Rooms, Carpet, Sickness and Presents

What I week we have had here in our house! I am going to break this post up into 4 sections that detail the highlights. Let's begin!

Rooms: I finally convinced my sweet, hardworking husband that we need to switch rooms with our boys. Our bedroom is a bit bigger and has more options in order to place a twin bed, crib, dresser, train table and easel (Logan doesn't know this yet, but his grandparents are getting him both of these for Christmas!!), not to mention all of the toys. So, last Saturday, Dustin, his dad and his brother switched our rooms. The boys are now in our newly painted old room that so perfectly matches our comforter, curtains, etc. We are now in our new room that is "sports themed." I am trying to be positive because I am the type of person that likes everything to look "put together." I want so badly to paint our new room but know that that is not going to happen until Spring, if I am lucky. The good thing is that the sports themed decor on the walls (paint and border) do match the colors of our bed linens! I must say that I am very happy that the boys have the bigger room and will be even more happy when they both sleep in their together. We still need to get Logan a new bed! There is always something, isn't there.

Carpet: Dustin and I purchased new carpet for our living room, dining room and hallway a couple of months ago. I LOVE this carpet and can't tell you how much I stive to keep it clean. Our carpet is so soft and a tweed type of carpet in order to hide stains. Well, this week alone our dog, Rudy, has thrown up on it, Logan has thrown up on it, Luke has spit up like a faucet on it and Chinese food was spilt on it. I could not have even imagined that all of this would take place. All of these episodes happened within one or two days of each other. I think I can safely say that our carpet has been initiated by almost the whole family! Luckily, you can't tell that any of these episodes happened. Thank God for tweed!

Sickness: From the paragraph above you can guess where I am going with this paragrah! Luke had an upset stomach on Sunday, Logan was sick on Monday night and I was sick on Tuesday night! Oh and don't let me forget Rudy whose stomach was icky on Monday! I am so thankful that we all were sick for less than 24 hours each. All I kept thinking was that we were going to be sick all week, but thank you Lord we are all better!

Presents: I actually prided myself on getting into the Christmas spirit early this year. I had a lot of my gifts bought before Thanksgiving. I was bound and deteremined to be done in plenty of time before Christmas. Well, we are now almost 4 days until Christmas and I still have to buy 4 to 5 more gifts and wrap everything. So much for being prepared! I always have the best intentions but lose it somewhere along the way. So, this weekend is crunch time!

Well, that details the week for us so far. I pray the weekend is smooth sailing!

Have a blessed day!

It Truly is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love this time of the year. I love October through the end of the year. I love Fall weather and all of the different Fall colors and I love Thanksgiving and especially Christmas. Not to mention that by October I am so glad to be done with summer clothes and love to be in my sweats all the time!

This Christmas season is extremely exciting to me. This is the first year that I think Logan will really "get" Christmas and opening gifts and really be interested in what he is opening. I have spent a lot of time researching some gifts for him and can't wait to see his face Christmas morning. I am also very excited to have Luke this Christmas. Last Christmas we had just found out I was pregnant with him and now this year, he is here with us. We truly are so blessed.

I love to be with family and friends and the holidays make it that much more exciting. We have planned a couple of "get-togethers" with some friends this season and I get to play "Suzy Homemaker." While it is stressful sometimes, I love to be the hostess and have people over to our house.

So, I hope that you all take the time to think about this time of the year and truly enjoy it. I pray that we also take the time to remember the true meaning of CHRISTmas.

Merry Christmas (I know it is still a bit early, but I am in the Christmas mood today!) and have a blessed day.

Hello Out There!

Yes, this is me. I know it has been nearly 2 months since I have last blogged and I do apologize to my faithful few who check my blog daily!! A lot has been going on, but I just haven't found the time to blog until now.

So, since I have last blogged we have gone on a couple of short trips. We have been to visit my brother and his family twice and we have gone to a town a few hours away for the weekend. All of our short trips were very nice. On our last trip we stayed in a hotel and Logan was able to go swimming which he loved. He was a little fish swimming all around. I told Dustin that we need to look into getting him some swim lessons next year.

We survived Halloween although I was a bit disappointed. This was the first year that I thought Logan would enjoy going out. Well, let me just say that there were only 3 houses on our street participating and we were one of them. Dustin and I took him down the street to one of the houses and he got some candy and then last house had a "bowl" out that asked people to just take one piece, sort of like and honor's system type deal. I guess I don't have to say that all of the candy was gone when we got there. I would have liked for Logan to go to some more houses, but our neighborhood just didn't get into it this year. But we still had fun because we had some family and friends over. All in all, it was a good night.

Thanksgiving was very nice also. It is always busy around the holidays with going to my side of the family and also Dustin's side of the family. It makes for a long day, but it was nice to spend time with family. This was the first year in a couple of years that I didn't participate in Black Friday. I must say I was a bit disappointed. Call me crazy but there is something about getting up at the crack of dawn (or before dawn), getting a coffee and waiting in line for a store to open up. Maybe next year!

I will say that I have a lot of my Christmas shopping done. I love shopping online!!! I have had a good time looking up different gifts for the boys. I have really gotten into it this year. We also put our Christmas tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving. I know! That is quite early for us. Usually we are the last people to put the tree up, but this year, we are the first!!

The boys are getting big and making me laugh everyday. We finally put the crib up in Logan's room which is now Logan and Luke's room this past weekend. I had just gotten Luke used to the bassinet in the past month or so, now I have to adjust him to the crib. I don't know if you all remember but Dustin painted our room two weeks before Luke was born and before he started painting I asked him if he thought we should switch rooms with the boys. Our room is a bit bigger and offers more options to place their beds. His answer then was no! Well, now I am trying to talk him into switching rooms. Dustin HATES to paint and isn't too crazy about the idea. I have compromised and said that we will leave our room the same color which happens to be blue and we will just change the trim color, but we will need to repaint the boys room the same color he just painted our room. He isn't going for it just yet, but I will keep trying!!!

So, not much else is going on with us. The boys are keeping me busy. As I am typing this, Luke is fussing for me to pick him up for some mommy time so I am going to end. I have posted some pictures below to show off my guys!!

Also, congratulations to our close friends (Logan's future in-laws) on the news of a new baby coming next summer!! We can't wait to meet the new addition to your family!

Pictures, Finally!

I love to take pictures of family, especially my boys. I am very good at carrying my digital camera with me wherever I go so I can capture those "special" moments. My problem lies in not developing the pictures. I developed about 700 pictures that I have saved on my computer from my camera. YES, that is right...700 picutres, well 692 to be exact. Plus I have another 120 that I just cleared off of my camera today that also need to be developed. Can you believe this?! Isn't that crazy!!! I guess I have no excuse not to scrapbook now. We all know that I have enough pictures!!


Here are some cute pictures that I found on my camera. Enjoy!










It doesn't get any sweeter than this!

















Yes, I am that mother who dresses her boys alike!
















My sweet boys who aren't in such a sweet mood!

















Our baby Luke is 8 weeks old today! My how
time flies!! : )





Have a great night!

Life with Two Children

It still amazes me that I am a mother of two. I remember the times when I thought I would never have my own child. Then in a matter of a little over 2 years, I have two sons! God has truly blessed us with our beautiful sons. I am thankful every day for both of them.

Luke will be 6 weeks old tomorrow. I can't believe it! It seriously feels like we just brought him home from the hospital yesterday. We are all still trying to adjust. We have no schedule yet. Basically, Luke rules the roost!

Luke looks just like his big brother, Logan, and in some ways if very much like Logan. Logan wanted to be held all the time the first few months and Luke is carrying on the tradition, especially at night. Logan was a gassy baby and Luke is turning out to be even more gassy then Logan. I think Luke may even have a bit of "reflux." The pediatrician gave me some "Zantac"-like medication for Luke but it didn't help and was making matters worse so we decided to stop the medicine. I don't think that his reflux is as bad as other babies. However, he does like to spit up, usually once a day or once every other day, like a faucet! It just come out like running water. I feel so bad for him, but it doesn't seem to bother him. In fact, he doesn't cry or anything. It is actually a bit of a surprise when it happens. So, I think that I have figured out the trick to help this spitting up not to happen. We will see in the next couple of days though!

So, we are still hanging in there. Trying to get better adjusted and trying to get a bit more sleep! But having my two boys is worth it. I have even discussed the possibility of a 3rd (and final!) child in a few more years! We will see. I have to wait until Dustin doesn't remember how tired we are right now before we even start to discuss this possibility!

Speaking of third child, I have posted before about my brother and sister-in-law who are expecting their third child. They have two boys too and now we have two boys. My parents have 4 grandsons and no granddaughters. We all love having the boys and wouldn't change it for the world, we would just like to see a little pink in the family in the future. Well, Amy had her ultrasound last week and was able to find out what the baby is. I am happy to say that we will have a 5th BOY in the family! Yep, that is right. Amy is having her 3rd boy! Can you believe that? We laughed and laughed. What are the odds of us having all boys and no girls in this family?! We are very excited and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Blake at the beginning of next year. We are well on our way to having our own little boy sports team! Congratulations Scott and Amy! We are very happy and excited for you!

That seems to be about it for now. I do have some pictures to post. We were crazy enough to spend Labor Day weekend with Scott and Amy at their house. So, I have pictures of all 4 boys. I will try to post them this week, but don't hold me to that!

Have a great rest of the weekend.

Baby Luke

Baby Luke made his enterance into the world on August 6th at 10:31 p.m. I went into the hospital that morning around 10 am and they started the induction process around 11:30 am. I had hoped to have Luke around early evening but he obviously didn't agree with his mother!

My labor went fairly well. I had persistent contractions throughout the day every 2 to 4 minutes. I must admit, I was very nervous about being induced. There were times in the hospital I questioned our decision to go through with the induction. I just wanted the baby to be O. K. Again, with this labor as my labor with Logan, I didn't experience too much pain until the last hour and a half.

I started to feel many of my contractions in my back. This is a sign that the baby is posterior. This means that normally babies are born face down, but when they are posterior they are born face up. Sometimes it is too difficult for women to deliver babies that are posterior and then a c-section is performed. Well, wouldn't you know it, my Luke decided to come out in a posterior way. I pushed and pushed for 31 minutes before he made his enterance. I have never felt such pain in my life. When I was pushing Logan out, I was able to relax for a minute or so between contractions. Not so with Luke, I was so very uncomfortable through the whole pushing part of labor. My doctor told me afterward that if Luke had been in the correct position, I would have delivered him with just 3 pushes. Thanks Doc!

As soon as Luke was put on my stomach, I couldn't believe how much he looked like his big brother Logan. Dustin, my cousin Sarah along with my sister-in-law Amy were in the delivery room with me and we all commented how much Luke looked like Logan.

The big question was how much Luke weighed. One of the reasons I was induced was because we thought Luke was going to be a bigger baby. Logan was 8 lbs. 13 oz. and my doctor thought Luke was going to be in the 8 lb range. I asked them how much Luke weighed and they said 7 lbs. 4 oz. WHAT!?! I couldn't believe it. I seriously thought they made a mistake. He was so tiny. We all laughed at how small he was.

So, we spent the next few days in the hospital. I cried when Logan came the next day to see his new brother. Logan looked so big. He did very well with his new brother. He paid little attention to Luke, but a lot of attention to all the new toys his brother got him along with everyone else in the family!!

We were released from the hospital on Wednesday and had our first pediatrician appointment on that Friday. Once we got Luke to the doctor's office, Dustin and I noticed that his eyes looked a little yellow. The doctor did his exam and didn't think the jaundice was that bad but had a blood test run on Luke. An hour and a half after returning home, the doctor called us and told us he was admitting Luke back into the hospital for "photo therapy" because his jaundice level was too high. So, back to the hospital we went. Luke had to be put in an incubator with no clothes on, a surgical mask as a diaper and goggles over his eyes. There were lights all around him. The doctor in charge of Luke while he was there wouldn't let us hold Luke at all. We could touch him but couldn't take him out of the incubator. He wanted solid and consistent light on Luke. This was hard for me. I cried for seriously the first few hours we were there. I just wanted Luke to be O. K. and wanted him to know we loved him.

Luke did better than his Mommy. He basically slept the whole time except when we had to feed him in the incubator by syringe. We weren't even in a room at the hospital, we were in a nursery. It wasn't very comfortable for Dustin and I but all that mattered was Luke! Around 3 am the next morning, we got to hold our precious new son for roughly 2 minutes while they weighed him. Again, Mommy sobbed and sobbed while holding her baby. Then around 8 or so, they did another blood test and his level was normal... after 16 hours, we were going home, praise the Lord! So about noon we went home again!

As you can see it has been an eventful few weeks. Dustin and I are adjusting to no sleep at night. Logan is also adjusting to no sleep due to his baby brother waking him by crying. Hopefully, within the next few weeks we will get on a schedule with our 2 sons. I am so thankful for both of my boys. I can't believe I am now a mother of 2!

In closing, I want to thank all of our family and friends who have come over to help or come over with meals. You don't know how much all of you mean to us. We are so appreciative for all you have done. We couldn't have made it without you all! Thanks!

Busy Weekend

I seriously don't know where to begin in posting about this weekend. It has been one of the craziest weekends we have had in a long time. Let me start by saying that my darling husband has been on vacation for 10 days which has been a blessing. It has been so good to have him home every morning for the past week or so. Logan has loved it. He is definetly "daddy's boy." Poor Dustin couldn't even go outside without Logan wanting to be right there with him. However, tomorrow Dustin goes back to work and Logan is stuck with me all day. I think he is in for a rude awakening.

My next hightlight of the weekend goes back eighteen months ago when I purchased a new comforter set. This comforter set did not at all match the paint in our bedroom. I have begged Dustin to repaint our bedroom. Dustin is usually easy going and doesn't fuss much, however, he refuses to paint. The last time we painted in our house, we seriously almost divorced! You all may think that is funny, but I am serious!! So, when we found out I was pregnant this time, I told Dustin that I wanted our room redone before this baby was born.

Well, we finally arranged to have someone come and paint our bedroom and bathroom for a small fee. I can't tell you how happy that made me. Then it happened. Our painter backed out on us. So, my precious husband decided he would make his very pregnant wife happy and paint the bedroom himself. Now, I realize how difficult this was for my husband to even suggest. I am forever grateful for his sacrifice, however, we didn't know the sacrifices we were going to make in order for him to complete this job. Let's just say that what we had hoped would take 2 days turned into a very long 4 days!! Which means that I haven't been able to get into our bedroom in 4 days. My clothes are in a basket in the dining room. I have been sleeping on a matress on the floor in Logan's room. We haven't been able to set much up for the pending arrival of our newest son. To say it has been crazy is an understatement. I must say now that it is all done, our room looks wonderful. Dustin did an excellent job. I have casually mentioned to him about repainting the kitchen and he quickly told me not to get any ideas.

Then there is the dresser for the boys room. It is so hard to find a good solid dresser for less than a ton of money. My in-laws had a 5-drawer wood dresser that they were going to throw out. They offered it to us and we took it. It was a bit beaten up so we decided to refinish it, which turned into repainting it. My poor father-in-law has spent the weekend putting on 4 coats of paint on the dresser. He offered to help out because Dustin was busy with our room. Thank you father-in-law!! Hopefully, we will move that into the boys room tomorrow and I can start putting clothes in it that are currently in bins and in a bassinet!

Lastly, I was able to have some "Stacey time" last night with some of my friends which was a lot of fun. We went to dinner and then to the mall. As I am closer and closer to delivering my second child, I am obviously getting bigger and bigger and more uncomfortable every day. So, we are at the mall last night and a feel a bit of a "gush." I thought I should get to the bathroom quickly. I did and all seemed fine then I started thinking, "what if that was my water starting to break?" It is still a bit early to go into labor but not so early that it couldn't happen. To make a long story short, we called my doctor and he sent us to the hospital to be checked. Of course by the time we called the doctor and went in, it was about midnight. We were there for about an hour or so before we were sent home. So, basically my water did not break, I just went pee in my pants!!

Well, that is enough about our crazy weekend. Hope everyone's weekend was as fun as ours!

3-D Ultrasound, Take #2

Dustin, Logan and I just got back from the doctor's office this afternoon and we are happy to report that our newest son cooperated and we were able to see a 3-D picture of his face. It was truly amazing to see him. Believe it or not, he looks like Logan. He looks like he is going to have chubby cheeks just like Logan. It was very exciting to see an actual face instead of the usual skeletal ultrasound pictures. It is starting to feel "real" now that a new baby is coming and coming quickly!!!

I went through some of Logan's old baby clothes yesterday and must admit that I got a bit teary-eyed. I seriously can't remember Logan being small enough to fit in those clothes. When I think about it, it seems like Logan was born yesterday but then it also feels like Logan has always been here. I can't remember life without him.

So, that is all on the baby front right now. Time is ticking down very fast. I am excited but nervous all at the same time. I am ready to not be pregnant any more, however, I am not ready for all of the midnight feedings! I guess I better get ready, because they are fast approaching.

Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July!

My Stubborn Baby

Today I had a normal prenatal doctors appointment. I was excited because the doctor had told me at my last visit that he would do a 3-D ultrasound so we could see our new baby's face. So, I had my aunt come and babysit Logan and Dustin was going to meet me for my appointment. Well, wouldn't you know that this baby of mine had his arm and hand completely over his face. We couldn't see very much at all. I tried laying in different positions and still nothing. The doctor told me we could try again at my next appointment. I have to admit part of me laughed at the fact that the baby wouldn't cooperate...it wasn't the first time. I had to have a second ultrasound after we found out he was a boy because he wouldn't move so the doctor could see what he needed to see. Now, today he was being stubborn again. Let me just say that after the attempt at the ultrasound the baby started moving like crazy. He obviously pulled one over on his mama today! Maybe next time!

Another piece of baby information is that we have decided for me to be induced to have this baby. Logan was a big baby and usually your second baby is bigger plus he is a boy and boys are usually bigger too! I am being induced only a week before my due date, so it isn't that bad! Part of me is excited to be able to plan everything out for when we go into the hospital and who gets to be with Logan and etc. The other part of me is nervous about being induced. For our family, I feel that this is the best option. Now watch, I will go into labor before I can be induced and all of my planning will go out the window! Seriously, that would be fine with me. I am ready to have this baby. As long as he is healthy and strong, I am all for whatever!

Have a blessed day!

Babies, Babies and More Babies

This past weekend Dustin, Logan and I took a trip to visit my brother, sister-in-law and our two nephews. My youngest nephew, Caleb, turned 3 yesterday. They had a big celebration weekend for him. We arrived late and missed the party but were very excited to spend a few days with my family.

Well, let me just say that there was a lot of excitement this trip. After we had been there for about 20 minutes or so, Caleb told us that his mommy is having a baby!!! Yes, my brother and sister-in-law are expecting their third child after the first of the year and we are all ecstatic! Dustin and I weren't sure if we heard Caleb correctly or not, but sure enough we did. So, here is a big CONGRATULATIONS to Scott and Amy on their pregnancy!

Then, as we were coming home on Monday, we received a phone call from my mother-in-law and she told us that Dustin's brother and his soon-to-be wife found out that they were going to have a baby boy this winter!! Again, CONGRATULATIONS to them as well on their baby boy!

It doesn't get any better than this, does it? There is nothing sweeter in life than a newborn baby. I am so excited to be having our second baby in just a little less than 2 months. Not only we will rejoice in the arrival of our new son, but we will be able to rejoice in the arrival of our new nephew and our other new niece or nephew after that. CONGRATULATIONS again to both brothers and sisters-in-law. We are so happy to be a part of your lives during this truly special time!!

I'm Still Here...

Well, I have obviously taken quite a bit of a break from blogging the past month or so. I have thought about blogging but haven't due to laziness! A lot has happened in the past month so let me get started...

We celebrated Logan's second birthday in May. I can't believe he is already two. We had a Thomas the Tank Engine party. Let me just say that he is obsessed with Thomas. We can't go anywhere without a Thomas engine in each hand. I have engines all over my house...on the window sills, on the end table, on the computer table, etc. Seriously, our house is overcome with Thomas and his friends!

Logan is getting bigger and bigger each day. He is talking more and loves to sing "The Wheels on the Bus." I have tried to prepare him a bit for the birth of his new baby brother. Let's just say he wants nothing to do with any talk of a new baby. He won't say baby or touch my belly (which is expanding at a rapid pace!) or anything. I am praying he will love his baby brother. I am sure he will go through all of the normal emotions and reactions to having a new baby in the house. I have faith (and will continue to pray A LOT) that it is an easy transition for all.

I have quit my job at the daycare at the athletic club. Actually, I quit in April but was convinced to stay until the middle of May. I have enjoyed not having to get up early or having to get Logan up early to get there on time. I must admit that the last couple of weeks of working there, I wasn't "there on time" very much at all. As I type this post I am laughing inside because I received a call this morning to fill in tomorrow at the daycare. I guess they just love me too much to truly let me go. So, we will see what time I make it in tomorrow! Hopefully my work shirt still fits!!!

Dustin has been working hard and long days. He called me today and said he is ready to switch positions in the company. He is the cable guy and says that he is tired of crawling under houses and through wooded areas to connect cable. I told him we aren't as young as we used to be.

Dustin has also gone on a diet and has lost at least 20 pounds which makes me sick. Now, I am a very supportive wife and am very proud of him, but only wish I can lose weight as quickly as he can. Dustin has such will power that it is disgusting. He loses weight so quickly. He has gotten down to his ideal weight and is now trying to keep himself at that weight. I may try to sneak some crushed up candy bars in his meals. I feel that if I am gaining all of this weight, then it is totally unfair for him to lose all his weight!

Then there is me. As I said, I have quite the big pregnant belly now. At times, I get very out of breath. I am however thankful that I haven't started swelling yet. With Logan, my ankles and feet swelled so bad! Maybe with this pregnancy, I won't swell. To be honest, I have not had a hard pregnancy, thus far, at all. I am very, very thankful for that. I pray the next 10 weeks go just as well. That is right...only 10 weeks left! I can't believe how close it is. I am now going to the doctor's every 2 weeks instead of every month. Then in a few more weeks, it will be every week! Pretty soon I will be holding the newest member of our family...I can't wait.

Well, that is it for now. I will try to post again soon and maybe add some pictures of my skinny husband and big 2 year old boy. I think I will refrain from pictures of my big belly, but who knows! : )

Have a blessed day.

I've Been Tagged...

I have been tagged by my friend Suzanna, so here we go...

7 random facts/habits/you might not know about me:

1. I am ADDICTED to reality T.V. There are some shows that I don't watch for different reasons, but I do watch the majority of reality T.V.

2. While in college, I worked at a car maintenance place and performed an oil change on my own car while it was up on a hoist. I even kept the oily gloves that I wore until a couple of years ago.

3. While at the same job as mentioned above, the "candy man" (the man incharge of our candy machine) came in one day and we got to talking and realized we were related!

4. I have always wanted a tattoo. I told my cousin that when she graduates college and I am done having babies, we will go together and get a tattoo!

5. I went to a Christian school and college. I have never attended a public school or college.

6. I married a sports addict. Seriously, sometimes I feel like he loves sport more than me! : )

7. My labor and delivery with my son, Logan was relatively painless except for the very end when he lodged his foot in my ribs. I pray I am just as blessed with not too much pain while in labor with our second son who is due this summer!

Hope everyone learned a little something new about me! Thanks Suzanna!

My Big Boy Had a Big Week!

This past week has been a big one for my baby. First, he got some new pets. We decided it was time for Logan to have some fish. My parents and my brother and his family both have BIG fish tanks and Logan goes nuts every time he sees their fish. We opted for a 10 gallon tank with 3 fish. Logan loves the fish and loves to help his daddy feed the fish. Numerous times during the day I will see him run over to the fish and look at them. Can I just say that we had to pretty much rearrange a major part of our house to accommodate the newest members of the family!

The next big event for Logan was that he no longer has a crib in his room...he has a toddler bed. He loved playing on it during the day but wasn't too thrilled with the new bed at night. The first night he did good until about 4 or 5 am and the second night he did good until 3 or 4. We are slowly making progress, I feel. Tonight is the third night and I am praying for a full nights sleep for us all in our own beds!

That is the big news here at our house. I hope everyone is having as much fun as we are! Our focus for the next few weeks is the big 2nd birthday! Mommy better start planning a party ASAP!

What an Amazing Weekend

Friday night my parents, Dustin, Logan and I set out on a 3 hour drive to visit my brother and his family in their new life. Scott, Amy and the boys moved last week and before they left we decided as a family to go and visit them this past weekend. We all were very excited to see their new appartment and surroundings along with their new church. Can I just say WOW!!!

We arrived late Friday night and we all very excited to see each other. Now, you may say that a whole week isn't that long to go without seeing family. What you may not understand is that I used to see my brother and his family at least 2-3 times a week! I was so happy to see my nephews. Logan has seriously been in a state of depression for the past 10 days without his cousins. When we walked in and saw them, he went nuts!! He was the happiest I have seen him in at least a week.

So, Friday night was spent catching up and seeing their new apartment which I love. I told Dustin that I would sell our house and live in an apartment like that in a minute! It was great! Saturday we woke up and headed to the local mall. Can I just say that there were a ton of dogs in the mall. Some of them wore sweaters into the mall, where their owners took them off upon entering the mall. Some were just walking around and some were strolling in a stroller! No lie!! We had a good time. We relaxed and spent family time together that evening.

Sunday we all got up and went to their new church. Words cannot express how I feel about this church. I can honestly say that the service we went to was one of the best, if not the best service I have ever been apart of. I started crying once the praise and worship part of the service started and I didn't stop until the end. We all could truly feel the presence of the Lord moving throughout the building. It is a large church but it felt very intimate and loving. We were able to see my brother baptize a young man also. I know I am repeating myself, but it was truly amazing. Dustin and I are currently trying to find a new church home and I can only hope and pray we find a church as amazing as the one my brother and his family are a part of.

While I miss Scott, Amy, Zach and Caleb like you wouldn't believe, I am so thankful that God has blessed them with their new life away from us. Scott is so talented and has a passion ministering to young people. I look forward to the future to see all that God has in store for them.

We got home yesterday and I have to admit, I was a bit sad. I even tried talking Dustin into moving near Scott and his family! We had such a blessed weekend that I can't wait to visit again.

After our wonderful weekend away, we ended up in the emergency with Logan at 4 am this morning with a horrible sounding croup cough! Thank the Lord he is doing much better and Dustin and I are looking forward to some much needed sleep tonight!

Baby #2 Is A...

Since the beginning of this pregnancy I have thought that the baby is a girl. As time has gone on, I have been more and more convinced that I am right. I have felt very different than I did when I was pregnant with Logan.

My mother-in-law did a "string test" when I was pregnant with Logan. She predicted a boy and of course she was right. She did this test again about 9 days ago and predicted another boy. I must say that I was a little disappointed. I asked Dustin over and over what he thought and he continued to say "girl." So, I have held out hope for a girl.

Fast forward to today, we are at the doctors today for our ultrasound and the technician asks what we think the baby is. I go on and on about a girl but say that as long as the baby is healthy, a boy is great too! When she started doing the ultrasound, I swear I saw a little penis, but she didn't say anything so I thought I was wrong, because really who but a professional can tell anything on those ultrasounds.

The technician proceeds to tell us that she has an idea but wants to look more to be sure before she tells us the sex. After a bit she says she feels confident and then tells us it is a GIRL!!! Then roughly 60 seconds later, she says "oh my goodness, I am so sorry." That is when I am sure that I saw a penis. She said, "it's a BOY!" So, we are for sure having a boy and we couldn't be happier! Logan is going to have a little brother!

After leaving the doctors, both Dustin and I agreed that when she first said the baby was a girl, it just didn't sound right. We are so excited to have another boy. We love the fact that we will have brothers that can play with one another and grow up together. Dustin said that we can always hope for a girl next time!!! : )

A Lot Going On

Things have been pretty crazy around here that past week or so. It started with Logan and I getting sick. Logan has a viral infection and has been not feeling well since last Thursday. I have been sick since last Friday. Dustin is also starting to feel the effects of us being sick. He said that he refuses to get sick until Logan and I are better. We are hopefully on the mend and I am so looking forward to getting out of the house. As you can imagine, we have pretty much been quarantined for the past 5 days.

We also received some exciting news last Friday...Dustin and I are going to be an aunt and uncle again, and Logan gets to be an older cousin. Dustin's brother called to tell us that he is going to be a dad. We are very excited for he and his girlfriend. To be honest, we have always believed that Dustin's brother would be the ultimate bachelor for life. Now, he is going to be a daddy. I get so excited talking to him about it because he is so excited. So, there will be 2 new babies for Christmas this year!!

Scott and his family are moving this week. Dustin and I were able to go to their final church service on Sunday and that is where it hit me that they really are leaving. As soon as I got into the church, I started crying. I sure am going to miss them being just a few blocks away. Although, we plan on visiting in a week or so, so it isn't that bad!

Lastly, next week is the week of my ultrasound. Hopefully, the baby will cooperate and we will be able to find out what the sex is. We are hoping for a girl, but a boy would be wonderful too. I just want a healthy baby no matter what.

That is it for now. Hopefully I will post more at the end of the week!

This Past Week

My father-in-law ended up having gall bladder surgery last Monday evening. He was not able to have the laparoscopic surgery, they had to make a large incision to get it out. He was so gracious to show us the incision site and it is HUGE. He has 33 staples across his abdomen. The surgeon told my mother-in-law that the gall bladder was "dead." The surgical nurse told her that the gall bladder was gange green. So, as you can imagine it is going to be a long recovery for my father-in-law. He was able to come home last Thursday morning and has been recovering well since then. We have visited with him twice and while he is moving slow and very tired, he is doing well. Thank you to all who prayed for him. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.

My next subject is my 10 hour/week daycare job at the gym. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I have actually given up one of my mornings for an evening shift. During the evening shift, I work by myself as opposed to the morning shifts when I work with another lady. Let me just say the kids are crazy! The older kids come in the evening and can be hard to manage in the tiny space we have. Plus the evening shift is an hour longer. Now, I know that a big 4 hours doesn't sound like much but trust me is seems like 8 hours. This past week I worked 2 evenings back to back (I filled in for a girl). It was very hard and wore me out for the rest of the week. Not to mention that my own child was out of control during the first evening I worked this week! Hopefully this week will be less tiresome.

Lastly, as I have mentioned before my brother and his family are getting ready to move to another state. Actually, they will be moving in about a week. Saturday morning, my sister-in-law, Amy, and I went for a double pedicure. Our sweet husbands bought us gift certificates for Valentine's Day. We had a blast. It was so fun and relaxing and nice to spend time just the two of us. Then later that evening we had a going away party for Scott, Amy and the boys. It was a lot of fun. I must admit that I haven't thought too much about them leaving, but Saturday before the party it hit me that they are leaving and leaving soon. No more running down to their house at night on the spur of the moment to watch a t.v. show or game, etc. I won't be able to see my precious nephews as much as I do now. As I type this I am a bit emotional. I am so thankful for my brother and his family. Amy and I have become the best of friends and I will miss having her so close and miss seeing Zachery and Caleb play so well with their little cousin Logan. I know that Scott and Dustin will miss watching sporting events together too and making fun of Amy and I! But, God has a plan for them and I am so happy for them and know that God will bless them as they go and they won't be that far away, so we can visit a lot...right Scott?!

Well, that it is for now. I am praying that we all have a quiet, calm and easy week ahead of us!

God Bless.

I Have A Confession...

I have done something tonight that I have never done before. I can't say that I am proud of it, but I do find it very amusing!! So, we all know that I am pregnant and have been sick for the past couple of months. Yesterday I started feeling a bit better and today was another "good feeling day." I am excited at the thought that I am turning the corner and will no longer be gagging and "icky" all day. Although I am feeling better the one thing I can not tolerate is potatoes of any kind. So, tonight Dustin and I were visiting his dad in the hospital (I will explain more at the end) and on the way home he suggested McDonalds for dinner. I must admit that my stomach did turn a bit at the thought of fries. Some of my family was over and we all decided to go ahead and get McDonalds. The majority of people wanted chicken nuggets. I must admit that I couldn't decide between a Big Mac and chicken nuggets, however, I was very sure that I did not want fries. Well, I ended up getting both the Big Mac and some chicken nuggets! I thought I would eat half of the sandwhich and a few chicken nuggets. WRONG!!! I ate the WHOLE sandwich and a 6 piece chicken nugget. I promise I am not just saying that to make this post more interesting, but it doesn't stop there. After the Big Mac and 6 piece chicken nugget I proceeded to eat an apple pie also from McDonalds. My brother was pretty impressed! So far I haven't felt sick, but we will see what the night holds for me.

**Please pray for Dustin's dad. He is in the hospital waiting to have his gall bladder removed. He went to the emergency early Friday morning with severe stomach pain. They released him Friday afternoon because all of the tests came back fine. They thought he had a case of the flu. He was quite ill yesterday all day and Dustin's mom called us this morning saying she took him back in this morning real early. They are sure it is the gall bladder and the surgeon will see him tomorrow. He will most likely have the surgery tomorrow. There may be a complication of an infection which will entail more procedures than just the surgery. Please pray for God's guidance with the doctors and staff and that Dustin's dad will make a full and fast recovery. Thanks!**

Dustin

As a teenager I never really dated a lot. I always dreamed of the day that I would have a boyfriend. I was "in love" with the idea of being "in love." I was always attracted to the wrong guys. I remember being in high school and thinking that I would never get married. I longed for the day that I would meet my Prince Charming.

I remember seeing Dustin for the first time at a walleyball outing. He passed me, and I swear, this is the thought that went through my mind..."oh, I'll probably marry someone like him." I had never seen him before and surely didn't talk to him. I was not drawn to him when I first saw him. It is funny because Dustin doesn't remember seeing me that night.

Dustin was the best friend of a guy that I have known since birth. Dustin and this person went to school together and worked at the local market together. This friend of ours had a bible study for young adults at his house and over the next few months Dustin and I saw each other there occasionally.

We did eventually go on a date and let me just tell you that I was one of three dates he had within two days!!! Can you say "player"? So, we went out a couple of times and then I moved away to do missions work for 6 months. Before I came back home, I started thinking about Dustin. I came home in June of '06 and we started dating that summer and have been together ever since. We will celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary this year. Looking back, I am glad that I didn't have a lot of dates when I was a teenager. Dustin was my first real boyfriend and I am happy with the way things turned out! : )

I say all of this because at times I know I take him for granted. Especially lately when I haven't been feeling good due to this pregnancy. I just want to publically say that Dustin is the best husband in the world. He takes such good care of me and Logan. He has helped out so much around the house these passed few months. Just being with him makes me feel better. I also love to watch him with Logan. He is such a good daddy. Logan just lights up when Dustin is around. I can't wait to see Dustin with our new baby. He truly is my Prince Charming and I thank God that he brought us together.

I love you, Dustin and appreciate all you do for me!


**Just wanted to let everyone know that Dustin's grandmother passed away 2 weeks ago. We know she is in Heaven for eternity and find comfort in that. Thank you to all of you who have prayed for her and the family.**

Pregnancy #2

This pregnancy has been quite different than my pregnancy with Logan. I have felt much more sick and have started gagging at EVERYTHING these past few weeks, along with having a horrible taste in my mouth constantly. I must admit that there have been many days where I haven't taken a shower and sometimes haven't even brushed my teeth. I know that is gross, but this is where the gagging comes in (brushing my teeth). Please forgive me if it sounds like I am complaining. That is not how I want to come across. I am very thankful and excited to be pregnant, it has just taken more of a toll on me than my last pregnancy.

In saying all of that, I have had some things go on with this pregnancy that have caused a bit of a scare. Specifically, last Saturday night when Dustin took me to the emergency because I started bleeding a bit. Now, let me say that this was a day when I did manage to take a shower, but did not do my hair or shave my legs...need I say more!!

Let me go back a few days before last Saturday, actually to last Monday (a week ago this past Monday). I had my normal prenatal appointment and we were able to see the baby for the first time on an ultrasound. The heart was beating great! So, fast forward to last Saturday night. I called my doctor and he didn't seem too concerned because of seeing the heart beat earlier that week. I was told that once you see a heart beat that the miscarriage rate drops to 5%. This was 11:30ish pm on Saturday and I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep until I knew that all was O. K. with the baby. Off to the hospital we went.

I mistakenly thought that they would take me back into the ER and do an ultrasound and we would be on our way. WRONG!! I was taken up to maternity triage. After a bit of a wait the doctor came in and examined me and said that all looked good. They did an ultrasound and again saw the baby's heartbeat and it was strong. The ER doctor told me that he was not concerned about the threat of a miscarriage and thought that the bleeding would diminish after a while. They ran a blood test and because of my blood type, specifically the Rh factor, I had to wait and get a shot. So, we arrived at midnight and left at 2:30 am. Oh, did I mention that on the other side of the curtain where I was there was a 20 year old in labor with her first child, throwing up!! Remember my problem with gagging!!! It was not very pleasant, but I did feel for the girl.

Sunday I relaxed all day, meaning no shower! Monday I worked and all appeared to be fine. I did call and check in with my doctor and explained that there was still some spotting. He assured me that he was not concerned and said that if I wanted to come in, he would absolutely see me. I told him that I would give it a few days.

Today, I went in and saw him. He did an ultrasound, again (praise the Lord) the baby was fine. The heart beat was strong. He did however say that he thought the placenta was low. He said he believed that I had placenta previa. This is when the placenta lays completely on or partially over the cervix. When this happens, a vaginal delievery is not an option. This means that most likely I will have to have a C-section.

My doctor assured me that the baby would be fine and I would be fine as well. He said that I may have more spotting issues throughout my pregnancy. This particular condition cannot be completely diagnosed until I am 20 weeks along in my pregnancy.

So, as you can tell it has been quite an eventful couple of days. I feel better knowing what is causing all of this, but on the other hand I am nervous about a C-section. Most importantly, I am thankful that the baby is great. All I can do now is put all of this in the Lord's hands. I pray that if God allows it that the placenta move (I know this is not likely to happen, but we can pray for a miracle) and that God would be with me and the baby during a C-section delivery. As long as the baby is healthy and that I am O. K. then all is good.

My main concern is the recovery from a C-section with a new baby and a toddler that runs around like crazy! I know that Dustin will be here and that both sets of parents and siblings will be here to help too. Thank God for family.

Well, that is my long story for the week. Thanks for reading it all. I pray that you all have a blessed day.

The Party is Over

Logan has been a night owl since he was born. I have said before that I believe it is because he was born at 2:29 am. Logan likes to stay up late and sleep in in the mornings. All of my friends know not to call our house before 10 am. Well, that is all going to change now! You see, I am a working woman now. I started last Friday and I am working at a local athletic club in the day care center. It is only 9 hours a week, but we have to get up and be there by 9 am, 3 days a week.

Friday I went by myself to learn the ropes and today was the first day Logan joined me. I must say it was a bit hard for both of us to wake up and be ready that early. All in all, it was a good time. Logan did very good. I am excited that he will get to interact and play with children his age. Really the only consistant interaction Logan has is with his cousins and as I posted last time, his cousins are going to be moving away. So this is a good thing for us both. I am praying that Logan will learn to share with other children and see his Mommy interacting with other children so that when his baby sister or brother comes along, it won't be such a shock to him.

So, day 1 with Logan went well. Hopefully day 2 will go even better and day 3 even better than that!!

**One a side note, I had posted a little on Dustin's grandma who is in the hospital. They have taken her off of all the machines and medications she was on. She is fading fast and it is just a matter of time. She is a Christian and that brings us comfort to know she is going home to her Savior. Please pray for the family during the weeks to come. Thanks.

My Brother

Growing up Scott and I had the normal love/hate relationship...I loved him and he hated me! Seriously though, we had a normal brother/sister relationship. Since I was the oldest, I tended to "mother" him too much. I believe when he was around 15 or 16 years old, he really started to appreciate me. You see, he would get grounded for life every other day and would come to me and have me talk to our parents. He would want me to talk them out of his punishment so he could hang out with his friends. I know I am painting a picture of my brother that isn't too pretty, but truthfully he is a great brother.

One of the happiest times I had seen my brother was when Dustin announced that he had asked me to marry him. Scott flew across the room and hugged us both. To this day, Scott and Dustin are the best of friends and I am forever grateful for that. In return, Amy and I are also the best of friends.

Scott was called into full time Christian ministry when he was in college. When Scott and Amy were first married they lived 10 hours away from home. Once Zachery was born, the Lord opened up a door and they came home to live and Scott became the youth pastor of a local church. For the past 4 1/2 years my family and Scott's family have lived only a few blocks away. Well, in aobut 6 weeks that is going to change.

The Lord has once again opened up a door for Scott, Amy and the boys to move again to another church with awesome opportunities for them all. Scott and his family will be moving 3 hours from home. While it is hard to see them go, I am thankful that they will only be 3 hours away. We have already planned on monthly visits to see them and Amy and the boys will be here for montly visits too.

Selfishly, I wish they could stay close to us forever. I want to watch our boys grow up and become the best of friends. I want to be able to go down to their house for ice cream and a movie at night. I want Logan and I to be able to go to story time with Amy and the boys and all of us meet for lunch afterward. However, I do understand that my wishes aren't what is best.

While I have enjoyed being so close to them, I understand that God is calling them elsewhere. God has provided for them all along and will continue to provide for them as they go away. I am so proud of the Christian man my brother has become. He is a great youth pastor and does great things for the youth. I know that God is going to use him in a big way at his new church.

Please join with our families in praying for Scott, Amy, Zachery and Caleb as they embark on this new part of their lives. Please pray for God's Will to be done and for an easy transition into
their job and community.

Grandparents

Not all of us have had the blessing of knowing our grandparents. I am very thankful that not only have I been able to know my 3 of my 4 grandparents but I have also been able to know my 3 of 4 of my great-grandparents.

After my younger brother started school, my mom went back to work. During the summers our grandparents took turns taking care of us during the week while our parents worked. I have fond memories of my brother and I spending time with our grandparents. For instance, one night, Scott and I talked our grandpa into tearing down our twin beds and putting the mattresses on the floor for us to sleep on. Then when our grandma and grandpa would take us over to visit our great-grandparents. Or when our other grandma would take us bowling and out to lunch at White Castle. There are many more memories involving my grandparents of when we were older...our graduations, family functions, weddings, etc.

When I was younger, I thought my grandparents would live forever. Them dying never entered my mind. Now, many years later we have been through the deaths of our grandpa and one of our grandmas (our other grandpa died when I was only 7 months old). Our only living grandma is 87 years old and not in good health.

I now hold on to these memories and am so thankful that I have been blessed with Christian grandparents who helped raise us and came to all of our school plays, Little League games, church functions and so on. I miss my grandparents that are now with Jesus, their Savior, but know that are happy and healthy once again. I think about my grandma who is still living and am thankful for all the time we have with her.

I pray that my children will have as great a relationship with their grandparents as I did with my grandparents.

**As I type this, Dustin's grandma is in the hospital and has been for a few months now. Things are not looking good and the doctor's have not given her a lot of time. Please pray with us that she will not suffer and that God's Will be done. Please also pray for the family during this time.**

A Pat on the Back

One of my favorite things about being Logan's mom is that sometimes when I pick him up, he will lay his head on my shoulder and pat my back a few times. I can't begin to tell you what that does to me inside. As I have said before, it took Dustin and I many years of trying before Logan was conceived. There were times when I never thought I would have a child of my own. Dustin never lost faith and I am so thankful for him and his faith and encouragement all those years! We are so thankful for our precious Logan. Being a mother is harder than I ever thought, but it is also so much more fun and rewarding than I every thought it would be. I am so thankful for every little pat on the back that I get from my Logan. It makes me smile on the inside and outside.