Monday, July 31, 2006

I did what any mother would do...I panicked!!!

Have I mentioned before that Abby Kate is a strong-willed child? Well, if not, I do so now! Abby Kate is a strong-willed child!

When Abby Kate was only 5 months old, she gave us a peek at what was to come. While sitting on my lap, she got so upset, that she cried and cried and held her breath. Since that day, Abby Kate has held her breath on two other occasions. That is, until, today!

Joshua and Abby Kate aggravated each other all day long. Mondays are always like this (Sundays are draining on little ones). The two of them were fighting over a book and refusing to "take turns" with the book. I put the book in time-out. (If we can't share or take turns, then no one gets the book). Jason called telling me that he was on his way home. I went to the back of the house to avoid the screaming. While on the phone with Jason, I heard a horrible noise (I still have not figured out what it was) quickly followed by Abby Kate screaming. It's the scream that all mothers fear! I hung up on Jason and ran back into the den. There, in front of the chair, stood Abby Kate. Her mouth was wide open and nothing was coming out. I quickly realized that she was holding her breath. I ran over to her immediately. Before I reached her, she collapsed onto the floor (still holding her breath). I picked her up and started blowing in her mouth. I did this about 6 times before she finally cried. I panicked! I lost it! I did not know what to do! She was finally breathing, but she hadn't been a few seconds before. She not only had been holding her breath, but she fell to the ground from holding her breath. I did not know whether to call 911 or the doctor's office. I called the doctor's office and got through to the receptionist pretty quickly. I was so frantic! Both kids were crying in the background! I was fighting back my tears! The receptionist patched me through to the nurse and I explained again all that had just happened. She was so calm and I was not! She reassured me that Abby Kate had just gotten mad; that everything was okay.

I have finally calmed down from this afternoon. Abby Kate really scared me. I hope that this is not something that she will continue to do.

Abby Kate is my "passionate" child!

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Tidbits

This past Friday, I decided to make pancakes. I think the last time I "tried" to make pancakes was about 4 years ago. I have yet to master the skill of "flipping" the pancake without making all of the uncooked batter splatter everywhere.

I obviously had quite a mess to clean after feeding everyone breakfast. Joshua and Abby Kate went to the back to play (or so I thought). When I finished I found the two of them running down the hallway with their q-tips. The rest of the entire package of q-tips was littered all over the floor.

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We go through the milk! Joshua and Abby Kate put away 1 gallon of milk in under 24 hours the other day(I think that this is the record for us). Thank goodness that they are no longer on formula! Jason and I spent a whopping $1600 on formula from four months to one year! We'll take a gallon for $4 any day!

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My refrigerator has a lock. All of my kitchen cabinets are locked. My bathroom cabinets are locked. My fireplace has a baby gate. My den has two baby gates. My guest bedroom has a baby gate. I have to keep my bedroom door closed. Abby Kate and Joshua's bathroom door is always closed. The laundry room door is always closed. This place is like Alcatraz.

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Jason and I finally hung pictures in our bedroom. We have been married nearly 7 years and have never hung a picture in our bedroom. We went a little overboard and hung about 6!

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As Jason pointed out on his blog, Andy, our cocker spaniel, is overweight. At his vet visit last month, he weighed in at 50 pounds. The average weight of most cocker spaniels is about 28 pounds. We ended up having to put Andy on a diet. He now eats a "reduced diet" dog food. It costs us about $20 for a 10 pound bag. The bag lasts about a month. I took Andy in to buy a new bag of food the other day and had his weight checked. He has lost 6 pounds!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Is Abby Kate getting a mullet?

Abby Kate and her curly hair. (When her hair is wet, it falls at Minnie Mouse's nose!!!)

I am actually considering cutting Abby Kate's tight curls. Her hair has really grown in the past few months. I love the curls! Mommas love for their little girls to have cute little curls.

I honestly had never even considered cutting her hair until a couple of months ago. Jason and I took Joshua in to get his monthly haircut. My hairdresser asked if I wanted her to trim up Abby Kate's hair. I quickly told her no! She doesn't need a hair cut. Wouldn't that make all of her curls go away? At first, my hairdresser said that she thought that Abby Kate would keep the curls, but then quickly changed her mind. They might actually go away! Does she really need a haircut?

I am afraid that the curl will be lost. (Even though I thought the same thing about Joshua's hair, yet, the curl will not go away!) Her hair will be so much shorter. Is that the end of pony tails and piggy tails? Will I like her new do?

Her hair might be more manageable. It might be cuter (it would actually have a purposeful shape). The curls might stay!

My action plan: I think that I will get it cut! I will take lots of pictures. I will save those tight curls. I will not be one of those mothers who cries!

So, is Abby Kate getting a mullet? Should I cut those tight golden curls? Tell me what you think!

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Leviticus and Ezekiel

I am a little upset right now. Just a few minutes ago, I was trying to get a few things done around the house. I thought the kids were okay seeing as how our whole house is baby proofed. When I was finished reconciling the bank statement, I went to the back to check on Joshua and Abby Kate. Then, there in the hallway, lay my Bible. This Bible is my newest. I received it as my birthday gift a couple of years ago. Joshua and Abby Kate had ripped out Leviticus 13 - 20 and Ezekiel 32 - 40. I am so upset! Do I get a new Bible? Do I enjoy the "character" that my Bible just received from my children? When will I stop feeling upset over this?

I have once again left the kids alone for a few minutes to write this. I wonder what has been destroyed now?

Monday, July 24, 2006

Things I am Looking Forward To





Jason and Abby Kate cuddling before bedtime.








Some things that I am looking forward to...

More family time.

Relaxing evenings at home with Jason, Abby Kate and Joshua.

Cooler weather.

Fall.

High School Football Games.

Mother's Morning Out.

My Tuesday Lunch Dates with Jason.

Dinner at Olive Garden.

Seeing the Dixie Chicks in concert in October. (Hint, Hint)

My trip with Jason to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play the Phillies.

The arrival of Baby T. Corey and Alisha's baby is due any day now.

The arrival of Baby Stacy. Jon and Stacy's baby is due in August. Abby Kate and Joshua's friend, Lawson, will be the big brother.

My trip to Kingsport, TN. Jason and I are traveling with the kids up to Kingsport to spend some time with our dear friends. We will also spend some family time in Gatlinburg. I am really wanting to take the kids to Dollywood (having a hard time convincing Jason of this). I hear that they have a very age appropriate park for 2 year olds. We will take Abby Kate and Joshua to the Ripley's Aquarium to look at all of the "feee" (fish).

Our family beach trip to Gulf Shores with my parents.

The Beach Trip with the girls from church. (The kids are staying home with Daddy).

Friday, July 21, 2006

Date Nite


Jason and I went out on a date tonight! Our last date was to see Mission Impossible 3. That was May! Summer has been very busy and chaotic. Tonight we ate at Longhorn and saw Pirates of the Caribbean. Jason and I enjoyed our uninterrupted dinner. After dinner we headed over to the movie theater. Movies are actually affordable again (thanks to the new theater across town). Ten buckaroos for the two of us. Pirates of the Caribbean was really entertaining and very funny. It's a great summertime movie.

I always enjoy my dates with Jason. Our first date was in May of '95. Jason was really trying to impress me, so he took me to dinner at Wendy's and to see the movie Forget Paris. Impress me, he did. I love him so much! I am so blessed to have Jason as my date, my friend, my husband and my love.


So, when was your last date with your mate?

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

The Weekend and Wal-Mart

Jason arrived back in Hunts-Vegas last Friday night. We decided to go and spend some time with my parents on Saturday. They just got their pool finished and Abby Kate and Joshua were wanting to see their Nannie and PawPaw. Saturday night, we arrived home around 11:00 (the kids slept most of the way home). Joshua had a horrible night! This means that Momma and Daddy did not get much sleep either (more so Daddy than Momma). Sunday morning was rough! We went to church and came home immediately. (We actually made it home before noon). Abby Kate and Joshua went down for their naps and Jason and I also got in a nap. I don't know how long Joshua would have slept, but we finally woke him up at 5:00 to leave for the Senior High Devo.

Yesterday, I decided that we needed to make the dreaded trip to Wal-Mart. (I really do like Wal-Mart, when I have the time to shop). Jason did not feel like making the trip with me, so we struck a deal. I would go to Wal-Mart, if he would keep both kids and give them their baths. Jason usually does this anyways, but if I venture off to Wal-Mart without him, I usually try to lighten his load by taking one child with me. I got all of my groceries and proceeded to checkout. The lines were so long! They only had 3 registers open (meaning the light was on) and there were 5 lines backed up to the gift wrapping section. Why??? Why do they have 30+ registers to only have 3 "officially" open at 8:00 at night? Why would a store this size only find it necessary to have 3 workers checking out all of Huntsville? I ended up waiting in line over 25 minutes. I do not understand this! I am outraged! Why do I keep going back to this horrible Wal-Mart? Enough!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Please Pray for April!

April is a young lady at church that has cancer of the esophagus. She is in her early 20's and just yesterday celebrated her 1 year wedding anniversary. April has been through radiation and chemotherapy. She has been hospitalized many times with the side effects of radiation, chemotherapy and cancer.

April is scheduled for her surgery today. They have met with the doctors and at first, the doctor did not seem to think that surgery was possible because her tumor was adherent to the aorta and the spleen vessels. The doctor has done cases similar to hers before and has been successful. However, there are no guarantees. It is possible that they could start the surgery and then decide they cannot remove the tumor due to the involvement of the vessels.

Please pray for April and her family! She will be in surgery from about 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. This surgery is very delicate. Please pray that the surgery is successful and that she will have a good recovery. Thank you all!

Hear our prayer, O God.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

One Little Monkey Jumping in His Crib...

I have a monkey in the house!

This morning I awoke to the babblings of Joshua and Abby Kate over the baby monitor. I usually try and catch a few more zzz's as they talk across the hallway to each other from their cribs. Each morning I have heard him yelling, "Get out." (He usually hears me say this a million times during the day to our dog, Andy). Apparently the boy wants out of his crib.

Last night I was reading the magazine Parenting before drifting off to sleepy land. I ran across an article that talked about children climbing out of their cribs and when this behavior typically begins. I foolishly thought, "Not my darling children, they love the security of their cribs."

Well, I was wrong! I heard Joshua continue his babbling over the monitor and then I heard a soft cry. Joshua's voice started to move away from the monitor. Okay, what's going on? I jumped out of bed and opened my bedroom door. I ran back to Joshua's room, wait, no Joshua. At this point, I am calling out for him and he is calling for me too, but his voice is starting to sound a little desperate. I quickly search the house and finally find him, in the kitchen! He instantly lifts his arms to be picked up and loved. He then rubs his head (as to say it hurts momma) and cries. Poor baby!

Joshua found a way to escape his crib (somehow)!

I wonder if tomorrow morning will yield the same thing.

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Seriously, Jason and I have read about this mother of twins who had one that liked to climb out of her crib and throw whatever she could find into her brother's crib to assist him in climbing out. The two of them would then run around the house in the middle of the night. Their mother would find them in the kitchen playing in the sink, with the knives, opening up the refrigerator and throwing things around. She ended up having to sleep outside their door with a pillow and a blanket. If they left the room, they would have to climb over her.

Don't think that ours is that extreme, but still!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Why?

Some questions I have been pondering...

Varicose Veins
Why are these things creeping up on my thighs?

Self-Cleaning Ovens
Why is it when you clean your oven, that it causes the whole house to smell?

Rising Temperatures
Why is the inside of my house 80 degrees when I have the thermometer set at 68 degrees? Keep in mind that I thought I had solved this problem a couple of weeks ago.

Hair Pulling
Why does Abby Kate continue to pull Joshua's hair?

Stretch Marks
Why are mine not going away?

Bathroom
Why are the tub, shower and sink not draining and the toliet not flushing? I am too cheap to call the plumber.

No
Why do my children refuse to listen to me?

Teething
Why do the kids only cut teeth when Jason is out of town? Abby Kate is working on her 2 year molars.

Make-up
Why must the kids continue to pull everything out of my make-up drawer? I refuse to have locks in my own bathroom.

My Stuff
Why does all of my stuff get destroyed by my precious little angels?

Mind
Why am I losing mine?

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game..."

I am a fan of baseball! A St. Louis Cardinals fan! Jason and I always enjoy baseball season. Our children like "bee ball" as much as we do. One of our goals is to visit all MLB stadiums. Since so many teams have been rebuilding their stadiums, we will have to revisit some that we had already checked off. Jason and I have had to put our goal on hold for a while. We try to squeeze in a game whenever we have a chance. This past week, Jason and I went to Atlanta to see our Cardinals play the Braves (we lost, but it's okay - still #1 in our division).

Last night, I sat on the couch and watched the Home Run Derby all by myself. I was pulling for the Big Papi, but Howard was in it for the long run. I realized that this was the first MLB All-Star Break without Jason. I taped the Home Run Derby and will tape the All-Star Game for him tonight. Go NL!

Monday, July 10, 2006

Abby Kate and Joshua's 2nd Birthday

Abby Kate and Joshua had a wonderful 2nd birthday party! We were surrounded by family and friends as we celebrated our babies turning TWO. I can hardly believe that it has been two years. I have truly enjoyed each and every stage. I thank God for allowing me to be Joshua and Abby Kate's momma!

This year's theme was Mickey Mouse (we included Minnie in the cake). A couple of weeks before the party, I made a trip out to Party City. I had no idea what kind of theme to do. Everything is either all boy or all girl. There are some gender neutral themes as well, but, Joshua and Abby Kate are not really into anything. I was faced with a repeat of Winnie the Pooh or __________. I finally found some Mickey Mouse stuff and thought that sounded good enough. I noticed that Mickey had a clearance sticker on him. A $.50 clearance sticker!!! Wait, this is too good to be true (regular price is $3.50). I ran up to the cashier and had her double check. Yep, $.50. I was so excited! I ended up buying all of the paper products, invitations, banners, hats, gift bags, thank you cards, etc. for $15.00! Seeing as how I easily spent over $60 last year, I was so proud of myself for my clearance find. My only question... How can you clearance Mickey?

Here are some pics of my adorable 2 year olds!




















Abby Kate enjoying her Minnie Mouse birthday cake!







Joshua enjoying his Mickey Mouse birthday cake!








Joshua's favorite gift was his basketball goal! He is having so much fun playing bahbahball!











Abby Kate's favorite gift was her Ariel Cell Phone! She instantly started talking on her new phone and has not stopped.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Who Wouldn't Love This Man?


I can put this on here because my dear hubby is out of the country and can't do anything about it!

The other day, Jason was playing around on his computer. His old laptop was upgraded (I got the old one) a couple of months ago. On his new computer, Jason has a camera in the screen (or something crazy like that). He thought that he would have a little fun with all of the different camera settings. This is one of many distorted pictures that he took of himself. Thought you would enjoy a great laugh!

I know that I will be in serious trouble when he gets back, but for now...

Close Call

Yikes!!! I just tried to add a cute little ticker to the blog. I really messed up the blog and thought that I had lost everything. Serious panic attack!!! I was finally able to fix it and I am so glad that all is back to normal.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Number 1 – The Day You Were Born

When I was 32 weeks pregnant, Jason and I went into Dr. Bailey's office for a routine ultrasound. We knew that something was up when the technician stepped outside of the room to go and find Dr. Bailey. Dr. Bailey came into the room shortly thereafter and got his own look at the ultrasound. He informed us that there was about a 2# difference between the babies. He said that this was too much of a weight discrepancy. He also noticed that Joshua's placenta was aging. Dr. Bailey told us that the babies would be here soon. That night we headed over to the hospital for a steroid shot. The steroid is used to release the surfactant (a chemical that allows the lungs to expand and stay open). In most pregnancies, the surfactant is not released until 34 weeks. We went back the following evening for another shot. These were the most painful shots that I have ever had.

We spent the next few days preparing for the arrival of our two little ones. I tried to eat as much as I could and we hoped that Joshua was growing. The following Tuesday (33 weeks) came and we had a couple of doctor's appointments scheduled for the day. We went to visit our family doctor to see if he could be the babies' pediatrician. We had a little time before our visit with Dr. Bailey, so we decided that we needed to eat some lunch. Jason and I headed over to Pizza Hut and chowed down on their daily buffet. (Had I known that this was the “last" meal, I would have taken advantage of this opportunity). After lunch, we went and had our ultrasound. Once again, the tech. left the room to go and find Dr. Bailey. The weight discrepancy was about the same and it showed that Abby Kate had gained all of the weight that week. It was time to go! Dr. Bailey said that the environment inside the womb was no longer safe for Joshua; he had a much better chance outside of the womb. Jason was caught off guard a bit and told Dr. Bailey that we had just eaten and there was no way that we could have the babies today. It took some convincing, but Dr. Bailey assured Jason that it would all be okay and that we would in fact be delivering.

We were excited and nervous all at the same time! We rushed home to gather all of our belongings and headed over to the hospital. We called all of our family down (they had about a 2 hour drive). We arrived at the hospital late that afternoon and got ready to have our babies. Several members from church met us up in the L&D room. They provided a support to us all. While we were waiting for our turn in the OR, we all visited together (lots of laughter), sang songs and prayed.

A little before 11:00 p.m., Dr. Bailey came in and said that our time had finally come. I was so nervous! They wheeled me down the hallway where everyone was lined up cheering us on. Once in the OR, they prepped me for surgery (it's really weird hearing them count all of the needles, sponges, etc.). We had enough nurses and doctors (Dr. Bailey and Dr. Lewis) in the OR to have our own baseball team. My anesthesiologist was the worst! I was so scared that I was going to be able to feel everything. The nurse beside me assured me that it would all be okay (and it was). Within 3 minutes of Jason coming in the door, the babies were born. We were so happy to hear them cry!

The nurses let me see and kiss both babies before taking them to the NICU. Jason walked with the neonatologist to the NICU where they were both evaluated. I went to recovery pretty soon after everyone had left and for some reason refused to push my pain pump. I don'’t know why I thought that I could handle the pain of an incision across my abdomen! Push the pain pump!

Jason went out to the waiting room to inform all of our family and friends that everybody was doing great! Abby Kate was requiring a bit of help with her breathing. She was under the oxygen hood for most of the night. Joshua amazed all of the nurses. They nicknamed him “Mighty Mouse".

On July 6, 2004, Abby Katherine was born at 11:45 p.m. Abby Kate weighed in at 4#7oz. and she was 18" long.

Our prayer for you, our precious little girl, is that you would live up to your name. Your full name, Abby Katherine, means “father’s joy". We named you this because when we found out we were having a little girl, your father literally jumped out of his seat and began cheering. From that moment, you've brought us such joy with your warm smile, your sweet hugs and kisses, your mischievous laugh. But more than that, our prayer for you is that you would live to bring joy to your Heavenly Father, your real Father. We've loved you before you were, but He loved you before there was time. The verse we chose for you is Isaiah 61:10 -– "I delight greatly in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God." If those words may be said of you, then you will truly bring joy and delight to your Heavenly Father. We love you, little girl.

On July 6, 2004, Joshua Alan was born at 11:46 p.m. Joshua weighed in at 2#5oz. and was 14" long.

Our prayer for you, our precious little boy, is that you would live up to the name we've given you. We named you Joshua Alan - Alan in honor of the men you come from (your father, your grandfathers); Joshua in honor of the kind of man we hope you will become: Jesus. You were smaller than your sister when you were born, and you had to stay in the hospital the first 31 days of your life. But we realized that even though you were small, you were strong. The verse we chose for you is Joshua 1:9 - "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." We pray that the Lord will be strong with you. Wherever you go, whatever you do, may you go with strength and courage, knowing God goes with you. We love you, little boy.

Happy 2nd Birthday Abby Kate and Joshua!

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Number 2 – Homecoming

One of the hardest things that Jason and I have ever had to do was to leave our two precious children in the hospital. After being released from the hospital, Jason and I spent the next several days making many trips to the NICU. Everyday we were allowed to do something new. It started out with only being able to hold a baby and by the end of Joshua and Abby Kate’s stay we were able to change diapers, change clothes, take temperatures, feed, give baths and cuddle.

We were so excited to hear when Abby Kate had been moved to an opened air crib (last step in the NICU). Jason and I were out there visiting with Joshua and Abby Kate when the neonatologist made his rounds and told us that Abby Kate could go home! We were so happy to finally have our baby girl coming home with us. That night, we spent the night in the hospital with Abby Kate in our room! The next morning, Thursday, July 15, 2004, Abby Kate came home from the hospital after spending 9 days in the NICU! We were so glad to have our little girl home with us.


The day that we took Abby Kate home with us was bittersweet. We were taking one baby home, but we had to leave our other baby at the hospital.

Joshua continued to gain weight over the next few weeks. Jason continued to spend every night out in the NICU with Joshua. Joshua moved to an opened air crib within a couple of weeks. He was still too little to be released from the hospital. We had been told all week that they would let Joshua go home on Friday, August 6th. Joshua was going to be the smallest baby to be released from the hospital. He weighed in at 3#8oz. Jason and I were so excited to go and bring our little Joshua home on that day. When the neonatologist made her rounds that morning, she changed her mind. She felt that he needed to be at the recommended weight limit (3#12oz.). We were absolutely devastated! Most children are fortunate if they gain ½ oz. per day, at this time Joshua was gaining about 1 oz. a day. This meant that we would have at least another 4 days. I was so angry and hurt. Why could I not have my baby home with me? This day was incredibly hard on all of us.

My parents came in that night and kept Abby Kate for us while we went up to visit Joshua. This visit was especially difficult because I knew that the only thing keeping Joshua from coming home was just his weight. The next morning, I had to go out for some routine blood work. As I was waiting for my turn, my phone rang and to my surprise it was the hospital. The nurse was calling to tell me that the neonatologist had just finished her rounds and said that Joshua could go home, TODAY! What? I must not be hearing you correctly? How much does he weigh? Our little boy weighed in at 3#12oz! This was the most amount of weight that he had gained during his whole stay in the NICU. It was unbelievable! I quickly called Jason and we were all on our way to get Joshua. We arrived shortly before visiting hours were over and gathered all of our belongings and got our precious baby boy.


Joshua came home on Saturday, August 7, 2004, after spending 31 days in the NICU! Jason and I left the hospital with TWO healthy babies! We were so happy! Our family was finally together after a very long 31 days!


Anyone that has ever had to leave their child in the NICU will quickly tell you that it is the hardest thing that they have ever had to do. Our time in the NICU was very difficult. We count our blessings that our children were only small! Many babies spend months in the NICU because of complications associated with premature birth. Check out The March of Dimes website to find out more.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Number 3 – “Hmm, that’s interesting!”

Jason and I had a lot of fun telling all of our family and friends that we were expecting over Christmas. In January of 2004, Jason and I had an appointment at Dr. Bailey’s office. As we were finishing up all of the routine stuff, Dr. Lewis (the other doctor in Bailey’s practice) suggested that we go and have a quick look at the baby. This was not the “official” ultrasound – they used an ultrasound machine that was very dated. We were both really excited, though; we were about to see our baby for the first time!

Dr. Lewis gooped up my belly and there we were, first picture. Jason and I had no clue what we were looking for! Jason stopped Dr. Lewis and had him explain what it was that we were supposed to be looking for. While Dr. Lewis was talking to Jason, I still had my eyes glued to the monitor. Dr. Lewis was describing in great detail what the baby would look like at this point. Jason was drilling him with questions, trying to understand all that Dr. Lewis was telling him. As I was listening to the doctor’s detailed descriptions, I saw it! I saw exactly what Dr. Lewis was describing and then I thought, “Oh, I see TWO of those!”

About this time, Dr. Lewis turned his attention back to the screen and saw the same thing. Keep in mind now, that Jason is still sitting by my side desperately trying to see anything resembling a baby. Dr. Lewis’ face lit up and he smiled. I was smiling because I knew that what I had seen was a shock for Dr. Lewis. Jason was looking at the both of us wondering what we were smiling at. Dr. Lewis continued to stare at the ultrasound screen and said, “Hmm, that’s interesting!” Jason, of course, still had no clue. He instantly asked, “What? What’s so interesting?” The nurse in the room saw Jason’s face and busted out laughing. At this moment, I lost it! I laughed so hard and my belly was shaking so much that Dr. Lewis couldn’t finish the ultrasound. The screen went dark and Dr. Lewis, his nurse and I all kept laughing. Jason asked again, “What’s interesting?” and we all laughed even harder!

Finally, Dr. Lewis turned and told Jason, “I think I see two.” Poor Jason still didn’t get it. “Two what?” he asked. “Two babies?” Dr. Lewis smiled and gave Jason the good news: we would be parents to twins! I’m sure we’ll never forget those three little words that changed our lives: ”Hmm, that’s interesting!”

Monday, July 03, 2006

Number 4 – Firsts

The “firsts” are always memorable!


First time for Momma to hold Joshua. Joshua is 3 days old.








First time for Momma to hold Abby Kate. Abby Kate is 2 days old.







First time to hold. First cry. First feeding. First ride home. First bath. First dirty diaper. First time to roll over. First coo. First smile. First time to sleep through the night. First tooth. First time to sit up. First word. First infection. First taste of food. First ballgame. First time to crawl. First haircut. First trip to the Smokey Mountains. First Bible class. First night away at PawPaw and Nana’s house. First step. First kiss. First trip to the ER. First time to go swimming. First trip to the Beach. First time at church. First birthday. First camping trip. First black eye. First hug. First time to play the piano. First temper tantrum. First Christmas.


We have been so blessed to experience many “firsts”. Abby Kate and Joshua have allowed us to enjoy all the “firsts” twice.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Number 5 - "Definitive Proof"

Friday, December 19, 2003 -- A day I'll never forget...

On this date, I finished up the 1st semester of school with our Christmas party. I then headed over to Dr. Bailey's office for my scheduled appointment. Jason and I were getting ready for Christmas at our house and a mission trip to San Quintin, Mexico. I had suspected that I might be pregnant and had indeed taken the test at home (it came out positive). But Jason would not believe anything until he heard it straight from the doctor himself. He didn't want to get excited unless he was sure we were pregnant. He said he needed "definitive proof" before he'd believe.

Based on our conversation at his office, Dr. Bailey was pretty sure I was pregnant but to make it official he sent me off for blood work. They ended up taking 7 vials! He promised to call our house later on that afternoon when he knew the results.

I had some last minute shopping to get done before heading home. I arrived home shortly after Jason and I think that my face gave it all away. I quickly ran inside to check the answering machine while he was outside taking care of a few things. Sure enough, Dr. Bailey had left us a message. At last, Jason had his "definitive proof"! I had a little gift for Jason in honor of his new role as "Daddy." To my surprise, Jason had a small gift for me, too: a "pregnant" Precious Moments figurine! We were both so excited and happy! After sharing this moment together, we instantly started thinking about how to break the news to our families. Christmas 2003 was definitely special for us!


God had heard our prayers! We were so excited and so thankful for this incredible gift from Him.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Number 6 - My Favorite Memories in Pictures - 2

We just got in from Joshua and Abby Kate's 2 Year Birthday Party. We have so many people that love and care for us. The birthday party was great with lots of food, presents and cake. I'll share some photos later on.

Today, I want to continue my favorite memories in pictures. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do. :)



We took this up in Kingsport, Tennessee one Sunday morning before church. Jason and I began our first years of marriage in Kingsport. Kingsport hold a very special place in our hearts. We lived there for three years before moving to Alabama. We have many dear friends there that we love to visit.




Our first Easter Sunday. Don't we just look adorable!







Jason and Abby Kate in Gulf Shores. This picture was taken the night before Hurricane Katrina. We had one day at the beach and spent the next three trying to get away from the path of the Hurricane.





Our last game at old Busch in St. Louis. September in St. Louis - HOT, HOT, HOT!






Jason and Joshua at one of this year's Cardinals' games (new Busch stadium). We all love "bee ball". Joshua really gets into the game! This is one of my favorites of the two of them.




A picture is worth a thousand words!