EKG Week 2 ~ Photo Blog

I discovered many things about my world during week two! I love this cat who sings to me as I get my diaper changed! This is one of Mommy's favorite pictures!

While I have been hanging at home, my siblings have kept on the go. This is my big sister dressed for Cowboy day at Camp last week.
Rhett and Justin on their way out to the water park!

My big brother really digs me now! He loves to hold me.

At my two week check I was still a bit jaundiced so I have been catching some rays to break down those billy rubins! I weigh 8 lbs and 3 oz and have grown 3/4 on an inch!

Very interesting! Every time I open my eyes, she takes my picture!

This was my first big family dinner with lots of cousins and big people to hold me! I slept most of the time but loved the attention!
My Daddy and his kids...chilling and watching a movie before bedtime.

My brother, sister and me in our PJs.

Look! I wore something not pink! I wore blue one day too, but spit up before Mommy could get a picture.
Next week when this yucky cord falls off I can take a real bath in my cute duck tub...Until then I will tolerate these spounge baths.
This swing is cool for about 20 minutes...Then I like to be held or sleep in my basket again.

More to come!

Wanted: a (working) mouse in my house

I am blogging from my parents because my computer mouse won't move! It has been frozen in one spot on my computer screen for three days. I can't point and click. I can't open anything. My computer will start up and be just fine but I can't do a thing with it without that silly little mouse! Funny how dependent I have become on that little moving arrow on my computer screen! All my addresses, all my pictures, all my favorite sights are out of reach as long as I can't click.... And birth announcements are a bit hard to do with out a computer to print them on!

Hopefully it's just the mouse. As sooon as I get out and about I hope I can pick up a cheap mouse and be back in business... But our computer is a dinosaur as far as computers go, so each time there is a problem I am afraid that it is the end! I need to get something to back up my old harddrive! I would lit6erally go into mourning if I lost everything on that computer! Any ideas?

Must run for now! Hope to be back to blogging soon...Amoung 100 other things I want to do on my computer, I have two week old pictures that I am aching to upload and post! Wish me luck!

Still on the honeymoon

Today is my due date. For months July 17th was the focal point of my life. But then Ella Kate and my body had other ideas! Now July 17th will be forgotten and July 5th is the big day. It was noon before I realized today's date. Funny how a date can seem so important then suddenly be "just a day" again.

Rob went back to work today. Laundry had to be done. Kolby needed someone to pick her up from Camp Success. Rhett needed breakfast. The baby vacation is officially over. The real world is starting to creep back into my days. No more napping at will and staying cool and cozy at home 24/7. We are all still very much in the "honeymoon " stage with sweet baby Katie though! I could sit and watch her sleep for hours...And I still will do that as much as possible, vacation or not.

Ella Kate has already grown and changed quite a bit in the last 12 days. The tabs on the newborn diapers don't overlap like they did at first. She stretches out a lot more now instead of sleeping in a little ball. She made the jump from eating at will/whenever to eating every four or so hours. She seems to recognize our voices and she is awake a little bit more than she was at first...But not much more. Though it breaks my heart, I think she is starting to loose some of that sweet newborn hair. No matter how hard it can be to have a newborn, these are the most precious of days! I wouldn't wish them away for any amount of sleep, energy or any other "mommy of a newborn" scarcities!

Honestly, I still can't believe she is here! I still just want to sit and hold her. I want to hold on to each moment and not forget how she looks, sounds, and even smells today. I don't want my baby to grow too fast. I don't want to forget the feeling of that sweet little newborn balled up and sleeping soundly on my chest. I pray that I will be able to remember this forever... Yeah we are still in the honeymoon stage.

And you know that saying about "the third time being the charm"... For me that has been true. It's more than just her ideal birth and hospital stay. In fact it has more to do with me than with the baby. It could be because I know that this is my last baby. They say with age comes wisdom...I'm not sure about that, but this time around the little things don't freak me out so much. I don't feel like I have to have my birth announcements out right away. I don't freak out after not sleeping for three nights. I know it will be hard to get out with all three kids at first and that all this is just a phase... A short precious phase that in ways will be over way too soon. I am letting, or perhaps even making myself stop and enjoy Ella Kate being a newborn. Maybe other people get that with the first or second baby...For me it took the third!

Completely off the subject, I have wanted to say something to those in the blog family who regularly read this (Yes, all five or six of you...who else would have read this far in this rambling post?)....

I can not thank you enough for your prayers and words of encouragement over the last weeks! The morning we left for the hospital to have Ella Kate, I was so nervous. As we drove across town I remembered all the comments from sweet blog friends who said they were praying for me. I really felt your prayers. It was such a comfort! AND I believe God answered prayers with the ease of Ella Kate's birth.

I feel very blessed by your prayers and the hand of our Heavenly Father. I felt his hand through out my pregnancy. I am so grateful and thankful for all of you who petitioned him on my behalf and provided "prayer cover" for my family. Though I have not met some of you face to face, you are my sweet Christian brothers and sisters and I feel very close to you! Thank you so much for blessing me and my family with your prayers and support! You are the best!

Back to the honeymoon... If I don't blog to regularly for the next few weeks, rest assured I'm just too busy enjoying this sweet baby and the family God has blessed me with! Love to all!

One Week Old Today! ~ A Picture Blog

It's hard to believe that our baby girl is one week old today! It has gone by fast, yet at the same time, it's hard to think of our lives with out her! Here are some pictures of Ella Kate's first week. All is going well. I will update this post and type more later.

Hanging with my family the first night home.

Doing time in the billy bed. I was glad to see that thing go!

My first trip was back to the hospital for a billy rubin check. My second trip was to see Dr K for a newborn check on Monday.

Sun bathing to get those billys down.

Watchng the All Stars with the guys.

My sister loves me so much!
I'm going to have "flash" burn if they keep taking pictures of me!
I have more hair than my brother or sister did at this age...and of course Mommy had to take a picture to document this!

We love our sweet one week old baby girl!

Introducing Ella Kate!

We are home. We are tired and sore and very happy! I will try to post a few pictures. Thanks to Elizabeth for ghost writing for me!


It looks like Rob and I only know how to make babies that look one way! Seriously, if you look at Kolby and Rhett's baby pictures and look at her you would think I had triplets! All my babies were born on Wednesday mornings after a rain storm. Kolby was 8 days early, Rhett 10, and Ella Kate 12 days early. All my LDR nurses were named either Debbie or Carol... Ella Kate's were Debbie and Carol! The list of similarities goes on and on....

This was my best, easiest, and fastest labor. We could not have asked for a more ideal situation. I felt five contractions and pushed for all of 7 minutes! I might have had more babies if all my labors were this easy. My nurses were the best. I was the only person on the LDR floor at the time she was born. I had sweet nurses in postpartum. The room was big and comfey. The food was good. Everything went so well, except for some some complications during dismissal today. (nothing serious just annoying) Overall it was a wonderful time and a great experience to end our baby having days with! Third time is a charm! : )

Ella Kate is a little angel. She a bit smaller than the other two and has a tad more hair. She also is by far the best little eater and at two days old, seems the most even tempered. She coos and gurgles all the time and has the most expressive little infant face. I had forgotten how dramatic babies are! We just love her! Can't imagine life with out her! Kolby is in hog heaven! She loves her sister and is quite the little Mommy!
Rhett took a little longer to warm up to her, but has become more and more fascinated with his little sister every hour we are home. He is amazed to the point it scares him a bit, but he thinks she is really cool over all.

Rob and I feel extremely blessed and so very grateful for this precious baby! She is such a little miracle. Will write more soon... Just wanted to touch base. We are in love with this brand new baby girl!

P.S. For those who asked.." What are you going to call her?" I am not sure we will ever decide on one name for this girl! I have called her Ella Kate from the get go. The kids are calling her Katie. Rob goes back and forth between Katie and Ella Kate. Rhett calls her Katie Lou at times. I call her Ella Bella Kate some times. Kolby thinks we should call her Ella when she is older. We all call her Baby Girl. So, does that answer your question? :)

Ella Kate Pictures

Some shots from the hospital.

Daddy

I'm here!

Checking out the baby sister.

Mama K is tickled pink with this baby girl!

Yawn!

Happy girl!

Ella Kate is here!

Hi! It's Elizabeth, ghost writing for SG. She called me earlier and gave me EllaKate's stats. Of course, blogger hasn't let me post this all day. Sorry for the delay!

Time of birth: 10:32 a.m.
Weight: 7 lbs., 13 oz.
Length: 19 3/4 inches

She says that it was the easiest of the three births and everyone is doing well. I went to see her tonight and think she looks just like her other two! What a beauty! I am also pretty sure they are calling her Katie. I called her EllaKate and Kolby informed me that her name was Katie!

Just wanted blogland to get the blessed news!

The nesting I needed

I have had more down time in the last week than I have had in the last year. Lots of time to think. Lots of time to catch up on everyone else's blogs. As annoying as it has been to not be able to do things, I think bed rest has been good for not only my blood pressure, but my over all spirit and state of mind.

About a week ago my mother-in-law (mil for short) sent me an obituary from her home town newspaper. It was for Cindy Chowning. Cindy and Richard Chowning were missionaries to Kenya where they worked with the Kipsigi people for many years. When I met them, they were furloughed to ACU where Richard was a guest professor in the missions department. He taught my "World Christians Class" and they hosted African Mission Fellowship in their home. Even though Gaston Tarbet was actually my official ACU mentor for my two summer internships in Nairobi, Kenya, I got to know the Chownings quite well. Richard attempted to teach me some Swahili. The little I knew pre-Nairobi came from him! Cindy taught me to make the American version of chai, ugali & sacuma weki, and my favorite, chapati's and cabbage. They were such a sweet, open, and loving family.

Years later I did a special missions class on Wednesday nights for the kindergarteners at our church in San Angelo. Richard helped me when I took my kids on a field trip to Abilene to see the big globe in the Bible building and to talk to a real live missionary. He was such a nice man.

Anyway my heart breaks for the Chowning family. They have three children Heather, Naomi, and Aaron, who are all married. I think they have several grandchildren. The Chownings were planning on coming home to the states next year after spending the last eight or so years in Benin, West Africa. They were ready to be closer to the kids and the grandchildren even though they had a deep passion for the Aja people. Cindy was killed in an accident June 14th when she was hit by a motorcycle as she went to get something out of her truck during a routine Bible study visit. A senseless tragic accident!

Other ACU friends Randy and Kelly Vaughn worked with the Chownings in Benin. I have visited Randy's blog a lot these last days getting a small glimpse into their lives. Kelly had a heart for Africa even back during our time at ACU. She was very active in AMF. I guess Randy found his heart in missions after he gave it to Kelly! : ) Both are just the greatest! I admire them so much!

As tragic as Cindy Chownings death is and as unfair and horrible as it is, her life was such that you can not help but rejoice for her. She and Richard have really walked the walk. They have made a huge difference in the world for Christ. Just thinking of their many sacrifices over the years, their choices to give without getting back, the lifestyle they imposed on themselves for the love of God's word and the different people of Africa... they are truly inspiring! I can't find words to express it accurately.

The Chownings lived with a world view that I tend to close out. The last few months I have been very self absorbed with this pregnancy and trying to get ready for the baby. I have forgotten there is a great big world out there. Lately, I have been a bit scared thinking of all that has to happen to get this baby out of me in the next 24 hours or so. I fear pain. But reading about the Vaughns day to day life and reflecting on the life of Cindy Chowning has made re-evaluate a bit. It has made me think about what I really need to be as a mother, wife and Christian. It had made me re-dedicate to raising my children to love God and Jesus sacrificially. Sadly I loose sight of that from time to time.

So I am grateful to God for people like Cindy Chowning and the Vaughns who so selflessly labor for the kingdom that even those of us who only get far away glimpses of their lives see Christ and are humbled. I am grateful for the reminder that the most important thing I can prepare for this baby has nothing to do with bumper pads, fresh paint or clean floors. My heart and my life nesting in the vision of God's love and his Kingdom plans for my life and my child's life are what I need to focus on and prepare for. Being a Christian is not just a state of being, it is an intentional decision by decision life style. I needed to be reminded of that.

I 'm grateful that God choose to slow me down and remind me of what is really important this week. I'm grateful to him for feathering the nest of my heart with the example of Cindy Chowning's life and the lives of those I know who truly live for Christ. That is what I most needed to prepare to mother this precious little girl. I can't wait to meet her face to face!

My heart and prayers continue to go to the Chowning family both here in the states and in Benin, West Africa. Thank you God for Cindy Chowning and the inspiration she was and is to so many.

We have a plan!!!

Wednesday is the day.
Unless she decides to come earlier.
I'm at a three.
He says she is head down and guestimates she is about 8 lbs.
Woah!
We have tickets to the Ranger game in Arlington tomorrow night.
I think we will skip it.
My doctor is going to the said Ranger game.
I hope the baby doesn't come on 4th of July!
I would like my doctor to be at her birth.
Both Kolby and Rhett were born on Wednesday mornings.
Both weighed 8.6 and were 20.5 inches long.
They looked just alike, well, except that one area!
People say they are twins four years apart.
So I wonder if we are going to have a triplet...
Or maybe a totally different looking baby!
Much to think about for the next 40 or so hours!
I have to admit I am excited.
My blood pressure is currently reflecting that.
Must settle down!
Stay tuned!

E-M-O-T-I-O-N-A-L

Well it's Sunday morning and I am "forsaking the assembly" for bed rest. Bed rest is not all that bad but, some how laying on my left side for hours at a time has made me a bit sentimental and at times down right weepy! What is up with that?????

Friday night was Kolby's program at church. It was really cute and she did a great job on her little solo. I was so proud of her! It seems Kolby is growing up so fast! I can hardly believe she is the age I was when Sari was born. Isn't she cute! AK & K .. The kids really loved this Music camp. Our church did this instead of VBS this year.

Truly it feels like it wasn't that long ago that we were waiting for Kolby to be born! I tend to get bogged down in the day to day so much of the time that it seems like these "mommy days" are the longest days of my life. But then, I look up and suddenly my kids are a year older! Long days and short years! It makes me want to bottle time! I don't want to take for granted the wonder this new baby will bring to our family. Yes there will be one more mouth the feed, more laundry, less sleep, more noise and less down time, but little infant days are fleeting and I don't want them to get away with out being fully appreciated.

Yesterday my mother-in-law took my kids home with her, 3 1/2 hours away. They have been looking forward to this all summer and honestly, so have I. With the whole bed rest thing, the timing couldn't be better. I was fine as I packed them up and gave my mother-in-law some last minute suggestions. However, when they were both buckled up in the back seat of the car, ready to go.... The ugly cry came out! I leaned in the car on Rhett's side to give him a hug while Rob was reminding them from Kolby's side about minding and having good manners. Rhett got a little choked up and big old tears welled up in his eyes. He put his arms around my neck and wouldn't let go. After a few seconds he choked out "I'm gonna miss you Mommy." I totally lost it! Tears streaming down my face, I choked out that I would miss him too but that he was going to have a great time and I didn't want him to be sad.
Going to Grandma's
I really wanted to rip him out of the seat belt and tell him that he didn't have to go! What was I thinking sending my two babies three and a half hours away on the fourth of July weekend with all that bad I-35 traffic!??? Everything in me wanted to take both of them back inside. But I didn't. I want my kids to know that they are loved and safe even without me. I want them to have great memories of staying with their grandparents. I want them to take little vacations from the nest through out their growing up years so that when it is time to fly, they won't be so afraid. I was having a inner war with myself as I hugged them goodbye.

Kolby has no problem leaving because she has done this before. In fact she looked at me like I was a nut when I got all teary eyed, but sympathetically she said would miss me too and she would take care of her brother. Rhett had already recovered by this time and was singing "See you in four nights and five days!" (That seems so long!!!!) I managed to dry up long enough to get out of the car and wave goodbye as they drove off, but I sobbed as soon as I turned to walk in the house! Rob was trying to be sympathetic but he let a few chuckles slip. He tried to tell me it's just all those pregnancy hormones... Maybe he is right.

Since then things have been so quiet around here. It is nice, but really, it is too quiet! I am going to do my best to enjoy the quiet however because it may not come again for years!!! I don't think Rob and I have been alone this long since way before Rhett was born. Last night I managed to get completely caught up on thank you notes, and Rob re-painted all the base boards in the kitchen. So now we are just waiting for the baby ...

I go to the doctor's office tomorrow morning and I hope and pray that we have a plan for birth by the time I leave! I'm grateful to have had this last week but, I'm ready now! Hopefully the baby will be ready too and make her debut very soon! We'll keep you posted...

Still here...still resting

Bed rest is not as bad as it sounded. Yesterday I rested most of the day so I could go to my shower last night. I had a wonderful shower and got so many precious things for this baby girl! I can't wait to get in the nusery and get it all put in it's new place. I am always overwhelmed at people's generosity when it comes to new babies! My sweet friends did a great job, the food was wonderful and my cousin Ashley's house looked amazing! It was such a fun night.

Kolby went and was so in party mode! No one enjoys a party like my sweet little girl! She wore a brand new pink and white dress and her first ever pair of "real panty hose" with white heels. She had a blast bringing me punch and helping open the presents. The girl even knows how to work a crowd! I've said it before, but I just can't get over how much this whole baby process has meant to Kolby. She has loved every minute of it! This baby is quite blessed to have such a sweet and doting big sister!

My Mom has been really worried about my blood pressure and me me having a stroke or something all week. Last night she did her best not too worry or make too much fuss over me. I guess you never out grow the Mommy worries! Even though I felt a bit silly, just to be safe, I sat in a recliner with my house shoes propped up most of the night! AND wonder of wonders, my blood pressure was absolutly perfect when I got home! I think God was at work there because all day long if I even got up or did much of anything, my bp would shoot up. I'm very grateful that I was able to go to my own shower! I'm very grateful for everything about last night!

Today is Rob's flex day so he is off. Kolby is going to Splash Kingdom camp this till noon and Rhett is swimming with neighbors. I have a blood pressure check at the doctor's office sometime today. Rob's Mom is coming in to see Kolby's program tonight and is planning to take the kids home with her for a few nights. SO if the blood pressure holds and the baby doesn't decide to make an early entrance, we are set for a few days of R&R! I honestly don't know what to think of that! There is nothing left to paint or clean and no place I'm allowed to go! I plan on taking full advantage of it all!

I'm going to teach Rob to blog so he can let you know as soon as the baby is here. In the mean time, I hope you all have a great, safe, Fourth of July weekend!

The Nursery

Here it is...The Nursery!


This is the baby bed my grandmother bought for me 36 years ago!


All the furniture in this room, even the picture frames, (except the rocker on loan from my cousin Maria) has been stripped, sanded, primed and painted in the last month. Rob invested several layers of skin in this process and we all took turns painting. Do you think the baby will even notice? :)

My Mom made all but the quilt and the bumpers. She even made the bedding in the Moses basket, the basket liners under the changing table, the dust ruffles, the curtains ...Well everything! She says it has been fun but it was so much work for her! This baby is gonna love her Mama K!


This dresser was in my nursery, my teen room, my college dorm room, and then I repainted it for Kolby a six years ago. I repainted it last week for this baby.


My Mom and I came up with the idea to frame the squares from the quilt. Mom figured out how to do the squares and Sari and I painted the frames and had fun framing all these!



After next Friday there may be a little bookcase by this rocking chair under the quilt. We are waiting for a sale! :)


The little shelf on the wall was my great-grandmothers.


The rocking chair was made for my Mom by her grandfather on her first birthday!It has rocked many a mile holding the little members of our family. My Mom bought this basket from a group who imports them from a church group and uses the money for their village through some Baptist missionaries. She made all the bedding and I cut the mattress.

It has taken about thirty attempts to load these pictures and I have no idea why...But hey, I'm on bed rest and have nothing better to do! Now all we need is a baby....But hopefully not until next week! :)

Happy Birthday Sari!

Today is my sister's birthday! I was 8 1/2 when she was born which is almost exactly how old Kolby will be when this baby is born! I still remember so many of the details of the day Sari was born. She was overdue by a few days so my mother was induced. I remember sitting in the hospital waiting room with my grandparents for most of the day just waiting and waiting... It was no picnic for my Mom either. After hours and hours of labor, the doctor finally used forceups to get sari out and broke my Mom's tail bone in the process. Mom had to sit of a plastic clear donut for months afterward.

I just knew Sari was going to be a boy but really wanted her to be a girl. I would have been relieved at her birth except she came out looking like a little Eskimo! Every other baby in our family to that point (me and 3 cousins) had been blond with blue eyes. Sari had dark eyes, dark hair, and because she was a tad jaundiced, darker skin. At the same time a Hispanic family who had been waiting all day too had a blond haired blue eyed boy. I was absolutely convinced that there had been a baby swap! It took my mother telling me she had seen Sari the second she was born to convince me that the little Eskimo looking baby was my sister.
_____

I wrote this before my doctors appointment today. I had planned to meet my sister and parents for lunch to celebrate Sari's birthday. Instead, we spent the most of the day in the labor and delivery ward being monitored for high blood pressure! It was a bit of a stroll down memory lane for Mom and I remembering how 20 something years ago she was in labor with Sari. For an hour or so Sari even had hopes of getting a neice on her birthday!

Yes, my heart caught up with my swollen ankles causing quite a bit of concern this morning. But after being monitored for 6 hours, my doctor let me come home tonight. I had to promise to stay off my feet and go back for another bp check on Thursday. He said he was tempted to keep me and induce, but both he and I want to give this baby one more week if possible. So I am at home, on the couch, straining to blog with my wireless keyboard.

No matter what, it looks like the longest we have to wait is another week or so! WOW!!!!!! It feels very real all of a sudden!

Thankfully, we finished the nursery yesterday! (insert halelujah chorus) I"ll post pictures as soon as I can. Our baby shower is Thursday night and Kolby is singing a solo in the church summer musical Friday night. I really don't want to miss either of these events. Please pray for normal blood pressure through the fourth of July weekend for me. But of course I want to do what ever is best for the baby and me so .... I best go pack that hospital bag!!! Stay tuned blog world! :) We might be having a baby this week! :)

What's for dinner?

This is my new favorite easy summer meal. In fact, I am addicted to this menu. So easy and yet so good!

Turkey/Slaw Wrap
Fresh Blueberries and Strawberries with a smidge of splenda
Grilled ( or broiled if it's too hot to grill) zucchini
Peach fizz ice freeze

Turkey/ Slaw Wrap
Take one over sized thin flour tortilla (wal mart brand works fine)
Top with 1/4 to 1/2 cup "coleslaw" salad mix (buy the package it is faster than chopping)
Sprinkle with a two teaspoons of either sunflower kernels or toasted slivered almonds
Add a few teaspoons (just not too much) of any "from the bottle" Cole Slaw dressing ( I used Kraft this week)
Top with a few slices of shaved or #1 sliced turkey lunch meat (got to go with the good stuff from the deli)
Fold bottom over inch and roll ( so all your stuff doesn't fall out)
Enjoy

Peach Fizz Ice Freeze
(This is for a 4 quart ice cream maker)
Puree one 15 oz can on peaches in heavy syrup with one 14 0z can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand skim works!)
Pour in a chilled ice cream maker canister with dasher.
Slowly fill canister to fill line with 2 liters 7-Up, Gingerale, or any other clear soda (diet works but might taste "diet" like)
Follow directions on Ice Cream freezer . This is a light, fun and yummy summer dessert!

You can also do this with:
Big Red and strawberries or cherries (or sans fruit!)
Orange Crush and mandarin oranges or crushed pineapple
Root Beer , or Coke, or Dr Pepper and just Eagle Brand. It will taste like a Rootbeer float slushy, sort of! (But if you are not adding fruit don't use the diet drinks or skim eagle brand because it will have a funky after taste.)


Any one else have some favorite EASY summer recipes? If you can even call these recipes! :)

ouch!

Maverick fans are all a bit sad today. I know I am. Did last night really happen? Did the Mavs really loose the finals? Wow! What a sad game! The thing is I still think the Mavs are the better team. They did not play well three of the four quarters, missing at one point 16 shots in a row, and still only trailed by three in the end. I'm not a huge sports fan but I really wanted the Mavs to take it this year! I guess there is always next year!

Still here... 4 weeks to go!

Hey there blog land! I have not had too many bloggable thoughts lately. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going and I also can not believe how hard phyiscally it is getting for me to get anything done! I feel like cross between the Stay-Puft marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters and Violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (after she chewed the gum and turned into a blueberry). Pretty huh? By 2pm my whole body is so swollen I can barely bend! I've had nightmares that the baby came and my body was stuck in swollen mode forever! I am looking forward to being able to wear shoes again.

OK swelling aside, we are slowly but surely making progress in the nursery. After a three week stripping, sanding, priming, painting, nightmare with the nursery furniture, it is all almost done. I am in love with the bedding! The curtains are hung and my Mom came up with a great art project to tie the room together, so we are almost there! It feels good/ weird to have a baby bed up in the house again!

Rob and I are coming closer to picking a name but we have both said we might just have to see her first to truly decide. It's still a bit hard to imagine us with a baby again. We have started talking to the kids about what a new baby needs and doesn't need. They are really excited! It's so funny to watch them talk to my tummy! I'm glad they are so into this process.

In other news, my kids went to VBS at the Baptist church where Rhett goes to pre-school last week. It was so wonderful! The kids loved it and I loved having a few mornings to myself. When I was little we never went to things at "other" churches. I think that is a shame. I love the people I have met through this church. The moms and teachers are wonderful! I still love our church and want my kids involved there, but I think exposing them to other Christ followers is a great thing! I want my kids to understand that we are Christians only not the only Christians and not be afraid of other churches.

There have been times I have wondered if I was doing something wrong by putting Rhett in a program other than the Mother's Day Out at our church. (which is a great little MDO program by the way!) But the other program fit more of what I felt Rhett needed. Three years later, I am so glad that Rhett has gone to a different school because we have met so many great people and Rhett has so many good little friends outside his little class at church. I absolutely LOVE Rhett's little group of friends at church, but I think it is important to have good Christian friends who attend other churches.

Anyway it was nice to have my kids in a great VBS that I didn't work! Our church is not having VBS this year, but when we do, I want to make sure and be a big part of it to give some of my friends the great break and awesome learning opportunity they gave me and my kids last week!

Well, that's the end of my blog time for today! Hope you are all having a great summer! Time to waddle off to the next task! :)

Misery loves company

Pulled this off of my Yahoo home page this morning. Here is the caption.

Qiao Yubo, who is pregnant with at least five babies, walks with her husband, right, in Songyuan, in China's northeast Jilin province, Sunday, June 11, 2006. Qiao, who is 1.67-meters tall ( that's 5'4 for Americans) , has a waistline measurement of 1.75 meters. (5' 7) She is only five months into her pregnancy. Qiao's excessive bulk is causing difficulties in getting around, with taxi drivers too afraid to take her in their cars. Her clothing is all custom-made and she eats up to seven meals a day. (AP Photo/EyePress)

Bless her heart! I hope there is an air-conditioner in her house! Somehow this makes me feel better... a lot better!

The Pink Palace

At last we are finished decorating and moving Kolby into her new room! We still lack a few finishing touches, but this is as close as we will get before the baby's room is done. Speaking of, I best be getting back to that. Hopefully I can post finished nursery pictures before long!


Much of the inspiration for Kolby's room came from these wooden letters that she painted for a name plate for her door. I love doing kids room!


I copied Kolby's little letters and made them big for her wall. This was a fun, but time consuming, project!


We decided to put two beds in Kolby's room so that we could utilize under bed storage for toys, and after loosing the guest bedroom, I want to always have an extra bed up and ready. All of Kolby's toys are in pull outs under her beds.

This desk was my sisters when she was Kolby's age.
Kolby and Rhett love these beds! There are still lots of little girl touches in this room so that it isn't too teen (or tween) like but still leaves room for growth.


If you look in the far left top corner of this picture you will see one of Kolby's favorite parts of her new room. She has a TV/ DVD player mounted from the ceiling. It can only be turned on with the remote (which we keep most of the time) and gets only the five channels that Rob and I picked. Also anything over a G rating is automatically blocked out. You gotta love parental controls! I never wanted a TV in my kids rooms but when we lost our guest/ play/extra TV room... Well, I think this will work out!


This was my dresser all my growing up days.

Now on to the nursery.....

Getting Along

( rant warning)
With school out and both kids home we are having some "getting along issues" in our house, some for the first time really. Seems an 8 year old and an almost 5 year old find more to argue about than they ever have before. I constantly hear myself saying "You guys are going to have to be nice and learn to get along." We have talked about respecting each other and not saying hurtful things. Truthfully it has been exhausting!

One of my mommy escapes is to blog and read my e-paper. But this morning's read reminded me that kids aren't the only ones who struggle with "being sweet to each other and getting along." Seldom do I agree with Senator Hillary Clinton, but this time I have to say she has a point. Not to pick on Ann Coulter, but she goes way too far in my opinion. In fact there are way too many peoiple who have gone too far when it comes to criticism these days. Too many in our political process make a living off of dishing "the other guys" to prove a point. There are no boundries, no decent lines of respect, no punch too far below the belt. It's always all out war. It needs to stop. There are too many pundits and critics and too few public servants in the political landscape of our world.

The political polarizing of America in order "to get what our side wants" has gone too far. The left, the right, Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives, Christians, Jews .... All of us are all guilty. I'm so tired of hearing from each party and each special interest group about what is broken in this country and what should be addressed by the government. I want to scream "Stop whining and do something constructive!" Seems we all need to go back to grade school days and re-learn manners, respect, sacrificing for others good, getting along, and just plain old being "nice"... Things that an exit tests can't gauge, but things that are more true indicators of what a person will contribute to the world in life.

I guess after reading about the ruckus going on the world, I should not be surprised or alarmed that my 8 and almost 5 year old haven't quite learned what politicians five times their age have yet to figure out. I will however double my efforts to teach my kids to get along, love each other, sacrifice my wants for your needs, and respect even those they do not agree with. I'm afraid our world today will not teach them any of these things. Where are all the good examples of servanthood, sacrifice, self control and working for the common good? I guess Jesus is the only example we can really hold up. I guess in ways that has always been the case. (end rant)

Thanks for letting me get that out. Back to Mommy world. Hope your summer is going well and that you have a great Thursday ....Oh and just for today, try to be nice and get along! OK? :)

Checking in

Nothing to new today but thought I'd pop in and say Hi. We are still working on rearranging the house and getting everything ready for the baby. We spent all day Monday sorting through Kolby's stuff and getting her old room ready to become a nursery. My Mom and I spent much of yesterday trying to find some material to match what we bought at Pottery Barn.

The kids went to their first day of Summer Mother's Day Out at church and had a great time. Even though it's only been a week, I have to say I enjoyed the break from the two of them. I love my kids but breaks are so nice. Today we are continuing to move and organize closets and clean up. I'll take the kids swimming this after noon.

On the prego front...I don't think my feet can get any bigger without popping. It's really hard to walk at times. I had to get some men's flip flops at Target yesterday because my feet won't fit in anything else. The heat makes it worse but, I have yet to find anything that makes the swelling better. I had a dream last night that I was at a baby shower for me at a friends house and my water broke. IN my dream I was mortified that I had ruined the wing back chair I was sitting in and wondered how long I could hold off telling someone! Then I woke up. You know it might be fun to go into labor surrounded by girl friends...but I would hate to think of anyone having to clean that up!!! I think the dream is just wishful thinking on my part because if I went into labor at my shower the baby would be 18 days early! Fat chance!

Yesterday I spent some time with Mom and the kids a Target registering for baby stuff. Rhett made it his job to hold the scanner and zap barcodes. I had to go delete a few things such as Hot Wheels racing cars and Cars toys, but Rhett had a blast. I have never registered for a baby before and honestly I feel a bit silly. But as one of my friends said, people want to give you something, you might as well let them know what you want and need. So I did it. Still feeling a bit sheepish about it though!

So tonight is the first night in a year that we don't have a class to teach! I will actually miss this little Wednesday night class and hope we make it to church on Wednesday nights even if we don't HAVE to be there. It's going to be a challenge.

Ok I've rambled enough. Hope to check in with some before and after shots by weeks end! :)
Happy Hump Day!

PS Just in case you weren't in Mrs.Johnson's 2nd grade at Travis Elementary in the late 70's "hump day" is Wednesday! Hey....... Get your mind out of the gutter! This is a G rated blog! :)

What's in a name?

I am taking a short break from my "clutter clearing, house organizing, furniture sanding, life altering home make over nesting" mania to vent about my latest mental challenge. I am completely conflicted over the name of this baby! We have narrowed it down to two, possibly three combinations. Why is this so hard for me? Why can't I just pick one out of a hat and be happy? I have never struggled over names like this. The first two ( Sara Kolby and Rhett Thomas) were easy to come up with for us. We agreed immediately. I love my kids names.

There were some grumbles when I insisted that Kolby be called Kolby and not Sara. I like the name Sara and all, in fact it was a tribute to my sister Sari and the many Sarahs in my family tree. But I wanted her called Kolby. Originally I wanted to name Kolby Shelby, but there were lots of Shelbys and my cousin named her dog that. I couldn't name my first born after a dog. I came across the boy name Colby and decided it sounded like a girl name to me. I also wanted Kolby to have my initials, SKG. AND Kolby Sara just didn't sound right. So, much to my in-laws chagrin, we call our daughter by her middle name. Who made the rule that you had to be called by your first name? Think outside the box people! (end rant)

Rhett's name was also easy. As far back as I can remember I have always loved the name Rhett. I had a good friend named Rhett. He was one of two people who I had a class with every year from first grade until we graduated from High School. Rhett was the life of the party and the nicest, most fun, guy. He was actually related to some of my relatives, so we kidded about being cousins. Rhett was the kind of guy I would have loved to have had for a brother. He reminded me a lot of my cousin Robby. Everyone liked Rhett. Tragically, Rhett was killed in a car wreck in college. I wrote his sweet Mom and Dad when my Rhett was born. They were thrilled to hear of another little Rhett and we still keep in touch now through Christmas cards. Thomas is Rob's middle name and my sweet grandaddy's first name...Although he was called Caskey, his middle name, his whole life. Rhett and Rob share the monogram RTG.

Now here we are on baby number three. Again one of my family member's has named their dog a name I would really like to use. Rob doesn't want his daughter sharing the name of a dog. The name I like the best is beautiful but again, I want the baby called by the middle name if we use this one. Rob isn't too sure he wants to do that again. Then there are some family names, but I'm not so sure I like them as much. Kolby likes my favorite name, Rhett likes Rob's preferred name of the moment...Though it is really Rob's third choice name because I nixed the other two. Rob said he would be fine with whatever I decide...but I want him to like the name as much as I do.

So we have six weeks to decide and I have no idea what will change that will make us pick a name. Would it be too much to give the baby 4 names? Yeah, I thought so! Let me know how you decided on your kids names. Any secrets or hints?

Back to the nesting phase....
Have a great weekend!

PS Want to see how common or uncommom your name is? Go look at this site! I have been spending lots of time here lately!