Swine flu. . .That's what she has

Waiting in the doc office with Olivia. We've been in the lobby for 55 minutes now. ARGH. . .

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And Baby Makes Five

On Thursday April 23rd, I got a call from my OB's office telling me that there were some abnormalities in some tests they had run when I was admitted to the hospital for the second time for dehydration and severely low blood sugar. The nurse told me that my doctor wanted me to pack my bag for the hospital and bring it with me to my regular weekly appointment because Dr. Phillips was pretty certain I would deliver that day. I frantically started making calls to everyone telling them to be prepared for a baby that very day. I packed my bag and tried to get everything ready for whomever would be home while I was in the hospital. I thought that I had a whole other week before delivery so I hadn't gotten much accomplished quite yet. I got it all done though and anxiously headed for the doctor's office.

Dr. Phillips came in and told me that they were calling l & d to make sure there was a bed for me and room in the schedule for my c-section. She told me she would not be delivering, but Dr. DeRiese, whom had seen me before, would do the delivery. Kaylee and I, again, started calling and texting everyone to tell them we were headed to the hospital and it would be around 1:00 or so that afternoon when I would deliver.

Everyone made it to the hospital safely and visited before I went back to the OR. Chris's family was super excited because it was their first grand baby. After the first hour, I was pretty much oblivious to anyone who was not a doctor or nurse.

Soon, I headed for the OR to get my spinal and to be prepped for surgery. After everything was set and they were about to begin, I started to worry because they had not brought Chris in yet. I loved having him there with me, but I was most concerned that he would miss the actual birth. One nurse finally remembered he was waiting in the hallway and got him in there. He sat at my head and held my hand the entire time. He was so sweet and attentive to me. He was an excited daddy once they finally got her out, but he still sat and held my hand until it was time to take the baby out to see the family. I did get a little sick from the anesthesia, but that's what has happened at four of my five surgeries.

Our sweet baby girl had arrived at 2:34 p.m. after 8 1/2 months of sickness, high and low blood sugar, three hospital stays, and bed rest. She was 9 lbs. 6 ozs. and 20 1/2 ins. long. She had a bit more hair than my other two and it was definitely a lot darker than theirs too. She took a while to go from blueish purple to pink, but when she did, she was for sure my least fair baby. Everyone oohed and awed over her chubby little cheeks and how big she was, but I just thought she was so amazing and beautiful. Even after two other babies, it amazed me that I had a little part in creating her.

They took me back to my room and let me hold her on the way from the operating room. Chris got to give her her first bath and it was so sweet to watch. This was a whole new thing for him. I have to remind myself that from time to time. Carson and Olivia were so excited that she had finally arrived and they already wanted to hold and cuddle her non-stop. They were so sweet.

After a few visitors, the nurse gave everyone the boot because my blood pressure spiked. She turned off the lights and only allowed Chris to stay with me. Several hours later, they moved me to Maternal Fetal ICU because my pressure still wouldn't fall. Most everyone left the hospital because they didn't really want me to have any visitors until my pressure dropped dramatically. I was put on magnesium to help the process along, but it didn't seem to kick in until 24 hours later when my pressure dropped way too low. I was so out of it that they fed Emerson formula because I couldn't even respond well enough to breast feed her.

At around 6 Friday night, I finally got to head to a regular postpartum room and see my family and friends. It was such a relief to be off the weird meds and in a less dramatic environment. I got to nurse Emerson regularly, get out of bed, and thank goodness, take a shower. I got to spend more than thirty minutes with my other kids and the rest of my family. One of the biggest things for me was the fact that I actually got to eat. You see, the morning the doctor's office called, I was just about to eat breakfast, but the phone call stopped me. Since I had a c-section and was pretty much conked out, I only got to have a bit of broth Friday afternoon. Because I hadn't actually had a meal since Wednesday night, hospital food never tasted so good.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon, we got to load up our truck and head home. It was what I had been praying for all weekend. The whole journey of this pregnancy had oh so many ups and downs, but I am so thrilled to have our happy little family of five. We are truly blessed!

Alexandra Nanny Photography

Danielle Patton Photography

Danielle Patton Photography

Danielle Patton Photography

Alexandra Nanny Photography

Alexandra Nanny Photography

Alexandra Nanny Photography

Alexandra Nanny Photography

Danielle Patton Photography

The Joys of Homework in Kindergarten

Just before Spring Break, Carson brought home a note telling about a dinosaur project that would be due the following Thursday. We have had a hard time with what little homework he has had this year because most of the time it comes on Tuesdays. We leave for church at 5:15 or as soon as Chris gets home from work. It makes it really hard to get these assignments all completed for the following day. I was so glad to have about two weeks notice for this project as well. We did not find out about his last project until two days before, so this was a HUGE help, as well as having Spring Break to work on the dino. I asked my mom to brainstorm ideas of a fun and creative display of something dinosaurish. Low and behold, she remembered Kaylee's kindergarten dino project (completed and turned in about sixteen years ago.) She told me that she knew she still had the paper mache bone somewhere, but I never imagined her finding it after all this time. Amazingly, the first place she looked, she found the bone. This was going to save us a ton of time. I couldn't believe it.
We repainted the bone, mostly because it had Kaylee's name written on it. We painted a paper box lid brown, filled it with dirt, and semi-buried the bone. Carson added some moss to the top of the dirt, I wrote out a label for what kind of bone it was, and Carson copied exactly what I wrote plus added his name so everyone would know whose display it was.
He was super excited about taking his project to school. All his other friends had made a dinosaur model out of balloons, cups, paper and all sorts of things, but he was the only one with a giant bone. I was super excited that we didn't have to break out the icky paper mache and make our own. It was lots of fun to work together on a project as a family. Carson and I picked out a project for Olivia while we were at Hobby Lobby gathering supplies. She worked quietly at the table, Carson and Chris shoveled up the dirt, we painted, stuffed moss, laughed and had tons of fun. If only homework could be this much fun for the rest of their lives.

Fish Out Of Water

The first day of Spring Break started with a bit of cleaning. I was picking up the living room and dusting. When I came to the table with the fishbowl on it, I was a little puzzled when I didn't see our fish, Geico, swimming around. I waited until Chris got home for lunch to make sure he hadn't seen it floating and flushed it before the kids noticed. He searched the bowl, as well, to make sure I wasn't crazy. After he confirmed my discovery, we called the kids in to ask if they had any idea what had happened to Geico. Carson said he had no clue while Olivia's eyes roamed the ceiling and she would not answer me at all. I finally made eye contact as she mumbled something. I asked again, "What happened to the fish?" She said, "I dropped it." I replied, "So, you were playing with the fish and you dropped it?" She said yes. I then asked what happened to the fish when she dropped it. Her reply, "I lost it." I can only imagine the poor fish flopping around on the carpet until our sweet little dog, Jackson, decided to have his first taste of seafood. Poor poor Geico. This is our second fish since Carson received the first one for his birthday two years ago. I guess we could have had a lot more pet loss in that amount of time, but I can't imagine the trauma Geico went through from the first time that little four year old hand entered his bowl all the way until a big hairy creature gobbled him up. What a way to go.

The Bible Tells Me So

On Tuesday, I had my third ultrasound. It was no surprise when the technician and doctor both told me Emerson is really big. I have about eight weeks to go, and she's weighing in at 5 1/2 lbs. They were concerned that it's because of my diabetes, but my sugars are under control and have been for a while now. With Carson, I had diabetes, and he came on his due date weighing in at 8 lbs. 14 oz. With Olivia, I did not have diabetes, she was a week early, and weighed in at 8 lbs. 14 oz. If I would have gone full term with her, she could have weighed between nine and ten lbs. My Nanny Bonner had three kids. Her lightest baby was nine lbs. Second lightest was 9 lbs. 8 oz., and my dad was a whoppin' 10 lbs. 15 ozs. Nanny Bonner's dad was born in the early 1900's and weighed 15 lbs, so obviously big babies run in our family. I am not concerned at all that she will be a big baby. I have had two previously, and everything turned out just fine. They are healthy and not suffering any effects from being born big. I just really need the doctors to have wisdom in decision making and the information they give me. I trust in the Lord to protect Emerson and to have a healthy delivery, but this is the first time I have experienced doctors who, to me, seem to be overly cautious. They have said things that make me feel like I am a horrible person for even getting pregnant in the first place. Because I know that Emerson is a gift from the Lord, I can rest assured that he will guard her from all of these things that are spoken over her and automatically assumed to be wrong with her because of my health. I know that she is fearfully and wonderfully made because that is what his word tells me in Psalms 139:14. I also know that, "Every good and perfect gift is from above"(James 1:17.) No matter what the doctors' reports might say, I believe the report of the Lord. Emerson is healthy and strong and all that God has promised us that she will be.

With her arm covering her face, I can tell she
takes after her daddy in the area of shyness.

Still Alive and Kickin'

My 82 year old great uncle was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma about a year ago. His last doctor's appointment was very grim because the cancer was found all over. The doctor only gave him a few more months, but said they could try to remove some of the effected areas including some teeth and part of his jaw so that he might have a little longer. About a week ago, he woke up and told his wife of 62 years, Virginia, that he was feeling a whole lot better than he had in a very long time. They are sweet Christian people who were praying earnestly for an end to his suffering. My great aunt was so very glad to hear that he wasn't going through the same pain he had been for almost twelve months. That same day, he returned to the doctor's office. There was no cancer anywhere in his body. The doctor was so baffled that such a vast amount of cancer could just disappear. Praise the Lord that he had a different plan for my Uncle Coot's life. Even though 82 is a pretty long age to live to, God just isn't ready to see Coot in heaven yet. We still get to keep him and his oneriness for a little while longer. It's so amazing how God's plans are so much more than we or any medical professional can predict and plan for.

No (More) Pets Allowed

Saturday, Chris and I went to the in-laws to visit. One of their labs had another litter of puppies, but only one of five survived. She's a big 'o chunk of cuteness, but the last time I fell for the cuteness of a puppy was close to this time last year. He's now a full grown mini-Schnauzer that we call Jackson. I love him, but taking care of a dog goes way beyond just enjoying their cuteness. You have to clean up after their little accidents, buy them food, treats, have them groomed, bathe them, and go and pick them up when they follow some nice joggers a mile down the road. Of course, against Chris's wishes, I also have to buy clothes for Jackson to wear. It's just too darn cute some of the things they have for dogs to wear these days. I have definitely learned my lesson about picking up a puppy and looking into his sweet little eyes and falling head over heels in love.

Anyway, we weren't even able to visit with Chris's mom and dad because Olivia kept bugging them about holding the puppy. She couldn't wait for her to finish nursing so she could cuddle with her. It really was so cute to see her with the puppy. She was so gentle and sweet. Just like a little mommy. After the puppy was put back with her mama, Olivia informed Chris and I that she didn't want to have a baby sister anymore. She wants a baby puppy instead. It was funny at the beginning, but as she kept on saying over and over again that she didn't want the baby in my tummy, I started thinking of that sweet little puppy that she and Carson loved so much those first couple of months but then lost interest in once he jumped on them, chewed up one of their toys, and pooped on their bedroom floor. Besides the fact that we can't keep Emerson in my tummy until Olivia is over her puppy fetish, we are not getting another dog. We barely have enough room for the four of us and the one dog we have now. We're still not certain where we will even be putting Emerson once she gets here. No way are we gonna bring home another dog, especially a lab that gets about a hundred times bigger than it is now.

Sorry, Olivia, but your sweet little sad face isn't gonna get you your way this time. Ready or not, Emerson is gonna be here a couple months from now. I, personally, can't wait. Like everything else our four year old gets her heart set on, this puppy thing will be gone in a week or so and she'll move on to a new obsession. Let's just hope it's something that doesn't take quite so much care and attention as an adorable puppy.

Jackson in the only outfit I could talk Chris into since it has to do with racing.

Am I Only Dreaming?

Being married to a very sound sleeper has had it's frustrations, but my biggest concern was having help with the baby when she wakes in the middle of the night. Some mornings I feel like I need a bulldozer just to get Chris out of bed, but last night I had a revelation. I am a stomach sleeper, so these last few months have been some rough nights with little sleep because obviously, I can't sleep on my tummy. I have managed to find a comfy spot on each of my sides that seems to do the trick, but when it's time to roll over, I have to lift my whole body and carefully maneuver to the opposite side. It's been a real pain to get back to sleep after all this maneuvering takes place, but I've managed. Apparently, last night, I was sleeping so soundly that I completely forgot that I have a huge protrusion on my front side. I decided just to roll on over it like it doesn't even exist. Boy was that a HUGE mistake. I screamed out in pain. Chris jumped up, grabbed me, and asked me if I was alright. I have never seen him move so fast. After the pain subsided and I was able to get comfy again, sleep didn't come easy, but I got to thinking that when it's Chris's turn to get up with Emerson, I'll just scream out in pain to get him up and moving. He'll then realize that the baby's crying, jump up, and resume with his Daddy duty. HA! We will see how this goes over in a couple of months. I imagine my pregnancy brain has moved into fantasy land, but there's always hope, right?
Big 'o belly at 29 weeks...they are concerned about her size so I will be having another ultrasound in a couple of weeks. It's no surprise to me though. Big babies just run in our family. My Nanny Bonner's smallest was 9 lbs. My dad weighed 10 lbs 15 ozs, and his grandpa was 15 lbs. It's just what my dad's side of the family does... plumbing and making big babies.

***UPDATE*** Kari Jobe***

I just found out last night that Kari will be leading worship at Trinity Church on Sunday March 8th at the 9:45 and 11:15 services, plus at the Encounter service Sunday night at 6 pm. I really encourage you to attend if you can. It will be a fantastic time of praise and worship.

Powerful Video

Kari Jobe has a HUGE heart for Jesus and pours it out in every one of her songs. I found this amazing video of one of her new songs, "I'm Singing." It has real people sharing some powerful ups and some heartbreaking downs, but they all proclaim that they are still singing to the Lord despite their current circumstances. Sometimes, especially at this very time in my life, I feel like things are out of control, going downhill, and I just want to give up, but if just one of these people can go through the pain they have in their lives and continue to praise, I am pretty sure that my piddly little issues are not too big for me to push to the side, get over myself, and worship the maker of heaven and of earth. This video was a real wake-up call for me this morning. I really feel the Lord telling me that no matter how bad things may seem, he has called me to worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and to praise him at all times (Psalm 34:1). All the stuff I'm facing right now cannot possibly be fixed if I'm not trusting in him to fix it, not asking Him for his guidance and miraculous power, and not fulfilling my destiny as the worshiper he has made me to be. Thank you, Lord, for this divine revelation.

2 Weeks Already?

In just two short days, Kolie will turn two weeks old. I can't believe it's been that long since this tiny little blessing came into the world. She is so sweet. She is so tiny. She is just amazing. I knew it would be different to have your own children and then have a niece or nephew, but sometimes I find myself doing the same things I did when I first had my own. Obviously, I don't have to be up with her in the middle of the night, bathe her when she poops all over herself, her clothes, and her bedding, or spend countless hours in pain just to get her here; however, I still just sit and stare at her as she sleeps, jump up to check on her whenever she makes any little peep, and just hold her as close as I can for as long as I can. Now I understand why my kids love their aunts so much. They spoil them and then send them home. I can't wait til Kolie's a little older and I can do to her what my sisters have been doing to my kids all these years...spoiling them rotten.

Preggo Belly Saves The Day

It's been one of those weeks where some kind of sickness gets ahold of me and just won't let go. After struggling to breath, blowing my nose like crazy, and wiping my watery eyes, I decided to head to the clinic for some meds. I was second in line, so this made it seem like it would be a great day after all. The doctor came in so fast, that I was really impressed. He looked in my ears, nose, throat, and listened to my chest. He never said what it was that I had but just told me it was going around. He prescribed me an antibiotic and a cough medicine, and I was on my way out the door in less than fifteen minutes. Pretty amazing, huh? On my way out, apparently the doctor took a good look at me and noticed I was carrying a little extra weight up front. He glanced over at the paper the nurse had filled out and saw where it said I was 24 weeks pregnant and have gestational diabetes. How could he have missed these two very important pieces of information? He called me back so that he could change my prescriptions to something that was safer for Emerson and me. I'm just glad he noticed me as I walked out or I would have been taking something that is not meant for pregnant women.

I decided it was too cold to get out again and wait for the prescriptions to be filled, so I just headed back home to get in my warm bed. I text Chris to see if he would pick my medicine up before he came home for lunch. He agreed, of course. A little after noon, I got a call from him asking me if I was suppose to have three medications. No, it was only one. Apparently the doctor had not canceled the first two out when he sent in the correct one. Here Chris was being asked to pay $115, after insurance, for two meds I didn't even need. The pharmacist did not know for sure which of the two antibiotics was the correct one, so I ended up not getting the medicine until later that afternoon when Chris got off work because the pharmacy was waiting to confirm the correct medicine with the doctor. It ended up only costing us $15 for the medicine, but that was the only good thing to come out of this whole mess.

So here I am, back at work. I'm still not feeling so hot, but at least I've got some medication that won't harm my unborn child, right? Let's hope so.

Kolie Renee

After a long hard day, Morgan smoothly delivered a sweet baby girl at 3:53 pm. Kolie Renee weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 ozs. and was 20.5 inches long. She is just amazing. It was a really blessed time with our family and friends all gathered together awaiting her arrival and then celebrating when the moment finally came. Morgan looked like her normal thin, energetic self right after delivery. She was definitely all baby. She was so brave and amazing all through the day. I hate having to be here at work today and can't wait to get off and go see my sweet little niece and my amazing sister.

Kaylee and I will definitely be fighting over the role of favorite aunt.

Morgan was a beaming new mommy and Olivia was
super thrilled about her cousin, hence the cheesy grin.

Oh, Baby

Tomorrow's the day. Kolie Ann will come on out to meet and greet us. Our family is so excited to have a new little member. Morgan is ready to pop and just can't wait to meet her sweet little girl. I am super excited about being an aunt. After all these years that my sisters have been spoiling my kids, I get to take part in a little spoiling of my own. I can't wait to post pics of baby Kolie and the rest of our family loving on her. Please pray for Morgan throughout the day today and tomorrow. She goes in tonight to be monitored so they will know how to proceed tomorrow morning. There have been some minor complications with her cervix closing up and Kolie flipping back around to the breech position, but we are praying that this will be fixed and everything will go smoothly. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for my little sis throughout these past few months, and I will be updating you guys as soon as I can peel myself away from my cute little niece.

Morgan and her high school besties

The shower cake

One of many adorable outfits
Morgan opened at her shower

That Didn't Take Long

I got to see my Nanny last night at a 50th birthday party. It really wasn't too surprising that she was up and at 'em after having a lumpectomy yesterday. She's always so tough, but what did surprise us was that the doctor tried to give her some pain medication for the next few days, and she told him she had no use for it. All day yesterday she said she had no pain whatsoever. She was back to her old self again less than twenty four hours after her surgery. So far, it looks like she's cancer free! Praise the Lord!!!

Our First Upward Experience

Carson has been begging to play basketball for the past two years, but the only league he was old enough for was LCAA. Our previous experiences with them were not great, so we decided to make him wait. Now the time had come for him to play Upward. He was counting down the days from sign-up to his first practice to his first game. He was super excited. Olivia had just finished Fall soccer, but Upward also has cheerleading available starting with four year olds. We decided to go ahead and sign her up as well thinking it would give her something to do during his games. After a few practices and being frustrated with her coach, we got a schedule for both of them. To our surprise, Olivia does not cheer at one of Carson's games the whole season. The cheer teams rotate cheering for girls and boys at each of the two gyms. Now our Saturdays consist of basketball in the morning and cheer in the afternoon or vise versa. Carson's first game was Saturday at 8:30 am, and Olivia didn't cheer until 5:30 that afternoon. What a mess, but boy was it fun to watch.

Carson hustled pretty well, but all the boys had a hard time with offense and defense because they normally practice on a fourth of the court. Games are played on half of the court, so they got confused quite often when their team got the ball. You can't press either, so when the other team would get the ball, they'd have to stop the game, get the defense to the other end of the floor, and then proceed from there. It was quite hilarious to watch the action. Carson had a very hard time on offense. The boys are matched up according to how they scored in their tryouts. They are given a colored wristband that matches the boy they have to guard the entire time. He would find his yellow guy and guard him the entire time, on defense and offense. It was hysterical. He would be down in defensive position with his back to the ball whenever his team was bringing it down the floor. He had a ton of fun though, so we can work out the rest of the details later.

This was his position the entire game Passing the ball in He got a little bored on the bench

Olivia looked super cute in her cheer uniform. She was also very excited about her first game. She kept asking on the way to and at Carson's game if we brought her megaphone, pom poms, and cheer suit. We had to explain over and over again that it wasn't her turn yet, but once her game arrived, we couldn't calm her down. She did so good yelling and saying the cheers, but it was sort of hard to put it all together with the motions. The boys who were actually playing ball were in like 5th grade or so. They were HUGE compared to these tiny 4-6 year old girls who were cheering for them, but the girls were not deterred. They yelled their loudest and put on a great show. It was also a lot of fun to watch.





Although the scheduling makes for a long and full Saturday, it's so worth it to see my kids out there doing what they love to do.

A Legacy of Faith

My sweet sweet grandma, June, has been plagued with physical difficulties for the past twenty years. My grandpa has been told numerous times that she won't make it through surgery or illness, but every time we have prayed for her healing, and she has recovered. She was diagnosed with pancreatitis in 1992. Her dead pancreas was rotting inside of her and infecting her entire body. After 52 days in the hospital, my grandpa was told that she would not make it through surgery if they removed the pancreas, but if they left it, she would die of infection. That night, my grandpa laid hands on her and prayed for her complete and total healing. The next morning, she was sitting up in bed (which she had not done in almost two months.) When Papa asked if she was alright, she said that she felt fine but her colostomy bag was really heavy. Upon inspection, they found that her dead pancreas had come out during the night and was stuck in the tube just above the bag. The doctors were amazed that this even took place, but were even more astonished at her recovery. She should not have been able to live without a pancreas, but with the help from insulin shots, she has lived almost seventeen years. Shortly before this, she and my grandpa survived a roll down a 40 foot embankment in a motorhome. All that was left of the motorhome was the chassis, but all four people inside walked away with scratches and bruises. About six months ago, she had surgery to untangle her intestines. She suffered infections and other drawbacks after the surgery. She is still recovering and is definitely not back to her old self, but just to be alive is a miracle because of the mess her bowels were in.

A couple months ago, she found a lump on her breast and had a biopsy done. Last Monday, her doctor called to tell her it was breast cancer. She told me later on that afternoon, but she seemed unphased by the news. I hugged her and told her I was sorry and that we would pray for another miracle, but once the kids and I got in the car, I lost it. This is the first time a family member has been diagnosed with cancer, so we are really blessed in that aspect, but our very dear friend, Kenny, died three short years ago from colon cancer. He was only 47. Cancer really sucks! It brings the strongest grown-ups to a level of sickness and weakness that is devastatingly painful to bear and to watch your loved one go through. It takes over every aspect of their lives, and there's really nothing that anyone can do about it but pray.

After an MRI, they discovered that it has not spread anywhere else so they gave the option of a lumpectomy, only removing the lump with a chance that it will grow back, or a total mastectomy, removing her whole breast so there's no chance of regrowth. My grandma didn't have to think twice about her decision. She told them to just remove the lump because, "by the time it were to grow back, I'll be dead and in heaven anyway." She is so strong and in no way fearful of what will happen. She fully trusts in the Lord and His faithfulness to heal her once again. This is the legacy that she will leave with us once it finally is her time to go, but more than anything, I hope to be so strong and so unwavering in my faith no matter what the enemy throws my way.

Please pray for my Nanny today as she is having this procedure done. The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me. Hopefully it won't be too long before I have a follow-up with testimony of this very thing.

Pregnancy Brain Strikes Again

I was nominated to be in charge of Morgan's baby shower, so obviously I would be doing the invitations considering making event invites is a small side job I have. I made a cute little layout on her favorite green colored paper, found a sweet little poem about the baby, and added all the info. I printed out fifty or so invites, picked out backgroud paper and ribbon, and started creating. After trying to coordinate with ten other hostesses, we changed the time only once from 1-3pm to 3-4:30. No big deal, right? Well, I hand delivered the hostesses' to them on Saturday at another baby shower I attended. When I got home later that afternoon, I received a call from my cousin informing me that her invite said 3-4:30 and her sister's said 1-3. When I looked back at my left over print outs, I discovered that I only changed the time on one half of the layout, so half the invites went out with the wrong time. I could not believe that I did this. Out of all the invitations I have made over the years, I have never made a mistake like this. I spent yesterday making postcards to mail out to everyone with the correct time. So instead of saving money by hand delivering the hostesses' invitations, I had to spend 27 cents to mail out each of the thirty something cards with the right time. This pregnancy brain thing is really causing me some trouble. What is it about having a baby in your tummy and not being able to focus and use common sense?

Baby Ladybug

A month or so ago, Olivia told me that she wanted to have a baby sister and she wanted her name to be Baby Ladybug. She later told me that if it was a boy, it should be named Baby Grasshopper. I told her they were cute names and just sort of played along with it thinking it would change by the end of my pregnancy or even by the time we found out the baby's sex. A couple of weeks later, we were on our way home from church and were talking about baby names. I asked the kids if they liked the name Emerson for a girl. Olivia turned up her nose and said that she didn't like the name at all. When I told her that if the baby was a sister, her name would be Emerson, she started crying. I couldn't believe her little heart was broken. She cried and cried saying that she wanted the baby's name to be Baby Ladybug. When I suggested that maybe she get a new baby doll for Christmas and name her Baby Ladybug, she told me that that was going to be her baby sister's name. I then tried to ease her pain by suggesting she could call the baby Baby Ladybug but her name would be Emerson (If you know me well enough, you might have heard me on my soap box about baby names. It's one of my biggest pet peeves- naming your child one thing and calling them something else.) Chris has definitely heard this argument several times, so he was surprised that I would even mention this. Despite my ideas, Olivia didn't buy any of my suggestions. She just cried and kept crying that her sister's name would be Baby Ladybug. She eventually stopped crying, but it took some time.

It seems like we had to wait forever, but my ultrasound appointment finally came. We went ahead and took Carson and Olivia with us so they could see the baby. They did really good behavior wise. The baby just moved around so much that it took the technician a really long time to get all the proper measurements, so by the time she revealed the sex, both kids had long checked out of the appointment and were playing with their toys. Chris finally got their attention and told them that it was a baby girl. Carson stomped his foot and said, "Oh man. Ugh. I want to go live somewhere else." He would have left the room if we would have let him. He was not wanting to hear he was having another sister. It was quite funny.

The next morning, Carson and I were the first ones up. He hopped in the chair with me and said, "Mommy, I'm okay now about having a sister." I said, "Oh good. What was wrong yesterday that you didn't want another sister?" He looked at me so seriously and told me, "I was just tired. I hadn't had a nap, so I was tired, but I had a good night's rest and I'm alright now." I couldn't believe that my almost six year old was saying such a grown up thing.

Now we are all four super excited about our baby girl who will be arriving in early May. Every night, both Carson and Olivia kiss my tummy goodnight and say, "I love you Emerson Lou," so I think hearts are mended and well rested. It's all good now.
Here's a 3D of our Emerson Lou- a.k.a. Baby Ladybug

Lou is after Chris's grandmother, Betty Lou and his mom, Shirley Louise

My 6 Boy

On December 27th, Carson turned six years old. It's so hard to believe, but he's really growing up right before our eyes. He's been telling us to call him "6 boy" whenever we see him. He told my mom yesterday, "Grancie, you haven't said 'hey, 6 boy' to me in a while." It's just so cute, but also so grown up sounding. It's hard to believe he's in kindergarten now, reading and adding and subtracting. I never thought this time would come at all. It seems like just yesterday he was crawling and then walking and then running and now he's playing basketball, Nintendo DS, and putting together model dinosaurs. I wouldn't trade this time for those baby moments though. It's so fun to ride in the car and hear him reading signs and other things he sees around and having to return pants to the store because the size that fit him the week before are now several inches too short. It's just so amazing how time flies by.

On Saturday, his actual birthday, we let him pick where he wanted to eat lunch and then we went to Main Event to play Glow Golf. It was so much fun to watch both Carson and Olivia try their hardest to put the ball in the hole and not wanting any help to accomplish their goal. Then, they heard their favorite song "Move It, Move It" from Madagascar. They were so adorable dancing and singing without a care in the world. It really was a great day.

On Sunday, we invited some friends and family to have lunch at 50th Street Caboose. We had cookie cake and opened presents, but the biggest gift he got was a $300 mini dirt bike from my mom and dad and Chris and I. You know it was not my idea, for sure. My dad came across it and really wanted to get it for Carson. I was a bit apprehensive, but Dad, Chris and my brother in law, Stephen, were all assuring me it was safe and they would supervise at all times. Carson and Olivia both loved the bike and were ready to head home and ride it. Of course, we still don't have a helmet yet, so it has not even been turned on. I think I'm hoping everyone forgets about it for a while, or at least til he's a little bigger.

He does not like to have everyone looking at and singing to him,
so he gets all shy and embarrassed every time it's "Happy Birthday" time