Baby P's Ultrasound Results

Dh and I went to the doctor on Tuesday morning bright and early for my 20 week ultrasound.  I was still quite nervous, because I was worried something would be wrong with the baby.  We knew we would be happy no matter if it was a boy or girl, but we  were both leaning towards wanting another girl.

We were called back pretty promptly, which was good, since all the water I drank in preparation was urging me to run to the restroom LOL. The tech explained there were things she couldn't tell us and what she could, she would.  She pointed out body parts as we went along, and it was so cool to see the baby's heart actually beating.

She took a lot of pictures and here's one of the baby's face.

After 20 minutes or so, she began trying to find out Baby P's gender and it wasn't an easy task! The baby was moving around like a little Frog! Finally she got a picture, paused and turned to us and said calmly:

It' a Girl!

We were of course happy and came home with quite a few pictures of  baby girl, but now it's on to the name game!!

Christmas & Baby Updates

Christmas has come and gone but it was wonderful. :) Stress free, enjoyable and spent quality time with our family. It really doesn't get any better than that. My favorite gift this year was definitely the time spent with family I had not seen in over a year. They arrived on Tues. night very late and we spent four days with them. They were good to the girls, Santa was good to the girls and we are just very blessed.

The girls love all their presents and can't make up their minds which ones to play with more often. Some of them still have not been opened up yet....we still have the rest of this week before school starts back. I told them to spread it out, enjoy what you have now and play with something new later this week. The house is a disaster with toys all over, but I don't care.. today anyways!

Went to my 20 week appointment today, so far so good. I have lost a couple pounds since my last visit, which actually makes me not have gained anything since I got pregnant. Good I suppose, since I am still wearing my same clothes. I think I weigh less than I did before I got pregnant actually. I am sure it will show up and will probably be overnight! I was like that with J, didn't really start gaining until about 6 to 7 months. Thankfully the doctor gave me some antibiotics for this cold I can't seem to get rid of. I've had it for over a month now, so once I start the meds, I hope to feel better soon.

Tomorrow is the big ultrasound at 9 am. Still nervous and anxious, but so far everything is good. The heartbeat is strong, my blood screenings all came back normal, and I think I am starting to feel the baby move around occasionally. I will feel alot better when I feel him/her move constantly.

Stay tuned for the big announcement tomorrow....or I hope to anyways! Let's pray baby cooperates :)

Christmas Time, Christmas Time

It's almost Christmas time! Hard to believe in 4 days it will all over, well the presents opened and the kids begging to open up all the boxes so they can play with said toys. Christmas dinner will be cooking and hopefully we'll be able to relax and enjoy! This year has flown by and soon it'll be the New Year.

I am done shopping for the kids and hubby but still have a few more gifts I need to buy and soon! I am dreading going to the store, I know it'll be insanely busy. I have went the last two weekends and it's not been bad.... but we now in the week of Christmas. Hubby and I bought each other new cell phones, Blackberry Curves. They were on sale at Best Buy and he knew I had been wanting one for almost a year now. I love it, it's violet and pretty! He's pretty in love with his too. :)

I love the holiday season, getting Christmas cards in the mail and sometimes the kids get unexpected gifts, like today. I have a dear friend, and she knows who she is, who sent my girls a package for Christmas. They opened it today when J got home and they are so excited to read about your home state. :) It brought some tears to my eyes, because I miss you bunches and because across the miles you are wonderful to us all. Thank you for brightening their day! Loved the Christmas card too. :)

Family will be arriving on Wednesday, to say we are excited is not enough lol. The girls can't wait to see their Nana, Papa and Aunt L. It's been a year and half, since we were in Hawaii, so it'll be a nice visit . Also, as long as things go well and as planned my mom will be back in the mainland by March. Super excited about that, she'll be here for the baby to be born!

On the baby front, I seem to be feeling better most days. Still having a few issues in the evening but not nearly as bad as before. Our big ultrasound is scheduled for the 29th of this month. I am ready... but nervous as well. Just praying that everything is good with the little bean!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all!

14 days and counting

Until the "big" ultrasound....that's right two weeks from today, hopefully we'll know that we are having a healthy boy or girl. It doesn't seem possible I am 18 weeks pregnant and almost halfway there. As much as I hate to admit it, I have not really enjoyed this pregnancy thus far. There has been alot of issues off and on, being sick the entire time, and dead tired, not exactly the picture perfect final pregnancy I was hoping for.

In most recent news, I came down with a stomach bug, that lasted 12 hours last Thursday. Oh I was soo very sick, and could not keep anything down. Hubby was worried so he called the dr and they sent me straight to labor & delivery. I was very dehydrated, so much they had trouble finding a vein to give me the IV. After several unsuccessful attempts they finally got it in, my arm is now bruised in several places and it hurts. My dr decided I needed to stay overnight, so I was admitted. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I know it was for the best. Thankfully once I was admitted I no longer was sick, but wasn't allowed anything but ice chips that night and clear liquids the next morning. I was able to progress to jello and soup by mid morning and finally a real lunch and was released around 3.

The rest of the weekend I spent at home trying to recoup and feel better for work this week. I did manage to get a little Christmas shopping done on Sunday, but was exhausted and not feeling well by the time we were done. I am 95% done shopping, just need to get the stockings done for the girls and buy something for some family members. However I still need to wrap it ALL. Well I have 10 days left lol :)

Not much else is going on, just getting ready for the holiday and the last 2 days of work. Then I will be off for two weeks and enjoy some family time. Thankfully when I return to work in Jan, I will only be working two days a week. I am looking forward to it!

Winter Wonderland

Well not exactly but close enough! We had our first "snow day" of the season, I know in Alabama!! I even took pics to prove it did happen! :) See below!

Isn't it pretty? We got approximately half an inch and some areas got a whole one lol. Ok moving on, now that we have established it DOES snow in Alabama. :)

I went to the dr last Monday for my 16 week check up, and I can't believe how the time is flying by. They were a little concerned I was a bit dehydrated and I just knew I would end up at L&D getting fluids, but bless their hearts, I got to stay home. I just had to drink alot of water and rest, so I have been.

They scheduled my next appointment and my ultrasound appointment! WOOT, I go back Dec 28 & Dec 29- U/S appt. So excited, and hopefully we'll find out what this little bean is! I was only slightly disappointed it wasn't before Christmas, since I was hoping to tell my family while there were here.

So my dad has guessed what gender everyone is going to have and so far he's been right on all accounts...scary eh! So I asked him what his prediction was, he said " I would like for you to have a little boy now, but I think it's a girl". So we'll see if he's on a winning streak lol.

No other news to report, just waiting to drop down some days at work, so I can relax more and get caught up on stuff. I could vent about the bank that we had to deal with but I am not going to bother, it'll just make me mad again!

Until next time...

Thanksgiving Weekend

Wishing you a Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here at home, the four of us plus my dad and my father in law. Surprisingly it went off without a hitch! Had alot of yummy foods, made my first sweet potato casserole, it was not to bad. The girls had a nice time visiting with their two grandpas. Today we are heading over to my sister in laws for our next turkey dinner, ummm can we say turkey overload?! Though I think they will have ham too, so maybe I'll have some of that instead....oh who am I am kidding, I love turkey.

I just can't believe we are already at the end of November and Christmas will be here in less than a month. A month? um hello, I have way to much shopping and prep work to do for that to happen! The good thing about it though is my mom, sister and stepdad will be here for Christmas. So excited, it's been a year and half since we last saw in them in Hawaii. It'll be nice to spend the holiday with them.

Baby update, things seem to be going ok at this point. Morning sickness still comes and goes, which has worn out its welcome, but I am surviving. I'll be 16 weeks on Monday, and go back to the dr then. I am hoping they will schedule my 20 week appt and ultrasound as well, and just maybe we'll be able to find out what gender this little bean is. :) Though knowing our luck in the past, they will not be able to tell.....ugh. I thought it would be a nice Christmas surprise to tell our families, so we'll see. Just about everyone knows now I am pregnant, though I still have a few friends who do not know, because I haven't seen them yet.

On the work front, it's going ok. I am getting more and more tired already...I thought the second trimester was the energy one??? I am missing that lol. I did tell them though I wanted to drop to two days a week as soon as possible. I am so behind on things I really need to cut back so I can get caught up, both playgroup and girl scout wise.

Not much else to report here, just busy getting ready for Christmas already. The tree is up and decorated as well as the stockings and a few indoor decorations. I want to do some outside stuff, but we'll see if I can get hubby to agree!

Get Over it Already!

Let me start by staying this is a vent and if you don't want to read it, then skip it.

Get Over It! That's what I want to say to some people right now. Point blank, I am busy, I am tired, I am pregnant and can't get to every single thing YOU want me to do right when YOU want it done. I wait on people ALL the time to do stuff and hope it gets done, but the one time I am not ready, everyone wants to have a conniption fit. Get OVER it already. It'll get done, but in case anyone forgets, I work Mon-Fri, and not able to get online until after 3pm if then and sometimes not until after dinner and still have to help with homework, do Girl Scout stuff and try to figure out dinner as well, give me a break OK?!

I have a zillion emails I need to answer, girl scout meetings to plan, try to attend an event once a month, get ready for visitors for Thanksgiving and there just isn't enough time. I need to get Christmas lists together for family who is asking about things for the girls, I need to start Christmas shopping for the girls, and well there is a ton of other things I need to do but they'll have to wait.

Since I started working, my 'friendships' have become non existent, and I feel pretty out of the loop and often left out. I thought I would be in control when I started working but I have fallen down on so many levels. I rarely see my friends and when I do, I don't feel connected to them anymore. Sigh, table for pity party of 1 please.

On a brighter note, dh and I went on a date night this past Friday night. We went to the Melting Pot for dinner and it was devine. We skipped the main course, had cheese fondue, salad and dessert and it was the perfect amount of food. I can't wait to go back! We did manage to get a little Christmas shopping done for the girls but came home a littler early because I was so tired. Saturday we all went up to Monte Sano for a picnic and playtime, the weather has been gorgeous, so we took advantage of it.

Vent over and now I hope the rest of my day doesn't drive me insane.

November Rain

Well not really.....yet. However I am sure the rain is coming soon enough, because the weeks and weeks of rain we had was not enough. I was beginning to think we had relocated to Seattle. :)

October has come and gone and it went by pretty fast, though for the most part I was sick and not feeling well. I managed to work as much as I could but still am not sure what I am going to do as far as staying or dropping down some days. I am so exhausted now, even at 12 weeks, I just don't know that I can continue working 5 days, keep up with meetup (which I am way behind on) and continue doing Girl Scouts as well. I need some sanity and it doesn't seem to be anywhere.

The girls had a good Halloween, J was a vampiress and H a cute witch. Our neighborhood doesn't seem to do the candy thing, maybe the lack of kids, so we went to one down the street. We only went on the outer road around it and it took 2 hours and they came back with loaded bags of candy! Needless to say they were excited. We tried to go downtown earlier in the day for some event that was "supposed" to be fun, but we were not impressed and left after about 10 mins. It took longer to get there and back than they had stuff to do. Two thumbs down from us.

This past Monday I had my 12 week checkup at the doctor. I had been worried since the couple weeks before when I had to go to L&D and be put on bedrest for a week. However the dr was able to find the heartbeat, it was around 155. She also is putting me on some blood pressure pills since it seems to be high every time I go in. Sigh, I need to find a new family dr too, but our insurance changes in Jan, so I am worried about finding one. I go back in 4 weeks, I'll be at 16 weeks then, and then in another 4, I'll be able to get my next "big" ultrasound! :)

Other than that I have just been battling a head cold for about a week now. Having issues sleeping since I can't breathe well and even during the day hasn't been great. I have been going to bed at 9 pretty much every night this week, which has helped but I hate going to bed so early, because that is the time I use to get caught up. What's another week, when you are already 2 weeks behind anyway?

Overdue for an update

Sometimes I do not realize how long it's been since I have last posted and then other times I am just to lazy lol but that doesn't help my few readers I do have. :) So this post will be updates a plenty because last time I posted was over a month ago, eek!

Where do I start? Do I tell you how work is doing, school, Girl Scouts or the fact I am a little over 10 weeks pregnant? As you read that sentence, I can hear you saying duh lol so we'll start with the pregnant thing. ;) Baby #3 is on the way, edd is May 18 a few days after my 33rd birthday should we make it that far. This was kinda a surprise, not a surprise as in we haven't been TTC, but as in it's been over a year and half of trying and after a miscarriage in Feb, just surprised it finally happened. We found out early in Sept (right after I started working) and it's been a couple issues here and there since morning sickness has been kicking my butt in the first 8 weeks. Then on top of that I have had some spotting issues and landed at the L&D floor last Thurs. night for 5 hours. Thankfully everything seemed OK and the baby's heartbeat was around 180. My next appointment isn't until Nov 2, so I really don't have anything else to add, except keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a healthy 9 months. :)

Work is going OK, but I am in a bind on trying to figure out what to do. I have missed quite a few days to being so sick, and then my Dr put me on modified bed rest this week so no work. I really don't know how much longer I can do it, I am so tired all the time, it's hard for me to get up and moving at 6 am right now and plus the spotting issues. I am trying to figure out if I will just drop to a few days a week or quit...I really need to decide so I can let them know. DH is supportive either way, which is great, but also makes the decision harder to make. Thoughts?

The girls are still doing well with school. J is in drama club, she had "auditions" Tues. this week, so we'll find out in a couple weeks what part she got. I hope she enjoys it, whatever it ends up being. H loves her teacher and going to school and she's learning so much, I am glad we decided to put her into a MDO program. She misses her playgroup friends (as I do too) but overall the adjustment has gone well.

Life is busy as normal, we are gearing up for our annual group Halloween party, it should be fun. It's alot of work for us organizers but the end result is always awesome and the kids love it. We haven't made it to the pumpkin patch this yr, yet.... I am still hoping to fit a trip in before Halloween, somehow. I think we'll go one afternoon, since it's a little cheaper then. The girls have both chosen something different for Halloween costumes this year, kind of surprised about that. Normally they want to be girly, princess type things but this year H is going to be a witch (cute) and J a vampiress. I'll be sure to post pictures soon.

So that's us in a nutshell for now, will try to do better about posting!

Updates a plenty

Well I am finishing up my first 2 weeks of work, and all is going well. It's a really easy job, sometimes busy and sometimes not. Everyone is super nice and helpful and H loves going to school everyday. I sure hope that continues next yr into Kindergarten!

Though I am glad to have a job, I am sure missing all my mom friends and playdates! I really need to start going to some more moms night outs, so I can still be connected to everyone. I haven't been to anything in over 15 days! I need to schedule a dinner out soon and a craft night at my house.

I am now trying to prepare for Girl Scouts, we had our parent meeting today. Everyone showed up and we got all the paperwork filled out and in two weeks the girls will be meeting for the first time. We have alot to cover so hopefully they all are able to come. J was excited to see some of her friends today, she didn't know they were coming over hehe, I like surprises! I am looking forward to a fun year with them and hope they love it and learn as well.

We are in the process of trying to get estimates on our roof, it has hail damage from all the storms that came in early this spring. So far we have had 2 including the insurance adjuster, so we want to get a couple more and go from here....but are having a hard time getting people to call back. I am sure they are busy too, since there is alot of people getting new roofs. I just want mine done sooner than later when even more rain comes.

In other news we need a new a/c unit :( Ours is about on its last leg lol, it keeps freezing up and not working properly. I am sure it needs some freon but that will not fix the issue. I am hoping once tax time comes we can get this done, I hate to wait until then but the money is tied up until then. If it's not one thing going wrong it's another!

Back to Work!

Finally a job offer! Picture me doing the happy dance. :)

I have mentioned in a couple of posts that I have been looking for a part time or full time job depending on the pay and finally got an offer today on what seems to be the "perfect job". It's at H's school, Mon-Fri 8:30 to 1:30, all the same holidays/days off as the school J goes to. You know what is even better?? H gets to go full time for FREE and I still get paid! Oh yah, that's what I am talking about!

If all goes as planned I will start the Tues after Labor Day, least that is the plan. The only thing that could throw a wrench in this plan is the flu. J come down with a fever yesterday morning which hasn't let up and overall pretty miserable, sore throat, coughing etc. So off to the ped office we went, and she tested positive for the flu. Now we don't know if its the "regular" flu or the "swine" aka "H1N1" flu since they aren't subtyping it but they are treating it the same, tamiflu it is. I feel really bad for her, she's been laying around for 2 days now and doesn't seem to be feeling any better. I hope after a few days of meds she will be on the road to recovery.

H is adjusting well to school, she loves going and is excited about going everyday like big sister. This makes the job transition even better and it'll probably help that she'll likely see me a couple times through out the day. We are working on eating better for lunch time, some days she does ok and others not so much. Baby steps.

J seems to be enjoying school as well, and is excited about starting back to Girl Scouts in Oct. I am the Junior Scout leader for her troop. On top of that I have been asked to be the Troop Organizer for Providence School. Hmm I may just be a glutton for punishment. My current "jobs" : HMMT Organizer, NJM Asst Organizer, Troop Leader, Troop Organizer, Mom, Wife and yes soon to be Program Aide part time. If you never hear from me again, you'll know why!

I'll check in soon with updates on how work and Girl Scouts are going :)

School, Jobs & Life

School is underway for the girls, so far so good. Hailey likes her teacher and school and loves to come home and tell me what they did for the day. Since starting school though she has been much more loveable and cuddly and tells me she wants to stay with me forever. Awww, sweet, really, but we both know that can not happen. In fact I don't know what she'll do if I do go back to work full time since she would have to be in some type of care full time. This is the part that kills me about working full time. She only has 1 more year left at home and I was really hoping to enjoy it with her before she goes off to Kindergarten.

Jess is still doing well, no complaints as of yet. She doesn't seem to be having trouble with homework yet and she likes her teacher. She is going to be a Junior Scout this year and somehow I have roped myself into being a troop leader for her. Hmm what was I thinking? I do have two moms who have agreed to be asst. leaders so that will help but I worry about the time commitment, especially if I go to work. It'll work out somehow, but probably not the way I want it too.

In the last few weeks I have probably applied to 30 jobs or so and am continually looking online to see what I can find. I need to go up to Gymboree and turn in an application there. I have a friend that works there and I believe they are hiring. Maybe I'll go up there later today or Sat morning. I applied for a job at Regions Bank, as a full time teller. I took the assessment test at the main office and passed. I am not just waiting to hear back, they of course are doing a background/credit check. I wish I knew a timeline they might contact me back so I would have an idea one way or the other, but I do not.

I really do not want to work, but we really need to get caught up on bills and put some into savings. I like being home and able to volunteer and do things with the kids, like help at school, do Girl Scouts etc. I guess only time will tell how this is going to work out.

School Days

School began this week and boy were the girls ready, unfortunately Hailey couldn't go today because she has a cold. Sigh. Really? After all this time I have been waiting for some FREE time and it's a no go?! She will be better Thursday, she will. Do you hear me? She did go for a short while Monday for orientation and meet her teacher, so that was good. So far Jess is loving school, she did have homework today, but only gets it 3 times a week.

I am still looking for a job but have decided maybe just a part time night job would be better. I applied to Target today, for cashier/sales floor so maybe I'll get a call soon. In the mean time I am trying to start up my Usborne Books business. I bought a catchy domain name today, http://www.EarnFreeBooks.com which totally surprised me it wasn't already taken! I am hoping to get $115 in retail sales in my 1st 12 weeks, that is my beginning and only quota to make as a consultant. So basically I need to find 11 people to buy a book! Are you interested? Over 80% of their books are $10 or less! Hold a party and earn FREE books!

Other news, I have decided to become a Girl Scout Troop Leader, for Jessica's troop specifically. Her previous leader has moved on since her children are at different schools. I am meeting on Thurs morning with the area manager and going over things. Then it's off to plan a billion things for this yr! I hope this weekend I can brainstorm and come up with some great ideas.

The Month of Change

I have decided this is the month of change for me. Things have been kinda of crazy around here, me overstressed about our budget, thanks to my new car. I needed the car but of course here it is back to school time, both girls need clothes and of course Christmas is around the corner. So the conclusion... I need to go to work. Atleast for awhile until we get caught up on things and put some money in savings. We are going to likely need a new roof, pretty much everyone in our neighborhood is getting one from the hail damage, so we have to come up with the deductible money. Sigh, school lunches, school clothes, school tuition, and of course Christmas.

I have applied to a bunch of jobs in the last week and have an "assessment test" at Regions Bank on the 18th of this month, hopefully it'll go well. Atleast that would be day time hours and no weekends and they usually pay pretty well. The downfall, having to find Hailey full time care....not really thrilled about that. She is going to 2 days a week MMO this fall but I would have to figure out something for the rest of the time.. I thought maybe I could find someone in the group who wanted to earn extra money. Guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Another change, I was trying to decide whether to reactivate my Tupperware business or let it go.... ultimately I chose to let it go. I love the products and company but right now I can't have a business where I have to meet minimums. So I have been looking at other companies and have signed up with Usborne Books & More. I have a one time minimum to meet in my 1st 12 weeks, $115 in retail, and nothing else after that unless I become a supervisor. Those of you reading, help a girl out, go visit and buy a book or two to help me meet my goal! :) While you are there be sure to enter into the drawing for $50 in FREE BOOKS!

I am excited about this company, as I love books and so do my kids. Now I can build their library, earn money and get a discount, how great is that! I hope to do a few home shows here and there and then work my way into schools/preschools around here doing fundraisers and more. It's really a great program available for them and I would love to introduce it to the schools around here.

Jessica had a wonderful 9th birthday! We did a small family thing and she enjoyed going bowling and to dinner. She loved all her presents, which was mostly HSM stuff, room decor, toys etc. She is also excited to be going back to school next Monday. We go tomorrow to meet her teacher and turn in school supplies. I know I'll miss her but she is ready for the routine again and truthfully so am I. Hailey also goes in starting Tuesday and we go see her class and meet her teacher on Monday morning.

Don't forget to go check out my website and enter to win free books and book a party too!

Almost Birthday Time

It's almost Jessica's 9th birthday! Wow, talk about feeling old now lol seems like just yesterday she was just learning to walk. I feel kinda like an awful mom right now, I was sick last week with headache after headache and didn't realize her birthday was this upcoming weekend. I thought I still had atleast 2 weeks left, umm wow I was wrong! She really wanted to have a sleep over for her birthday with some friends from school and brownies, but oops, not enough time for that now. So instead she asked to go bowling and to dinner, so that is what we'll do as a family. I wanted to take her to the cool new place, The Station, but it's $6 a game plus $4 shoe rental, um hello! I think we'll go to Madison Bowling Center, it's half the cost and maybe will not be as busy. One can hope anyways.

Last weekend we went school supply shopping, and even though it was quite a list I only spent $32 on Jessica's stuff. Not bad! I did buy Hailey a book bag and a lunch bag to match, I am guessing that is all she'll need. Walmart school supply section sucks this year, they didn't have much of anything and it was spread out all over the store? Why? Why is there pallets of paper in the craft/fabric section?

We're wrapping up the last few days of summer, getting in as many playdates as we can and spending time together. We have orientations next week and then school the following week, yay! Though Hailey may not get to start on time if we can't get her, her 4 yr old shots. They put us on a wait list, maybe we'll get called before school starts....but I am not holding my breath.

I am still hoping to hear back from the job I applied for sometime this week, could really use the money soon. I am looking at other options as well, but really don't want to go full time, but I guess if I find the "right" job I would. Keeping my fingers crossed I hear back from the one I want right now!

Back to School - 20 Days & Counting

I can't believe school is only 20 days away! Jess is going into 4th grade this year, oh my, where did my little girl go? Hailey will be starting moms day out two days a week for four hours each day. That is really bittersweet, wasn't she just born yesterday? Sigh, guess not lol but it sure feels like it.

I am still waiting on the school to publish the supply list for this year, they have last years up still... um hello 20 days away, lets update already! I know they are busy, but come on, this is just a little important. I need to run up to Walmart I guess and see if they have the lists out yet as they have in the past. I really hope to not spend more than $50 but I guess it'll depend on what is left at the store by the time I get to shop. Luckily for Hailey I only need to have her a small backpack and lunch bag :) She is soo excited about going to school this fall, just like Jessica.

I am thrilled that I will get a few hours to myself two times a week, I am not sure what I'll do lol but can't wait! I have been trying to find some ways to make money at home yet again, other than a home business. Luckily I was able to find a work at home job, but its a temp contract, Sept thru Dec, but it'll come in handy for Christmas shopping. I have applied for a local part time job, I hope to hear something back this week. It would be perfect, the hours and pay is just what I need right now.

On the weight loss front, I did manage to lose one more pound this past week, whooohooo! I am down officially now 10lbs, very happy about that. I still have a long ways to go but it's nice to see the number steadily dropping on Monday mornings. Still trying to motivate myself to get some exercise though, one day I swear it will happen! Oh hubby has lost a total of 12lbs since he started the lower fat and portion controls with me :) I am proud of us both!

We're off to the Dentist, the wonderful Dentist of....

Madison LOL. :) Jess is going back to the dentist today for 2 cavities to be filled they are very small and they only noticed them on the x-rays, so that's good. Last week we went in because she had been complaining about a tooth and her gum hurting her and she had this little tag of skin hanging down, looked as if it had bled some. I think because she kept messing with it. Either way they didn't seem overly concerned since the tooth itself was fine, and it doesn't look to be abscessed. Good news! However they are keeping an eye on it and we go into today they'll recheck it to see if they need to take it off.

The doctor mentioned something about not numbing her when they do the fillings.....eek! I said she has a low tolerance for pain, she'll likely need to be numbed. I don't want her to be afraid of going back in life. They also mentioned she'll probably get braces at 12, she's got some issues with crowding already with the permanent teeth that have come in. Fun times, can't wait... um right.

Hailey's teeth looked great, on the x-ray it did show one of her perm teeth coming in a little crooked on the bottom, but he said it could straighten out. Fingers crossed! They just opened their new office not to long ago, it's pretty nice. They have an indoor play area, like at food places, some big screen tv's, video games etc. Kids love going just for that LOL

On the weight loss front, I am down another 3.5lbs, for a total of 9lbs now. :) I am proud of that, and hope it continues. I talked to my mom yesterday, she may be having surgery for some bone spurs in her feet. She has an appt with the foot dr today. So I'll know more soon. Other news though, is she has some places on her hands, that is looking very much like the skin cancer she had on her foot last year about this time. They are going to do a biopsy on Aug 4 to find out if it is skin cancer. I am really worried about her, she's over in HI alone right now and has no support. :( This is all weighing in heavily on my heart right now. Prayers needed.

Happy July!

Wow, July is already here, can't believe the summer is half over already! Kinda of sad and kinda of not about that lol, I am looking forward to the girls going to school in August so I can have a little me time.

We had a great 4th of July weekend, we had a picnic with the HMMT group. It was alot of fun and games for the kids (and dads too) and the weather was just perfect! We spent a good 3 hours at the park letting the kids play while the adults chatted and relaxed. Later that night we went to Bridgestreet to watch the city fireworks, it was wonderful. We did have to get there about an hour and half before the show in order to get a parking spot, but it worked out and we had a nice viewing spot of them. Next year I'll take a little more snacks for the kids while we wait.

Jess has to go to the dentist tomorrow, seems she has an issue with the silver crown they put one of her back teeth or the gum is infected. Either way she has been complaining since last week, so we're off to the dentist. I had planned a playdate today at the house but ended up cancelling since normally they see us the same day. They didn't call back for quite sometime, well then they ended up not being able to see us today! I was kinda mad, I could have kept my playdate on for today and let the kids have some fun. Oh well, tomorrow we should have some company, that will improve their moods.

As for me, I weighed in yesterday and was down 3lbs! Yay, that's a total of 5.5lbs since June 15th. Last week I had gained and was discouraged but I kept plugging along on my diet and it seemed to help. Hubby, well I don't think he weighed in, so not sure what is going on with him. We'll have to check him again next week, hopefully he'll have a loss too.

Here is a couple pics from the 4th.

Hailey really loves to play with playdoh and Jess loves Hula Hoops! lol

This is their fireworks tshirts they made, we got this fun event from Family Fun online. They really enjoyed the craft, it was simple, a little messy but fun! Next year I think we'll do it again but a different way, probably a little less messy at that!

Busy, Busy All The Time

Well that is how it seems for me lately, I barely get time to blog about anything fun lol because you know I do FUN stuff all the time. Ok probably not all the time, but I do try to keep the girls busy so they aren't driving each other crazy with school out. One month down one to go for Summer vacation and I am still trying to plan the rest of July out.

We were planning on going to the Tennessee Aquarium at the end of July but I quickly realized that is not going to happen with our car tags due this month. EEK, and I know mine will be high, the other 2 cars I am not to worried about. I think it would be better to go in Sept anyways, it'll be a little cooler and not as crowded since school will be back in.

Speaking of school, I can't believe J will be going into 4th grade! How did that happen? Wasn't she just born like yesterday? LOL apparently not, her 9th birthday is quickly approaching. I already have the bulk of her presents done, as I did after Christmas shopping for that. So I will basically just need cake and decorations and a party! H will also be starting preschool 2 days a week this fall. I will get a much needed break and she'll start learning even more things she needs for Kindergarten, in the fall 2010. Though I am not sure what I'll do during my free eight hours a week lol but I am sure that it'll go by quickly! I for sure see a couple coffee mornings in here and there :)

We are also trying to pick a day to have a yard sale and try to purge all the junk, I mean awesome stuff we have in the garage OUT. I would love to be able to park my car in there, esp come this winter! We'll see how it goes, as it is pretty hot right now but we have alot of summer stuff that needs to go! Wish us luck!

Summer Time Has Arrived

Holy cow it's hot outside! It has been hot for quite some time but not it's gotten to the high 90's and 100's some days and don't forget to add that big ol' heat index in. Sigh, makes me wish we had a pool here at the house, but of course we would need a fence first. I think that is on the agenda for next year after we pay off my hearing aids. It would be nice to have the backyard fenced in for the kids and the dog to run around.

We have been trying to keep cool by doing mostly indoor things but even that gets old pretty fast. The girls and I have been attending playdates when we can, indoor and outdoor ones, because they are driving me batty when we are inside to long. :) This past Monday we did Fireworks Tshirts, they were alot of fun. The girls will look cute wearing them on the 4th of July at the playgroup picnic. I will be sure to post pictures of them!

Not much else going on, I started Weight Watchers last week, and lost 3.5 lbs! WOOT, so on to week 2 and hopefully more weight loss. I have done WW in the past so I know it works, I just need to stay motivated and work at it. Hubby also joined with me and he has lost 3lbs so far, and he's doing well on the plan too. I will keep everyone posted how it goes and hopefully have weight loss results each week!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Back from Disney

We are back from Disney and had a wonderful time! Sure it rained, as we expected it too, every day in fact! However we did not let this stop us from going to the parks and having a blast. If anything the rain helped with the crowds :)

We spent 7 nights at Coronado Springs Resort, beautiful resort. Great new renovated rooms, queen size beds, flat screen TVs and an awesome pool with slide! The kids couldn't quit talking about it and begging to go back everyday. Other than the rain it was beautiful blue skies the rest of the time and in the high 80's most days.

We had reservations for several character meals, so the girls got to meet several princesses, pooh, tigger, Eeyore, Mickey, Lilo & Stitch as well. They both have an autograph book and a half filled with signatures from all the characters they met. I can't wait to get all the photos printed and put in for them. It's definitely a great keep sake of their trip.

Here are a few pics to enjoy, I took over 300 myself and that doesn't include the photopass ones as well. I still need to order the cd and get all of them! :) I will be posting the rest of the pics to facebook this week, I am still sorting and organizing :)

Enjoy!

It's almost time to visit the Mouse!

Mickey Mouse that is! We leave in 2 days to head down to Orlando and Walt Disney World. We still haven't told the girls we are doing too Disney, want it to be a surprise and them not pester us until we go. So far so good, they both think we are going to Florida to visit their grandpa. He lives just a few hours away from Disney.

We have found the perfect way to surprise them! We were shopping at Walmart the other day and found these cute gift bags shaped like Cinderellas castle. On the front they have doors that open and inside is several of the princesses. Score! Inside we will put some Disney tshirts we bought before xmas at a good deal, their autograph books, pens, some cameras and a few other knick knacks! I can't wait to see their faces when they figure out we are going to Disney!

We are driving down to Tifton Ga on Thurs and then Friday morning getting up and driving the last 4 hours to Orlando. We are staying at Coronado Springs Resort, it's so beautiful. I will be sure to share tons of pictures when we get back.

Have a great week everyone!

May Showers Bring May Flowers?

I know that isn't correct, but all we have had is May showers since May started. Yesterday we were so lucky to have a F2 tornado hit Madison/Huntsville. First of all, we are ok, there was no damage to our house or property. Others not so lucky, several people in our neighborhood lost trees in the winds/storm yesterday. The ones here were snapped off rather than uprooted like many others. We have had so much rain that even 18 ft pine trees were uprooted! Yesterdays storm wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, but it was scary.

Other news, it's May, the busy month of holidays and celebrations! We'll start off with Mothers Day later this week, my birthday next week on Friday, we leave for our Disney trip on the 21st and then celebrate our 9th Anniversary on the 27th of this month. Poor hubby lol I think my car and our trip will be the presents received. I am excited about the trip though, only 2 weeks to go and we'll be in beautiful Orlando for 8 days! We still haven't told the girls yet, so trying to figure out when we will. I am trying to think of some surprise...right now Jess thinks we are going to see our FIL who lives in Venice, a couple hours from Disney.

I am also in the 2 week wait (2ww) and those who understand that, know what I mean. I will hopefully know around 18th one way or the other. Fingers crossed.

Stay tuned!

Stylin' n Profilin'

In my new car! Well SUV :) So excited! My car was really staring to fall apart, after all it was a 2001 Grand Am and they usually are only good for about 10 yrs before they need some major work done etc. Now I am the proud owner of a 2008 Suzuki XL-7! LOVE it so far, it seats 7, practically brand new, only 7,700 miles on it and was a prior rental and we got a great price on it!

I can't wait til our trip in May to really see how well I love it compared to my Grand Am we drove to Disney in December. We were crowded and cramped and I was SORE after that 12 hour turned 16 hour drive.

Just wanted to share my happiness for the week!

It's Almost Time To Relay!

Wow time has flown by and it's only 9 days away from the Huntsville Metro Relay For Life! We have done ok raising money for the American Cancer Society (ACS) but could do so much more! I am hopeful we will do decently at the actual Relay since we have things to sell on site.

The theme is "Racing For A Cure" and we are decorating our campsite in the theme. We have a car front and part sides (that look like doors almost) and it's really looking good. The car is deep purple (relay color) with white racing stripes and some purple outlined dice on the "windshield". We are going to add some mirrors on the side and front and headlights and we should be done. I'll be sure to post a pic once it's completed. The team is going to be the Pit Crew, we have matching shirts to go with it as well.

We are still selling raffle tickets for the Nintendo Wii, Tmobile phone, Monaco Passes and SciQuest as well. They are only $2 each, 3 for $5 or 6 for $10. If you aren't interested in raffle tickets, be sure to click the Relay Logo at the top right and make a donation online.

If you are in the Huntsville area, be sure to come out to John Hunt Park on May 1 @ 7pm for the kick off of the Relay! There will be tons of activities, entertainment and more going on plus some great prizes to win!

Thank you to everyone who has donated and helped us towards our goal!

One step forward and then two back....

Well another disappointing month in the ttc adventure....Sigh. I thought this may be the month, the month I would get a positive test. I delayed testing as long as I feel I could...cd 28 came and I couldn't resist. I was feeling tired, a little nauseated anyways so I thought, just maybe I would be pregnant. Nothing but a wasted test, came up neg and AF came the next day. It's getting harder each month, negative tests, thinking about the baby I miscarried in Feb and wondering if and when I'll ever get pregnant.

It was 13 cycles before I got pg in Jan..and now back to another one...at 14 total, since Feb was skipped and march as well. It's hard to know we have been trying to get pg since Jan 08 and here it is almost May 09. Sometimes I wonder if we should continue, I'll be 32 in about 3 weeks and the girls are 4 and 8.5 yrs old.... Perhaps I'll give it to the end of this yr and then if I am not pg that will be it. Maybe I am only supposed to have 2 children, maybe that is the plan. I really don't know, hubby and I went back and forth for awhile about this and finally decided to move forward.

I guess once we get back from Disney at the end of May I will go to my Dr in June and see what she says. I never thought I would be on this track of having to seek help to get pregnant since I had no problems the first two times. I know I am not alone in this journey as there are many who go through this but some days it sure feels like it.

Summer Vacation Planning

It's getting to be that time of year! We have had our Summer vacation pretty much selected since January, we are going back to Walt Disney World. The kids don't know and we haven't decided when we will tell them either. I am thinking a little closer to the day we leave, or maybe the morning of! We are currently 1 month and 1 day away from leaving for our trip.

We are going for 8 days/7 nights to the beautiful Coronado Springs Resort on WDW property. We stayed here during our quick after Christmas trip but didn't get to really enjoy the resort as we were only there for 2.5 days. The resort is nicely themed and has a cool kids pool and playground area. We can't wait for the girls to actually be able to enjoy it this year.

Disney offers a dining plan option you can add to your vacation package, which we did, because it really is a decent savings for the amount of food you get. Honestly $39.99 a day for an adult isn't much to pay considering how much we would pay anyways for food. The plan we opted for includes a table service meal per person per day so we were able to book some character meals, which we didn't get to do in Dec.

We are eating at:

Cinderella's Royal Table (in the castle) for breakfast
1900 Park Fare for breakfast
Ohana Breakfast
Crystal Palace for lunch
Hollywood & Vine for dinner (including Fantasmic! show)

We still have one table service credit to use and may use it for the Maya Grill at our resort. We ate there twice, once for breakfast and once for dinner...breakfast buffet was much better in our opinions. I think I will have hubby call though and see if he can't find another table service at one of the parks.

I am pretty excited to be able to visit all the theme parks not including the water parks this time around. This is my 4th trip and I have never been to Epcot or to the Animal Kingdom! When the girls are older we will probably do the water parks as well, but for now I think we will have enough fun at the resort pool and the theme parks.

I still have a little shopping to do before our trip, buying J some summer clothes, me and hubby need a few more pr of shorts. Luckily H just got a whole wardrobe of summer clothes since I found all of J's old summer clothes. I will buy her a few new things though as well.

We are in the countdown mode now, almost 1 month to the day and can't wait!!

Fishful Thinking & Macy's Gift Card Winner!

We have a winner for the $25 Macy's Gift Card & Fishful Thinking give away!

Congrats goes to silverhartgirl !!

I sent you an email to get your address, so we can get you your $25 gift card!

Weekend Update~Happy Easter

Well the weekend started off with a bang....bang of thunder that is! We had storms roll in on Thursday night which promptly gave me a migraine. I had to take a pain pill to get it to go away, it's so much fun.. NOT. Friday was not to bad until afternoon time and of course right when Jess was getting out of school. Fortunately for our area we just had thunderstorms and some scary hail! It was baseball size hail out here, it was scary. I have never seen hail bigger than a golf ball, and it was soo loud. For awhile I thought the windows in the dining room were gonna get busted!
The only damage we had was to our cars, hubby's car took quite a beating. Has tons of dents on the roof and hood of the car and mine only suffered a few thankfully. After the storms had passed, it was a clear and warm beautiful day.

Saturday was a bit chilly since the cold front moved in, we tried to let the girls ride their bikes outside but it was just to cool and WINDY. So we dyed our Easter eggs instead, the girls had a great time.

Sunday morning we awoke to beautiful blue skies and a warm day! It's the first Easter we have had in awhile that didn't require winter wear. Normally its so cold you don't want to go outside if you don't have to. The girls opened their Easter Baskets and immediately wanted to go out and find eggs. We did that for a couple hours and I took a some pics, but just a couple below are my favorites.



Sunday afternoon we went over to my cousins house and had a bbq and Easter Egg Hunt. Oh there was so much food, ham, grilled chicken, pineapple, casseroles, deviled eggs and of course desserts. We had a great time and the girls were wore out from playing outside. They were both sound asleep shortly after the laid down.

All in all I would say it was a good Easter!

Fishful Thinking & Macy's $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

Fishful Thinking & Macy's $25 Gift Card Giveaway

What is Fishful Thinking?
"All parents want their kids to be happy and successful. Kids should have the chance to achieve whatever they want in life. Unfortunately, only 42% of kids believe that they will be able to achieve their goals.1 The Goldfish® brand cares about kids and wants to help inspire them to become the successes they were born to be."

"The Fishful Thinking program provides the tools parents need to teach their kids how to think optimistically about themselves and how to use their Optimism to overcome life's obstacles, persist in the face of adversity, and transform setbacks into manageable challenges. By teaching kids Optimism today, we are equipping them with the skills and strategies they can rely on to shine in the face of adversity for the rest of their lives."

Length: 1 week - April 9-April 16, Drawing to be held April 17

Challenge: Show Me What You’ve Learned about Fishful Thinking

1 entry: Readers who post a fact/information they learned from visiting FishfulThinking.com to my blog! The more comments (1 entry per fact) you leave the better your chances are to win! Have 5 facts/info to share, be sure to make 5 different comments!

Raffle Prize: $25 Macy’s gift card for a winner, chosen at random

Here are some ideas for you to check out!

Emotional Charades

How to be a Happier Mom

Treasure Box

There is soo much more to learn about by visiting Fishful Thinking! Don't forget to come back and leave a comment with a fact/info you learned from visiting Fishful Thinking.

***Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win!!!

Please pass it along!

Avoidance

I think I am trying to avoid the inevitable, being around people with babies or that are pregnant. I don't think I am doing it on purpose, but it happens and maybe it's subconsciously. I am tired today but I could have went to the lunch meetup we had...but there would be someone there with a newborn. I could have gone to many playdates last week but babies and/or pregnant people were there.

Interestingly enough I had a parents night out at my house this past weekend to benefit Relay For Life and had several little ones plus a pregnant mommy. It wasn't bad, I thought it would bother me, but it didn't. However we were really really busy so there wasn't much time to sit and dwell on it. I found out yesterday a good friend is expecting a baby, due in Dec. I am truly happy for her and told her so by email. She's the only one I think I have told since Feb when I miscarried. That's a good sign right? I hope so but we'll see.

I think hubby and I have decided we'll start trying again seeing as how we haven't been to careful recently. I hope that I am choosing to go forward for the right reasons and not because of the hurt I have from hearing/seeing/reading about others being pregnant. I think that plagues we quite a bit right now. We knew we wanted a third child, we tried for over a year and I feel we are back at square one again. Trying to figure out if we are doing the right thing.....for me though I just fear another miscarriage. I don't know how I would handle it.....

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On the good news side, we only have 1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days til our Family Disney Vacation. I am trying to stay pumped up and think of this when I get down. Like today. I have our dining reservations done, we have the hotel booked and everything is paid for. I do need to buy the girls some summer clothes soon along with hubby and I too. I am excited we get 8 days/7 nights this time around. We'll actually be able to relax too and that will be much needed!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I hope that we get enough rain this year but really am dreading the storms that come along with it! Over the weekend, I was in Nashville with some friends for a girls weekend out, it was great by the way! However on Saturday we were on our way to Green Hills mall when we heard the tornado sirens going off. We made it to the mall before the storm part hits, thankfully because soon after it started hailing and raining pretty bad. The sky looked pretty nasty and I was a bit paranoid since I had been in a bad tornado as a child. Thankfully nothing came out of the storm where we were at, but some other area's weren't so lucky. The next morning we found out a tornado had touched down about 50 miles west of where we had been. I believe there was damage done of course, but I didn't hear of any major injuries or fatalities.

We have another round of storms coming in tonight and of course the weather stations are keeping us posted about the impending severe weather. Today the weather is beautiful, clear blue skies, sunny and a slight breeze....however the storm system is approaching from the west. No doubt we'll get some thunderstorms and what not tonight and into tomorrow. I just pray they aren't as severe as they are saying it could be.

The lovely weather has made several flowers in the front yard beds bloom, I am excited there some already planted! I am hoping we have had our last freeze and the rest if any will bloom as well. Our flower beds need work though, they are over run with weeds right now, though hubby sprayed weed killer last week, I hope it works soon! We are going to re edge our flower beds with bricks to make it look nicer. Right now we have plastic edging up from the previous owners. It'll be a lot of work but the end result will be nice! Thankfully we have a friend who is giving us all the bricks left over from her remodel. :)

I'll be sure to post before and after photos!

Fishful Thinking

“I am part of a campaign for Fishful Thinking through RepNation and could earn incentives for my participation in the campaign” Learn more today and join us!

What is this???

RepNation is seeking moms interested in positive parenting to serve as Ambassadors on behalf of the Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® brand for a great initiative called Fishful ThinkingSM. The Goldfish brand partnered with Positive Psychology leader, Dr. Karen Reivich, to create Fishful Thinking, a program for parents that helps them to raise kids who are optimistic and can confidently tackle life’s challenges.

If selected as a Fishful Thinking Ambassador, you will be given the opportunity to compete for prizes and incentives while spreading the word about the initiative.

Ambassadors will be asked to:

Spread the Fishful Thinking message amongst online and offline networks Create personal Fishful Thinking Storybooks and share them with friends and contacts Host small events or get-togethers Report updates online to Mr. Youth through Spark Reports, Blogs and Polls

Qualified applicants are:

Mothers with at least one child at home between ages 4-12
Socially connected online i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and/or blog etc.
Familiar with the Goldfish brand

In addition to the opportunity to compete for weekly prizes and incentives this is a great opportunity for moms nationwide to engage with and share the message of positive parenting!

How to apply:

If not already a member, click the banner above and join! Check your e-mail and click the link to validate your e-mail address and log in (if you do not receive an e-mail, check your spam filter)Complete the Pre-Qualifying questions If you are one of the first 1,000 to qualify, you will immediately join the Fishful Thinking Ambassador site!

Relay For Life Fundraiser~ Win A Wii

The Huntsville/Madison Moms & Tots is holding a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society. We are raffling off several items including a Nintendo Wii! This is a great way to donate to Relay For Life and have a chance to win cool prizes!

Here's the details!

Huntsville/Madison Moms & Tots

Relay For Life Team Raffle

Win A Wii!

Item BT1: Wii System Includes: Console, Console Stand, Wii Remote, Remote Jacket, Nunchuk, Sensor Bar, AC Adaptor, AV Cable & Wii Sports Disc. Value $249.00

Also raffling off:

Item BT2 ***T-Mobile Cell Phone - Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Value: $199.99

Item BT3 ***4-Prive Monaco Pictures Passes Value: $52Item

BT4 ***4-Passes to Sci-Quest & 2 Bowling Passes Value $32

Tickets are $2 each, 3 for $5 or 6 for $10

Buy your tickets today!!!!

Contact Frances @ HMMTGroup@gmail.com

***If you are out of the Huntsville/Madison area and want to purchase tickets for the Wii or Cell Phone, we do ask that you pay for shipping with signature confirmation of delivery. We'll just need your mailing address if you win!

Nashville...here I come!!!

Oh yes, I am heading to Nashville this weekend for a Girls Weekend Out! Six friends and I are going up early Saturday am (weather permitting) and staying overnight. We have shopping, eating and going out to the clubs planned and ohh sleeping in! Can't beat that! No kids and no husbands! Dinner without having to tell someone to sit down and turn around, please eat, don't stare, get off the floor etc. Well you get the idea lol it'll be NICE!

I am worried the weather that is coming in tomorrow may determine our early start time Sat morning, as it's possible we'll have isolated tornadoes, but I hope not! We hope to leave around 10 and hit Nashville just in time for lunch and head out to Opry Mills for some shopping. Later that night one of the girls in the group who is from that area is taking us to all the cool places :) I am counting down the hours until we leave. It's been a stressful week with the kids along with a few other things as well.

I am sure I'll have some great stories to tell and maybe pics to share when I get back! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Spring Break...busy busy!

It never seems to be a relaxing time, we don't do vacations during Spring Break because hubby usually doesn't have enough vacation time saved up at this point. However it seems that we are still super busy during this week! I do try to keep both kids entertained and often find it hard to do because we don't go to the major parks around here during this time due to the overwhelming number of kids there. Plus the weather has been really nice this week, so I can imagine it was more busy than even normal! We have done some play dates with friends, gone to a St. Patty's party, that was tons of fun and we'll have friends over this week to. Later this week we are going to the Botanical Gardens, which is always fun. I am thinking of getting a membership there, since they have alot of fun events for kids during the summer. Saturday will prove to be quite busy as well for me atleast. I have a 2 hour block on Sat that I'll be up at Kroger's taking donations for Relay For Life, then we have a birthday party to attend for a few hours, and finally I'll end the night with a moms night in watching the movie Twilight!

This week started out rough, Jess has been complaining her right ear was hurting her and by Monday it wasn't any better. So off we went to the dr, her ear was red and borderline infected and I am guessing due to her past history of ear infections they went ahead and put her on antibiotics. The dr asked if she wanted the chewables or liquid, she chose the tablets. Hmm I thought to myself lol but I said ok. She has to take 1.5 pills two times a day for 10 days. I thought she was going to die the 1st time lol she was gagging and complaining the entire time. Oh well, guess next time she'll be asking for the liquid!

Tuesday hubby had to go out of town for a business trip back to Philly again. It seems several of their vendors are located there. So he left that morning and should be arriving back in Hsv tonight. I'll be glad when he's home and things are back to normal...as the girls the last 2 nights haven't been to bed on time. Oops lol oh well, it's Spring Break after all. ;)

We had friends over today to play and of course there were snacks. Hailey had a plastic bowl and after she was done she says to me " Mom, that sign means recycle." I was like huh??? you know what that means? lol it was quite comical, I had no idea she even knew that. So I quizzed her asking where she learned it, thinking maybe Sid The Science Kid on PBS or Sesame Street. Nope, finally she tells me Wall-E! I am amazed she picked that up from the movie, but she does love it and watch it often. So maybe movies aren't so bad after all? :)

Some of you may have noticed too that I changed the name of my blog. It was called View From A Blonde before, but I think this is more fitting. I was getting some STRANGE searches from the prior title!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Feeling Down

Life is hard, sometimes it just sucks and I mean really sucks. This is one of those times. I thought I had been doing better, I went to the baby shower for about 12 moms from my group. I thought it would be hard, but it wasn't to bad, there wasn't too much baby talk (surprising I know) and I tried to occupy myself with other talk anyways. However this week has been hard and it's just Wed. However I know the next shower I will not be able to attend, it would have been the one that included me.

Monday night I attended a meet n greet with some ladies who want to join our group. Unfortunately they all have had in the last 6 months a baby or were preg... plus there were 2 other preg mommies there. It wasn't to bad until they started talking babies, being pregnant, birth etc. I really thought I might have to get up and leave. What set this off you ask? Well earlier in the day someone posted in our Monday check in thread, they were pg. I wasn't expecting to come across an ultrasound pic, so it kinda surprised me. We have a expecting moms thread, that people usually use to announce their pregancies....and I have been avoiding it. I noticed it's been bumped up quite a bit.

Monday night as I lay in bed, it finally hit me. I lost it and couldn't quit crying and wishing things had been different. Why couldn't I be the one announcing my pregancy, that we tried for and waited patiently for, for so long? I went through the whole it's not fair, what did I do wrong to cause the miscarriage etc etc. Thankfully hubby is very supportive and though he doesn't fully understand how I feel, he's there for me.

Tuesday I was hoping would be better, but it seemed to be tons of announcements about new pregnancies, babies being born etc... and it just sucks. I want to be happy for them, I really do, but it's so hard when their due dates are around the same as mine would have been. I don't how long this bitterness, sadness and jealouness will last...but I hope not forever.

Today I recieved a phone call from my ob/gyn office.....to remind me of my appt for tomorrow afternoon. I would have been 10 weeks and going for a dating ultrasound etc. I don't get to do this and see my little baby's heartbeat.....I told them of course I needed to cancel since I had miscarried a couple weeks ago. Of course she said she was sorry and hung up. I had meant to cancel the appt, however that slipped my mind.

I am trying to not think about these things, do things with the kids, go to playdates etc. It's so hard though, when it seems everyone around me is pregnant or just had a baby. I guess I still need more time to heal.

Spring errr I mean Summer Weather

This past weekend was beautiful! I mean temps in the 60s-70's and a nice breeze the entire time. We went to the park and played and the kids had a great time on Saturday and then Sunday we had a small family party for Hailey's birthday. Since the weather was so nice we decided to grill out, had steak, baked potatoes and salad. YUM! It really felt like Spring was here, then today, the temp is 80 plus outside!!! Umm where did Spring go? If its getting this warm already in early March I can't imagine what this summer will be like.

I am more worried about the actual weather not temperature.... If we will have tons of thunderstorms that could likely become tornadic or if we'll be lucky this year. We know it will rain, in the last 11 yrs that I have lived here, we always get a brief shower almost every day in the summer. Normally around 2-3 pm, and then it heats back up and gets humid and HOT! We did have a drought a couple years ago and it was miserable and hot, every day in August that year, it was over 100 degrees not including the heat index.

In the meantime I am counting down the days until we go back to Disney World! Hubby and I are excited and cant' wait.... the girls, well they don't know yet! Our secret until closer to time atleast if we tell them at all before we leave! We have our ADR, that is advanced dining reservations for those not current on WDW talk lol We are going for 8/7 and decided to stay at Coronado Springs again rather than a value hotel. They were nice and looked fun, but for just $200 more we get a "nice" hotel with dedicated bus service, recent upgrades and more!

Stay tuned for more posts related to WDW, because I am sure there will be more to come! Have a great Monday afternoon!

Happy 4th Birthday Hailey

March 4, 2009~Today we celebrated Hailey's 4th Birthday! I can't believe she's 4 already, it seems like just yesterday she was born. She will start Moms Morning Out in the fall, 2 days a week for 4 hours each day. While I am sad to think she'll be going off to school, I know its a step in the right direction for her to start kindergarten in 2010.

Here are some pics to enjoy!

Hailey 1 Day Old~March 5, 2005


Hailey~ 1 Yr Old ~ March 4, 2006


Hailey~2 Yrs Old~March 4, 2007


Hailey~3 Yrs Old~ March 4, 2008

Hailey~4 Yrs Old~March 4, 2009

She decided she needed another Tinkerbell party this yr, so we had a Tinkerbell Cake along with some of her good friends from our playgroup. It was a lot of fun, the kids had a blast and she got some nice presents from them.

Happy Birthday Hailey!

Hello March & Snow

Welcome to March!

Here in North Alabama and across much of the SE USA, we welcomed in March with snow. It rarely snows here in Al and when it does the kids get excited and the weather men go crazy! I really didn't think we would get any as normally it dies off before it reaches the area, but we awoke Sunday morning to about an inch of snow on the ground. This will probably be it for us this winter and I am really looking forward to Spring!

I figured the kids would beg to go out and play but they did not, I was even feeling bad since it seemed practically everyone else had pics posted of their kids int he snow on facebook. Turns out I wasn't the only one that had kids that didn't get/want to play out in it. Whew, still in the running for Mommy of the Year.....oh who am I kidding, I was probably never in that running.

Hope everyone has a wonderful March!

Empty

That is how I feel right now. This month started off pretty good, but turned out to be not so great. Most people I know do not know this but we have been TTC for about 13 months now, we finally did conceive in Jan. I tested Feb 2 and it came up positive right away...so happy and scared because it had taken so long. We didn't have that issue with the girls, so the fact it took more than a couple months really threw us for a loop.

The first two weeks I was miserable feeling, morning sickness, tired, achy and grumpy. ALL of the things you really want to be when you are pregnant after trying for so long. A week after I tested positive, I had LIGHT one time spotting, though ok no big deal, probably implantation. Went to my ob/gyn on Feb 12 and told her, she also mentioned she saw some pink when doing the exam. Ok but she didn't really seem worried but did want me to go get my hcg levels checked out 2 times.

So on the 13th I went up and had my blood work done, the weekend progressed and the spotting started.....by Sunday it was more red than pink or brown. This is not normally a good sign, but I was trying to remain positive since I had read alot online about how people spotted even red and still things turned out fine. Called my dr Monday morning and they said to go straight in and get my blood work done, plus I ended up having to go a 2nd time that day so I could go back Tues morning and get a Rhogam shot, since I am A negative. Well Tues cramps started up and pretty much put me in bed, hubby had to come home from work and call the dr. They got my results back and it wasn't good. My levels on Friday had been about 1000 (which is not great for 6 weeks) and then on Monday they were down to 634. The dr asked me to come in first thing Wed morning.

Basically it was just a visit for her to tell me I was miscarrying unfortunately. She gave me some meds to help speed up the process, some pain meds in case the cramps worsened plus some antibiotics. Then told me I had to get my hcg levels checked again this week, to insure they were continuing to go down. If not then I guess a D & C would be scheduled....the pills seemed to have " worked" I am guessing. The bleeding has stopped and I just feel empty now.... hard to believe just a short couple weeks ago I was excited about our little one to complete our family. Now it's over.

Last week was awful, I literally stayed in bed everyday all day long, luckily dh was able to work from home and really didn't miss to much work. I was very depressed and sad and cried alot and still do at times when I let my mind dwell on it. Some days are better than others, and on Oct 9 this yr, I know that I will be sad and it will take time to heal.

I am thankful for the support from my family and friends because they truly helped me get through this all. So the next question is, are we going to try again, soon, later, months from now etc....to this I have no answer. Time will only tell.

It's the Weekend, Baby!

Finally, it's been a long week! I have been working alot on things with my moms group, so I am behind on a little bit of everything. It's dues time, which means trying to collect $12 from about 100 moms, not an easy task. Today was the cut off, everyone has known since Dec 5, but we still had people paying today! ARGGHH drives me crazy!

Other than that, not to much else going on. Hailey's been sick for a couple days but seems to be a bit better today. Jess and I went to a birthday party at the bowling alley today. She had a blast, it was her first actual time at a bowling alley. She's had her practice though on Wii bowling so she had the concept down already.

I have managed to stay caught up on house work though, laundry is done and it's not normally done until late late Sunday night. We have the dishes done with the exception of tonight's dinner plates. I was hoping for a fun night of playing Wii with the family but Hailey was cranky because she couldn't win. She wants to play Mario Kart but doesn't understand it takes alot of practice to get really play, course then again neither does Jess lol.

We are still slowly unpacking the house, it doesn't seem like it'll ever get done, which is depressing! Alot of this stuff I hope to get rid of at a yard sale this Spring, already planning one for late April before it gets to hot! Nice to have some extra spending money for Disney in May as well.

One last thing before I close my semi update post, don't forget to take a moment and make a small donation to Relay For Life. Click the badge up at the top and make a donation today!

Relay For Life - Huntsville Metro

It's time to Relay! Relay for Life that is!

"Each year, across the nation, one event brings together entire communities to take part in the fight against cancer. That event is the American Cancer Society Relay For Life®. It's a time and place where people come to celebrate those who have survived cancer, remember those we've lost, and fight back against a disease that touches too many lives.

Won't you join us this year and be a part of Relay?

It's not just an opportunity to celebrate, remember, and fight back - your involvement will help the American Cancer Society work toward a mission of eliminating cancer as a major health issue and will support much-needed services in your community. Thanks in part to the donations from Relay For Life and other events, the Society is saving lives, helping those touched by cancer, and empowering people to fight this disease all over the world. "
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Last year was my first Relay For Life experience and it was awesome! There are no real words to describe the feeling as the Survivors Lap starts and kicks off the event. Seeing these people who survived cancer, walking and enjoying life is enough to bring tears to your eyes. As evening draws near, they begin the Lighting of the Luminaries, everyone turns off the campsite lights, and observes a silent moment. They begin to play music that is enough alone to make you cry, you begin to walk the track, looking at the luminaries. They are In Honor of or In Memory Of, people have purchased these and wrote the names of loved ones on them. You just can't go to this event and not be moved by the whole experience.

The Huntsville/Madison Moms & Tots group ( the moms group I run) had a team last yr, our goal was to raise $3000 and I am happy to say we surpassed that goal and raised over $5000 for ACS! This year our goal is $5000 for the team and I personally hope to raise $200 or more. You see that round button over at the top, click it, donate money and feel good about helping funding the search for a cure. It's tax deductible, you'll get a receipt in the mail, I am asking everyone to donate $10.00, that's like 2 cups of coffee from Starbucks! Surely you can give up those 2 cups for Cancer!

Thanks to everyone who donated last year and I hope you'll do the same this year as well! Check your local areas, find out if they are having a Relay and go join the fun!

Our Visit With Mickey Mouse

So on to part 2 of our wonderful Florida/Disney vacation this past December. If you read part 1 you know how awful the trip was going down to Fl and I can say even after that it didn't turn out half bad. I think the big problem is we went in with expectations of one thing and it ended up being totally different. The original plan was to go down, meetup with FIL and his family on Sat, he would go with us, his wife, her kids/grandkids would go on their way. That didn't happen though sadly, which put a kink in our scheduling.

Our plans were: Go to Disney Hollywood Studios Day 1 and see the Osborne Family lights that night, go to the Magic Kingdom Day 2 and 3. We orginally wanted to do Epcot and Animal Kingdom but decided against it. What happend was, we went with EVERYONE to MK Day 1 (got there around 12) and did a couple rides, then had lunch, then off to do some more rides. Well finally I told hubby that we needed to split up because they weren't interested in doing the kiddie rides we wanted to take the girls on etc. So finally we do, things went much better after that, we hung around til 4 and then headed back to the hotel to check in our room and plan the evening out. We ended up eating dinner at the Pepper Market, which is a place in Coronado Springs, it was pretty good. Then headed back to MK to take advantage of the cooler weather. We headed back around midnight, of course Hailey fell asleep before we even got out of the park.

Day 2, we went back to MK since we didn't get to do as much as we had wanted. More rides, more walking but it was crazy busy. So we ended up leaving the park after 2 or so and headed back to the hotel to relax. Then FIL decided to do dinner reservations for us all, around 7. We didn't get out until almost 10:30 ugh, and rushed over to DHS to see the Christmas Lights, well the park was closing at 11 I believe, so no rides. Luckily we were able to see the lights and they were beautiful. If you ever go at Christmas, be sure to go see them.

On Day 3 we went to DHS since we didn't get to do much, we rode Star Tours, saw the HSM3 show, which Jess got to be part of, did a couple other rides (not much though because of the lines) and decided to head out around 2. We didn't get there early enough to get fast passes for the important rides, so no riding. Plus this day we had FIL with us, but that part wasn't bad since it wasn't the entire other half! We headed back to the hotel to meetup with the rest of the family and head back to Venice for a few days.

Fil and his wife live in Venice now, so we stayed with them and it wasn't to bad. One of his wifes grand daughters stayed to, shes about Jessicas age and the girls had a blast. They picked oranges and grapefruits off the trees, we went to the beach 2 times and saw Marley & Me on New Years Eve.

Overall the trip home was much better, we stopped in Tifton Ga, which is about halfway back and spent the night. That made such a big difference, rather than driving straight thru, we plan to do that when we go back. Here are a few pics from the trip.