Pittenger Beginnings

Cayce's Baby Shower

2011-08-28T21:21:00.001-05:00

I hosted Cayce's shower today and I was so happy with how it turned out!

Cayce and Cody are so blessed by our amazing church family and I'm so blessed to know them. I have been friends with Cayce for 14 years and I can't wait to see her as a mom!

Here are some pics! Cake courtesy of the one and only, Randall Roseberry!

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Encouraging Letter

2011-08-25T14:53:00.002-05:00

I stole this from Cherry's blog and had to post it. I had tears well up in my eyes as I read this letter and realized just how bad I am failing at living in the moment and just relaxing. My kids will grow up to be who they are going to be whether or not as 2 year olds they whine at me instead of asking me nicely!

"All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I
take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two
taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books
I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their
opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I
choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to
keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the
bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by
themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber
ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible
except through the unreliable haze of the past.

Everything in all the books I once pored over is finished for me now.
Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry
and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, have all grown
obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are
battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages
dust would rise like memories.

What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground
taught me, and the well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that
they couldn't really teach me very much at all.

Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes
multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless
essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive
reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout.
One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.

When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his
belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last
arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden
infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is
terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself.
Eventually the research will follow.

I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books
on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of
infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil
for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat
little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he
developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he
went to China . Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can
walk, too.

Every part of raising children is humbling, too.

Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the,
"Remember-When- Mom-Did" Hall of Fame. The outbursts, the temper tantrums,
the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The
times I arrived late for preschool pickup. The nightmare sleepover. The
horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the
classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you
get wrong?". (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the
McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up
from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to
watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?

But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing
this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now
that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture
of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the
swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what
we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked
when they slept that night.

I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner,
bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the
getting it done a little less.

Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what
was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they
would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they
simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways
that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was
often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how
it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the
world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity.
That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn
from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts
were."

-Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author

Dear Lord, please grant me the patience to be the mom I long to be. The mom that my kids will look back on and think she really relished her time with us and not the mom that was constantly yelling or nitpicking. Please help me learn how to make sure they know that I cherish them with EVERY fiber of by being and, though I complain sometimes, could not imagine life any other way. Speaking of complaining Lord, please help me to become a more positive mother and wife and not focus so much on how hard life can be. Thank you for my amazing life with my amazing family! Thank you for letting me be Kinley and Ansley's mommy. Amen

Is this normal?

2011-07-03T15:29:00.002-05:00

The past few days or maybe even week I have had this overwhelming feeling of pride and love for my two girls. I have always felt this way but man the past week it's just been 100 times more intense. I often get a little embarrassed with how often I think of them and how incredibly perfect they are. I find myself wanting to repeat everything they say to anyone who will listen just so they can see how amazing they are as well.

Being a parent is simple one of the craziest jobs there is. It is so magical and yet so frustrating at times. I just can't even put into words how I feel about them and no one can possible understand until they have their own. They are almost 2 years 4 months and I love this age. With every stage things just get a little easier and are a little more fun.

I have thought for a long time that Jason and I wouldn't have anymore kids and Jason still thinks that! However, when I look at them I think why wouldn't we do this again?! We brought two of the most beautiful, innocent human beings into this world! We at least need to try for a handsome boy!! But now is definitely not the time!!

Dear God, thank you for giving me and Jason the chance to be a mom and dad. Please help us to do the best job possible to raise 2 Christian women with a love for you that cannot be matched. Be with us and guide us in every decision we make. I am the luckiest mom ever and cannot wait to see where you lead our family. Amen!

It's Potty Time!

2011-06-19T15:04:00.001-05:00

So potty training is in full force with Ansley. Overall she is really doing pretty well! We have had 1-2 accidents a day and they are mainly when something exciting is happening! I've just got to remember to make her go!

We are having trouble with pooping though! She typically goes once a day but hasn't made it on the potty in the last 3. How can I fix this?!

Kinley isn't ready quite yet bit that's fine with me!! Now to leave you with a picture...

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The joys of contract work!

2011-06-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

So today I worked from home this morning and then grabbed lunch took it to Cayce's and have been working by the pool! Life is good!

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Blessed

2011-06-12T18:57:00.001-05:00

I am having an overwhelming feeling of just being blessed! I am so thankful for my life. I am blessed with a great husband, beautiful girls, an amazing family, awesome friends, and I great church!

After having a girls weekend with my friends from our old church in Abilene I am flooded with memories of our time in Abilene. Hillcrest was the best thing that happened to out family of 4 and I hope to never forget that.

Thank you God for placing us in the right congregation just when we needed it in order to not completely fall apart

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Girls' nights!

2011-05-19T23:50:00.001-05:00

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing woman that I can talk candidly with. I have the best friends anyone could ask for and I love that the circle is just growing bigger. I always say that I don't know how people do it without God. Well I also don't know how great of a wife, mom, employee (or any other role I might play in my lifetime) I would be without my girlfriends.

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It's the little things

2011-05-08T14:53:00.001-05:00

My girls are such a wonderful blessing! Mother's Day is mostly like any other day and sometimes it's hard not to let that get you down. All it took for me was hearing my babies say the words "Happy Mother's Day Mommy". Just watch for yourself!

YouTube Video

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Working hard or hardly working

2011-05-04T16:11:00.001-05:00

I met Celice at the public library to work so we could save gas but hopefully work harder than we do at home. Do you think it worked?

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A lot has happened....

2011-05-01T19:48:00.002-05:00

So it has been quite sometime since I blogged and a lot has happened since then! I want to try this blog thing again but we will see! Since the last post we have moved from Abilene to North Richland Hills! I am loving all the changes that have occurred over the past several months! I am now a Title Agent for an oil & gas company. It is the perfect job for me b/c of it's amazing flexibility. I only go into the office 3 days a week (if that) and I am at home with my girls the other two days.

The 3 days I'm at work the girls go to my Aunt Debbie's In-home daycare! It is mostly family members and they absolutely love it. The girls are so incredibly smart and I credit a lot of that to Debbie. I love having a place that I know the girls are loved and well taken care of! I loved playing at her house when I was little and it is so special to me that they are so close to her too.

Jason is now a Project Engineer for a road & bridge construction company and he is really enjoying his new job. His favorite part and being able to wear jeans every day and getting to hop in his company truck to check out the site when he gets bored at his desk. I am so thankful that Jason find a job that he is so great at and enjoys so much.

When we first moved to North Richland Hills we lived with my parents for 7 months. It was so much fun watching the girls with their grandparents every day. By the end of it they were entirely too spoiled from having 4 adults cater to their every need. In December we bought our very first house! We decided to do some remodeling so we didn't move in until February. We still have a LONG ways to go in terms of remodeling, furnishing, and decorating our house but there is a good chance this is the house the kids will grow up in so we have a while!

The girls turned TWO on March 12th and I really cannot believe it! I don't know how they are growing up so fast! They have more than caught up in every aspect. You would never guess they were my little 3 lb 32 weekers! Every day I look at them and I am completely amazed by the little people that they are and cannot believe they are really mine. They are still completely opposite of each other in pretty much every way!! Ansley talks non-stop and loves to sing. Kinley often just repeats Ansley because she loves her so much! She still has the most tender heart and loves being a helper at Debbie's house! Well that's all for now! Hopefully I will write again soon!

For the record...

2010-06-28T09:52:00.001-05:00

Ansley took her first real steps on June 16th and has been walking ever since!!! She still crawls more than walks but she is getting there.

Kinley took her first real steps last night, June 27th!!! She is already taking several steps and I know she will be a full on walker in no time.

A post (or 2) dedicated to Kinley showing off!

2010-03-27T17:53:00.003-05:00

This video is for my dad! Kinley has just started saying "Papa"

The other video

2010-03-27T17:37:00.003-05:00

It was easier to post in 2 posts!

This video is of Kinley giving "kisses"! Quite possibly one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

Blogging Failure!

2010-03-21T20:47:00.002-05:00

That's me! But oh well... I made it through the first year of having twins!!! Honestly, when they were about 4 months old I thought I would never make it! The girls are getting so big and I can't believe everything that they are doing. I will make a quick list for each and promise more posts to come with pics and their AMAZING 1st birthday party (if I say so myself)!

Kinley

- 19 lbs 3 oz

- 28 inches

- Size 3 diapers

- Pretty much 9 month clothing but we put them in 12 months

- CRAWLS! This is awesome. Kinley wasn't even rolling at 11 months. We put her in physical therapy (PT) and on March 3rd she did it! I have never been more excited for a milestone. She had been working so hard and she just started. She never did belly crawling just all 4's!

- Pulls up to kneeling

- Waves hi & bye

- Signs more

- Has said "Thank You"

- Says "Dada" "baba" and a ton of other random consonants except no "mama"

- Extremely picky eater

- So cuddly

Ansley

- 20 lbs

- 28 1/4 inches

- Size 3 diapers

- Pretty much 9 month clothing but we put them in 12 months

- Crawls

- Pulls to standing

- Waves hi & bye

- Signs more

- Says "mama", "dada", "baba", "nana", and lots of other random sounds

- LOVES to eat! She just shovels food into her mouth. We are always afraid she is going to choke

- Is quite the explorer and is VERY busy

Kinley & Ansley,

Mommy & Daddy were so surprised to find out there were expecting a baby on September 2, 2008 and we were STUNNED to find out on the 22nd that we were going to have TWO babies!! Now here we are in March 2010 and we have two beautiful, healthy 1 year olds!! I cannot believe how fast it went. You both are full of so much personality yet you are so different. It is amazing to see just how unique you both are. I am truly blessed by being your mother and I know your dad feels the same way. My prayer for the two of you is that you grow up in a healthy, happy Christian environment. I pray that we don't teach you that happiness is the most important thing in life because sometimes to get to the greatest points in life there will be periods of unhappiness. But instead you learn from us how to gracefully deal with those periods of life and when you come out on the other end you feel blessed for having that experience. I pray that you are strong examples of how to be a Christian even when it is the hard thing to do. I want people to look at you and wonder what you have that sets you apart from the world and for you to have the strength to teach them that it is Jesus Christ. I hope that you learn to laugh at yourself and have fun in life. I pray that you both find a strong, Christian leader and you continue to learn and grow with him through all the fun and hard times life will bring you as a married couple. There is so much more that I continually pray for you beautiful girls. I love you so much and you always make me proud.

Love,

Momma

10 months and counting...

2010-02-01T09:43:00.003-06:00

Well, they will actually be 11 months in 11 days! That is so crazy but I figure I should blog about their 10 month. They are changing so rapidly. It is incredible to watch them grow and learn new things. Ansley has learned to get to a sitting position from laying down. Let's just say this has not been a fun new trick at night. She wakes up often now and when we go in she is just sitting in the middle of her crib. Kinley likes to sleep with her face pushed in the corner of her crib. I need to get a picture of this!! It is not very settling for mommy and daddy. Ansley says Mama!!! She started saying it on a regular basis on the 27th. Let's just say I love hearing it and can't wait for Kinley to start! Kinley has finally started getting her 1st tooth!! It broke through on the 27th. That was a big day in the Pittenger house! We are eating table food 3 times a day! Ansley will eat anything you put in front of her but Kinley seems to be a little too much like her mommy in this area. She is extremely picky and when she decides she doesn't like something, she will purse her lips and turn her head. We are having to really push veggies with her! I know there are so many things I am mising but that's it for now. I will leave you with some pictures of my beautiful baby girls!

Their 10 month pic

Ansley sporting her new shades

Kinley putting the style in stylin'

Kinley watching the dogs play after dinner

Ansley is getting close to crawling on all 4's

(but for now her army crawl suits her just fine!)

Holy separation anxiety...

2010-01-05T14:46:00.002-06:00

Ansley is experiencing this in a BIG way. She gets her self so worked up she can't breath which then upsets Kinley. She even does this when I am in her sight but not next to her. Any tips on how to deal with this? I don't want her to need to be with me. I even tried putting her back towards the door and distracting her with toys but NOPE she needs me to be RIGHT next to her.

Cabin Fever

2009-12-22T13:25:00.002-06:00

Ok! We need some ideas. Everyone brainstorm... what do you do with two 9 month olds in the dead of winter? It can be things at the house or we can go places (I just don't know where to go!). I don't know if the girls are but I'm definitely getting cabin fever.

On your mark, get set, BRAINSTORM!

Wow,

2009-12-18T23:37:00.000-06:00

9 months already! It’s hard to believe that their 1^st year is almost over. I can definitely say that life is much more enjoyable these days. Their 9 month stats were awesome! Kinley weighs 17 lbs 3 oz and Ansley is 17 lbs 11 oz. They are both 27 inches long. We have a pretty set schedule and their personalities are shining through more and more. I want to remember what a day in our lives looks like right now so here it goes.

7:00 Wake-up & Bottle

8:00 Solids

9:00ish Nap

12:00ish Solids & Bottle

12:30 Play time (usually when I go run errands)

2:00 Nap

4:30 Solids

5:30 Daddy comes home and we play with him!

6:30 Bath

7:00 Bottle and then bedtime!

Kinley is still our super content baby. She still chooses not to roll! She is happy however we put her and stays there until we move her again. She was the first to “talk” (on Dec. 4^th) and spends her day saying “dada”. She has begun to “talk” as soon as you lay her down for bed. She will be dead asleep in my arms but the second I lay her down she is wide awake and ready for a good heart to heart! Kinley is very ticklish. You just have to touch her belly and she can’t take it. She still doesn’t have any teeth but I think they are coming soon. She has such a great personality and whenever she smiles her eyes just light up in such a way that melts your heart. She has such a sweet spirit and I hope that continues to grow as she develops and matures.

Ansley is our little firecracker. She is most definitely a child of extremes. She is using rolling as a form of transportation these days. She has started “talking” as well (Dec. 14^th) and much to my dismay she is constantly babbling “baba”. However, we don’t think it will be long until there is a “mama”. She is trying so hard but can’t seem to figure it out. Ansley has taken quite the turn and gone from an extreme daddy’s girl to most definitely a mama’s girl. I’m not sure what changed but she doesn’t like for me to even walk out of a room. Ansley got her 1^st two teeth on Nov. 1^st and it looks like her top teeth might be coming in soon. Her personality is so charismatic and her laugh is contagious. I hope that Ansley’s strong personality is used for the betterment of herself and her peers.

Yay Kinley!!

2009-12-05T10:38:00.003-06:00

Kinley has achieved something first! As many of you know, I have been bothered that Ansley does everything first. Kinley is usually soon after (except for with rolling!) but I worry for Kinley's self-esteem! Ok, I'm just kidding but I was really excited that Kinley was the first to start "talking". Take a look at this sweet video of Miss Kinley saying dada!

Family

2009-11-11T09:28:00.006-06:00

I haven't posted in a while but my family is on my heart today. I feel like I have been so blessed with the family that I have. I also feel like my family has blessed many by showing others how to stay strong and united through the many struggles we have faced. My parents are a true testament to marriage. They got married 1 week after my mom turned 16 and my dad was 19. Needless to say, they went through a lot of ups & downs! We didn't always have a ton of money but I can assure you I never missed out on things that I needed and I don't remember missing out on the things I want. As we grew up there were a lot of fights, fits, and spankings!! 4 kids only spanning 6 years definitely had to be quite the feat! And while we might not have always been the best of friends I can say without a doubt we are now!

We struggled through helping Tim get passed his personal struggles, defended and loved me through my teenage years, watched and pushed Randall to make the best decision he has made-marrying Celice (There was no way we were letting him lose her!), did the best we could to be there for Jen's family while they dealt with the worst thing anyone could ever imagine, and they were there for Jason and I while we worried and struggled through the last couple months of my pregnancy and the first month of the girls' lives. While we have been hit with a lot of MAJOR obstacles in our lives we have always pushed through them and have ended up even stronger than before.

We have ALL married extremely well and I feel like my in-laws are just 3 more siblings that I get to grow with. Josh, Celice, Melaina, & Jason I hope you all feel blessed to be a part of this strong, Christian family because I know we feel blessed to have you in it!

Thank you Lord for giving me the strongest support system I will ever know. Continue to protect & guide us through this life. YOU are the reason we have become what we are. AMEN.

** This is a video of one of the Sundays that my family came to me in the hospital so that I could still participate in church. It was so great to be able to worship even when confined in a room.

Want to see some GREAT photography?

2009-10-28T09:12:00.002-05:00

Check out A Moment in Time Photography. Jennifer does amazing work and will make sure you get some great shots. She did a shoot of our girls at about 6 months old. They still can't sit up and they can get quite fussy but Jennifer was patient and stayed with us to make sure she got some keepers!! She is doing an awesome giveaway right now. Hurry over and join in the fun!

Some fun videos

2009-10-15T16:26:00.003-05:00

Here are some videos of my sweet girls!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

**Sorry you have to listen to me in the background!!

Wish List Wednesday

2009-10-14T16:04:00.004-05:00

Well I have seen a few people do this and decided to join in this week!

I really want Combi Corrocos in these colors:

Sadly they are $200 each! Maybe this can be their Christmas... They won't remember right?!

We are looking at VERY used suburbans but I wish I could have this!

What would you like to have?!?! Make your wish list and then comment on my blog so I can see it!

Cute boots!

2009-10-13T15:43:00.003-05:00

My girls have worn their first pair of shoes! They were so cute... if I do say so myself. Well... just take a look.

My new blog layout!!

2009-10-09T09:21:00.004-05:00

Thanks so much to Kelly Mann for my new page!! I am hoping that since I have a new cute page that I will become a much better blogger. She did such a great job and was so great to work with. I cannot wait for her to meet the girls that she has gotten to see some pictures of!

The girls are getting so big! We are still working on a ton of things. My most recent goal is getting them to sit unassisted. They kind of can but not completely (Like I wouldn't just walk away). I have a video of Ansley laughing that I need to upload but I'm trying to wait until I get a good video of Kinley. She is just so content most of the time that she just watches Ansley being crazy! Oh well, she will have her time to shine soon!

Let me leave you with some pics. These were taken by Kyle Newton. He did such a great job!

Horrible Bloggers!!

2009-10-05T16:23:00.003-05:00

I just have to say I am an awful blogger. I truly didn't think anyone could be worse than me. Well... all my friends and family with blogs are awful!! I love to hear stories about my nieces and nephews or all my friends children but NOTHING. Come on ladies!! Get back to the blogging world. That is all!!

1/2 a year down!!

2009-09-24T12:04:00.003-05:00

They girls are 6 months old. I cannot believe it. They are changing so quickly. At first everything was so slow! I thought they would never grow out of being newborns and then all of the sudden... CHANGES!! It is so fun to watch their little personalities develop. They love each other so much. We have been doing solids for a while now and are eating 2 "meals" a day. They have tried almost every veggie & fruit. They don't really show a preference yet. Before you know it I will have 2 ONE year olds. Weird!!

Ansley: 14 lbs 2 oz 24 1/2 in

- Size 2 diapers

- Still just rolling from back to front

- Close to sitting

- Loves the jumperoo

- Loves the activity mat

- Tries to scoot

- Found her voice

- Sleeping through the night UNSWADDLED!!!

Kinley: 13 lbs 2 oz 24 in.

- Size 2 diapers

- SOOO close to rolling

- Close to sitting

- Loves the jumperoo

- Loves the activity mat

- Found her voice

- Sleeping through the night UNSWADDLED!!!

- Snuggly

Ansley's first laugh

2009-09-01T16:31:00.003-05:00

The best laugh is towards the end. To her credit she sounds a little like an old man b/c I was pushing on her full belly! Haha

Saying goodbye to nursing...

2009-08-12T22:48:00.001-05:00

I decided to go to the Dr. today for a weight check on the girls. I'm constantly worried about Kinley and all of the sudden the last couple of weeks both girls have been absolutely awful (day and night). They have been waking up at 3 and are up off and on until 6. So I have been up from 3 until they take a nap at 7ish.

Well... sure enough they haven't gained enough weight. A month ago Kinley was 8 lbs 13 oz. Today 9 lbs 8 oz. Ansley was 9 lbs 11 oz. Today 10 lbs 10 oz. They want me to start nursing them every 2 hours and then supplementing. SERIOUSLY?!?! I already didn't do anything but nurse. Needless to say I had a total meltdown in front of 3 nurses. I let them know I was just tired b/c they aren't sleeping!

It's been 5 long months of EBF and just when I thought we finally had it figured out this happens. I just can't take it anymore. It hurts so bad to be investing all your time and energy into something that is so important to you just to be told it isn't working. I am sad to make this decision and I feel defeated but as of today at 3 we have switched to bottles. Here's to hoping all of our lives will be much more pleasant.

One for the books

2009-08-08T19:42:00.000-05:00

I had the best mommy of twins moment last night! The girls have just started really looking at each other the past couple of weeks. Well, last night they were looking at each other and Ansley couldn't stop smiling and cooing at Kinley! It was so amazing!

So Ansley first smiled at Kinley on August 7th!

So annoyed!

2009-07-28T15:43:00.001-05:00

I get home from being out of town for 1 1/2 weeks to a leak in our house. THe bathroom is flooded and the girls' carpet is soaking. We call the landlord who precedes to tell us that it is probably a leak in the supply line b/c someone had driven a screw through the pipe. So instead of fixing it when it happened he waited for a problem to arise. So frustrating. Well, when the plumber comes out it ends up being worse than we thought. There is water under the kitchen and bathroom floors. Like when you step on it water comes through. The landlord calls the insurance company and apparently doesn't have coverage for pipe leaks. So he sends his wife's uncle over and he tells me that he is just going to redo the grout b/c that's why the water is coming through. Ummm... NO. Regardless of the grout water shouldn't be under the tile. So here we go again where they are just trying to mask the problem instead of fixing it. I just want to move! Preferably to Fort Worth but I guess I'll have to settle for somewhere else in Abilene for now...

4 months and growing… SLOWLY!

2009-07-14T10:26:00.001-05:00

I’m a few weeks behind but the girls are 4 months old! We had their check-up and shots a couple weeks back and the Dr. says they are happy & healthy! He even gave us the go ahead to try rice cereal. The girls aren’t quite ready for that but we will keep working at it. Let’s talk about Kinley!

Kinley is 8 lbs 13 oz and 23 ½ inches long. She seems like she will be our child of extremes! She can be so, so happy but she is also a lot harder to get calmed down once she is upset. Her cry is so sweet. Sometimes we just let her cry a little longer b/c it is so pathetic. Something else we want to make sure Kinley NEVER forgets… she is SO gassy. People often comment on how her toots and burps sounds very manlike! I know she will love me forever for putting this in print.

Things about Kinley

· Wears newborn clothes

· Not sleeping through the night

· Loves the activity mat

· Great bottle-feeder, not as great breast-feeder

· Coos a little

Now Ansley! Ansley is 9 lbs 11 oz and 24 inches long. She is MOSTLY laid back. She definitely has her moments but typically is pretty easy. Her cry is not quite as sweet. It’s definitely an attention getter! Whenever you here that cry, people have quickly figured out to take her outside. She absolutely loves being outside. We have played in the pool several times this summer and she just likes relaxing in the sun. Ansley has become very interested in her hands. When she can’t get to her paci she is sucking hard on her hands. She is also still spitting up like crazy. Mommy and every other person who holds her are definitely ready for that stage to be over!

Things about Ansley

· Wears newborn clothes

· Not sleeping through the night

· Loves the swing

· Great breast-feeder, not as great bottle-feeder

· Coos a lot. Starting to be our little talker

· She loves TV

They have now begun to notice each other and that is so fun. I’m not sure what they think about the other yet but I can see the friendship growing every day. It is one of the most amazing things when they are nursing together and they just stare at each other. I love that they will always have one another and I hope they never take it for granted. Believe it or not people still get them confused. I don’t know how you can mix them up. Maybe in pictures but in person it still shocks me when people get it wrong. Aunt Jen really has some work to do! LOL. All the girls’ cousins absolutely love them. Audrey and Reagan love getting kisses from Kinley or Kinsley if you are asking Audrey! They are also beginning to “talk” to us. I can’t explain how proud I am of them. Just listening to their sweet coos has become the highlight of Jason’s days & mine.

Videos... finally!

2009-06-28T20:39:00.005-05:00

These are old but I just figured this whole thing out!

This is Ansley

And now Kinley

3 months & our first sickness

2009-06-18T16:17:00.005-05:00

Kinley - March 12, 2009

Kinley @ 3 months

Ansley - March 12, 2009

Ansley @ 3 months

Well we have made it to 3 months and what a difference from the day they were born!! I am the mother of two 3 month old babies... CRAZY!! At 3 months (actually a little before) Kinley weighed 8 lbs and Ansley was 8 lbs 10 ounces. I'm about to have a 10 lb baby. It felt like that would never happen. They are very hard work but SO sweet. This week they got their first cold right along with me. Luckily, LaGay had already planned to be here this week. Talk about good timing. She was so much help. I will say that I will be thankful when I can stop putting saline drops and suctioning their nose. Man, do they hate that.

I am contemplating starting a weekly post called "Fast forward to Friday". I'm hoping it will make me post more and I will be able to journal about our weeks which will help me remember all the sweet things the girls will start doing. Let me know what you think.

Guilt & decisions...

2009-06-04T09:34:00.002-05:00

that come with being a mom. So I have been trying so hard to breast-feed the girls. I want so bad for this to work. My whole life I

have had these expectations of pregnancy and raising my kids. Well, as most of you know my idea of having a completely natural

labor went out the window very early. Now I feel like breast-feeding is going to be taken away too. I have finally got to the point

that I can tandem (at the same time) feed the girls and everything has seemed like it was going pretty good. Ansley does really well

but I am still having a lot of pain from Kinley's latch. I also was feeling like their weight gain had slowed down. I decided to make

my 2nd appointment with the lactation consultant to see if my intuition was right. Sure enough it was! On May 15th Kinley weighed

6 lbs 11 ounces and Ansley 7 lbs 6 ounces. The VERY minimum they should have gained from then was 9 ounces. Well Kinley was

only 7 lbs 1 ounces (she gained 6 ounces) and Ansley was 7 lbs 15 ounces (so she gained 9 ounces). They were gain more than an

ounce a day. I knew it would slow down because I stopped giving them formula but this was unexpected. The girls have also been

crying A LOT! I have been going crazy thinking that they were just hard babies. Well... come to find out I'm starving them! I feel

awful. Of course they cry all the time. They are always hungry. Needless to say, I left the Lactation consultant and cried the rest

of the day. I have never felt so much guilt.

Now for the decisions. The LC is having me put the girls to the breast every time they cry and wants me to try and feed them

one at a time in hopes that me giving more attention will help them eat better (Oh because we weighed them before and after

they ate and they only got 1 ounce and 2 ounces). Then I go back tomorrow to do a weight check and again on Tuesday. I want

this to work but if I'm feeding 2 babies every time they cry I might as well set up shop on the couch and get ready to listen to

crying all day because all I will be doing is breast-feeding. The whole reason I started feeding them together was because it

takes a whole lot less time and I was sick of having the baby that wasn't eating screaming at me the whole time her sister ate.

So, what do I do? Keep trying and be stressed, completely switch to formula and be stressed, or let one baby breast-feed and

bottle feed the other and then switch the next time. The last option sounds good but I think it will put them on completely

different schedules because formula holds them over so much longer. *Sigh*

Ok vent over. I keep trying to post videos of the girls but it won't work! I have a Macbook and the videos are uploaded to IMovie.

Any advice on getting it to work. Thanks!

Wow!

2009-05-21T22:35:00.003-05:00

That's the only word I can think of to describe just how dramatically changed my life is. I'm going to backtrack for a second but it will make since. When I was a freshman at Oklahoma Christian, I babysat my 2 months old nephew, Ty. He was such a hard baby and that is a complete and total understatement. He was so hard that when I left Oklahoma I told Jen that she needed to quit because she could not leave Ty with anyone that wasn't family because I was afraid that would get too frustrated and potentially hurt him... pretty bad huh?!?! Well, when I was pregnant I constantly worried about having TWO "Ty's". I remembered how hard it was with him and was so nervous I would have two... at the same time. I'm saying all this to say, I think I have two "Ty's". They have been so hard the last week or two. I hate to complain because I have two beautiful, healthy baby girls. They are so amazing and I love just staring at them. But goodness, I'm not completely sure God chose the right girl for this job! LOL. Well, that is enough of that.

On a brighter note, my girls are 10 weeks old! I cannot believe it. We have been away from the hospital for 6 weeks now. Time really does fly. At their 2 month check-up, Ansley was 7 lbs 5 ounces and 20 inches long. Kinley was 6 lbs 11 ounces and 19 inches long. It's hard to believe that just 10 weeks ago they were born at 3 lbs 3 ounces and 3 lbs 5 ounces. Little miss Kinley even got down to 2 lbs 10 ounces. They are growing so fast!! They have grown out of Preemie sleepers but Newborn ones are too big. Most of their Preemie outfits still fit but we are starting to put them in Newborn stuff. It's still a little too big though.

I think I'm going to try and start making bows. That way I can have a little hobby of my own and hopefully save some money while I'm at it. If you have any tips or ideas send them my way and hopefully I will have a post on that soon.

I know I say it every time but I really am going to try and post more... life has been just a little crazy though. I will leave you with 2 month pics!

Ansley Grace

Kinley Kate

My girls!

2009-04-22T22:39:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to say a few things about my girls so that I can look back at this time and remember. Kinley makes the sweetest little noises all the time. It seems as if she is talking to herself. Ansley has become so good at being awake. In the NICU she would act as if it was just so hard to open her eyes. Now she opens them so big and she will stay awake for a while. She also sleeps so well! When she is out, man she is out! Kinley on the other-hand is quite touchy. She wakes up very easy and is very fussy when she wakes up. They both make the funniest faces when they are asleep. You can see every emotion on their faces in just a 10 minute period. I'm afraid we are in over our heads!!

Deliriously happy!

2009-04-20T22:22:00.001-05:00

I love being a mom. I love holding, feeding, loving on, and soothing them. They are why I am so happy. They are also the factors that make me delirious. I still don't have them figured out. I do not know what to expect from day to day or even hour to hour. I am looking forward to learning all their quirks and cannot wait to see their little personalities shine through. That's all for now!

Life at home!

2009-04-16T11:10:00.003-05:00

Ok... I really am going to try and blog at least once a week from now on. Life has just been beyond crazy the last few months and when I did have time to blog, I would have rather done NOTHING! I know I said I would catch everyone up on the girls' NICU time but I'm going to skip that. They were in the NICU one day short of 4 weeks which is so good! They say to expect them to come home on the due date and they came home a month before that!! We have now been home for 1 week and it has been so fun and challenging. It is so nice to have them to ourselves. We get to do things how we want and when we want. Don't get me wrong... I appreciate the nurses and know they were just doing their job but I got a little sick of them telling me when I could hold MY babies! We have already had to go to the Dr. (outside of weight checks) because Ansley was spitting up after every feeding. Ansley hadn't gained any weight since our weight check so they weighed Kinley. She only gained 1 ounce. That really upset me because I want to feel like they are thriving at our home. Instead I felt like we took them from the NICU too soon. We then were sent to the hospital (don't they know we have had enough of that place?) to get an ultrasound on her belly. Everything looked fine and she was put on medicine for reflux. She has been doing so much better. We had to change to bottle feeding every time except twice a day and we have another weight check tomorrow. Hopefully they will have gained at least 3 oz. Also, while we are at the Dr., he will check Kinley's belly. She is the one that had that scare in the NICU because her belly was getting so big and low and behold it is pretty huge again. So, prayers that miss Kinley will be fine. Now I will leave you with their one month pics!!!

Ansley Grace

Kinley Kate

So much to blog about!!

2009-03-19T18:09:00.002-05:00

I am so sorry I stink at blogging! It has been so crazy around here I barely have time to think, much less blog!! So I am going to try and write as much as I can today but it will probably be a few blogs before I catch up!

On Thursday March 12th, I woke up with some extreme back pain. I only really noticed it when I stood up so I didn't think anything of it. Meredith came and picked me up that morning to take me to my Dr.'s appointment. When I got there I started noticing some cramps. They weren't regular so I disregarded those as well. Let's just say it's a good thing I had a Dr.'s appointment. When the Dr. checked me I had dilated to a 2 so he put me on the monitors. I started to have noticeable contractions every 2 minutes. So the Dr. sent me to the hospital to see if the contractions were causing me to dilate even more. Once I got there I was on the monitor for a hour, started having contractions every 45 seconds, and went from a 2 to a 3. They checked me into labor and delivery and waited until I was dilated to a 5 to take me back to the operating room. All of this started at around 11:30 and we had babies at 7:26 and 7:28. Kinley Kate was 3 lbs 5 ounces and 15 3/4 inches. Ansley Grace was 3 lbs 3.5 ounces and 16 3/4 inches. What a GREAT day!!! I will talk about their NICU stay in blogs to come.

World's Worst Blogger!

2009-02-17T12:05:00.002-06:00

So I'm sorry that I'm an awful blogger. You would think with all my time I would blog multiple times a day! I really was going to post last week but I wanted to post a video and I couldn't figure out how to get them from my camera to my computer! Well, I figured it out this morning.

We are now at 29 weeks but 28 weeks was our big milestone. If we make it to 30 that has been my ultimate goal. I know you probably think it should be full term but I'm just trying to realistic. Everyone is stunned that we've made it this far! Our last sonogram has shown that Kinley's water is at risk to break, I'm 100% effaced, and dilated to a 2 or 3. Still no contractions though... who knows! I have been in the hospital for 3o days now. WoW! I really am going completely crazy. I'm so ready to clean up after myself, walk wherever I want, go to dinner with my husband, run my own errands, and so much more. I won't get to go home when I get out of here because the girls will be in the hospital here until at least April sometime. I know my normal isn't going to be the same anymore but I'm so ready for that new normal with my family living at our home and not a hospital. Anyway, I'll try to update more frequently. I would put a video up of our new home before we moved in but it's taking forever for the first video to post. Until next time.

*** Sorry the video won't load. Maybe next time

2009-02-03T22:59:00.002-06:00

So I have been in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks! I am beyond excited/relieved that my girls are still tucked away safely in my tummy but AAAHHH!!! I feel like I'm going crazy. I just need to keep repeating, "I think I can. I think I can." I will be 28 weeks on Sunday and that is such a milestone and when I have 2 beautiful, healthy girls I know I will never think twice about my stay in the hospital.

Throughout this whole thing, the fact that Jason and I have the best friends and family has just been reiterated over and over again. We have had so many visitors. I'm actually going to do my best to name them all so that I will have documentation of it. So far we have had... My mom & dad, his mom & dad, Jamie, Geoff, Jana, Justin, Jen, Josh, Ty, Bryce, Lainey, Tim, Melaina, Randall, Celice, Granny, Granddad, Meredith, Makayla, Mitzi, Margaret, Michael, Kara, 4 0f my co-workers (Elizabeth, Megan, Adam, & Anne), my boss (Michael), Russ, Susan, Chris, Jim, the parents of Marla Myers (from our church in Abilene), Vicki, Mark, Jane, Sarah, Brittney, Kevin, Susan, Kayla, Kristen, Aunt Debbie, Aunt Carla, Aunt Nina, Aunt Beverley, Amanda, Amanda, Stephanie, Mallory, Sharla, Blake, Anna, Keith, Cynthia, Steven, Britini, Faith, Shanda, Jimma, Barbara, Karen, Caleb, Jennie, Reese, & Aubrie. I really hope I have remembered everyone and I'm sorry I put you through that! But it does make me feel better to have it down somewhere. ANYWAY... the point is we are obviously blessed!

I am even more blessed than Jason though. He is the most AMAZING husband. This has definitely been one of the first big, life-changing things that has happened to him and we were totally taken off guard. Imagine hearing the words, "If they are born, they won't survive." or "There is a high-risk of brain hemorrhaging that could cause cerebral palsy or life-long seizure disorders." We have never been so scared and there is no one other than Jason that I could do this with. He has been so incredibly supportive and strong. I can just look at him and feel just a little bit better every time! As most of you know, we had moved into a new house the day before I was admitted and he has spent all of his free time in Abilene getting it together. He has even decorated a lot of it for me and tonight he spent his time painting our girls' room and putting up trim. He is soooo great!! He is spending Sunday-Wednesday in Abilene going into work early and leaving late and then travels to Fort Worth to stay on an uncomfortable couch next to me in the hospital. I am so grateful that God gave him to me and I love him more than I could ever imagine.

We are both just ready for this all to be over and for our lives to go back to normal. Even though, our normal will never be the same. We are just ready to live in the same house with our beautiful girls. Please continue all of your prayers and know that we are so thankful for that and you. Hopefully, I'll post sooner next time! Until then, I'll just be laying in bed at the hopsital!

Just a bad week

2009-01-23T08:39:00.003-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated this. I know people have been checking but I just didn't want to update until I felt more confident in the information I had.

We had a Dr.'s appointment on Thursday with Dr. Maberry. Everything looked great with mom and babies. Then on Monday (4 days later) we had an appointment with Dr. Mascorro and my cervix had almost completely thinned out (it's less than 1 cm). She admitted me to Hendrick right away for observation. On Tuesday, I had no changes. Dr. Mascorro had been in contact with the Dr.'s at Harris Methodist in Fort Worth and they decided to give me a fetal fiber nectin test on Wednesday. This is a fairly inconclusive test but the Dr.'s decided if it came back positive then I would be transported to Harris Methodist to await the arrival of the babies. It was positive. I am now 25 weeks and 5 days. We are trying to make it to 28 weeks to give the girls the girls the best chance possible to not have any long term issues. The good news is that every Dr. that has seen the girls tells us how big and strong they are. They have faith that even if they were born sooner that they would still do fairly well.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Belly pics and housing update

2009-01-12T19:41:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm getting pretty huge! These are pictures of me at 24 weeks. We are only 13 weeks away from the schedule induction. That just sounds CRAZY! This weekend I bought 2 cribs and 1 changing table. We still need 1 mattress but hey we're getting there. We found a house and are moving in on Saturday! I am so excited and can't wait to get the girls' room set-up. The house we chose is the one we went to look at during our lunch break. We fell in love with it in seconds. It's a 3 bedroom 1 bath with a great laundry room and a closed in patio that will be great for storage. We will have a front yard!! It's the little things.

Less than 100 days!

2009-01-06T09:52:00.003-06:00

We are only 97 days away from our schedule induction! I cannot believe how fast everything is going. We saw the girls yesterday and they looked perfect! The Dr. commented on how much they were moving around and said they were going to be strong. I have been having this awful pain in my left ribs for the last few weeks so I asked Dr. Mascorro if there was a body part up there! Sure enough... Baby B's (which I'm pretty sure will be Ansley Grace) knee is lodged up there. As she showed us that we saw Ansley's little foot. It is the sweetest little foot... or so we thought. As we were admiring it she kicked Baby A (Kinley) right in the head! You could see little Kinley's head just shaking back and forth. Is it bad that I found this pretty funny? I better get prepared though, it looks like we might have a little trouble maker on our hands. Well, we will go to the high risk doctor next Thursday and back to Mascorro the week after that. I can't to see the girls 3 times a month now! I definitely won't get sick of that but I might get sick of the Dr.'s office. I am also getting really excited for my first baby shower!!! I am blessed with the greatest friends and family and I know it is going to be great!

Well, the only other big thing going on in our world right now is house hunting. We couldn't decide if we should move or not (and to be honest I'm still not convinced) but we are trying to find a bigger yet affordable rent house. We saw one yesterday that we like. The master is a little on the small side and we would have to buy a washer and dryer. Jason was sure this was the house until it dawned on him that there was no fireplace... because that should be a deal breaker. haha. We are going to look at another house today on our lunch break so we shall see.

Now for the few people that read my blog and have their own.... POST!!! Some of you have been major slackers! Love you

2008 is coming to an end!

2008-12-28T18:59:00.001-06:00

Wow! This has been a very eventful year... Tim & Melaina got married, Aubrie and Makayla were born, Connor was born, my parents celebrated 30 years married, Lainey was born, we found out we were expecting, we found out we were expecting TWINS, our one year anniversary, Gabriel was born, Shelby and Nate got engaged, we found out the twins are GIRLS, and I graduated. I'm sure I have left out some things but WOW!!

We had a very blessed Christmas with both families. I love spending time with everyone. I got to spend a week in Oklahoma with Jen & Melaina and then went to Fort Worth for 4 days to see the rest of the family. It is always so much fun when we can all get together. By the end of our vacation, I was definitely ready to be at my own home but leaving Fort Worth always makes me very sad. While I did want to come home, I just want our home to be in Fort Worth! I just knew that I would be moving back sometime around now and for obvious reasons that isn't a possibility right now. I don't know when we will be able to move and it really gets me down when I think about it. I don't like to admit it but I am so scared about having the twins! I'm not sure why God thought that I could handle it! I don't want to sound like I'm over-reacting because so far they are healthy and I am very thankful. But I just don't have the support system that I need in Abilene. I have so many amazing family members and friends in the Fort Worth area that I need now more than ever. Oh well! I know things will end up working out because they always do.

I hope everyone has had a great holiday season and I'll post again in the new year!

Two healthy baby GIRLS!!

2008-12-15T13:14:00.002-06:00

I still think I'm in shock. I just knew we were going to have at LEAST one boy. I had convinced myself of it but nope! It has been triple verified. We have two beautiful baby girls on the way. We are so excited and cannot wait to start getting things in order. We also find out the we have a c-section date set already. We went to the doctor this morning and she let us know she went ahead and set a date for a c-section. She said it didn't mean we had to have a c-section but she didn't want to fight for a OR. So the twins arrival date (unless they come earlier) is.... APRIL 14TH! It is absolutely surreal to have a definite date. It is coming so fast and we aren't even close to ready. So our beautiful girls will be here in 4 months...at the very latest! That is insane! I already have so many cute things for them and can't wait to get me.

I also graduated on Friday!! It feels so great to be done and before the babies are here makes it even better. I felt like I would never finish and then all the sudden it's over! I had the best time with all my wonderful family and friends that came in. I am blessed to have some of the best friends! Well, I'm going to try and update this more and all add pictures later. Have a great week!

One girl and one ...

2008-11-23T14:52:00.004-06:00

Well, we definitely have one girl!! Baby A is definitely a girl but Baby B is always a little tricky to get a picture of. Baby B is behind Baby A so we never get very good pictures. The Dr. guessed that B is also a girl but I'm not so sure. She didn't get a good view at all so we order Intelligender. The test isn't 100% accurate but it said BOY! We will be so excited no matter what Baby B is but I am kind of hoping for a boy. Jason is dying for a little boy and I want that for him so bad! However, thanks to Jen and Meredith, we will have lots of gifts for 2 little girls. They didn't listen to me when I said that the Dr. said not to buy anything yet and they have been buying my girls gifts like crazy! So, they are especially hoping for another girl! We will hopefully know for sure on December 11th so I'll let y'all know then!!

It's been a while!

2008-11-09T13:30:00.003-06:00

Well, I haven't written a post in a while so I figure why not. I will do anything to put off doing my homework. Things have been going pretty well around here. A few weeks ago I was having a few breakdowns a week and decided the best thing for my marriage, the twins, and me would be to work a lot less during my last month of school. I have been working 10-15 hours a week and it has made a HUGE difference. I'm not really doing more school work with my time (which is what I need to be doing) but I'm getting a lot of much needed sleep. There were 2 nights last week that I fell asleep at 7 and only woke up when Jason woke me up to make sure I took my medicine... what a great husband.

This weekend Jason went hunting in Kansas with Kallen. It was suppose to be a weekend for me to get a lot of school work done but it has ended up with me doing a lot of sleeping and a little school work. I also spent 4 hours at a spa redeeming a spa package my husband got me!! When I was there the lady told me she remembered my husband and he told her how I was pregnant with twins, going to school, and working and that I deserved something special! It made me feel really good. He did spend a lot of money that I wouldn't have ever spent but I did need it and it was very much appreciated!

I am growing!! I still haven't gained any weight which is really bothering me but Jason and I can tell a huge difference! I would just feel better if I were gaining weight so I knew that I was doing everything right for the twins. We also noticed last Wednesday that my ab muscles have already split. I didn't think that happened so early and according to Jen it doesn't!! She has let me know that this isn't a good thing for me and that I will need her large maternity clothes!! Hahaha! Oh well! As long as the babies are growing big and strong I will love getting HUGE

Well, I'm hoping my next blog will be me writing about our appointment and letting all of you (like anyone actually reads this) know what the babies sexes are!! I'm so excited to find out and I will be so sad if we can't. So everybody keep your fingers crossed that on November 17th the babies will be cooperating and we will know what they are!!

A lovely Sunday afternoon

2008-10-19T14:11:00.002-05:00

I'm just sitting on the couch next to Jason watching the football game and I decided to write a post in efforts of putting off cleaning. Things are GREAT right now. Jason and I had some bad feelings about the babies. We both felt like something just wasn't right. I called the Dr. to express my concerns and they got me in the next day! I have never been so nervous at an appointment before in my life. I almost stopped her from doing the sonogram because I wasn't prepared to hear the bad news. She went ahead and we saw both beautiful babies and heard both very strong heartbeats!! I have never felt so good in my entire life. Baby A is 4.4ish centimeters long and the heartbeat was 171. Baby B is 4.76 centimeters and that heartbeat was 169. She scheduled another appointment 2 weeks out (October 29th). She didn't say why but I can imagine it's because she knows I'm such a psycho worrier. We got to ask a ton of questions. Some of which we were happy with the answers and others that we are going to learn to see the positive. One of those things is that she said I have less than a 25% chance of delivering vaginally. I SOOOO don't want a c-section but there are a lot of upsides to it as well. So I'm dealing with it. However, my Dr. is going to make sure that I only have a c-section if it is absolutely necessary. I'm going to try and get some pictures up later.

Twins!

2008-10-09T11:27:00.003-05:00

So anyone who reads this knows.... we're having twins! We are so thrilled and scared at the same time. I'm not sure what it will be like to have two babies but I know it will be a fun adventure! Well, my hormones are definitely getting the best of me today. I feel completely overwhelmed and have been on the verge of tears all day. I'm nervous about school. I'm feeling a little useless in my new position and I have definitely failed at being an adequate housekeeper. Every morning is different and I never know how I'm going to feel. I just want to feel normal again. We are still 2 weeks away from our next Dr.'s appointment and we just really want to make sure our babies are still perfect! Anyway, enough complaining. I'm very excited about our next phase of life and cannot wait to share it with all of you.

Some big news!!

2008-09-20T10:38:00.003-05:00

What is kind of funny is that I said when I started this blog that I didn't think I would start one of these until I found out I was expecting. Well on September 2 Jason and I found out we are going to have a baby!! We are so excited and of course scared. We don't get to see the Dr. until October 8th and that has been extremely frustrating. It seems I have followed in the glorious footsteps of my mother and sister and have been experiencing morning sickness since week 5!!! Thankfully my sister has taught me the most amazing thing ever.... a B6 vitamin and half of a Unisom!! This has become my best friend. I have had to play with the amount I take and when I take it but it seems that taking it at night is the best way for me. Ever since I started that I haven't thrown up once. I have asked several people why in the world you would do this multiple times. This pregnancy thing so far isn't for me! I'm hoping things will get better and I'll change my mind but for now I am praying for twins so that I don't have to do this again! LOL! Well, I'll leave you with some pictures from the morning we found out!

The beginning of my last semester...

2008-08-28T18:47:00.003-05:00

Well, I have officially finished my first week of my last semester. I am so ready to be through with school, I can't even stand it!! It's going to be a tough semester to get through. My schedule is pretty good at least. I only go Monday - Thursday and it leaves plenty of time to work in between classes. The worst part... no more lunches with Jason. Jason and I have been pretty spoiled and we eat together almost everyday. Well, that is stopping now apparently. The way my schedule is, I am always at work on Jason's lunch hour. Oh well!

I don't have much more to say. Except that I get to go spend the weekend in Oklahoma on the 5th and I cannot wait! We get to see Ty's first soccer game! I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures for me to post then.

Just an update!!

2008-08-18T20:42:00.003-05:00

Well, first I guess I will talk to you about my business meeting! I was so nervous because I knew that this PR firm was very successful. I had this image in my head of all these established older people that I was going to be meeting with. I mean her name was Marie!! I showed up to meet 4 girls and 1 guy in their 20s!!! Such relief. It was a little of a scattered meeting at first but it turned out really nice. We went to eat and did most of our talking over lunch so it was very relaxing. I think this is going to be such a great experience and I can't wait to get started!!

I decided to stay in Fort Worth for a couple of extra days and thank goodness I did!! At 3 AM on Saturday morning. Jen called my mom and said she was in labor!! We have made it for 2 of the 3 boys' births and I was dying to make it for Lainey! Guess what?!?! WE DID! Celice, mom, and I got to be in the room for Lainey's birth! There was one person who didn't make it in time for her birth... the DOCTOR!! The nurses delivered the baby and Jen never even pushed. Lainey was just ready and wasn't waiting for any doctor to decide to show up. That's my girl! Well she was born at 8:10 AM on August 16th. She weighed 6 lbs and was only 17 1/2 inches long...just a little girl! She is absolutely beautiful. I was so sad to leave Oklahoma this time. I just didn't get enough time with all my nieces and nephews. Reagan, Ty, and Audrey are just getting so old that they don't even care if you are around. That is just so sad. Bryce was a different story this time though! He was my little buddy. I took a nap with him and man does that make you want kids. He just cuddled and loved on me the whole time. I love kids especially Reagan, Ty, Audrey, Bryce, and Lainey!! I really wish that Tim and Melaina and Jen and Josh would make a trip to Abilene so Jason and I could have some alone time with all of them. Not at the same time of course, we can't handle that yet!! I will end this post with some great pictures!!

Just a GREAT weekend

2008-08-11T18:37:00.003-05:00

So this weekend was just a great weekend! First, Kayla came to see me! She came in on Friday afternoon and we just sat and talked and caught up with each other. We were so use to seeing each other every day and now it's like maybe once a month....NOT OK! It was so nice just to be with her. She is such an amazing friend that I have been blessed by for the last 11+ years! Then we went to eat and have a couple of drinks at Lytle, Kayla's old stomping grounds! On Saturday morning we got up and went on a walk around ACU. It was so nice! I'm going to get to see her again this week and I absolutely CANNOT wait!!

Soon after she left, I went on a shopping spree for my little Lainey bug! She isn't here yet but let me tell you...when she gets here she is going to be one stylin' baby! The rest of the night I spent with Jason just having a relaxing evening. Sunday was fun-filled. First church, then lunch at Lytle, then shopping with Kara and her little sister, bowling with our husbands, and then cooking out at the Barbees! It was such a nice day. I always love being married to Jason but after this weekend, I think I love it even more!

Well, 3 more days until my big business meeting (Don't I sound so adult?) I'll let you know how it goes!

Just a good day!!

2008-08-07T17:53:00.003-05:00

Today was a pretty good day. I took my final for my last summer class ever!! It feels so great to be so close. I only have 4 months until I am finally done with college. I feel like I've been at this forever. Now I have 2 weeks to just work and not have to worry about school at all.

Then Jen called to tell me that she is dilated to a 3 and 30% effaced. Little Lainey girl could be here any day!! I am so excited to see her. It seems like Jen has been pregnant forever. I am a little nervous about this one though. I am in Abilene now so I'm further away from Oklahoma City. I have been there for all of her births and I don't want this one to be any different. I really want to be in the room again! That was so exciting. I am living vicariously through all my friends and family because Jason and I probably won't have kids for a while.

Now finally for the clincher.... I am now PR/Development for New Horizons. I officially start on September 1st. I will only be part-time until a graduate but that's a good thing! See the deal with this new position is just that....it's a brand new position. New Horizons has never had this position until now. My executive director, Michael, said to me "Create your dream job." Oh my gosh!! That is so exciting and incredibly scary all at the same time. Does he not realize that I am 22 and never had experience doing this type of thing?!?! Well, he obviously sees something in me that I don't quite see yet and I am so grateful that God has blessed me with whatever it is that Michael thinks I have. This is going to sound dumb but one of the most exciting parts about the job is that I get my first company phone and an office with windows!!! I have been planning how I will decorate since way before I accepted the position. By the way....I could use some help. Suggestions gladly accepted!

Well, I guess that's it for now...who knows, next time I blog it might be about my new niece, Lainey Jean Foster!!

My Blogging Virginity

2008-08-06T17:36:00.000-05:00

Ok! So I have decided to give this blogging thing a shot. I said I would wait until I had kids so that I might actually have something to talk about but maybe I'll be surprised! I'm not promising to write every day but I am hoping to be better than Jen and Josh (that's right I'm calling y'all out!!)

So far it seems like this might not be a good experience. I'm not sure how everyone makes their blogs look so creative but I will work on it. Going through all the different settings just made me realize that I have no idea how to do this!! We shall see. That's going to be it for my first post but hopefully there will be better ones coming soon!