It's a GIRL!

It's a GIRL! It's a GIRL! It's a GIRL!

So we found out Monday that we will be having a baby girl. I am so flippin excited! I think Jeff is a little scared/stressed, but nonetheless looking forward to having a sweet baby girl. The sonogram was pretty crazy. She actually did a 4D which I wasn't expecting. I always thought you had to go somewhere special and pay out of pocket for those, but she just pulled out another probe and started taking 4D pictures. I have to admit, those kind of creep me out, but it was still cool to see. Everything looks perfect and healthy. She is weighing ~9 oz and her heart rate was 164bpm. The tech said she has some LONG arms and legs so maybe she will be tall? Who knows?

It all seems a little more real now. I'm starting to show and felt her move for the first time last week! That has always been my favorite part about pregnancy. I'm feeling much better, but still get sick every few days. I have some energy back which is good. I don't fall asleep on the couch everyday when I get home anymore. ;) No heartburn yet (I hope I didn't just jinx myself), but I remember having heartburn with Braden pretty much the entire pregnancy and BAD. So I am thankful for that. I hope that doesn't mean she is going to be bald like I was. I didn't get hair until I was 2! Yikes! And Braden had a head full of hair when he was born. We shall see!

Due date is still September 21st! I just have to make it through the HOT Texas Summer! Aye yay yay!

I can't wait to see Braden as a big brother. I think he's going to be GREAT! He LOVES all the babies at school and is so good with them. It might be different when that baby is at HIS house, but I really think he's going to be fine with it. She is one lucky girl to have TWO great boys in her life. She will be well protected by brother and dad, that's for sure!

That's all for now. I will try not to wait so long between posts next time!

15 weeks and STILL sick!

OK, y'all. I am tired of being sick. This pregnancy is definitely different in that aspect. I was sick with Braden for 3 weeks, this one is now over 6! Come on! I am 3 weeks into my 2nd trimester and still get sick at night. At least it's not all day anymore, but I'm just tired of it. I am taking medication for it, but it only helps so much, not 100%. I'm sorry, not trying to be whiny, but I'm entitled to whine every now and then. Other than that, everything is going great with the pregnancy. Baby is growing like it should and has a strong little heartbeat. My next appointment is April 8th. I will have another ultrasound just to check it all out. I will make my appointment to find out the sex at that time. YAY! It will be the week of May 3rd, just don't have the exact date yet. I can't wait!

Braden...oh Braden. That little boy. I tell you what, he is growing up so fast and I am enjoying every minute of it. He is a little obsessed with Elmo and Sesame Street at the moment, which is driving me a little crazy. But he is learning to count from the show, so I guess that's good. He says, "One, Two, Tee, OOR!" He's talking more and more every day. I sometimes know what he's saying, but other times I just have to nod and say, "Uh-huh. Really?" Ha. He can get a little rough sometimes with mommy and when I say, "Owe, you hurt mommy." He comes up to me and touches me very softly (his way of saying he's sorry). It's sooo sweet. They tell me almost every day how he LOVES the babies at his school. He is very gentle with them and always wants to touch them and give them kisses. I hope he is the same when his little brother or sister arrives, but Mommy's not holding the babies at school so we will see if his jealous bone comes out. He loves Dancing with the Stars. He loved it last season too. He tries to dance along and claps for them when they are done. It's very cute and fun to watch.

Jeff is keeping busy with track. He has 2 kids in Texas Relays this weekend. I am staying busy at work. Nothing really new to report with us.

I hope all is well with my blogger friends and I will TRY to be better about posting. :)

Not the BEST picture. I took it last night with my iphone. They were eating jelly beans watching American Idol. I just thought it was cute. :)

Seriously?!?!

Really? My last post was in OCTOBER? Wow, I am a terrible blogger.

OK, so what has been going on with us? Let's see, we had a busy holiday, but it seems silly to talk about since it's almost FEBRUARY! Work has been busy as well. To put it simply, I got a new job, then last week, they decided to get rid of that team and actually walked out 2 people. Luckily I made the cut, but my job will be changing soon. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just not sure what my new role will be. Last week was really tough for me at work. I had several co-workers/friends get laid off. It's never an easy thing to see people you know lose their job. I just pray for them and their families.

Braden has been a handful lately. He has actually gotten much better in the last week, but he has been testing us to the max! That little stinker. He will do something he KNOWS is wrong and look me right in the eye as he is doing it. Just waiting for me to do something. We are doing the timeout thing and when I ask him if he wants to go to timeout, his answer is, "Yeah!" GREAT...not the right answer dude! He is definitely a challenge, but consistency and patience is starting to payoff. On the other hand he can be such a sweetheart. He gives me hugs and kisses without me having to ask and I just love that. He loves to sing and dance and marches around singing "Ants go marching" and "If you're happy and you know it." So cute. He puts his fingers on his cheeks to tell me he wants to sing Happy and you know it.

There's really not much else going on with us. We are living life and staying busy. Oh, and I'm pregnant!

Update

OK, Braden is napping, and I should be cleaning house, but I am getting beat up about my blog not being updated! So here it goes.

Football season is in full swing, so my time on this computer is limited. I feel like a single mom most days which means my responsibilities are doubled. Not complaining, I love this time of year. I am also staying super busy at work and trying to hit the gym everyday. If I could only get my diet under control, I would be golden. I feel great though. Working out really does give you more energy and makes you feel better.

The Panthers are off to a rough start this season. They have had some challenges with injuries and "behavioral" issues, but we'll just have to see how the season plays out. So far, we are 0-2 in district, 2-3 overall. I'm still very proud of my husband. He works hard and always has the kids' best interest at heart. They are lucky to have him. :)

Braden is doing great! He loves his class and his teachers. He is teaching everyone in his class to "bump" or "pound"...whatever you want to call it. High fives are no longer an option. We have to "bump" all his friends before we leave. He can actually be a little obsessive about it. He has gotten SEVERAL teeth in the last month (4 molars and 4 incisors) so that has been a painful experience for all of us. We've had a few sleepless nights, but overall he is a little trooper. Total of 16 teeth now! He's 16 months old. Trying to communicate more and more everyday. He understands everything you tell him and we are working on discipline. Let me tell you, it's NOT easy. This boy is very hard-headed (get's that from his daddy, not me). ;) I'm trying to stay patient, consistent and choose my battles. He is a sweetheart though and I am very proud of him.

I guess that's all for now. I will try to be better about updating, k? K!

Just Pictures

Time-Out, Schmime-Out!

Funny story I have to share. So Braden is 14 months and we are working on his bad habit of throwing his juice cup when he is done. So the other day I thought, well, maybe we will try time out. He has no idea what that means, but hey, let's just see what happens. So we were in the living room and he was standing at the coffee table drinking his juice. Low and behold, when he was done, he just threw it on the floor.

I said, "Brrrraaaaden, pick it up and put it on the table." Mind you, he knows what this means...he does it about half the time. While keeping eye contact with me with those mischevious little eyes, he proceeds to kick his cup. I repeated, "Brrrraaaaden, pick it up and put it on the table." After three times I said, "Ok, let's go to time out." So I picked him up and went and sat him on his little step stool in the entry.

I thought he was just going to crawl away, but no, he sat there for a whole minute just jabbering to himself looking completely content. It was so cute. I couldn't help but laugh. But wait, that's not the funny part. After one minute I stood him up, he walked back to the table, grabbed his cup, took a drink, threw it, looked at me, walked back to his stool and sat down. Jeff and I looked at eachother and just started laughing. Are you kidding me, Braden?!

I have a feeling it's going to be a challenge disciplining this little boy. The biggest challenge is going to be for me to keep a straight face. :P Lord help us.

For the record, he gets this from his Dad. Grammy has told me several similar stories trying to discipline Jeff. I was the perfect child, right Mom? ;)

Braden turns 1!

OK, so I'm a little late on this post. I have been terrible about blogging and I don't know if any of you even read mine anymore, but I had to blog about this very special occasion. I can't believe Braden is a year old already. Wow, what a difference a year makes. I honestly don't know what we ever did without this sweet boy in our lives. I can't even tell you how much joy he brings to my life every single day. He's not walking yet, but he's getting very close. He cruises around pushing his "walker" and loves it.

What he's saying these days... Hi, Bye, Dada, Mama, Buh (aka book or beer, we're not sure) - ha!

Things he loves...reading, singing, dancing, giving kisses, "Friends" theme song, Subway $5 footlong commercials, grapes, being outside, being chased, cuddle time with mama, playing on mommy and daddy's bed, bathtime, itsy-bitsy spider, Mickey Mouse clubhouse, playing with our cell phones, swimming, Grandma's hugs, Grammy's tickle fingers, Aunt Stacey's cell phone.

Things he does not care for...brushing his teeth, sitting still, changing his diaper...that's about it. He's a pretty happy, laid back baby boy.

Happy 1st Birthday, Braden. We love you very much and are so blessed to have you.

5-27-08

Our first family picture

Braden at 1-year! First birthday cake...