach- DISASTER!!! Turner didn't even last 4 minutes, Blake and Kate lasted about 10 minutes, and then we were done with the sand for good. At least we tried, and now we know that shifts work better. Kelly goes to the pool in the morning while Turner and Blake nap and I play with Kate. Then I go to the pool in the afternoon while all the kids nap and Kelly stays with them. Kate is having a ball in the water- she would have more fun if Brandon was here. He is a lot more willing to play and get deeper in the water than I am.

Why?

2009-06-07T21:35:00.002-05:00

The past 3 times I have tried to post pictures, the blogger uploader times out and will not let me upload them. WHY?! All I want to do is share a few photos and show you these cute kids at the beach. We have been here a week and will be here til Friday, then Brandon gets home Saturday. We talked to him today and he is having a great trip to the Dominican Republic. I will try again to post pictures, sorry I have been a slacker!

Is There A Doctor In The House?

2009-05-18T10:08:00.004-05:00

Crossing the stage to sign his name as Brandon Slagley M.D. It cracked me up that they had them sign their new signature and projected it on the overhead for the audience to see.

Brandon is officially done with medical school! He graduated yesterday and we had a great time celebrating. We went to brunch with my family before graduation and then we had everyone over for dessert after the ceremony. The kids did surprisingly well, considering that graduation was in the middle of naptime! Luckily, Uncle Derek took care of Kate and let her color, play with stickers, have some snack, and run around the corridor outside the ceremony. At one point, I turned around to see that Kate was putting stickers all over his face and saying that she "needed" more stickers. My mom rocked Blake to sleep, so I really could relax and see what was going on. It was still incredibly boring because it took forever. Kate got a good "YAY DADDY!" in at the ceremony. We are so proud of him- it has been a long road (and will be for 3 more years of residency), but he has made it look easy!

Other news- Kate will turn 2 in just a week and a half, and she is acting more like the "terrible 2s" than ever before. We are leaving both kids with their Papa G and JoJo this weekend to go to the beach! This is probably the last vacation with no kids we will have for a while.

Blake is starting to sleep a little better. After cutting 2 teeth together, then having a double ear infection, I think he just got into the habit of waking up around 3 or 4; but we are breaking that habit now. I have been letting him cry it out until I have tried to sleep for 45 minutes or so, and then I will put his pacifier back in and he will last until 6 or 7. I want him to be in a good routine for his grandparents so they don't have to be zombies with no sleep. At his 6 month appointment, Dr. Peters said she wouldn't be surprised to see him crawling soon (she said he was a compact ball of muscle). Last week, he was acting like he wanted to, but he couldn't get his arms to move with his legs. In the last 2 days, he has started getting somewhere! Slowly, but surely... I set him on one side of the rug and put toys in front of him just out of his reach and I sit at the other side cheering him on, and he army crawls!

I will post soon with more recent pictures of the kids since my wireless internet is working now.

Six Months Old and Insured

2009-05-01T14:55:00.003-05:00

Blake is 6 months old!!! Can you believe how quickly time flies? He and I went to the doctor this morning while Kate stayed home with her daddy. It is amazing how peaceful things are with just Blake, and I am not chasing Kate around or cramming her sippy cup in her mouth to keep her quiet in waiting rooms. Blake just jumped in my lap and giggled at the other kids while we waited for an hour and a half.
He weighs 16 pounds and 4 oz, and is 26 inches tall. He is down to the 35% for weight, but still around 50% for height. Dr. Peters said that she could tell he is energetic and he may just get really distracted while he is feeding. I have no idea what could be so exciting at our house. :) I have a hard time getting him to eat while Kate is around because he wants to keep his eyes on her at all times. I am still nursing him (hope that isn't TMI), but Dr. Peters says she thinks I need to supplement him with formula after each feed to make sure he is getting enough. I have been trying to keep up the nursing because it is free, it is good for him, and it is nice to not have to mix bottles while he is screaming to tell me he is hungry (mainly because it is free). But, I am really fine if he is ready to stop. I have tried just about everything to keep it up, but I don't think it will last much longer, 6 months was a good stretch! He is loving solid food too. He grunts in between bites just to remind me that he is not done yet. He starts a jump-like movement in his highchair when he sees the bowl coming. Funny! I don't remember Kate being this crazy about food at this point. He just cut 2 teeth and he is growing up way too fast.
Here is a little gripe about UAB's horrible insurance plan... we pay out the wazoo for insurance that made me pick a primary care provider off of their list (and I really didn't want to have to go downtown to UAB just to go to the doctor), so I picked one to claim on my card. I really thought I could get away with never using that doctor since I have been pregnant or nursing for the past 2+ years, and I always use my OB. But, I went yesterday to treat this sinus infection that I have had for over 2 weeks now, and I waited for over 2 hours. No joke! I sat in the waiting room and watched all the nurses just stroll on in after their lunch break and stand around and chit chat for a while until they called me to the front. Once I went to the front, the lady handed me my chart and told me to go to Module 2. Where the heck is Module 2 and why am I carrying my own chart down the hall to who knows where? What ever happened to the sweet lady calling you from the waiting room to go back to see the doctor after 30 minutes wait time max? Anyway, once I found Module 2, guess what it was? Another waiting room! So, I sat and waited, then got called back to a patient room, where I continued to wait. Finally, I saw a doctor who confirmed what I told him I already knew- I have a sinus infection. He gave me an antibiotic and nose spray (I hate those with a burning passion).
I went on my merry way, but when I called Brandon to tell him what he had prescribed, he laughed and said that isn't what he would have done at all. He said, "That is definitely not the first line of treatment for sinuses." That is not exactly what I wanted to hear after waiting forever just to get the prescription in the first place. But, we figured out that he was probably writing for a mild antibiotic that would not bother breastfeeding. Then, I got to Publix to fill my prescription and they told me that I was not insured. I am pretty sure we just paid a pretty penny in March to continue coverage until Brandon starts work in July. I argued with them to the point of tears because I just wanted my medicine and to go home, but they said it would be really expensive to get them filled without insurance. So, I got home and asked Brandon to call VIVA to ask them about it. They said it was just a computer "glitch" and that everything is fine now, that their system had just accidentally dropped me and the kids in February. That is the second or third accidental dropping of me and the kids that has led to embarassing/frustrating situations at doctors' offices and pharmacies. It was all worked out yesterday afternoon so that we wouldn't have any problems at the pediatrician's office today.
Until I went to take his prescription to get filled. Of course our insurance wouldn't cover that medicine either, so I am waiting on his doctor to call VIVA and authorize that medicine. By the way, if she didn't authorize that prescription, why would she write for it? I hate VIVA, but we only have it for another month or so. At least Blake was insured today, that would have sent me over the edge.

We Are Still Here

2009-04-20T22:30:00.002-05:00

No pictures because we are figuring out the wireless internet, etc. etc. etc. Anyway, we are moved in and LOVING our space. Turns out that Blake just wanted a little space to move around in order to sleep. He is doing much better, which means I am doing much better. Kate is loving space too. She is doing pretty well in her toddler bed. She actually stays in it until you go get her out, besides the one night that she fell out. We heard a thud the other night, followed by whiny crying and when I went into her room, she was on her floor looking very sad and confused. After a little hug and a song, she was right back to sleep.
Blake is a little more active these days and is grabbing everything in sight. He is sitting up better (not totally on his own yet) and playing with toys in front of him- but that makes Kate a little jealous and she has started trying to steal his toys. She has also gotten jealous of him using "her" highchair. I have tried to explain that we are going to share all the toys and the highchair, but she doesn't get it since they have always been just hers. She has learned how to say "This mine" and "this Kate's" which I HATE- so we are learning that there is no mine and yours at our house. Have you ever thought about all of the times you say "mine" and "yours" when you aren't even being selfish. For example, "That drink is mine" or "Don't take that toy, that is not yours." It is hard to teach such a little mind the difference in your meanings of the same word. Oh well, we are trying!
One last thing... we are still saving money with grocery coupons, even if I don't have the pictures to prove it. Last week I did more than break even. I saved more than I spent just by taking advantage of sales and coupons. The lady wouldn't take my Rite Aid $5 off coupons, which could have saved me another $15- but I felt like I had already done well, so I didn't get too upset. What is up with some people taking the Rite Aid coupons and some not? Sadly, my sister and I walked around looking for the most clueless looking sales clerk so she wouldn't question every SINGLE coupon I had. Isn't it funny to see what entertains us now?!

A Big Weekend

2009-04-12T21:41:00.002-05:00

We had a big weekend! Brandon's brother, Christopher, came in town on Friday to help us get started moving- and the fun began! They moved the washer and dryer in, re-wired the outlets and light switches throughout the WHOLE house, hung our new window shades and started moving anything they could get their hands on. I stayed at the old place packing whatever I could while my mom kept the kids, but then I got to go out to eat with my family since Brandon was too busy to stop. My parents kept Kate overnight, so we got to get started first thing Saturday morning with no little hands pulling out what you just packed! Brandon's parents and other 2 brothers came in town Saturday with more furniture from storage and got us moved in quickly. We started off organized, but the day ended with a lot of random stuff being thrown into whatever box was closest. You just get tired of packing and just want to get it done. We spent Saturday night at the new house and I loved getting in the bed, turning on the tv for just a minute and passing out with no kids in the room! Blake didn't do too badly, he woke up at 4:30 to eat, and not again until 7:30. I tried to let him cry it out, but I heard Kate wake up from his crying and I decided it was just not worth it to get her stirred up too.
By the way- Kate is in a BIG GIRL BED! In the last week, she has tried to climb out of her crib a few times, so I decided that it may be a good time to make the switch. She slept all night in it last night and climbed right in tonight. Let's hope it continues to go well. She is loving the space here, she basically runs circles around the house giggling and squealing. It is cute, but it might get old pretty soon. I am just ready to get some boxes out of the way so I don't worry about her falling all day long.
The main reason this weekend was big is that we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord! It was so neat to look up and see the 3 crosses at church with a beautiful white cloth hanging on the center cross. He is risen! And that alone is proof that the Word of God is true! We celebrated Easter with both families and had a great time. Kate was spoiled by everyone and we all ate very well. I hope everyone remembered the reason we celebrate Easter and enjoyed it with friends or family!

Work Is Done!

2009-04-09T16:53:00.003-05:00

We finished working on the house and have started moving some stuff in. We are hoping to be fully moved in and sleeping there on Saturday night. We ripped out the old countertops and backsplash and put new ones on, we painted the kitchen, our room, our bathroom, Kate's room, and Blake's room. It has been a busy week, but it is done and looks great (to us)! It actually feels like ours now. I will take some more pictures of all of the house once we get moved in and settled. We picked a great weekend to move with Easter, huh?

A Preview

2009-04-06T19:30:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of our new kitchen... before we got our hands on it! When I said the counters were yellow- I meant YELLOW! Brandon's parents and a family friend/handyman came up to help us work on the new house today. My friend Lee Ann kept both of the kids all day so we could get some work done. The men ripped out the old counters and put in the new ones while Jody and I painted the kids' bedrooms. Things took a little longer than we expected, but it is going to be time well spent! We have one more coat of paint to do in Blake's room and we need to paint 2 or 3 more rooms sometime tomorrow- it should be interesting trying to find a time to do it all. The house is being professionally cleaned on Wednesday and then we start moving in Friday!!!

I could not be more excited about moving in, just for the very reason of Blake having his own room. Last night, Blake did not sleep more than 45 minutes to an hour at a time- I thought I was going to scream. He has a cold and he just cannot breathe, so he had to sleep laying on me while I sat up straight. It is time for his own room. Scratch that- it is past time. I wouldn't let him cry too much since he is sick, but I also wouldn't hear every little grunt and whimper and I may just sleep myself.

Anyway, I will post some new pictures when we are done with the work on the house.

$2.50 Goes A Long Way!

2009-03-31T19:20:00.002-05:00

I didn't think I would be a fan of making my own baby food- but it is cheap and easy! I started with sweet potatoes and just cubed them and put them in a Ziploc zip n steam bag until they were soft. Then I pureed them in my food processor with a little water and put them in ice cube trays to freeze. Two sweet potatoes cost $2.50 and it gave us 48 servings for Blake! Talk about a good deal! I tried green beans and they just would not get smooth enough, so I will just have to buy some of those. I made carrots tonight and they turned out great! Just thought I would share my latest venture with you.

By the way, we found a house and we are moving in NEXT WEEK! Hallelujah! I will post some pictures of our "renovation" work. The countertops are sunshine yellow at the moment, but we are going to start replacing them later this week. Updates soon!

Kids' Baptisms

2009-03-26T18:46:00.017-05:00

The kids both got baptized this past Sunday at church and it went very well. Since we were having them both baptized, I was worried that things may get a little crazy, but we were pleasantly surprised. This picture is funny because Kate kept grabbing the microphone while Brandon was reading their blessings.

Kate in her pretty dress.

Blake in his pretty gown that my mom made. Brandon was not crazy about the idea of a gown, but he looked precious!

Uncle D and his favorite neice and nephews. Kate was really excited about the pictures.

Kate getting "sprinkled"

and Blake getting "sprinkled."
We had lunch at my parents' house and it was so fun to have all of our families together.

We Are Here To Stay (For a Few Years)

2009-03-19T21:43:00.002-05:00

Today was Match Day for residency and we are staying in Birmingham for 3 more years! This is exactly what we wanted, but there is always a chance you won't get what you want, so we are so thankful. Now we just have to find somewhere to live that fits us. I know the first picture is random, but it made me laugh because it looks like Kate bounced Blake out of the bouncy seat onto the floor, but she was just pretending to bounce someone and he was flipping around the floor at the same time. Once I put the pictures on the computer, I saw it and freaked out for a minute thinking she had thrown him out of the seat. The second picture is Brandon reading out his Match letter. Kate got to go on stage with him, but Blake was sound asleep and couldn't go on stage. It was a great day for us, we are so thankful that God was in control of all of this and made a way for us to stay here!

Walking Weather and 4 Month Stats

2009-03-05T20:28:00.003-06:00

This face is exactly why it is great to get out of the house! When we are locked up inside in the cold, tempers flair and kids get whiny. We have really enjoyed the pretty weather and getting out for walks.

Kate and Blake sharing the big chair. Blake is sitting up well in the Bumbo and the chair and he LOVES the exer-saucer and jumperoo.

We have gone for several walks in this beautiful weather. I wear Blake in this carrier (yes, the writing on it is pink) and he loves it. He just likes feeling like a big kid and seeing the world. Sidenote- I got my hair cut/chopped, and this is a little glimpse of it.

This is how Brandon carries Kate. Our friend Matt gave us this kid backpack and Kate is obsessed with it. The past few days, she has walked around saying "hike" and grabbing shoes and heading towards the door. At least she is holding us accountable to get out and exercise.

We went to Blake's 4 month appointmen yesterday and he is growing perfectly. He weighs 14.5 lbs and is over 25 inches long. His reflux is a lot better and he seems to be feeling better- thank you Prilosec! He is getting better and better at night. I am convinced that the earlier he goes to bed, the better the night's sleep we have. He lasted 8 hours straight last night! I just hope we can keep this up. We are praying that we find somewhere bigger to live SOON after match day so he can get his own room and we can have a little more space. Match day is 2 weeks from today!

Snowy Sunday

2009-03-02T10:06:00.002-06:00

I woke up to feed Blake at 4:30 Sunday morning and noticed that all the weather channels were saying we were under Winter Storm Advisory- so I woke Brandon up to tell him. :) He got up to look out the window and told me there was snow all over the ground, but I didn't look until later in the morning. It was so nice when we got up around 8 to open the blinds and the white outside made the windows so bright. I do think it is funny that 2 inches of snow constitutes a Winter Storm Advisory. This is what our yard looked like when we got up.

Blake got a new exer-saucer from Papa G and JoJo, so he played in that while we all got geared up to go outside. He loves being in the saucer or jumperoo- he just bounces up and down and coos. He is much happier with some sleep on board.

I thought this picture was pretty because you can see the snowflakes in her hair. She had so much fun playing in the snow that she cried when we took her inside. She doesn't have any snow clothes or shoes, so I couldn't let her play for too long.

Everyone needs a kiss in the snow! Kate loves kissing Blake, so she came up to us and said, "I kiss." Blake didn't really know what to think about the snow, but he was a champ to let me carry him around for a little bit while it was snowing to let his sister play.

This is what it looked like when we took her inside. She was so sad that we couldn't play all day. She immediately went inside and stomped her feet like a Grade A Brat, but she had to have a little time out to clear her attitude up. We enjoyed staying in all day and playing, sewing, watching movies, baking cookies, etc. It is great to have a snow day and still have power! Just wanted to show you some pictures!

Boot Camp Success

2009-02-27T10:37:00.002-06:00

No, I have not lost 20 pounds (though I should) at weight loss boot camp... but Blake is making progress at sleep boot camp! This week, Brandon and I have been sleeping on our sectional sofa in the den while Blake slept in our room with the door shut so he could cry it out. It is amazing what a shut door and some earplugs can do! Please don't think I am a horrible mom for letting him cry- I was being a much worse mom when I was moody and exhausted.
The first night, he cried off and on all night long. I finally fed him at 4 because he is so used to eating every 3 to 4 hours, and I didn't want him to go too far. Most of the night, he would put himself back to sleep eventually, so I knew he wasn't hungry. He just wanted to be held!
The second night he cried once around 12:45, but I told myself I would go get him if he was still crying at 1. He stopped crying at 12:56! I fed him again around 4, then he slept til 8:30 the next morning.
The third night, he went to bed at 8 and did not wake up until 4:15.
Last night, we put him to bed a little later than usual, but he went down at 10 and slept until 5:15 this morning and then went back down until 8:30!
It is awful to hear them cry, but it works! Poor Blake is even a little hoarse. It physically hurts to hear them cry, but it is so rewarding to have them on a good sleep schedule that makes everyone happier. They just have to learn to soothe themselves back to sleep. Now we just have to figure out what to do about getting back into our bed. I think we can put him down early and then creep into bed later or we may put his cradle in the den. I just am praying that he can keep this new habit up... it makes such a difference in all of our days! I love that he is so much happier after he sleeps well too. I think it is amazing that the earlier babies go to bed, the better they sleep. Anyway, I just wanted to update you on his progress and let you know that I may just keep my sanity afterall.

Important Dates

2009-02-23T17:59:00.002-06:00

This post is mostly for family to keep up with our busy lives (since we don't always have time to call). This is going to be a busy season for our family! Coming up in the Slagley house:
March 9th- Brandon's birthday :)
March 19th- Match Day (where Brandon opens an envelope telling where we will be going for residency after a computer match-up process) This is a pretty big event that lots of family usually attends
March 22nd- Kate and Blake are both getting baptized at Briarwood at the 10:55 service
May 17th- Brandon's graduation!!!! 1 PM at the BJCC (civic center)
May 31st-June 13th- Brandon is going to the Dominican Republic on a medical mission trip. The kids and I are hoping to go to the beach while he is gone- life is always a little easier at the beach, isn't it?

We wanted to say a special hello to Grandpa Slagley- we hope you feel better, we are so glad you are home from the hospital! We hope you can get your strength up so you can enjoy some of these special events with us! (Those are soon to be Dr. Slagley's orders!)

New Blog is Up and Running...

2009-02-22T19:15:00.003-06:00

I started working on it a few weeks ago and I got a little side-tracked (imagine that), but I got some time to finish a few posts and get my sewing blog up and running!
Check it out at www.slagsrags.blogspot.com .