Our Life as Parker's Parents

Parker's First Build A Bear...

2012-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

Parker's Mimi and Poppy came to visit us last weekend. Parker loved having them here and we really enjoyed the company. Mimi had been wanting to take Parker to Build A Bear for the first time so we headed to the mall on Sunday.

It is such a cute place! Parker loves Alvin and the chipmunks so he picked an Alvin stuffed animal. He has carried it everywhere since Sunday!

Thanks Mimi and Poppy!

The Castleton Mall also has a cute train ride so of course Parker had to ride!

We can't wait for Preston to make his grand appearance because all of the grandparents are going to come in town!

Super Bowl Fun!

2012-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

I am not a huge football fan but we decided we had to participate in some of the Super Bowl activities in downtown Indianapolis. I am pretty sure that we will never live in another town that hosts the Super Bowl.

Indianapolis has been working for MONTHS preparing for the visitors and they set up Super Bowl Village downtown. They have The NFL experience in the convention center, concerts, celebrities, and a zip line that goes the span of an entire street.

We should have bought tickets ahead of time for the zip line because we went today and they were all sold out. :( Of course, I wasn't going to fly through the air at 34 weeks pregnant but I talked Chad and Poppy into trying it. We might head back down one night this week and try again.

Chad, Parker, Mimi, and Poppy by the Super Bowl Numbers

Ice Sculpture

Since Mimi and Poppy are here this weekend, we decided to head to the Children's Museum since they had never been there with us. I was quickly reminded of why we don't usually go on Saturdays. It was wild because they opened up a new Mr. Potato Head exhibit. We had a great time showing off our favorite things to Mimi and Poppy.

We love having Mimi and Poppy here with us!

Snow, Soccer, and More Snow!

2012-01-19T14:42:00.001-08:00

Back in December, I signed Parker up for a program called Lil' Kickers. It starts at 18 months and it's an opportunity for the kids to run around, learn to participate on a team, and learn some basic soccer skills once a week.

The first week I had him registered for a mommy and me class and I just felt that he was a little bit too old for it. The other kids were much younger so I asked to change him to the more advanced class the next week. (Because he's just so advanced in his soccer skills!) JK!

The next week my dad was in town so he got to go with us and watch Parker! We just loved watching him run around and he seemed to be having a great time! Toward the end of the class they played a game about aliens which was basically just a game of tag. I could see in his eyes and face that he wasn't liking it and a few minutes later, I was right. The tears began. Poor thing! He was freaked out at the thought of "aliens" chasing him.

He was brave though and powered through and finished the class and seemed pretty happy when we left. We went to Alabama for two weeks for Christmas and came back and it had all changed. The next soccer class was awful. He cried and cried and refused to participate. I was puzzled but we didn't make him finish the class.

We went home and that weekend we "practiced" all of the games and assured him that they were just for fun. There were NO aliens really chasing him. We were confident walking in the next week but that immediately changed. He was crying before we even walked out on the field.

Chad and I made the decision to pull him out. I was so sad because I know that he would've really love it but his personality is so sensitive to certain things. thankfully, they gave me a partial refund since we didn't finish the term.

That's a side shot of Parker.

Isn't he cute in his little uniform! He said that he wanted to play soccer again with Edburd when we get an Alabama house. We'll see if he follows through with that. :)

We have had a couple of good snow days recently. Not huge amounts of snow but enough to make a mess. We have about 2 inches out there right now and we are expecting sleet and more snow tomorrow night.

Poor Baily hurt her paw in the snow. We think that the salt on the road burns her little feet. She only does this in the snow in the front yard. In the back she seems fine.

This is what my mom drove in to when she came on Friday last week! Welcome to Indiana!

This is the snow that fell today. It actually fell really fast and I slid off the road going to pick up Parker from school. I was able to continue driving thankfully so it was fine.

This Alabama girl is not used to driving in snow, but I"m learning!!

Happy Thursday from Indiana!

Another Pregnancy Update

2012-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

I don't have an updated picture but I hit the 33 week mark today! Woo Hoo! I'm excited that it's finally feeling close but it's also scary that it's so close! Does that make sense?

I am thrilled to wrap my arms around my precious Preston but I am sad that it will no longer be our sweet, simple family of 3. Parker is finally coming around to the idea of a little brother, but the other night he made us laugh because he said...

Parker: "Mom, Preston can come out for a little bit but then he has to go back inside your tummy."

Me: "Why does he have to go back, Parker?"

Parker: "Because I don't want him to play with any of my toys!"

Oh me! I think that we have some work to do!

33 week update:

The nursery is complete. I'll take some pictures and post them soon. We have more clothes than we will ever need and that is such a blessing. I have a pump thanks to Melodie and another bouncy seat and swing thanks to Emily! Gotta love fantastic friends!

I have now gained 31 pounds. Ugh. My goal was to keep it around 25 pounds. I blame Christmas and Pintrest.

My blood pressure has stayed just about perfect which is a blessing since I had such trouble with the birth of Parker.

They have done some extra blood tests this week because my anitbody level was high at 30 weeks. They think it's from the rhogam shot that I got around 15 weeks but they aren't sure. Hopefully that's what it is because if not my blood is attacking Preston's blood and we would have to deliver quickly. We hope to know by Friday. I'm trying not to worry about it because I"m sure it's fine.

My due date is March 7th but Dr. Denman is going to induce me on March 2nd if he has not come before then!

I am so excited that he is almost here! Preston Allen Greenhaw, we love you so much already!

Parker's 3 year check up

2012-01-10T12:43:00.001-08:00

We went today for Parker's 3 year check up. We had only been to this new office in Zionsville once before and it was this summer, so he wasn't too thrilled about going to a new place that he didn't really remember.

The check up went great! He weighs 36 pounds and he is 39 inches tall. Such a big boy! They took his blood pressure, checked his ears, listened to his heart, etc. The doctors still hear his heart murmur and he will more than likely have it his whole life. One ear tube is working it's way out which we knew.

I had told him no shots, just a check up... But this mean ole momma forgot about a flu shot which we have been meaning to get since November. He was NOT happy about it either. So I did what any good mother does and I bribed him. I told him that he could go to the frozen yogurt place tonight. :)

I can't believe that my baby is 3 years old! Time sure does fly!

Greenhaw Christmas Fun

2012-01-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to get to stay home in Alabama for about 2 weeks and we enjoyed every minute. Here are some pictures from our different celebrations.

Edburd came over to play one day and Parker had a blast!

Parker, Pops, and GeeBee

Can you find Parker in all the presents?

Roll Tide and War Eagle!

My family...

Parker and Luke

Cookies for Santa

SANTA CAME TO ALABAMA!!!!

We hope that you had a very Merry Christmas with your family!

Pregnancy Update...

2012-01-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

I need to do a Christmas post but I figured that I would get this one over with... Ugh!

I am now 30.5 weeks pregnant but this picture was taken at 29 weeks. My due date is March 7th but my doctor told me at my last appointment that I was measuring "big" so who knows. I go Tuesday morning for another appointment.

At 30 weeks, I have gained around 25 pounds which is disappointing because that was my goal for the pregnancy. I have gained alot from Thanksgiving to Christmas..

I am still feeling pretty good but I am starting to slow down. I am much bigger than I was with Parker and sleeping is getting harder.

I have been craving oranges and orange juice..

The swelling isn't bad yet. I wasn't able to wear my wedding rings at this point of the pregnancy with Parker.

The baby moves like crazy now, especially at night. It's like he's in a karate class. He does have a name now, Preston Allen Greenhaw.

I haven't had much heartburn at all this time so I guess that I am having a little bald baby.

The nursery is coming along but there is still lots to do. I have the crib set up and ready to go. I bought a changing table at good will today and I am going to paint it tomorrow.

I am trying to focus on the blessing of the pregnancy and not how huge I feel... I can't wait to start running again...

PLease disregard the pasty white skin and triple chin...

Fun this week...

2011-12-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

I know that these posts have been pretty boring but they are mainly for our family back home to see everything we are doing way up here in freezing Indiana! :)

On Monday, we had a fun craft day and we used shaving creme to paint and we made reindeer handprint cards.

On Wednesday, we went to the children's museum to play with our friends, Katie, Owen, and Eli. They turn the big stair case into a fun Christmas slide and the kids LOVED it! This is Parker and Katie going down the slide.

Isn't she adorable! Parker has a little crush!

And today, it started snowing again so Parker wanted to go outside and catch some snowflakes!

He's watching them fall down and also saying, "Mom, please stop taking pictures of me!"

Parker: The First 3 Years!

2011-12-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

Last Day in Mommy's Tummy!

Welcome to the world, Parker! Born December 3, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. He weighed 7.5 and was 21.5 inches long.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 2nd Birthday! We had a Blues Clues Party!

Happy 3rd Birthday! We celebrated with a Lightning McQueen Party!

What a wonderful 3 years it has been! We love you, Parker!

The Celebration Continues...

2011-12-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

The birthday celebration continues! We began celebrating Parker's birthday two weeks ago when we were home for Thanksgiving. I LOVE birthday's (well not really my own anymore). It is such a fun reminder of how blessed we are to have Parker in our lives. I am reminded daily that we could still be sitting in waiting rooms every few days praying for good news with the doctor. I will never forget the day that the nurse told me that I had some of the "worst looking" ovaries that she had seen. That's NOT what you want to hear from someone who does that everyday! What a great God we have to answer prayers and give us our MIRACLE baby! (with another miracle on the way!)

Back to the celebrating! It started Friday night. We headed to downtown Indianapolis to eat and take a carriage ride. Parker LOVED it! It was chilly but it was so sweet to see our great new town with all the pretty Christmas lights!

Saturday morning was finally the day! It was December the "fird" and Parker was finally "free!" (3) He had his party during Thanksgiving break so he opened most of his presents that night but I saved one for his real birthday!

It's a really cute game! I suggest it to all toddlers. It's called Pirate Pop Up. He loves pirates now since we watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates in the morning.

Of course I fixed a big breakfast of cinnamon rolls! :) We sang Happy Birthday with 3 candles! PLease notice his morning hair. If you see Parker out and think that I don't brush his hair, I DO! It takes tons of water and brushing to get it to look decent. Now I have proof from where I start from each morning! The kid literally does flips in his sleep!

The celebrating continued that day as we headed back downtown for the circus. Parker LOVED it! I didn't really get any good pictures but here is one.

Enjoying the circus with daddy!

Today we headed to the mall to share our Christmas wish list with Santa. All Parker asked for is a Buzz Castle. (We are hoping that Santa knows what Parker is talking about!) We also had to tell Santa that he would need to find us in Alabama on Christmas morning because we are spending the night at Mimi's and Poppy's house!

I have done a terrible job of documenting the pregnancy with pictures so I forced myself to take a few today. I am 26.5 weeks now. I feel so much bigger this time that I did with Parker.

Parker is really starting to get excited about being a big brother. Little Brother still doesn't have a name but we have narrowed it down to a few. Parker's picks are Lightning McQueen or Sarge. :) We better decide before we have to go with those!

We are having so much fun with Christmas this year! Parker is at such a fun age for getting excited with the Christmas spirit! We are staying home tomorrow to do Christmas crafts! My dream day!

Parker's School Birthday Snack

2011-12-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are still celebrating Parker's birthday and it still isn't even is "real" birthday yet! Chad and I took a cookie cake to Parker's school today. The kids sang Happy Birthday to him and they all seemed to enjoy the piece of cookie cake! I really enjoyed getting to see his new friends!

We went them each home with a Lightning McQueen goodie bag. They were all smiles!

First Indiana Snow!

2011-11-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

We officially had our first Indiana snow yesterday! Parker was thrilled and he kept insisting that it was Christmas since it was snowing! We went out for a few minutes this afternoon and played.

Even Bailey liked the snow!

"Mommy, I'm ready to go inside now. This snow is cold!"

Parker's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-11-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

We decided to have Parker's birthday party a little early this year since we would be home the entire week of Thanksgiving. We had it at Monkey N Around again. Parker just loves to play there and it's easy. Just show up with some food and decorations and let the kids play!

He chose a Lightning McQueen theme for the party and he was so excited with the decorations and the cake!

My mom found a new friend, Ava!

This picture makes me laugh. It's the most unflattering picture.. That's what happens when you are huge and attempt to sit on the floor!

Happy 3rd birthday to the sweetest, funniest, smartest, and most precious little boy I know. God gave us the PERFECT gift in you!

Thanksgiving Trip Home..

2011-11-28T17:20:00.001-08:00

We were lucky to get to spend the entire Thanksgiving week at home in Alabama. We have been blessed to have the ability to come home often but all of that is about to change. After Christmas, we are not planning on making the trip again until after "Baby Brother" is born.

Uncle Craig and Parker playing in the leaves.

Before the "feast" Thanksgiving morning in Athens.

Parker and my Aunt Judy

Uncle Craig, Aunt Shea Shea, and Sophie

Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without an Iron Bowl Party. Unfortunately, Auburn just couldn't hang on this year! But no worries. My husband is thrilled so I am happy for him. Poor Parker. He is just confused! WAR EAGLE!

Pregnancy Update...

2011-11-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

I have done a terrible job at documenting this pregnancy. I have taken maybe 3 pregnancy pictures.. I know that I will be mad at myself about that one day.. I did so much better with my pregnancy with Parker.

I am 24 weeks today.
As of today, I have gained around 13 pounds.
I haven't done a great job about exercising like I had planned to. Don't we always have big plans? I got a sinus infection about three weeks ago and I felt so bad that I quit walking on the treadmill and I haven't started back.. Ugh.. Maybe after Thanksgiving.
Cravings: I am really not craving much this time but I am indulging in sweet tea on an almost daily basis... McDonald's Large sweet tea for $1.08, don't mind if I do...
Parker is still not too thrilled about the baby. HOpefully that will change when he sees his little brother.
"Little Brother" still doesn't have a name so we just continue to call him Little brother.
As of my 20 week appointment, my placenta previa had corrected itself... Thankfully, the last month has been very uneventful.
We have the baby bedding but no crib. I am going to order one from Wal-mart that is pretty cheap and I really like it. Thats on the to do list for after Thanksgiving break.
I miss running WAY more than I thought I would. I have big plans for after the baby is born!

Hopefully the remainder of the pregnancy will stay uneventful!

Trick or Treating Fun

2011-11-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last year this time I would've never imagined that we would be celebrating Halloween at a new house, in a new state for that matter... Luckily, the Lord led us to the PERFECT neighborhood and we have wonderful neighbors with young children. Christi, my friend next door, is always the hostess with the mostess... She cooked a big pot of chili, rotel dip, and other goodies and we pilled up in their driveway and ate before the trick or treating madness began.

The kids had a ball!

Parker, Katie, and Owen

Chad and Todd trying to keep warm by the fire..

Even Bailey wanted in on the Halloween fun. She dressed up as a squirrel. As you can tell by the picture, she loved it! :) JK... She was actually miserable but I loved it and wanted her to wear it!

We are all worn out today and hopefully I'm about to put Parker down for a REALLY long nap! I hope that you all had a fun filled Halloween. Now on to Thanksgiving, Parker's birthday, and Christmas!!

Parker's First Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's already Parker's 3rd Halloween and next year we will have "little brother" here to celebrate with us! Parker has never been a big fan of wearing costumes and the first year was no exception!

Happy Halloween!!

More Fall Fun!

2011-10-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday night was our annual family pumpkin carving night! We only did one pumpkin this year. Mainly because it was really cool outside and we were ready to get back in! :)

The finished product!!

We went to the Halloween party tonight for the local moms group that I have joined. We went with our neighbors, Owen and Eli. Parker had a great time and was all "sugared up" by the time we got home!

THis was the best one I got of the three of them. I took about 20 to get this one.

Sweet Eli enjoying a treat...

Super Silly Boys!

We have really enjoyed all of the Fall Activities in our area. We are thinking about going to Boo at the Zoo on Friday night and Parker's school/church is having a carnival on Sunday and then Trick or Treating Monday night! Should be a fun time!

Come on ride that train...

2011-10-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

We went Sunday on the Pumpkin train with our friends Christi, Todd, Owen, and Eli. It was such a fun day! You go on a 20 minute train ride. It's a real train, too! Parker was THRILLED! The train drops you off at the pumpkin patch. They have some cute little activities there for the kids to do and then you take the train ride back.

Parker and Owen on the train

One great thing about living in a bigger city is all of the fun things to do!

Fun with Friends at Disney World

2011-10-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Disney World was an excellent trip and we were so blessed to be able to go. It was even more special because we were able to spend a little time with dear friends. We had a two day overlap with the Mann's and we spent some time together.

Parker was THRILLED to get to see William and Edburd at Disney World.

I got to hold sweet Ava! It was all good until I wasn't holding her properly according to the ride operator and we got the ride shut down! Oops!

Parker, Edward, and William at the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party. They had fun wearing their costumes and Trick or Treating at Disney!

We were also so lucky to see the Thompson's at Ohana's for dinner. It was our last night and their first night. We were worn out by this point but really enjoyed our dinner!

Disney Part 1

2011-10-22T19:01:00.001-07:00

We had an AMAZING time on our family Disney trip!! I can't believe that I have never been there. 2011 has been a hard year for our family and it was nice to get away and just have some fun! We stayed at a nice place called Carribean Beach and we would recommend it to anyone else looking for a place to stay. It was very quiet and pretty convenient to the parks. Parker had a BALL! He was such a trooper!

I know this is a picture overload and this is only a portion of the pictures I took on the trip!

More to come!

Country Market Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-02T13:14:00.001-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today in Zionsville and we had a blast! The weather was cool, but nice.

The Country Market at the pumpkin patch is known for their homemade donuts! HOLY COW! They are delicious! I could've eaten 3!! (But I didn't!) They were sooo good!

We were so surprised that Parker agreed to go for a pony ride. He was a little nervous at first but he loved it! We were so proud of our big boy!

Parker's second pony ride!

He first asked for a blue balloon but we talked him into a football instead... :)

Fun with mommy on the hayride!

Trying to choose the perfect pumpkin!

Daddy and our pumpkin!

Pregnancy Update..

2011-09-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I am nearing the half way point in this pregnancy. Time sure is flying by lately...

I hit the 17 week point today. I am finally feeling better and more like my "normal" self. I have had a much harder time with this pregnancy than I did with Parker. The best way to describe weeks 6-13 were YUCKY! I felt MUCH sicker this time and it lasted all day. With Parker, I was sick in the evening. The exhaustion was terrible this time too. Thankfully Parker still naps so I would just pile up in his bed with him and sleep every afternoon. I was also in alot more pain this time around. Tons of cramps and my lower back hurt all the time. I started bleeding around week 13 and it continued until week 15. It turns out that I have placenta previa. It's not serious but I do have to be monitored more closely. I have a very good chance of it correcting it's self before I deliver.

I go in again for my 20 week check up and they will do another ultrasound to check it out. I am feeling better already so I am thinking that maybe it's better.

We did find out at 15 weeks that we are having another boy. Parker is having a hard time accepting the fact that he will have a little brother. He had his heart set on a sister. He really just wants Julianna to move to Indiana and be his sister. (We have a little crush going on!)

He is finally coming around to the idea though. I know that he will love having a brother to play with.

We are so excited and blessed beyond belief. I still don't think that the reality of this baby has set in with me. Just four short years ago we were told that having a child through IVF was going to be a long, hard struggle and our chances of success were small and here we are now. God is truly a God of miracles. We were beginning to move on and we had already contacted an adoption agency in Indiana. God is daily reminding me that through Him ALL things are possible.

Fun with GeeBee and Pops

2011-09-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad drove up on Saturday and we had a great visit. It was very low key and we hung around the house a good bit. It was nice and relaxing. Parker was in heaven because my parents will play anything he wants 24/7.

Our town's Fall Festival was this weekend and that included a parade on Saturday morning. This is Parker's "When is this parade going to start?" look. I thought it started at 10 but it was actually 11... Needless to say, we had a long wait for it to start.

Saturday night we headed down to the festival. Parker had a blast riding the rides.

Our next door neighbors, Eli and Owen, were there also so the boys had fun riding some rides together.

And of course, we came home with a Goldfish because that's just what we needed. :) Parker is in love with Goldie... Any bets on how long Goldie survives?

Camping Adventure

2011-09-05T08:31:00.001-07:00

Technically, we didn't camp but we did "rough it" for a few days in the wilderness. We rented a tiny cabin at Yogi Bear's Park in Bloomington, Indiana which is about an hour and 15 minutes from our house. This camp ground was precious! So many cute activities for the kids. I didn't take a picture of the outside of the cabin (oops) but I did take two of the inside... You will see what I mean when I said small.

The "kitchen"

The beds

You could climb a ladder and there was a sleeping loft but Chad and Parker used it as a place to play cars. Parker loved the ladder more than anything.

The park had two pools and one of them was a kiddie pool with a few spray things.

Playing at the playground

Yogi Bear came by for a visit!

Chad trying to start a campfire. (A random kid showed up to help.) :)

We cooked hotdogs and then smores!

Up and down the ladder...

We went on a hike on a trail. It was really muddy but fun. Thankfully we stayed in a cabin because it POURED and stormed on Saturday night. I would've died if I was in a tent.

I almost didn't put this because I look soooo rough... Please forgive..

They had free arts and crafts so Parker painted a frog.

The finished product..

It also had a little putt putt golf course. We probably played it a million times..

They had a huge jumping pillow but Parker never did get on it. Too many big kids...

They had a "hay" ride through the campgrounds.

We left the campground Saturday evening and drove into Bloomington for dinner. Bloomington is where the Indiana University campus is located. The campus is beautiful. We ate at the most amazing wing place.

It was a fun weekend and we'd love to go again soon.

Last Year vs. This Year

2011-09-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

I love to look at how much my baby has grown and changed in one year. The first picture is his first day of preschool at Early Arts last year. He looks so cute!! :)

This one is his first day this year, one year part. He is so much taller this year. I love this little guy so much!

First Day of School!

2011-08-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Today is Parker's first day of preschool at Trader's Point. We have talked about starting a new school for weeks and thankfully he has been pretty excited. He was a little nervous about it this morning but he did great and just walked right in with NO tears! I think that I might have cried if he cried.

He only goes for a half a day today so I have to go back and pick him up at 10:15. Hopefully he had a great day!

It's Official!

2011-08-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

We are so thrilled (and nervous) to announce that Parker will be a big brother! We found out July 4th weekend. It was a crazy few weeks because I was driving back forth because I was terrified to see anyone but my fertility doctor.

We are now 12 and a half weeks and thrilled that we've made it this far. We had a bad scare on Thursday but the baby was fine! Praise God! I have been pregnant four times and every time I have had a major bleed. They are so scary but the little baby was fine and moving all over the place!

I am due March 7th. It's scary thinking about having a baby in a new town where we do not have a support system but I know that God will take care of us. I'm sure I won't have much trouble getting the grandparents to drive up and help! :)

Please join us in prayer as we continue to pray for this sweet, precious miracle! I will post ultrasound pictures soon!

New School for Parker= 1 worried Momma

2011-08-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Parker begins his new school on Tuesday. BooHoo for me! The time apart will be great for both of us because we are rarely apart this days. Taking him to Early Arts last year wasn't really that difficult since I knew so many of the other children and I was familiar with most of the teachers since I worked there in college.

This..is..different... I do not know anyone...Dropping my baby off to a school that is brand new to him is so scary to me. I know that he will be fine. We went to Open House yesterday and his teachers are amazing. They follow a great curriculum but most important they incorporate a love of God and Jesus within every lesson.

Before the open house Parker did NOT want to go to school but he seemed to enjoy it yesterday. The classroom is huge and they have lots of toys. There are 10 children in the class and 9 are boys! They have a train table, race tracks, and a tool work bench so Parker got down to business! :)

He will go on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:00-11:30. His teacher is Mrs. Bernhardt and she has been the 2 year old teacher at Traders Point for 25 years! She seems great and seems to truly love the children.

Each of the preschool classrooms is based on one of the days of creation. That is his teacher is the far corner.

This is Mrs. Ellis, the teacher's assistant. She is very sweet too.

I will be a nervous wreck on Tuesday when I drop him off but I know that this is best for both of us!

A Week of Fun in Alabama...

2011-08-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

We went home to Alabama for our last full week visit before Parker starts school next week. He is going to preschool two mornings a week. He's not too thrilled but I know that it will be great for him and he will grow to love it. When I tell him he's going to his new school, his response is, "I want to go to my old school!" Bless his heart.

We had a great visit and I was so sad for it to come to an end.

Why I miss teaching...

2011-08-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

I have no doubt that I am doing exactly what God wants me to be doing right now in my life which is stay home with my sweet Parker. I love being the one who is there when he wakes up in the morning, fixing his breakfast, and just spending the day together. We spend so much time together now that I can't imagine not being with him everyday.

With that being said, this year I am really missing the classroom though. I think that it has to do with having so much time on my hands since the move to Indiana. We don't have many friends yet so we don't have much to do each day. (Poor us, huh?) :) My favorite part of the school year was setting up my classroom. I would spend hours thinking and overthinking the layout of the room. Getting my class list was always so exciting. I loved getting to find out who I would spend each day with. It was so much fun!

Of course a few weeks in the exhaustion sets in and I always think... "Why did I choose to be a teacher?"...

Hopefully in a few years I can go back to teaching and I hope that I love it even more after having a break to "refresh" my teacher brain! :)

Mimi and Poppi came to visit!

2011-08-08T10:19:00.001-07:00

Chad's parents came to visit us this past weekend for the first time since our move to Indiana. They actually drove Parker up to us when we first moved into the house in May but they only stayed one night. We enjoyed showing them around our new home! We stayed busy and had fun.

Saturday afternoon and evening we went to the Indiana State Fair. I love going to the fair and we had a great time!

I worked at Chuck E. Cheese the summer I went on Beach Project in Panama City in college. I got lots of practice playing Skee Ball! It helped me because I won Parker a lion!

We bought tickets to go to the Monster Truck Show that evening. Parker didn't freak out but he really didn't love it like I thought he would. It was just so loud. He really enjoyed the dirt bike racers that did tricks during the breaks of the trucks.

This is how Parker felt about it!

Sunday morning we headed downtown to the zoo! We have been so many times and Parker still gets excited about going! (Obviously Chad got Parker dressed for the day!)

Next to the cheetah exhibit, the children can "race a cheetah." You pay 50 cents and the kids get to race. Parker loves it! Usually we forget to wear our "fast shoes" and we have on crocs. He always complains that he could run faster with his tennis shoes. Well, I didn't forget this time. He ran his little heart out! It's so cute!

We had a great weekend!

2011-08-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

I joined a Zionsville Moms Group and this was in the newsletter. I thought that most of us could relate!

Dear God, I am not asking for much here, just five

kid-free minutes to myself. I'm not asking for a good

shower-the one where you shave your legs and pumice

your heels and slather your limbs with sea-salt-lemon-

mimosa foaming body scrub and exfoliate whetever

bits need exfoliating. nothing like that. Just five

minutes under a stream of hot water so I can shampoo

the ick out of my hair, slop on a little conditioner,

swipe my face with one of the baby's washcloths, and

just be. Please let there be peace while this happens-

please, no sibling fights, no screams from the crib, no

toddlers taking a header down the stairs, no phone

calls, or doorbells. I left everyone safe and happy,

please could they just stay that way until I'm done?

Then, I promise, I will emerge like Lazarus from the

tomb to be a patient and sweet tempered mom ready

to start her day- with shiny hair to boot. Thank you

Lord. Amen.

Painting Rocks...

2011-06-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is what you do when you move to a new town and don't have many friends... You paint rocks!

(Just kidding... we are making friends) :)

We used to paint rocks ALL THE TIME when we were kids so I thought that Parker would love it too! We took a walk through the neighborhood and picked out the "perfect" rocks.

It was messy but fun! Now we have a nice collection on our back patio! Parker has begged to do it again everyday since.

Parker at 2.5

2011-06-13T12:36:00.001-07:00

It's crazy to think that Parker is already 2 and a half! It seems like I just planned his 2nd birthday and we are already halfway to the next one! Craziness! Here are some things about my big boy!

Nicknames: Boogie Bear, Parkey

Favorite Foods: biscuits, sausage, bacon, cheese crackers, peanut butter sandwich, anything sweet

Favorite Drinks: milk and apple juice

Nap Schedule: 2-4 ish most days

BedTime: Indiana time is crazy so it's been between 9 and 9:30 most nights

Favorite TV show: Super Why (We are hardly watching tv now though since it's summer.)

Favorite Movie: Cars

Favorite Movie Characters: Lightening McQueen and Mater. He's OBSESSED!

Closest Friends: Sadly, we left behind so many great friends in Alabama but he's making friends here. Owen and Eli are his new buddies.

Favorite Inside Toys: He has tons of cars but he loves his Mater and Lightening McQueen cars.

Favorite Outside Toys: TBall set, soccer ball, bubbles, Lightening McQueen riding car

Sleeps With: puppy, blue blanket, Easter Bunny, and a puppy pillow pet

Things that he doesn't like: Spiders, vegetables (he will take tiny bites of corn on the cob) and he also throws a fit when you make him stop watching Lightening mcQueen videos on YouTube. :)

Potty Trained: Nope.. not really interested yet.. We did buy a potty though.

Favorite Books: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Best Bribery Tool: A sucker works wonders..

We love this little guy more than anything in the world!

Here is a picture of Parker last summer at 1 and a half. Crazy how fast time goes by!

Observations from Indiana...

2011-06-10T12:31:00.001-07:00

Life In Indiana...

Now that I have begun my new life as an Indianaian (sp?) Is that a word?

Here are some things that I have noticed...

1. People here live a much healthier overall lifestyle than back home. The roads are always full of bikers and runners. There are running paths and trails galore around the city. (Sadly, my feet haven't touched any of them yet because I've been sticking to running in the neighborhood.) *I am planning on forcing myself to join a large running group called Indy Runners soon. I do not know anyone in this group which is scary but I'm going to try to be brave and just show up. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

2. I know this is crazy, but I think that the people are friendlier here than back home. Crazy, huh? Of course, I don't think that everyone is hateful in Alabama but our neighbors have been soooo sweet. Everyone on our street has made an effort to stop by, meet us, and welcome us to the neighborhood. Chad and I have moved more times than I care to count and this is the most welcoming group of people I have ever encountered. We received quite a few plates of brownies and cookies, too! :)

3. Apparently, I talk like a true southern "hick." Everywhere we go, people comment on how we must be from the south. We took Bailey to the vet today and she said, "Oh dear, you're not from here, are you?" Great...

4. The second thing people say after they meet us (after commenting our our accent) is, "Do you like it here?" (We say yes, of course.) Then they say, "Oh just wait for winter. You'll change your mind." Sheesh... We are already dreading it, must you people rub it in?

5. Gas is alot more expensive.. Ugh...

6. People here are apparently very fertile... Everyone has at least 2-3 kids, some more than that. Mom thinks it has to do with #4, the long cold winter... She's probably right!

The following are a few pictures from a visit from my parents last week. We had a blast at the zoo!

Happy Birthday, Chaddy!!

2011-06-09T11:51:00.001-07:00

Sadly, I'm very behind on this post... Chad's birthday was May 21st...

It's his LAST year in the 20's... Believe me, he reminds me all the time that he's still in his 20's while I'm in my 30's... As if I need any reminders.....

Anyway... We celebrated the day before his actual birthday because he hit the Interstate early the morning of his birthday to head back to Sweet Home Alabama.. (I'll post more about the trip back home later.)

Parker "helped" me wrap the presents.. (A.K.A. sticking them in bags)

We got daddy a lunchbox because I was sick of seeing him carry my old pink one to work. Not the best way to make a great first impression at a new job. :)

A Lowe's gift card is a must for any special occasion for Chad.. He loves that place.

New work shirt...

And, golf balls!

And of course, no celebration is complete without homemade cupcakes pilled with sprinkles by Parker!

Happy Birthday, Chad. You are an amazing friend, husband, and father. We love you!

Life in Indiana

2011-05-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

We have lived in Indiana for about two weeks now and I will admit that the transition has been easier than I anticipated... We are just so grateful to all be under the same roof, beginning our "new normal."

Before the move I was so worried about Parker having a hard time. Boy, was I wrong! He's taken everything like a champ. The first day he was here he asked to go back to his other house quite often but he never cried about it. He's asked about friends and family quite often as well but he seems fine when we offer the explanation that we are living in Indiana now and we can't seem them all the time.

Our new neighbors are wonderful. Everyone has stopped by, brought goodies, and just made us feel welcome. If you don't want to get pregnant, don't move to our street! EVERYONE has two or three kids and many are pregnant now! There are KIDS EVERYWHERE. (We are hoping that the "water" will bring us good luck here!) Parker is loving his new friends especially two boys that live next door. Owen is 3 and Eli is 1 and a half. He really likes playing with them and calls them his "new friends."

The first night we were here there were at least 10 kids running our front yard. Please stay outside all the time. My neighbor said that they have to hibernate 6 months of the year because it's sooo cold so when it gets warmed up, everyone moves outside and I totally believe her! The houses are very close together so everyone just plays in everyone's yard.. There are sidewalks so it makes riding bikes, running, and walking Bailey very safe. The playground and swimming pool are right up the street which is so nice. Parker is loving going to the park everyday!

Parker is doing well with the transition to his "big boy bed." He cries off and on but mostly he'll go on to sleep after we read a few books. He seems to challenge me more in the afternoon for nap than he does at night. I've had to give a few "pankins" for him getting out when he didn't want to nap, but for the most part, he's done well.

We are heading back to Alabama on Saturday. Saturday is also Chad's Birthday!! Happy Birthday Chaddy!

We are staying in Athens through Monday morning. I have to take Chad to the airport on Monday because he has a business trip for the week. Parker and I are going to head to Florence after we leave the airport. We will stay in Florence through Thursday. Chad is flying back in on Thursday afternoon. We will probably spend the night in Athens and then head back to FLorence on Friday for the long weekend. Chad is driving back to Indiana on Monday but Parker and I are going to stay a few more days with my parents. We are driving back up that Friday morning. Mom and dad are going to stay through the next Wednesday. We are excited about seeing everyone (even though it's only been two weeks!)

Could you sleep last night?

2011-05-10T11:15:00.001-07:00

I know that you all couldn't sleep last night in anticipation of me posting our new house pictures... Well, suffer no more.. Here they are! :)

Disclaimer: We are not done with decorating.. Chad's poor office is just sad and I didn't even take a picture of the garage because it's just embarrassing... We'll get there though...

Parker looks thrilled, huh?

First Playroom Photo.. The new playroom is half the size of our last one so we had to be creative...I am hoping to decorate the walls with an ABC theme soon.

Another playroom shot.. The playroom is right off the den..

Our den...

The dining area.. Not really a room because it's just connected with the den... We are using what is supposed to be the dining room as an office.

Our kitchen.. I LOVE that it is open to the den.... The den, kitchen, and dining area are all one big space.

Our outside patio..

The view from our back patio... Off to the left is the playground and neighborhood pool.

Chad's office... No time for that yet...

This is the loft area. As you come up the steps, the loft is on the right. There is a TV in this room as well but you just can't see it in the picture.

The laundry room. I LOVE that it is upstairs with all of the bedrooms... I don't have to lug laundry baskets up and down the stairs...

Guest Bedroom #1! It needs visitors!

This is what you see at the top of the stairs.

Guest Bedroom #2!

Best picture of Parker's room I could get while he's sleeping. Look closely in his bed! SHHH!

Parker's Bathroom/Guest Bathroom

Our Bedroom

I LOVE that we have a separate shower and tub. I also love that I get my own tub and I don't have to share with Parker!! Everytime I took a bath in the old house, I was surrounded by toys!

Another view of our bathroom! I hate the light fixtures but they'll have to do.

And my favorite room, our master bedroom closet!!! WOO HOO!!!

There is also a huge storage room/attice space off the upstairs loft. This room makes me very happy also! We had very limited storage space in the last house!

We are adjusting well. Parker was sad off and on yesterday. He kept asking to go back to his other house but today he seems better. We have meet lots of neighbors and they are all so friendly. Last night there were at least 10 kids running around in our front yard. Parker was LOVING it! There are two boys next door that are 3 and 1 1/2 and Parker thinks they are great (although they will never replace Edburd.) Parker is asking constantly where Edburd is...

This morning he also said that he missed Mrs. Emily, Mrs. Krissa (Krista), and Mrs. Melly (Melodie).

We are heading to the zoo tomorrow.. There's so much to do here so we should be able to stay busy..

We are coming home May 20th but we are staying in Athens until that Sunday. We will be in that entire next week so we can visit all the friends that Parker is missing...

(Don't worry GeeBee, he misses you and Pops too!) :)

The Big Move...

2011-05-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy around here... We are now officially live in Indiana... I am already missing home but I LOVE my new house and we have met some really sweet neighbors...

Bailey and Cane when the moving truck came.. They weren't too thrilled... Poor Cane didn't get to come with us...

Indiana-Here we come!!

OOPS! We had a little paint mishap when painting Parkers room. Thankfully it was a spot that is covered with his bed..

First family photo at the new house...

New house pics coming soon....

Best Buds...

2011-04-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Walking through the valleys...

2011-04-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

I don't really even know where to begin... I never imagined that I would be hit with so much emotion the day of April 21st. Thursday would have been our baby's due date. I really didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, my sweet husband drove home very late the night before to be with us for Easter... and boy was I glad he was here....

I haven't truthfully cried very much after losing either pregnancy. It's almost like I was just trying to trick my mind to believe that it didn't really happen. How can you deal with so much hurt? Losing two pregnancies within 6 months of each other? It's alot to process, so I just didn't...

After the first miscarriage, I picked the pieces up and thought, "Ok, it's happened once but it can't happen twice so I'll be fine." We weren't even "trying" and we weren't even ready to discuss jumping back to the fertility doctor. We were TOTALLY SHOCKED to learn that we were pregnant...

I immediately thought that the Lord had given us an AMAZING miracle. I just KNEW that this was it! God was given us the baby that we'd wanted as soon as Parker was born...

Of course, I was heartbroken when we learned that we'd lost not one, but two babies... Really heartbreak doesn't do it justice... defeat, anger, frustration, fear are just a few of the feelings that I have gone through...

Of course, my mind immediately starts worrying about the future... More fertility treatments?? I am not sure if I can go there again... What more can my body endure? Years of shots, hormones through the roof... ugh...

It seems like everyone around me is having a baby... PLEASE don't get me wrong. I am always THRILLED, THRILLED, THRILLED for my friends when they receive the joyous news of becoming a parent... But it's so hard not to thing, "WHy not me, God?" What is the purpose of putting us through the trials of continuous, painful, expensive fertility treatments? What's the purpose of taking my babies away from me before I can hold them and lay my eyes of their sweet faces?"

Thursday was hard. I just kept thinking that I should be exhausted because I wasn't sleeping. I should be rocking my baby in the middle of the night and I wasn't. I was crying for what should've been..

Thankfully I have a God who loves me and walks with me through these valleys.. I KNOW that He is with me even though I might not "feel" Him all of the time. I have literally felt that I have been walking through a fog lately but I know that He's guiding me when I can't even see.

I don't know what the future holds.. I don't know if we will get to experience the joy of having another baby but I do know that I PRAY that the Holy Spirit will remind me to see the other "little joys" all around me. I have an amazing husband who listens to me "spill my heartbreak", he hugs me when I whine about gaining 10 pounds through all of the stress, and he makes me laugh when I need it.

I have an amazing family who would do ANYTHING to help us experience parenthood again. I have a new, beautiful home waiting for me to decorate, and friends who go above and beyond for us.

I have the most precious son that a mom could pray for. He makes me smile, me makes me laugh, me drives me up a wall, too. :) What a blessing he is to our family. I can't imagine life without him. I praise God for the blessing of Parker everyday!

And last, I have a Savior who GUARANTEES my eternity in Heaven with my children. What a day that will be when my babies can run into my arms. I long for the day... But until then I will trust that they are perfect and healthy. (I mean who better to care for your child than Jesus?)

I guess grief comes in waves.. I will feel "fine" for awhile and then it will hit me again. I would imagine that October 3rd will bring all of these emotions back again but I (we) will cross that bridge when we get there.

Until then, I give my grief, sorrow, and heartache to the only one who can truly take it away... He is the only one who can provide true joy and peace... I will never "get over" losing babies but I know with time the hurt will lessen...

Thanks to all who have prayed and loved us.....

Easter...

2011-04-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

I just realized today that I didn't take a picture of Parker by himself today in his Easter clothes... Oh well... Here's one from today's Easter Egg Hunt... (minus his cute sweater vest... way to hot for that thing during the hunt..)

Easter Last Year!

It's amazing how fast they grow up!

Parker's Easter Party at School

2011-04-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

Parker's Easter Party was yesterday at school and it was so fun! I love getting to see his friends at school that he talks about at home!

Parker and Caleb

Parker and Edward

Eating Lunch

Parker and Molly-I couldn't get him to stop looking at her.

Parker, Edward, and William.... Such silly boys!

First Easter Function...

2011-04-19T19:12:00.001-07:00

My parents had my moms side of the family over this past Sunday for our first Easter celebration. Everything was wonderful, except for the fact that Chad wasn't there.. :( (He's coming home tomorrow for 3 whole days!)

Addison and Parker were cheating and watching them hide the eggs for the egg hunt.

Kaden and Parker

Kaden, Parker, and Addison

Happy Easter!

Spring Happenings....

2011-04-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

Life at our house has been crazy lately. Chad has pretty much been traveling since February and he actually moved to Indiana to live in a corporate apartment the first of April. We miss him like crazy and I miss our normal routine. I am ready to get to Indiana to begin our "new normal."

Here are a few recent pictures...

This one makes me laugh. Sweet Melodie invited me and Emily and all the kiddos over one night for dinner because Chad and Will were out of town and John was working late. This is the best picture I got of all of the kids....

Callan and Edward heading off into the sunset....

Last Thursday, Parker, Bailey (the dog) and I loaded up the car and headed to Indiana to spend a week with daddy. It was Parker's spring break at school. We had a GREAT week. We visited the Children's Museum twice and the zoo twice. Parker LOVED both places. Let me say, the children's museum in AMAZING!

Poor Baby... He slept on his Buzz LightYear blow up bed in the closet all week!

And Last But Not Least....

OUR NEW HOUSE!!! WOOO HOOO!! We are thrilled! I love it! The movers/packers come May 2nd to start packing our stuff!

February and March review...

2011-04-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

I have actually avoided discussing the months of February and March on my blog because up until this point, I just wasn't ready to face the reality of the situation. Our lives have been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows but by my God's sweet grace, we survived. We know and truly believe that He will lift and carry you through times that you don't think are possible to survive.

February began with an amazing surprise. (I am going to try to tell the shorter versions or this blog post will be pages long.) I wasn't feeling well during a long run with my dear friend Emily. We ran 9 miles and I was struggling... Emily kept saying, "I bet your pregnant." I was just laughing inside because I kept thinking... Poor Emily.. she wasn't here before to see the struggles we've faced. Us just "getting pregnant' isn't an option. Goodness knows, we have a few years of fertility treatments under our belt. Well, I was a few days late on my monthly visitor (which for me is totally normal. I can go MONTHS without a cycle.) but against better judgment I took a pregnancy test. I randomly found one in the cabinet that I have NO idea where it came from. I quite buying those things YEARS ago. To my total surprise, the durn thing was positive. I about hit the floor. Chad was at the car place buying my new car and mumbled a few things and said get home now!

Of course, he was floored also! I took another test... Positive again.... Holy cow! This is crazy. I had gone to Dr. Woodford the day before to discuss a few mild fertility treatments that we could try until our move and he said that there was no way I was pregnant... (proved him wrong, huh?)

We frantically called Dr. Allen and scheduled a blood test the following morning. I was a nervous wreck as I drove to the doctor.. Was this just some kind of cruel joke? But the test confirmed it! We were pregnant! I immediately called my fertility doctor in Birmingham and literally left the most ridiculous message for the nurses. I could hardly articulate a complete thought. I was giddy!

I headed to Huntsville the following day for more blood work. Nancy, our DEAR nurse practitioner, has been with us since 2007 when we started this journey to grow our family. She couldn't believe it either. Dr. Honea called me at home that night to confirm that I was pregnant, but she did have a few concerns with the numbers so we'd wait a week and do more blood work. I was a little nervous but we were just beaming with joy!!! We were pregnant and we did it the FREE way! :)

The weekly visits began and we were nervous but thrilled. The first two weeks were good visits but we started to notice that the baby wasn't growing properly and my Beta, pregnancy hormone, was increasing but not like it should. Dr. Honea was concerned but our little peanut was hanging strong. After a few weeks, Nancy, felt like she saw two "structures." She couldn't confirm twins but she felt strongly that it was. Around what should have been week 8 in my pregnancy we got heartbreaking news.

The heart was barely, barely beating. This was a Monday (around March 3rd, I think) They went ahead and scheduled a D&C in Birmingham for that Friday. Nancy was just as sad as we were but our Prayer Warriors began doing their magic. (I wouldn't have survived without them.) They gathered in groups and sat alone to pray for this sweet baby. We needed a miracle. We returned to the doctor on Thursday to confirm that the heart had completely stopped beating before we proceeded with the D&Con Friday. To our AMAZEMENT, the baby had finally grown and the heart was beating stronger...

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL... We clearly saw 2 heartbeats.... WHAT???? We were so shocked, we didn't know what to do. We went in to confirm no heartbeat but instead, saw 2??? I couldn't wait to tell everyone that God had answered our prayers... We shared the news and everyone was beaming for these little miracles. We went home and celebrated. It was such a joyous weekend.... Our HUGE God isn't so huge after all. He heard me and my cries and answered our prayers!

The weekend was great, but Monday brought heartache again. We returned for another ultrasound. My dear husband had to leave early that morning to go back to Indiana so my mom went with me for support. I knew immediately that the babies were gone. I have seen TONS of ultrasounds and it was very clear. My babies were no longer alive. We were heartbroken. I had to call and tell my precious husband over the phone that they were gone.

It has taken me awhile to process what has happened. My emotions have been all over the place. I have wondered "Why did we have to get the good news. Why in the world would God put us on such a roller coaster?" I couldn't believe that I was going to have to do another D&C just 5 months after the first one... It was terrible to even think about...

All I know is this... I don't know why God has chosen to take 3 babies from us here on Earth... I do know that He loves me more than I can imagine and He knows all to well how hard it is to lose a child. He watched His very own Son suffer through the most unimaginable pain. I can't imagine the horror in witnessing something like that.

Heave is for Real has given my so much peace. The book discusses the little boy meeting his sister in Heaven and his sister talked about dying in her mommy's tummy and how she can't wait for her mommy and daddy to get to Heaven. I know that I will meet my three babies in Heaven one day. I will rock them to sleep (if we sleep in Heaven :) We will run and dance on the golden streets together. I may not have my house full of kids here on Earth that I wish and long for but I know that I will one day when I get to live with my God in Heaven. I can just imagine Jesus with one baby on each knee and one hanging from his shoulders. I know He is loving and hugging my babies. What a glorious sight.

Yes, I have days that I am very sad. April is hard because my due date from the first pregnancy is soon approaching. April 21st was my due date. Thankfully I have an amazing husband and he is going to drive home from Indiana so we can be together as a family that day.

(Chad moved to Indiana today... That's a whole other blog post. :)

I love each of you and we are so appreciative of all of the prayers and support we have received. It will never be forgotten.

February...

2011-03-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

February was such a roller coaster of a month. The highs of getting pregnant, thinking we were losing the baby, finding out it was twins, and then losing them both. I haven't really even had time to process my emotions and what all we've been through the last 6 months. The Lord has carried me through this time for sure. I'll write more about everything later but for now, two cute pictures of my sweet miracle.

Parker after school today. He's ready for the pros!!!

Daddy, Parker, and Uncle Craig at the bowling alley! Parker had a blast!

Parker and Edburd

2011-02-12T12:52:00.001-08:00

Parker ADORES his buddy, Edward, a.k.a, "Edburd." We are going to be so sad when we can't see him all the time when we are in Indiana. They are such sweet little friends.

Notice the passy! We are NOW A PASSY FREE HOUSE!! It's been about five days since it "broke." I'll be honest. It was much harder than I thought it would be. He SCREAMED for it for the first 2 or 3 days but he's finally getting better. He will still ask for it from time to time but it's getting better.

Life with a sick kid...

2011-02-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

My goodness. I feel like Parker has been sick for weeks and the sad thing is, he has! Poor kid has had a terrible winter! It's been one thing after another. I thought that we were finally over but this week the snot and cough has fired back up. His cough is just terrible at night. Last night he coughed so hard after getting too hot that he threw up ALL over me! Hair, clothes, shoes.... the works...

I pray that next week we can get out and enjoy the beautiful weather! I NEED it to save my sanity!

On a Wednesday....

2011-01-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

This is what my house looks like on a Wednesday...

(I got this idea from a friend named Stephanie. We went to high school together and now she lives in Kentucky. We will be around 2 hours apart when we move to Indiana. Check out her blog

www.bamainthebluegrass.com

In my dining room (this is what happens when you are cleaning out before a move)

On my kitchen island...

On my kitchen floor.. two stray wieners... :)

In my laundry room... ( I hope that I am not the only one who lets our laundry room become a "dumping ground" for everything.)

At my backdoor....

In my den...

In my hallway.... (at any moment in my house you can find a random sock.)

My bathroom counter....

In my bedroom...(oops, didn't make my bed today) :)

On my nightstand...

On my bedroom floor... (told you.. it's another random sock.)

This is what my life looks like on a random Wednesday. But you know what, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Our Trip to Indiana

2011-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

(Sorry, boring post with no pictures.)

After a long, stressful December month of praying (and let's be truthful, worrying) Chad and I decided that he should apply and interview for an opening in Indianapolis, Indiana effective in February. It's a great opportunity for his career and it is a job that is very appealing to Chad. (don't ask me to explain the job.. not even sure myself... :) but it's something that he's excited about.) It will let him bring out his inner dork and work with numbers all day.

The interview was Monday so we packed up the ole family mini van and headed north on Saturday. The drive up was great thanks to the portable DVD player that my mom and dad purchased for us for Christmas. Parker loved watching "monies" during the trip. He looked like a little DJ back there with his orange headphones.

The drive is pretty easy. You simply take 65 north until you get to Indianapolis. It took us about 6 1/2 hours. We arrived at our hotel and had to quickly change clothes and get cleaned up. A guy that Chad would possibly work with if he gets the new job, invited us over to his house for dinner. He and his wife Kelly, have a beautiful home. Their two kids were really sweet and Parker enjoyed playing with them, however; he was very clingy to me. I think that he was just nervous.... Let's be honest.. I was also nervous. Going into someone's home that you do not know can be scary, especially with a child who is known to throw fits during dinner because he won't eat....

But we survived and had a nice time. We were pretty tired after dinner and just headed back to the hotel. Sunday we spent the day in the car again driving around north of the city exploring neighborhoods. Most Lily employees live North of the city so we had to check it out. It really is a very nice area. We met with another Lily employee at Starbucks and she gave us some great tips about the area.. Super nice of her to do that on a Sunday afternoon.

Monday was the big day. Chad was nervous but tried not to show it. He headed off to the interview pretty early. He had 3 meetings with 3 different people at 9, 10, and 11. The interview with Jim, the hiring manager was at 12:30. Parker and I headed to the mall during this time to shop, well. I wish.. Parker isn't one much for shopping anymore. The only purchases made were to Chick Fil A and the candy store for a big bag of sour patch kids.... Sugar helps me deal with stress, ok?? don't judge.

We headed back to the hotel to wait for Chad and I decided to give Parker a bath. (We skipped the night before.) He slipped and poor thing, busted his chin on the side of the tub. Blood everywhere... Thankfully all was well after a few marshmallows...

Chad felt great about the meetings and the interview and I couldn't be MORE PROUD OF HIM! Jim, the manager, felt like we should leave town early. We were scheduled to leave Tuesday morning but a big snow storm was hitting the area that night so we repacked our bags (I didn't mention earlier but we had to change hotels the first two night, ugh.. very annoying) and headed out. Of course, FB was blowing up with pictures and posts about the beautiful snow at home. We were worried about the roads.

We drove to a town north of Nashville and decided to stop. It was dark at that point and we decided not to take any chances...We stopped. Ate some grub and found a hotel, just in time to yell WAR EAGLE!!! I was ready to be home but we felt we made the best decision to stop. We got a room with two beds and I slept in one and Chad and Parker slept in the other...

At 3:45 AM I sit STRAIGHT up in bed when I hear a loud thump, immediately followed by screams. Parker had rolled all the way down tot he foot of the bed and rolled onto the floor. Poor thing! He was SCREAMING.. I think that it scared him to death... I didn't go back to sleep for at least an hour because my heart was racing so fast... Poor thing.. He had had a rough day.

We left town at 9 am to head for home, FINALLY. We stopped by Chad's parents house in Athens to say hello quickly and get back on the road... We were in Clements and Chad said... "Oh no, we are losing air in my right tire."Great, just great. It's FREEZING outside and we have a flat.... ON a brand new tire...

We sit on the side of the road for about an hour.. (We did have some quick company from Jim Manchester though:) My mom drove from Florence to get me and Parker and Chad went with the tow truck, or Mater as Parker would say... After we complained for awhile we realized how blessed we were that it didn't happen on the interstate in Indiana. That would've bee awful.

Thankfully, we made it home to the winter wonderland everyone was talking about. It's beautiful.

We are waiting to hear a response from Jim, the hiring manager. Hopefully soon. If he gets the job, he will begin sometime in February. Parker and I are going to stay back and take care of the house.. We will put it on the market soon after. If he is hired, he will try to compute back and forth when possible.

Prayers for our family are welcome. :) It's a big transition but we trust and know that God will lead us in the direction that is best for our family.

2010 Highlights

2011-01-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

I know that everyone says it, but the years are just flying by. I can't believe that 2010 is over and 2011 has begun. I wanted to take a moment (and a million pictures) to remember some of the highlights of the year. We live such a blessed life and we are so thankful to God for our home and family.

Highlight #10: The WATER!

Parker loved the water this summer and he is already dying for the pool to open again. We spent so much time at the Forest Hills swimming pool. The baby pool was his favorite. He could sit and play with his water toys all day.

We also spent some "redneck" time this summer in the front yard with the water hose. He LOVED "watering the plants." He often watered the dog, me, and the house, but hey, it was hot and I was ok with it!

The splash pad was also lots of fun. We had fun meeting friends and playing in the water. (Notice Callan in the back.)

Highlight #9:

Going to the beach with my parents

My parents were SUPER sweet to work out a last minute beach trip to Gulf Shores this summer. It was during the DREADED 10 day wait.. You have to wait 10 days after the embryo transfer to find out if you are pregnant... Those 10 days can be dreadfully long so my parents invited us to pack up and head to the beach! We had tons of fun!

Highlight #8:

Chad, Parker, and I also got to head to the beach this summer. Chad had to work 3 days this summer in Destin so he begged me to come with him... I was reluctant but gave in ....

NOT!

I was THRILLED!! This girl LOVES a beach trip. I was pumped to find out that we could go. Poor Chad had to work but Parker and I had fun. I ended up with a stomach bug while we were there but we still had a good time.

Highlight #7:

VEGAS, BABY!

We were thrilled to head to Vegas to witness a beautiful wedding. Chad's brother, Kevin, got married!! He and Elizabeth are the sweetest couple! We loved getting to see the sights and experiencing all Vegas has to offer.. We'd love to go again!

Highlight #6:

Parker started preschool.

Not sure if this is a highlight because it means my baby is growing up! :)

He goes to Early Arts 2 days a week and he loves school. He has made so many friends but he has really developed a close bond with "Edburd." They are so sweet together!

Highlight #5:

Parker turned 2!

His birthday party was at the jumpy house, or as most would call it, Monkey N Around. Parker loves that place and had a blast at his party. We stuck with family and had a wonderful turn out. He is one lucky kid to be so loved by everyone.

Highlight #4:

CHRISTMAS!!!

A 2 year old at Christmas is so much fun! He was thrilled to see what Santa brought him Christmas morning. It already makes me excited about next year.... He got so many toys but his favorite would be the train that he can ride on the tracks. (I'll post pics of that later.) The snow made it extra specials, although Parker wasn't too thrilled with all of the clothes that I made his wear.. Poor kid.. We really don't own the proper snow gear...

Highlight #3:

Chad FINALLY became an Alabama season ticket holder... I do believe that I actually saw tears in his eyes when the tickets arrived in the mail. I will also use this time to brag on my hubby.. He finished the year as the #1 sales rep for his area.. which is 8,

yep, I said it,

8 states..

He rocks!

Highlight #2

We did our embryo transfer on August 3rd and we found out 10 days later that we were pregnant!!!!

We were so surprised and excited... We just couldn't believe how "easy" it was...

However, it changed...I was one day shy of 11 weeks when Dr. allen told me the dreaded news... My sweet miracle baby no longer had a heart beat... We were blindsided.. Not expecting this at all, but who does? Even in sadness, this is a highlight because we received so much LOVE and support from our friends and family...

Highlight #1:

I completed a half marathon...

Well, not really...

I always wanted to run a half marathon by 30... December 18th I realized that I only had 2 days left so me and my trusty Garmin headed out for a lovely run...

Ok, who am I kidding?? I was really hard and there was nothing lovely about it...

But I DID IT!!! Emily Mann and I plan to make it official in February when we run the Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham...

And the one highlight that is above all others!!!

I got to be a STAY AT HOME MOMMY in 2010!! This is something that I have always envisioned for my life... Being a working mom is very difficult and if you have never worked outside of the home, you just don't understand... I consider myself lucky to be able to stay home and focus on my family. I know that this life is not for everyone and I will not stay home forever.. But right now, my life is exactly how I want it to be!!! What a blessing!

I am so thankful to God for blessing me with an amazing husband, child, and family. 2010 was amazing and I can't wait to see what is in store for 2011.. My 2011 goals will be posted soon!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! (Warning: Lots of pictures!)

We have successfully completed three family Christmas celebrations with two more to go. One more in Athens tonight and then one at my parents house tomorrow!

Our Family

My mom, Aunt Shea Shea, and Me

Craig and Shea with Addie

Parker and Daddy

Craig with his new Christmas gifts from mom and dad.

oops.. put this one twice...

Pops and Parker

Uncle Kevin, Chad, and Parker

What's in this big bag???

Parker FINALLY got his very own basketball goal! He was thrilled!!

The calm before the storm... :) Santa came and brought lots of goodies!

That sweet Christmas morning smile. He didn't wake up until 8:15. He never sleeps that late but he was worn out. He didn't have a nap the day before.

Running down the hall to see what Santa brought!

Santa brought a train!!

Santa even sent snow too!!

Parker's "new" car! Santa bought it and a the train from a friend and got two great deals! :) Santa is thrifty!

Too bad this jeep doesn't come with snow tires! :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to our sweet Saviour, Jesus Christ!

2010-12-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Last night my Aunt Judy and Uncle Mike invited us to their house in Sheffield for a yummy dinner. After we ate, we headed over to Spring Park for some fun. We took Parker there once this summer and the train wasn't running so he's never been able to ride it. HE LOVES TRAINS so I knew that he would be thrilled!

It was a perfect night to go because it really wasn't that cold. Parker loved the riding the horses too. Of course, my camera battery died before we got to ride the train.

Merry Christmas from Parker twice! Sorry, I can't get the second picture to go away!

More cookie fun...

2010-12-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

I feel like all I have posted about lately is cookies... Oh well.... My hips will prove that's about all we've done lately is decorate and eat cookies. :)

We had a "few" :) friends over to help! Here are the kiddos enjoying their picnic lunch!

Here is a picture of the reindeer cookies that we were making, however most ended up with tons of m and m's and a giant pile of sprinkles... Callan won the award for the neatest cookies creation! :)

Sweet Marah

Melodie and Callan

Edward.. This picture made me laugh! He looks so funny with that blue in his mouth...

Parker

William is working so hard. He's such a sweetie!

Even sweet baby Ava joined in on the fun! Next year she'll be in the middle of all of the action!

Run, eat cookies..... Run, eat cookies....

2010-12-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

First off, let me begin by saying, that I am not writing this to boast or brag... I am simply thankful to God for giving me legs and a body that are able to run. It's amazing what our bodies can do. I always said that I wanted to complete a 1/2 marathon by the age of 30. I made that goal years ago before I even began running. I realized at the gym on Thursday that I only had a few days left of life as a 30 year old, since I turn 31 on Monday. :(

I made the decision to go for it. I went into it with low expectations because I have not trained to be able to run that far yet. The half marathon that I am training for now is not until February. The longest run that I have completed in the last three months was only 7 miles. I ran the first 6 miles at a nice pace but needed to take a potty break. So I took a 5 minute pit stop at the house. I convinced Chad to ride his bike with me for a bit to get me motivated again. He hung around for about a mile and a half and he headed home.

The run was going well until mile 10.....

I just hit a wall. My ankles started hurting and my knees were screaming at me. I kept thinking, "I've done this much. I can't stop now." I did have to stop and walk some during the last three miles. They were really difficult.

BUT... I finished... 13.1 miles... I ran a half marathon except there were no cheering fans (except Chad) and no medal... The ONLY way I was able to do this was with God's strength during the run. I was praying often for help...

I have been running alot lately but I have also been eating...

Eating alot.... The holidays are going to kill me....

Parker and I made sugar cookies and decorated them on Wednesday. The weather was nasty outside so we just stayed in and basically ate cookies all day.

Isn't this cute! I love this new smiles he's been giving me....

New Blog that I Heart!

2010-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

I found a blog that I love right now. THe sad thing is that most of you probably know about it and I was the last to find it.... That's how most things go for me.

The blog is written by a stay at home mom. I love her yummy recipes, cute crafts, and decorating tips... It's fun to read!

www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com

Happy Reading!!

Gingerbread House

2010-12-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

We had plans to go to my friend Emily's house today to decorate Gingerbread houses. Parker LOVES to play with her son, Edward, or Edburd, as Parker calls him, however, a little stomach yuck hit him last night so I decided that we didn't need to spread any germs. Parker was so sad but we decorated our house at home anyway. He loved it. It was hard for me to put my kindergarten teacher aside because I wanted him to put the candy on the house in a neat and orderly manner but of course that didn't happen. He had a ball and is begging to do another one already. It turned out really cute.

The finished product. Parker was sad when we were done.

December Fun

2010-12-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

We spent all day Saturday recovering from the birthday party Friday night. Parker was up until almost 10 pm after the party so needless to say, he was worn out on Saturday. He slept until 8:30, which he NEVER does. We had a quiet day at home with his new toys while daddy was working at the Toy and Coat Giveaway at church.

Parker's Mimi got him a tent and tunnel and he loves it. He put his blowup Lightening McQueen chair inside...

Parker in his new Christmas pj's that Aunt Shea gave him for his birthday! They are so cute! We have both been in our pj's all day today! Just too cold to get out!

I took a million pictures this morning and I couldn't get Parker to smile so I said, "I'll give you some marshmallows if you smile for me!" and this is what I got! That kid will do anything for marshmallows!

Blues Clues Blow Out!

2010-12-03T20:06:00.001-08:00

I'm exhausted from all of the party fun so this will be brief... The party was tonight and Parker had a blast! We were blessed to have so many family members come and celebrate Parker's 2nd birthday with us.

Our cute Blues Clues cake-Parker loved it!

The food table before the pizza arrived.

Daddy had time for fun too!!

We sure do love Aunt Shea Shea!

Pipi, Nana, Grandaddy, and Corey who apparently didn't want his picture taken... :)

The kid table.

Happy Birthday, Parker!

Parker's Birthday Month

2010-12-02T14:21:00.001-08:00

We have had lots of fun these past few weeks playing with friends, going to school, and playing in our pj's at home. We have been getting ready for Parker's 2nd birthday party. I know that every mom says this but I CAN NOT believe that he will be 2 tomorrow. Wow, how times flies...

We have visited Monkey N Around quite a few times and Parker loves to go to the "jumpy house" as he calls it. We are actually having his party there tomorrow night. The picture above is Parker playing and the one below is his new buddy, Edward, or "Edburd" as Parker calls him.

We spent Wednesday making cupcakes to send to school today for Parker's birthday. Of course, we had to taste test the icing and an entire cupcake to make sure they were ok!

Parker said they were perfect! :)

As I said before, I sent cupcakes to school today. I didn't come in when they had snack because as a teacher, I know how annoying that can be... I was afraid that it would get the kids all wound up so I just sent them when I dropped him off. Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Kelly are awesome teachers and they took some pictures with my camera for me!

(sorry this one is posted twice and I can't seem to delete it.)

Notice his Blues Clues shirt. We are having a Blues Clues party tomorrow night!

What a blessing these past two years have been! We love you, Parker! Happy Birthday!

First of Four Thanksgiving Celebrations...

2010-11-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving celebrating began Sunday. We ate lunch with my mom's side of the family after church. The food was great and we had lots of fun watching Parker and Addison play together. Of course, I ate way too much...

My mom, A.K.A, GeeBee

Me, Mom, and Parker

Parker and Pops playing basketball. My parents have a goal at their house and Chad's parents are getting Parker one for Christmas to keep at our house. Parker will be so excited.

My brother, Craig, Shea, and Parker

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Sweet Snuggle Moments...

2010-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

These moments are becoming few and far between.... Parker took a 3 hour nap today... He NEVER naps that long.. Finally, Chad went in to wake him up and it turned into a continued nap in the recliner... We know that our time is limited for these sweet moments....

2010-11-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Ready for school today!!!!

Trick or Treating Fun

2010-10-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Our original plan for Halloween was for Parker to be an elephant, Chad to be Nick Saban, and I was going to be an Auburn Tiger... Well, Parker had other plans. He REFUSED to wear the elephant... some say that he is an Auburn fan deep down and hated the idea of being an elephant... mommy can hope so anyway..

So we returned the elephant and decided to be a firefighter. He had a raincoat that could pass for a costume so we got a hat and I made the ax out of toilet paper rolls and a pizza box.... Chad, of course, is a fireman too and I am a dalmation...

My friend Katy suggested that I should've been fire... I wish that I had thought of that to begin with... Oh well.... We are a fire fighting family this year!

Visiting Pops and Gee Bee

Trick or Treating and Uncle Craig's and Aunt Shea Shea's

We went to Aunt Debbie's house to see my cousin Mark's little girl, Addison... We just adore that little bit... I get to babysit every once in a while She is just a doll. She will be 1 on Thanksgiving day... We just had to get some pictures of the two of them.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkins and Yo Gabba Gabba

2010-10-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we decided it was time to carve two of our pumpkins. We bought 3: a mommy pumpkin, a daddy pumpkin, and a baby pumpkin, of course. Chad cut open the top and scooped out the "pumpkin guts." Parker wasn't so sure about that.... Chad and I did most of the work..

Chad was really concentrating on his carving... :)

Parker got tired of waiting on daddy to finish the carving so he decided that some outside "teeto", aka play dough was the perfect idea!

One pumpkin finished!

Our front porch. Chad carved the two pumpkins sitting by my dad. YAY CHADDY!

Last night we headed to Huntsville for the Live Performance of Yo Gabba Gabba. We were quite nervous because Parker gets very nervous in new situations, especially really loud places. We were shocked because HE LOVED IT! It was so cute to watch him smile, wave, and even yell at his favorite characters.

Waiting for the show to begin. Don't they look smart in their glasses??

Parker enjoying the show... Daddy being his goofy self...

The did a balloon drop from the ceiling.. Parker loved it.

It was such a fun night. He has talked about "Gabba Gabba Gabba" all day. (He adds one too many Gabbas.. )

Apple Orchard

2010-10-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

This past Friday we thought that it would be so much fun to take the kids to an Apple Orchard.... Sounds great, right? We had visions of walking up and down the rows of apple trees, putting apples in a basket, and munching on a few as well...

It didn't really work out that way. We had a "tour" scheduled but it was way above the kids and they didn't really know what was going on... THey didn't even get to see an apple tree...It was a nice place but not what we thought so we only stayed around 45 minutes.... We drove an hour by the way..... It's in Cullman...

Callan, Parker, and Macy

The whole gang, Parker and the ladies..

They had face painting. Parker stood really still and let the lady paint an apple on his face but then he immediately said, "Get it off!"

We left the Orchard and found a fun park to let the kids play and eat lunch.

Even though the orchard wasn't what we thought, the kids had a fun day and that's all that matters...

Watch out Blues Traveler..

2010-10-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Do ya'll remember that guy from Blues Traveler that played the harmonica? That's the only harmonica person I could think of for this post. :) Anyway, Chad gave Parker a harmonica that he found in a drawer the other night. It was so cute! He just played and played.

We went to the Homecoming Parade Friday and we stood with Callan and Lizzie. Parker seemed to like the parade but he pretty much didn't care about it once he got a sucker. That child of mine. He loves some sweets.

Aunt Shea Shea, Uncle Craig, and Parker

2010-10-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

This video is not the best quality but his teacher sent it from her cell phone to Chad's cell phone today. This is Parker singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" and bless his heart, he's just a few seconds behind... :)

Three Things Thursday..

2010-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

1. I am sitting in my chair right now waiting on Barnett and Brown to deliver our new bedroom furniture! We are putting our old set in the extra bedroom that has been empty for months. We now have two guest bedrooms so someone come and stay with us! :) We have had so many little projects are the house and we are slowly getting to each of them.

2. Getting "my run" back has been harder than I thought it would be. Taking two months off can make you lazy really quick! I have been able to run for 3 miles now but it's not pretty and I am having to stop a few times and catch my breath.

3. Parker ran a fever over the weekend and it lasted through Tuesday. I took him in to the doctor and Dr. Hamilton said that is left ear was infected. YUCK! He didn't run a fever yesterday or this morning so I sent him to school. He FREAKED out. We was not wanting to go at all! I hate days like that because it makes you feel awful. Hopefully he was ok once he got into his classroom though. Now I am going to sit and worry until I go pick him up at 12:45. Boo...

This past weekend....

2010-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Look at all of the beautiful flowers that we received after learning of our miscarriage. Aren't they beautiful? They are from (1) The Sonseekers (2) My brother, Craig, Shea, and Sophie, (3) Raycheal, Katy, Sara, and Melissa, and (4) The Kindergarten teachers at Forest Hills. Chad's sweet boss, Laura, sent us flowers today so they aren't in the picture. They make me smile every time I look at them.

This past weekend was UNA Homecoming and it was what the doctor ordered. It forced me to get out of bed Saturday and "face the day." I have the BEST girlfriends in the world and it's rare that we are ALL together. We did out best to make the most of the time we had together.

Not sure what was so funny...

Aren't my friends beautiful???

Sunday the homecoming festivities were over and we wanted to have some family fun so we headed to Oktoberfest. It would've have been fun for Parker but he would have NOTHING to do with the jumpy things... His favorite things were the kittens and dogs up for adoption...

Parker loved all of the tractors.

They were giving free tractor rides so of course Parker wanted to go!

W-O-W... wow

2010-10-01T01:11:00.001-07:00

I can't even express the love we have felt over the past two days. On Tuesday, in the doctor's office, the news felt so hopeless and the pain was so deep but after the love and prayers of our friends and family, we can feel God's presence and love showering us.

It's 3:15 am now and I have to be at the hospital at 5 am. I just can't seem to get my mind to stop racing to let me sleep. Surgery makes me nervous. I know that it's not a serious surgery and it's over in no time, but it still brings anxiety. The cramping is really starting and I am just wanting to fast forward and be done. I'm attempting to not really think about what is actually "happening" during the surgery. If I go there, I'll go to a really ugly place.

I've thought a lot about last week because it appears that's when we lost our sweet little one. What was I doing at the moment that my sweet baby's heart stop beating? Was I asleep? Was I playing with Parker? I had no clue at that moment that my life would be forever changed. I am sure that I will always wonder about the baby. Was it a boy or girl? (I feel like it's a girl, though.) What color would her hair be? Would she be loud and crazy like Parker or calm and quiet? Would she come around her due date or be early?

And now the new questions, will we ever again to experience the joy of finding out we're pregnant? How in the world are we going to cope with possibly months or even years of fertility treatments? Do we even want to do that? Should be just attempt adoption? So many questions to fill my mind.

I am sure that I will always struggle with those questions. So many sweet friends have offered encouraging words and shared stories of their experience with a miscarriage. Most have shared that they always think about their angel babies. I'm sure that will never stop.

Sad times always force me to call on the Lord like never before. That saddens my heart because I wish that I realized daily my desperate need for Him, not just during sadness.

I appreciate all of the sweet notes, calls, and love that we have received. Words can't express my thanks. I KNOW that the prayers are what allowed me to "survive" the past few days.

What do you do on a sad Wednesday?

2010-09-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

We are blessed that Chad has a precious boss who understands the needs of a family and she told Chad to take off as much time as we needed after learning of the miscarriage yesterday. I had a pre op appointment at the hospital at 11 and Chad wanted to go with me. When we got home, I knew that I didn't need to sit around the house and dwell on the news so we headed out to the golf course. We have wanted to take Parker (1) because he really likes to "play golf" and (2) he loves to ride in a golf cart.

It was a really sweet afternoon.

Parker and Daddy with their clubs

Walking to get the cart

Putting on the green

After the golf outing, we stopped by the pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins for the season. I don't think that I took a picture of the ones that we picked but we got a daddy one, mommy one, and a baby one. I didn't get any good pictures of Parker because he just wasn't into my picture taking.

I thank the Lord for the sweet blessing of Parker or I would NOT be handling this miscarriage very well.

We have no idea what we are going to do now. We have pretty much exhausted all of the money that we saved for fertility treatments so IVF is probably out. We do have some money that my sweet grandmother left us but I just don't think that I want to spend thousands and not be guaranteed a child. We might try some other options that are FAR less hopeful than IVF but it's worth a shot. When I am physically and emotionally ready, we will discuss that.

I am going to throw myself back into running to give me a focus. I ran this morning for the first time and I only made it 1.75 miles before I died. I had taken 2 months off and it's amazing how quickly you get out of shape. I am hoping to run twice a day to work back up and pass where I was before the pregnancy.

Thanks for all of the prayers and support. It's still hard for me to talk about because talking about it makes it real. The D&C is Friday and I am sure that will be hard but I am claiming God's promises to always love and protect me. I know that He will be with me through the procedure and the physical and mental recovery. I don't know what I would do without my sweet family and dear friends.

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

1. Parker is at school today and it's now the third week since he began Early Arts. The first two weeks were great. He was happy and really seemed to love it; however, Tuesday was a different day. He woke up with a snotty nose but he didn't have a fever and seemed ok so I sent him on to school. His teacher said he cried the entire 4 hours. :( My heart broke when I heard that and unfortunately, the tears began today as well. I have been worrying since I dropped him off at 9. I PRAY that he is having a better day. I bribed him with the prospect of ice cream after school if he was a big boy and didn't have any tears...

2. This pregnancy is getting me. Last night was the sickest I have been so far. I am just ready to start feeling better. I am 10 weeks today so I know that I should start feeling better soon.

3. I am really getting excited about UNA Homecoming. I love Homecoming weekend because it's a great opportunity to see friends that I don't get to see that often. Katy, Sara, Raycheal, and Melissa are coming so it should be a blast! Now I just have to figure out what to wear. I am getting a pretty nice pooch so it's not comfortable to button some of my clothes but I am not ready for maternity.... It's that weird in between time....

Happy Thursday!

Pregnancy so far...

2010-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

I know that every pregnancy is different, but this one is really different than my first. With my pregnancy with Parker, the first trimester was really long. Time seemed to tick by so slowly as I was anticipating hitting the "golden" second trimester. I never got sick, aka: threw up, with Parker and I felt pretty good most days, however; I did feel sick in the evenings. I had NO appetite and there were very few things that were appealing. I ate LOTS of bagels with cream cheese and cheeseburgers.

This one is different. (Maybe it's a girl then??) I have an "unsettled" stomach pretty much every day, however; the past 2-3 days have actually been a little better. It's strange because my stomach is upset but I am starving at the same time. Lunch time seems to be when I am the hungriest. I am eating lots of cheese toast and sandwiches right now. I don't remember feeling hungry with Parker until about 6 months so I am worried that since I am already eating a good bit that I am going to be a WHALE! :) I could eat a quarter pounder with cheese from McDonald's everyday! Carbs are my friend right now.

I am actually already getting the "baby bump". My clothes are snug and they are really snug by the end of the night. If you ask Parker what's in my belly he will say a baby. We've asked him if he thinks it's a boy or a girl, he responds "boy girl." I guess he's hoping for both!!!

I am now 9 weeks so we and my fertility doctor is very happy that we have made it this far. HOPEFULLY, she will release me tomorrow so I will no longer have to drive to Huntsville for appointments once a week. I'll find out tomorrow. :)