4 of Hartz

Moving the blog

2010-02-01T13:58:00.002-05:00

I have moved this blog. I needed somewhere to start over and get back into the groove of things. If you would like the address please email me at amandahartz@gmail.com

Thanks!

A letter to Cole's teeth

2009-10-28T15:09:00.003-04:00

Dear Teeth,

Please, I beg of you, break through the skin today. I don't think I can take the screaming anymore. I need sleep. A few hours a night just doesn't cut it. Have you seen me lately? I look like I have been punched in the face. I look like I have two black eyes. I can't take this anymore. I promise I will take care of you. I promise to brush and floss them a million times a day if you will PLEASE just come in!!! I have laundry piled to the ceiling, floor that need to be scrubbed, and I just need a few minutes to myself. I don't feel like I am being needy, a girl needs her sanity and mine is close to being gone. I don't like to see my baby in pain it breaks my heart. So, PLEASE TEETH, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH I NEED YOU TO COME IN TODAY.

With Love,

Amanda

Cole

2009-10-15T10:35:00.002-04:00

We are all moved into our new home and we absolutely love it here. Nothing too exciting has been going on just getting things settled and ready to go back to work on Monday. Cole is growing like a weed. He is the cutest little thing ever. He's rolling over, everywhere. He's trying desperately to sit up on his own. He smiles and laughs at everything his big brother does. He's eating big boy food at dinner and loves every minute of it. I just can't get enough of that little boy. His smiles just melt my heart. He is wearing 6 month clothes and some 6/9 month stuff. He's a lot huskier than Hayden ever was. In just the last week he has figured out how to use his hands more. He can pick things up and get them straight to his mouth. We have a feeling he may become a thumb sucker. Not sure yet but we see him with it in his mouth more and more. Here are some new pictures of our little butter ball!

Lots Going on

2009-09-27T16:08:00.004-04:00

Our life is a little crazy right now. I feel like we have a million things going on at once. Our lease is up here in Chapel Hill at the end of October. However, we found a house that we love in Fuquay and it is available now. So, we are packing up and moving a month earlier than expected. Everyone is so excited about the move. We will be living in a nice neighborhood on a culdasac where Hayden will have lots of kids to play with. We are excited to be living within minutes from all of my family. It will be nice to have everyone so close by. And the house is bigger with a bonus room. I start a new job on October 19. One that I am excited about yet nervous about at the same time. I decided not to go back to the daycare center I was working at before Cole was born for many reasons. It turns out the center is closing at the end of October. I was offered a nanny position for two little boys that I taught at Parkway Children's Center. I will be making more money, the hours are better I get to be with my children all day. The downside is that it's going to be a little crazy taking care of 4 little boys.

We feel like this move will be really good for our family. Moving to Chapel Hill two years ago turned out to be not what we wanted. However, we have had some good times here. We just prefer to be closer to our family. Our plan is to move next weekend. Sometime this week I will email everyone with our new telephone number and address. Our GMail email addresses are the ones we will be using. Once we get moved I will post pictures and tell you all about our perfect little boys.

By the way, Cole had his 4 month appt. a little bit ago and he weighs 14.5lbs! He is growing like a weed and is just as cute as can be.

Cole's new trick

2009-09-11T08:57:00.001-04:00

Masters Champion 2032

2009-09-05T15:22:00.007-04:00

This week has been such a long week for me. I'm not sure why but it has really tried my patience. With the stress of finding a new job, our upcoming move, a sick family member, and just life in general, it's kind of taking a toll on me. Hayden is now at that 3 1/2 year mark and his behaviour and listening skills have been so difficult. Some days it takes all I have just to get through the day. On Wednesday Greg rushed home from work to give Hayden and I a little break from each other and took him golfing. They went and played 9 holes at the golf course in our neighborhood. This was Hayden's first time actually playing on a course and he has proven to be pretty good for a 3 year old beginner. We are both pretty proud of our little golfer. I hope it continues and he loves it as much as Greg does. I'm not too excited about the damage it could do on my bank account if it becomes an all the time thing. Golf is expensive!

I do hope this is a hobby they can always enjoy together!

Lazy Lake Days

2009-08-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

We live about 5 minutes from Jordan Lake. During the summer we normally go every weekend. However, this year it's been a little different. We have only been a few times. Both, Cole and Hayden love it. I wish we could go more often but it gets a little too hot out for Cole.

Happy Baby

2009-08-26T08:04:00.000-04:00

My little Coley Roley Poly (this is what Greg calls him), is such a happy baby. He started smiling right at 2 months and I just can't get enough of that one dimple smile. It just melts my heart. Greg and I laugh all the time about how much our little boys look alike...except for that one little dimple of Cole's.

Cole is now sleeping in his own room....hooray! He goes to bed at 8pm and sleeps until 4am, I nurse him and he goes back to sleep until 7 or 8. He's kind of a cat napper during the day. But, for the most part he does really well. I am not sure how much he weighs, his next appt. is September 16. I can't believe he will be 4 months. He has outgrown all of his 3 month clothes and is wearing 3-6 month or 6 month stuff. I can't believe how much he has grown.

In the beginning I thought and everyone else thought that he looks just like Greg. However, the older he gets the more he looks like me. Looking at Hayden videos and pictures from when he was a baby is kind of freaky...they look so much a like. I can't wait to see his little personality blossom, but I'm not ready for him to grow up.

Brotherly Love

2009-08-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

I just can't believe how much these two love each other. It brings so much joy to my heart. Here area a compilation of pictures of Hayden & Cole loving each other.

Hayden was trying so hard to make him stop crying.

Cole's favorite thing is to be as close to Hayden as he possibly can and watch his every move.

Man, I LOVE THESE BOYS!

Texas 09

2009-08-24T12:46:00.005-04:00

I know this post is long overdue. I am sorry.

We took a quick trip to Texas back in July to introduce our newest little monkey to everyone. the boys did amazing on the plane ride there. I was very impressed. Nana, Aunt Donna, Grandma Blair, and Aunt Jeni were all so excited to see the boys. Greg and I were able to spend some alone time too, we don't get much of that. We went and saw two movies and went out to dinner a few times. While we were there we celebrated out 2nd wedding anniversary and 7 years of being together. Seems crazy. I can't imagine my life with my 3 men. I'm a lucky girl.

Hayden lived in the water while we were in Texas. The Cinco Ranch area that the family has moved to is a nice area. Greg even mentioned maybe moving there one day. Don't get your hopes up though, if it ever happens it will be a while from now. All in all we had a great time and we miss them so much when we come back to NC.

In the area they live in there is something like 15 pools that you have access to as long as you live in the Cinco Ranch area and are a member. Some of the pools have water slides and splash pads. Hayden was in heaven he had such a good time. He still talks about it to this day and refers to everything as "that's like Texas".

Aunt Jeni was able to spend a lot of time with the kids. They just love her to pieces. She even got to experience lots of dirty diapers.

These pictures were taken at the park just behind their new house.

Hayden and Aunt Jeni in the Kayak

Greg and Hayden goofing off. They had so much fun together.

We can't wait to go back again!

Cole Bryson

2009-07-07T20:51:00.003-04:00

Cole is almost 2 months old and I just can't believe how fast it has gone by. Although he looks quite a bit like Hayden his personality is sooooo different. I thought I knew how to deal with a newborn but this little guy sure has put me in my place. He is so different than Hayden was. At his last appointment he weighed 9lbs 5oz! I can't believe how much he has grown. He is such a little piglet! He has started smiling lately but we aren't sure whether or not they are real smiles or just gas. It is so hard to tell. He loves to be held, he actually insists on it. He doesn't really like the swing, but prefers the vibrating bouncy seat. He enjoys tummy time(so did his brother)and likes his new play mat we bought him. At 5 weeks he rolled over from him tummy to his back (same as Hayden). He loves to watch his big brother play! I can't wait until the day they can actually interact with one another. He takes his first flight to Texas in just a couple weeks, I know everyone is excited to meet him. Here are some pictures of our newest member of the family from the last 2 months.

Daddy always puts me to sleep.

Am I cute or what?

Out like a light.

Probably wondering what my brother is doing.

Going on a walk in the bjorn, I love it!

Hayden James

2009-07-07T20:33:00.003-04:00

Oh my, this little man has kept me on my toes lately. Since, he has been so use to a tight schedule with school, he has been quite bored at home. We have had to stay in doors most of the summer since it has been so hot and Cole is so young. Unfortunately that means Hayden is stuck inside with us as well. I've been making several trips to Nikki's house in an effort to keep him busy. However, that doesn't make the new transition any easier on him. I must say though, he is quite the trooper. He hugs and kisses his baby brother constantly and always wants to know where he is and what he is doing. He has had some behaviour issues but we knew that would happen and are trying to deal with them one by one. I am positive he will overcome them especially since we go back to work/school in only 5 more weeks...wow! I'm not sure I am ready but I know he is. We leave for Texas in a couple weeks so hopefully that will keep him busy. He sure is excited about it. Here are a few (lots actually) pictures of our big guy!

helping mom make cupcakes

hanging out with my best bud Landon

Being a good big brother

Mom finally gave me a hair cut!

Soooo Sweet!

Long Overdue

2009-07-07T20:31:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I last posted, things have been kind of crazy around here. I'm trying to update the blog a bit and I will do two seperate posts on both boys to catch everyone up. So, stay tuned I am working on them now.

He is Here!

2009-05-20T17:32:00.005-04:00

Cole Bryson Hartz

was born at 5:35 am on Sunday, May 17

6lbs 6oz

20 inches

Last Wednesday at routine doctors appointment my blood pressure was elevated. The doctors decided that it was time for me to quit working. I agreed and called and told them that I needed to start my maternity leave. I had a doctors appt. scheduled for Friday to check my blood pressure and do some blood work. I decided that Hayden didn't need to go with me and had Greg take him to my sisters. At my appt. the doctors decided that I needed to go to the hospital for an evaluation. I proceeded to tell them that I could not physically or emotionally go through what I went through with Hayden and that if Cole was okay I'd like to deliver. They said they would see how the evaluation went. Greg and I arrived at the hospital at noon on Friday the 15th. They ran tests and we had an ultrasound to do a biophysical profile on Cole. At that ultrasound Cole received a 10 out of 10. In other words he would do perfectly fine if born then. After consulting with my doctors we all decided that it would be best if we just went ahead with the induction. So they started the process at 9pm on Friday night. They gave me a medicine to soften my cervix and in the morning they started pitocin. I was dilating very slowly and my cervix was not softening. At 3pm they broke my water and we thought things would speed up, but they didn't. I held out as long as I possibly could and finally had an epidural at 11pm Saturday night. After a long long labor, Cole Bryson was born Sunday morning at 5:35. He is perfect! We are now home and adjusting as a new family of 4.

He's Almost Here!

2009-05-03T12:48:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe we only have a few short weeks left until our precious baby boy arrives. It's been a little strange for me to be able to live my life while being pregnant. I'm still working full time and haven't slowed down a bit. My ultimate goal is to work right up until I have the little guy. If I will be able to do that, I'm not so sure. But, I am going to try. We are so excited to see his little face and for him to meet his big brother. I just know that Hayden will be fantastic with him and I can't wait to watch them grow up together. We are pretty much ready for him with a few minor things to get done. My bags have been packed for weeks and the car seat is in the car. I'm just so excited/nervous for labor. I have a horrible feeling my water will break at work! Being pregnant this time around has been like being pregnant for the first time for me. I have experienced things I never did when I was pregnant with Hayden. Being on bed rest and being an active pregnant lady are completely different! Hayden was also a pretty small little guy weighing in at only 5lbs when he was born. Cole will be a different story, I'm sure of it! Greg predicts that he will be 7lbs 11oz. I have absolutely no clue! Enough rambling from me. We can't wait for everyone to meet him!

Hayden's got talent!

2009-03-25T19:10:00.003-04:00

We are still trying to figure out where he learned how to do this.

Let's Go Tarheels!!

2009-03-21T09:55:00.003-04:00

Hayden spent Thursday and Friday at home with Greg while I worked. One of those rare occasions where the two of them get to spend some quality time together. I believe they watched basketball all day both days and made videos. This is one of those videos. My boys are too funny!

If you notice in the video Hayden's hair is a little long. That is Greg's doing, he doesn't want him to cut it. I am outnumbered and often don't win many battles. Greg is refusing to cut his hair too. I'm hoping they will both give in shortly and get hair cuts. We will see.

Let's Go Heels!

Saturday Morning Thoughts

2009-03-14T08:27:00.004-04:00

It is currently 8:30 am on Saturday morning, it's cold and raining! Greg is asleep next to me and Hayden is still sleeping!!! I don't remember the last time I had a few moments to myself like this. It really is a beautiful thing. So much has been happening in our lives lately it's kind of a crazy mess. We've chosen to sit back and just let things take it's course. We can't stress about things anymore.

We found out about 2 weeks ago that the house we are currently living in (we rent) is in foreclosure. The ginormous amount of money that we pay our lousy landlord every month has not been paying his mortgage. After talking to many lawyers we've found out that there is nothing much that we can do, except sit and wait and see what happens. Our landlord has insured us that everything will be taken care of and we have nothing to worry about. We aren't exactly sure we believe him. The foreclosure hearing is on April 4, we should know something more by then. The house is supposed to be sold on April twenty something. We could have no where to live. But, since we are in a binding contract with our landlord we can't do anything until the house is bought by the bank. Keep in mind, Baby Cole is due to make his grand entrance June 8, could be earlier! But, I'm not worrying about it.

Speaking of Baby Cole, I'm 28 weeks already! Seriously?!? Where did the time go? I go to the doctor again on March 26, for my 30 week appt. It just doesn't seem possible to me. I can't believe that he will be here soon. Hayden is so excited and asks about him constantly. Of course he calls him "Lightening McQueen", but you have to admit, it's kind of cute! He says he want two baby brothers but I told him to wait and decide after this one gets here, he may change his mind. I'm still feeling great and plan on working as long as I possibly can. I will confess that I'm having a hard time getting up and down off the floor every five minutes! It's good for me though. I'm starting to get a little uncomfortable especially when Cole is in my rib cage, I have such a hard time breathing. I don't remember much of Hayden's pregnancy besides being in the hospital but this one has been so much easier. Thank Goodness!

Last weekend we celebrated my mom's birthday at the Cheesecake Factory. And then we came home to watch UNC beat Duke!!!!! Today hopefully we will watch them beat FSU! Here are a few pictures from mom's birthday. Sorry mom but I've got to post some pictures of you so everyone knows you were there. At least it's not on facebook, right?

We all had a great time! Look forward to doing it again next year!

The perfect day

2009-03-07T20:46:00.003-05:00

Oh my was today a beautiful day...I love spring!
waking up next to an amazing husband
getting hugs and kisses from the sweetest little boy in the world
surprising my mom by showing up at her house for an impromptu visit. (I haven't seen her since January)
Eating lunch and spending time with Hayden and my mom at the park
Seeing James who looks soooo good. I can't believe how good and healthy he looked today. Makes me smile!
Spending the rest of the afternoon with my sister and her kids. Cleaning our cars and letting the kids be kids.
Grocery shopping with two perfect little 3 year olds. (even though they talked non-stop the entire time, I can't believe I shopped for the entire week and didn't forget a thing!)
Dinner, bath and movie for Hayden and Landon
both boys asleep without a problem
Quiet time alone with Greg

And tomorrow will be even better. Lunch with my mom, Nikki and Justin for mom's birthday! Then home to watch the Heels beat Dukes butt in some basketball with Greg!!!!!

SNOW DAY (part 2)

2009-03-02T11:31:00.002-05:00

The snow sure does make our house pretty. I'm not even sure exactly how much snow we got this time. I do know that it isn't nearly as much as we got last month. The roads are pretty much clear at this point. However, the temperature keeps dropping, so I am sure the roads will be bad tonight. And if you've ever driven in NC in the snow you know that NO ONE knows how to drive!! So, I'm staying home!

Hayden thought that this Magnolia tree needed to be cleaned off. I think it was a bigger job that he had anticipated!

Hayden's attempt to get me with a snow ball. The snow just wasn't sticky enough. Snow balls just kind of fell apart mid air. He sure is cute though.

Don't be fooled...this is only a snow angel. Hayden has not exactly been an angel lately. Although, his behaviour this week has been much better than weeks before. Hopefully, he is getting out all of his misbehaving before the baby is born...ha!

Man, we made one cute kid!!!

I told Hayden that it was cold and we should probably go inside. His response was "but mommy, I've got to drive my truck!" The truck didn't move.

I do enjoy snow days, but I don't enjoy the actual snow. It does give me an extra day to get things done around the house which is always nice.

SNOW DAY!

2009-03-02T08:25:00.002-05:00

Today would be so much more fun if Greg was here. Instead, Hayden is stuck with me and I hate snow. Absolutely despise it. I don't like to be cold. It's 8:27am and Hayden has asked me if we can go out and play probably 35 times. Poor little guy, I promise I'll take him out I just have to prepare myself.

This is from the last time it snowed, about a month ago.

and he shall be called...

2009-02-22T14:14:00.005-05:00

Thank you to everyone that helped us with our naming dilemma. Greg and I have thought long and hard about what our sweet baby boy will be called. All week we have thought about every aspect of his name anda his future. We wanted a solid name, that would be respectable even as an adult. The name that we have chosen was not an option until early this week. I hope no ones feelings are hurt. We love the name Cooper but just weren't sure it was the right fit for this baby. I wasn't 100% about it and didn't want to settle on something that we weren't sure about. The name we have chosen, we love and we both agree on. Well, except Hayden who calls the baby "Lightening McQueen", but he will get over it. I think I have drove Greg absolutely crazy with the baby names. I know he is relieved we have finally chosen a name. And so he will be called...

Cole Talon Hartz

We actually got his first name from babynamegenie.com and my sister actually gave us the idea of Talon weeks ago as a first name. (Thanks Nikki) Unless Greg changes his mind this decision is final. I hope everyone likes it.

Baby Update!

2009-02-21T19:55:00.005-05:00

On Friday I had my 24 week appointment and everything seems to be moving along fine. My blood pressure was a little elevated and there was a small trace of protein in my urine. However, no one seems too concerned at this point. I still feel great! When I was pregnant with Hayden I didn't feel like myself at all. For a week I will continue to take my blood pressure twice a day and return on Friday with my results. The doctors are thinking that I may just have chronic hypertension. The baby sounded great and I am measuring right on track. Although, I feel huge, I lost 1 lb this month. They don't seem concerned that I am not gaining weight either, I am just really active this pregnancy.

We need help!

2009-02-14T18:16:00.002-05:00

We still have not decided on a name for our baby boy. We have one picked out but are not 100% about it. I guess I just need a little encouragement. Here is my dilemma: The name we have chosen is Cooper Reid. Which Sounds really good together! Then you add our last name, Hartz and it still sounds pretty good. However, how often do you say your child's full name? Not that often. He will more than likely just be called Cooper, or when he is older Cooper Hartz. Sounds funny, right? The thing about the name Cooper is, it's my maiden name. So, it would be nice to keep the name in the family. Greg loves it, I'm still on the fence about. What do you think?

Go Heels!

2009-02-14T07:59:00.003-05:00

Oh how Wednesday was a glorious day. For the 4th year in a row UNC beat Duke at Cameron Indoor. The final score was 101-87. It was beautiful. Hayden was pumped about the game all day and he was telling everyone he saw that today was "Go Heels Day". He was shouting "boo duke" and praising the heels every chance he got. We sure did teach him right. The pictures below are just before we were leaving for school. Please excuse the horrible picture of me, I look like I just crawled out of bed. But, I just couldn't resist not posting the adorable picture of Hayden.

Attention!!!

2009-02-13T18:48:00.004-05:00

Hello to all my faithful blog readers...if there are any of you left.

Guess What?

Thanks to Uncle Sam we got a brand spankin new laptop. You know what that means? I'm back. I'll be blogging a little more regularly now, seeing how I can do it from where ever I'd like. I'll be posting soon, probably tonight but, until then I leave you with this:

The Final Verdict is in

2009-01-24T07:54:00.007-05:00

We are having a....

We really couldn't be more excited. Hayden has been saying lately that he wants a baby sister but I don't think he really knows the difference at this point. He is going to be an amazing big brother. Hayden is an amazing little boy and I already know that our new little addition will be just as amazing. Little boys are the coolest. Maybe one day we will decide to have more children but at this point it will just be me and my boys! We even have a boy dog, I'm really out numbered.

I've been in love with this baby from the moment we found out we were pregnant again. Yesterday when we had the ultrasound I fell in love all over again. He has to be the cutest little thing you have ever seen. He is weighing about 14oz at this point. And I gained another 4 lbs...yikes. I'm still feeling great and our baby boy is perfect in every way.

Hayden's Party

2009-01-13T07:00:00.003-05:00

Life is crazy

2009-01-11T18:10:00.004-05:00

...but truly amazing.

My have we been busy. I'm so sorry for the lack of blogging lately. Being pregnant, a mom, a wife, and working pretty much has me in a whirlwind. The Holidays were amazing. Hayden was such a joy to be around at Christmas time. We were also lucky to have Nana (Greg's mom) and Jeni (Greg's sister) here with us for over a week. We don't get to see them often so it is always nice when they are here. We won't see them again until after the baby is born. :( I do not have any pictures from Christmas, just video. However, Jeni took tons and will get them to me shortly so I can share them with everyone. Hayden was so excited to see that Santa came Christmas eve and he was showered with gifts from everyone. His favorites are his Handy Manny tool set, his orange dragon, his mac truck with Lightening McQueen, and of course his very first bike. Which we are still trying to teach him how to ride. Thank you to Aunt Donna and Grandma Blair for the gifts you sent. Hayden is such a lucky little man to have so many people who love him. We pretty much spent the holidays with my family and Greg's family. Luckily we don't have to travel which is a blessing in itself. I can't believe that next Christmas we will have a new addition to the family. I can't hardly wait.

Work is good. Now that I am working full time it's been crazy. I'm still working the 9-6 but hoping to get switched to an earlier shift sometime soon. When traffic is bad in the evenings, it takes Hayden and I 2 hours to get home!! Not FUN!! I love working with the kids and enjoy being around adults during the day. Hayden is in the class directly next to mine and loves it. His teacher is great and he gets to spend the day with one of his good friends Kenny. Unfortunately with him in school he doesn't get to see Landon much but we are planning a sleepover real soon.

Hayden is doing excellent in school he can write his name with little help. He knows his days of the week, seasons, most of the months, and can count to 20, and 10 in spanish! He is such a smart kid. And he will be 3 tomorrow! I can't believe it. We had a tiny party for him yesterday, I hadn't planned on doing a party this year. But, we threw one together is about 2 days. Nikki and the kids came to mom, my friend Caroline and her daughter Lilli, and my friend Jessica with her son Kenny from school came over. Kenny is in Hayden's class at school. It was fun and quick and easy. The way they should be. Thanks mom for offering to do it at your house!

We don't really have much news about the baby. No news is good news for us! I've been to the doctor a few times since my last post and everything is moving along just fine. Strong heartbeat and all. I'm definitely showing and can't believe I'm a week away from being 1/2 way through with this pregnancy. Not much longer and we get to meet him/her. I'm all belly, which is a good thing. Some how I've only managed to gain 4lbs! Don't ask me how, I have no clue. I definitely feel like I've gained way more than that! Working and staying active has something to do with it I'm sure. Believe me, I eat! I've been eating a lot of tomato soup and dumplings. I crave it all the time. Greg laughs at me because he thinks it's disgusting but it's actually really good! Jeni tried it when she was here and wasn't impressed. Oh well. In an early post I mentioned that at our 13 week ultrasound the tech thought she saw little boy parts. She wasn't 100%, so she told us not to go out and buy things. I've had a feeling the entire pregnancy that it's another little boy but what do I know. We go back on the 20th for our anatomy scan and as long as the little booger cooperates we will know what we are having. I can't wait!

Okay, enough rambling. I'll be posting pictures soon. So be on the lookout!

Watch me Grow

2008-12-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

***UPDATED***

6 weeks

8 weeks 1 day

9 weeks 2 days

11 weeks 3 days

13 weeks 2 days

look at those little feet crossed

It has been so crazy to see this baby grow. As you can tell from the pictures above he/she has changed so much in just a few weeks. My appointment today went well. My subchorionic hemorrhage looks to be a little bigger. It's about 2cm which isn't big at all. It is still something to keep a close eye on though. So, I go back on December 2, for another ultrasound. The babies heart beat was 169. The little booger wouldn't stay still for very long. It was just a wiggling. Hopefully, everything will continue to go smoothly. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers, we aren't out of the woods just yet. I'll keep you posted.

***UPDATE***
Everything looks great!! Baby is growing right on schedule and is very strong. My subchorionic hemorrhage is almost gone. I've had some spotting this week and they seem to think that is coming directly from the hemorrhage and that is why it is going away! Thank Goodness! I had another transvaginal ultrasound, you can see things better this way. The tech is pretty sure, she said almost 100% that we are having another boy. We are fine with that. Hayden has been a wonderful kid and we know that another boy would be just as wonderful. We will know definitely what we are having when we have our anatomy scan at 20 weeks. But, we all saw little boy parts on the screen, it was definitely not cord. It's amazing how early they can tell things. I don't go back to the doctor until December 30...hallelujah! I was getting tired of going. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers, it mean a lot!

Thanksgiving (Day One)

2008-11-28T07:17:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we went to my Grandmothers for Thanksgiving. It brought back a lot of memories from when I was a kid. We used to have Thanksgiving at her house every year until we got older and started doing it at my mom's house. Thanksgiving is and always has been my favorite holiday. I'm not really sure why. I guess I just like the togetherness of the family. Plus, I have such fond memories of it growing up. The kids played with the same exact toys we played with when we were kids. They played in the same tree we played in. It was really great to see our kids enjoying the same things we did.Crazy Cody (refusing to have his picture taken, but still cute)

Beautiful Kaylee (a spitting image of my sister)

Hayden the Ham (always ready for a picture)

Sweet Landon (always ready for his picture taken too)

CHAOS (we were trying to get a picture of all the kids in the tree. It didn't work out so well and I'm not sure what Nikki is doing.

We have more Thanksgiving festivities to attend today. So, more pictures to come later. Maybe I can get a picture of all of them together this time.

I hope every one's Thanksgiving was as great as ours!

New Adventures

2008-11-26T07:40:00.001-05:00

This week has been a little different for Hayden and me. We both started new adventures on Monday. I am now working full time at a Daycare/preschool and Hayden is going to school. To be exact he is going to the same facility I am working at and He loves it. He tells me everyday he's not ready to go home and all he talks about is school. I don't have a lot of time this morning to get in to detail but I'll be back with a longer post and some pictures in the coming days. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

Finally a few photos

2008-11-18T15:21:00.004-05:00

We took some pictures for our Christmas card in the front yard on Sunday. Hayden will be the only one displaying his cuteness this year. I'm just not Christmas card material. Here are a few of the shots that didn't make it to the card. Thanks Shelly for the code from snapfish!

Oh NO!

2008-11-18T15:16:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when you leave the fridge unlocked!!

Thanks Hayden, because I didn't have enough to do already!

I'm still here, I've just been sleeping

2008-11-13T19:28:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile. I have no pictures either. The truth is, I'm exhausted. I've been either too busy to post or I've been sleeping. Seriously, I'm in bed by 8:00 every night. I'm hoping that in a week or so I'll start to get some energy back because I seriously have NONE. I'm feeling great overall I just feel like I need to sleep. Our doctors appointment last week went very well. The doctor said that she doesn't think that my subchorionic Hemorrhage is anything to worry about. I hope she's right. Mom and I had a hard time seeing it on the ultrasound screen. It definitely wasn't as visible as the week before. I go back to the doctor on the 19th for my normal 12 week appointment and another ultrasound just to follow up. This will be the 4th ultrasound we've had in just the first trimester. Hopefully things will be smooth sailing from here on out. I have a good feeling about it plus I just don't think I can take any bad news.

Hayden is doing great. I can't believe that he'll be 3 in two months. It just doesn't seem possible. Tonight him and Landon are having a sleepover. Those two have so much fun together. Greg and I were just talking about how it's so strange to listen to the two of them conversing. They really are growing up.

Greg has been on vacation since Sunday. It's so nice to have him at home. Especially since I've been so tired. He's been doing laundry and cooking dinner. And he's even been doing the dishes. I've been amazed at how much he has helped out this week. Hayden and I are pretty lucky to have him in our life. I couldn't ask for a better husband. I know you read this sometimes so, Thanks Greg for all you've done lately. Hayden and I love you!!

I promise I'll have pictures soon. As soon as I wake up!

What would you do with a minute?

2008-11-05T20:23:00.004-05:00

McDonald's has a new campaign asking kids what they would do with one minute. You can read about it here at The Mom Salon. Over there they are asking moms what they would do with one minute.

Here is what I would do:

If I had one extra minute I would spend it with Hayden just talking. His little imagination is amazing and the stories he has to tell are priceless.

If Hayden had one minute:

He would probably take off all his clothes and run around the house like a wild man. (this seems to be his favorite activity lately. Last night I had to put his clothes back on 8 times and then I gave up.)

So what would you do with a minute?

You can also visit www.happymeal.com

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2008-11-05T15:11:00.002-05:00

In 3D at Grandma's house.

I can't believe it

2008-11-03T13:57:00.004-05:00

I can't even believe it. I entered a contest for a virtual baby shower worth $2600 over at Accidental Mommies, and I am one of the 10 finalists out of 270 entries. I don't know why they thought that I was so special. But, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.

Since July when we had a miscarriage our lives have been kind of upside down. It really crushed us. On September we found out that we are expecting again. Although we were very excited we were a little scared at the same time. Everything was going smoothly until last Tuesdays 8 wk ultrasound where they discovered that I have a subchorionic hemorrhage. Which is basically a blood clot between the placenta and the uterine wall. This was devastating news to us. I can't even imagine going through another miscarriage only 5 short months later. So far, our strong little baby is doing well. He/She has a very strong heartbeat and is growing everyday. We had originally decided not to tell anyone about our pregnancy so we didn't have to go through the pain of telling everyone bad news. However, at this point we need all the prayers we can get. I go back to the doctor on Wednesday for another ultrasound to see what the blood clot is doing. Hopefully, it is no longer there and we will have a baby to hold in June!! Please pray for us and our unborn baby. If we do win I'm sure he/she will enjoy all of the wonderful prizes!!

Thank you so much Accidental Mommies for choosing me to be one of your finalists. You have no clue how much this means to me and my family.

To Infinity and Beyond!

2008-10-31T14:58:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!

I'm sick

2008-10-30T08:42:00.003-04:00

I'm sick. I have caught whatever Hayden had and I'm miserable. I'd like to rip out my throat it hurts so bad. Plus, I'm cold and I don't like to be cold. What happen to beautiful fall weather, I feel like we jumped right into winter. Hayden is better so that's a plus. Luckily, I have a pretty laid back kid (most of the time) so we've been laying on the couch watching Halloween movies for the last few days. We've watched Monster House, The Nightmare Before Christmas(his current favorite), It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Poohs Heffalump Halloween Movie, and of course all our Noggin Halloween favorites. I'm beginning to think that Halloween is Hayden's favorite holiday. He is going to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween. It is the cutest costume ever and he's so funny. I try to get a jump start on things so I bought his costume back in May at the Disney Store for $12 originally $40 something. Every year they try to get rid of last years costumes before they put out the new ones. It's such a good deal because the costumes are way better than the ones you would get at the Halloween store or Walmart. Hayden has been wearing it all week. Plus, he wears it when he watches Toy Story. He walks around the house going "To Infinity and Beyond". That kid is something else. This will be his first year trick or treating. We didn't feel like he needed to go the years before. I'll be taking him on our street only. There are 9 houses I don't think he needs anymore candy than that. He's been practicing too, he walks around with his pumpkin bucket saying "trick or treat, can I have some candy, please".

Anyway, not much going on here. Hopefully, I'll start to feel better soon. Because this stinks. Happy Halloween Everybody, I'll be sure to post pictures of our Space Ranger tomorrow.

A trip to the park

2008-10-24T10:33:00.003-04:00

A week late...

We have many parks in our area that we like to go to. This is the first time that we've been to the park at the community center and we weren't really that impressed. Hayden was bored after about 15 minutes. They do have a very pretty rose garden that you can walk around in. I didn't take any pictures of it, I was too busy trying to keep Hayden from picking the roses.

He's growing up so fast. I can't believe that in just a few short months he will be 3. He's such a big boy now and he knows it!

The Boys are Sick!

2008-10-23T11:05:00.004-04:00

Can you just imagine what the last two days have been like for me with a sick husband and a sick little boy. Not fun!

31 Things

2008-10-21T09:39:00.002-04:00

Britney tagged everyone.

1. Where is your cell phone? probably dead somewhere
2. Where is your significant other? at work :(
3. Your hair color? blond (very blond, thanks Janie & Donna, it still looks good)
4. Your mother? Mimi
5. Your father? George
6. Your favorite thing? {at this moment} fall weather
7. Your dream last night? I have no clue
8. Your dream/goal?To be the best mother and wife I can possibly be
9. The room you're in? Office
10. Your hobby?poetry( I don't write often enough anymore) reading
11. Your fear? that something will happen to my family
12. Where do you want to be in six years? In a comfortable position financially, happily married, with beautiful happy children.
13. Where were you last night? at home
14. What you’re not? a working mom
15. One of your wish list items? oh goodness I have lots, right now it would be a full tank of gas in the propane tank
16. Where you grew up? Fuquay-Varina, NC
17. The last thing you did? black yoga pants and white shirt
19. Your TV? is playing Noggin
20. Your pet? Meko, our almost 5 year old cockerspaniel
21. Your computer? is a pain
22. Your mood? right now, I'm hungry
23. Missing someone? yes
24. Your car? Mazda 6
25. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? short, stressful
28. Love someone? I've got lots of love
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? this morning at hayden eating his cereal
31. Last time you cried? Last Tuesday

I tag everyone!!!

Blah, Blah, Blah

2008-10-20T15:06:00.002-04:00

No pictures today! I left my camera in the car and I keep forgetting to take it out. Actually, Greg left it in the car...not me. But, whatever! Hayden and I had a pretty busy weekend which is so not the norm for us. Friday, Landon came over for what I like to call, "Toddler Sleepovers". They are adorable together and exhaust me completley but, keep me laughing at the same time. Landon went home with a black eye (sorry Nikki) from wrestling in the bath tub. Hayden got two minor concussions from jumping on the bed and hitting the wall. Just kidding about the concussion part. He did say he was dizzy though, both times. The two of them ate an entire pizza by themselves, except for the one piece they let me have. A whole pizza, these are 3 years olds! I didn't know they start eating so much so early. They went to bed with no problems at 8:30 and I had the rest of the evening to myself.

Saturday I decided to take Greg to work and spend the day in Fuquay. This is also rare for us, we don't get out of the house much. We hung out with my mom and Hayden played outside for hours at my sisters house. I miss them, I wish we still lived right up the road from them. Yesterday, Hayden was the pits. I guess he was over exhausted from two busy days. He was not fun to be around yesterday. This morning he woke up at 5:30 with a fever and a runny nose. He seems to be feeling better and the fever has not come back. Hayden has pretty much abandoned nap time for the last couple months. I've decided that I was going to reinforce them starting yesterday. So far so good, and I've gotten to take two uninterrupted showers!! Hallelujah!

This week should be pretty uneventful we don't have much planned. Happy Monday everyone!!! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I promise I'll post pictures over the next few days.

Workin' at the car wash

2008-10-15T14:40:00.004-04:00

I love it when I get to sit back and snap pictures while the boys work. On top of that I love to see these two together. Today, they've been pretty much inseparable. Greg had 1/2 of yesterday, today, and tomorrow off. We love it when he's here, even when he's driving me crazy. Early today our living room was turned into a wresting match (I didn't get any pictures, I was to busy making sure my baby didn't get hurt). Hayden and Greg are adorable together and it's so nice to see them bond the way they do. In a way, I'm a little jealous. But, I know who they both need to keep them grounded and going day to day. Plus, I like to sit on the sidelines and watch them play together, it makes my heart smile.

2008-10-12T12:45:00.002-04:00

Today, like two seconds ago, I decided that I don't like ice in my Hawaiian Punch.

Man, I learn something new about myself everyday.

The Perfect Size

2008-10-11T10:53:00.002-04:00

We have a dog. We love our dog. But, he's not the walking on a leash type of dog, he never has been. He needs some serious training when it comes to the leash. Hayden would never be able to take Meko for a walk on his own. Meko would be dragging him behind. It would be ugly.

When we were in Texas, Hayden fell in love with Melody. She is the perfect size for him. He loved to take her for walks and she loved it when he took her on a walk. He misses her so much and when I showed him these pictures of him and Melody he asked if we could go to Nana's today. We miss you Melody and Jenny, and we miss our human relatives in Texas too!!!!

We Love you guys!

Hayden says:

2008-10-09T08:34:00.002-04:00

Daddy: "Hayden, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Hayden: "BIGGER"

(I couldn't have come up with a better answer myself)

Are you serious?!?

2008-10-08T10:11:00.002-04:00

I woke up this morning completely uncomfortable. I wonder why? Are these two really serious. Do they think that I like to sleep in the fetal position? Do they think that I only need one little square of the bed and an inch of the blanket? The sad thing is that I don't kick him off in my sleep because I'm too nice. Well, I'm sick of it. I'm getting my bed back! I'm going to sleep comfortable again! You two just wait until tonight!

Can I have this...

2008-10-07T11:47:00.002-04:00

Lust of the Day

What a wonderful day!

2008-10-07T07:33:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Hayden and I had a fantastic afternoon. Our day started out normal, I did laundry and my Monday cleaning while he played Lego's and made a mess. After lunch we went for a long walk, hand in hand, talking about our day. He talked and talked about everything he saw and what he liked. I was informed that his favorite color is red, not green like I thought. His favorite food is not candy, it's spaghetti. His favorite thing in the world is his soccer ball, I thought it was me! I learned a lot about that little boy yesterday just while taking a walk around the neighborhood. He informed me that our neighbors were actually monkeys that moved hear from the jungle. The used to live with the snakes and the jaguars (go figure). He has quite the imagination. His story was even equipped with the sound that the animals make. I've decided from hear on out to ditch the stroller and walk hand in hand with him always because I learn so much more about my son.

After our walk we kicked around his favorite thing in the world in the front yard. I'm still a little upset I'm not his favorite thing. But, I'm glad I was getting kicked around. Anyway, then we went exploring for wild exotic orange mushrooms (just mushrooms really). Our adventure started in the front yard and we ended up exploring the neighbors yards too. (hope they don't mind) We explored the park at the end of our street and saw fire ants and a hornets nest. When we finally made our way back home we had juice and a snack and watched Blues Clues. What a Beautiful Day!!!

Did you do any exploring yesterday?

Don't Vote

2008-10-04T08:51:00.001-04:00

I'm not a political person. I never have been. But, this election may be the most important election EVER! So please, register to vote! Plus this PSA is great if you haven't seen it yet.

Marshmallow Fluff

2008-10-02T09:39:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite things in the world, Marshmallow Fluff. Man, I love that stuff. The other evening while in the kitchen I realized that even though Hayden has had a million marshmallows, he has never had Marshmallow Fluff! So I whipped out the jar and handed it over with a spoon.

He loved it! How could you not!

(I had a cute little video but it won't upload.)

Our family we miss

2008-09-28T10:21:00.006-04:00

Hayden and Aunt Donna
Uncle Jessie and Aunt Jeni
and of course, Nana

We miss you guys. Can't wait to see you again.

(Sorry about the pictures something is seriously wrong with mycamera>)

On my way to Nana's

2008-09-27T17:17:00.003-04:00

Finally, pictures from our trip. Over the next few days I'll be posting pictures and videos from our trip to Texas. This first set is all about the airplane. This was Hayden's third time on a plane but, really the only one where we really got to get him involved. Plus, Daddy was with us which made it more exciting. A few months back I had bought Hayden his own luggage, and let me tell you that boy sure did think he was something else. We got so many compliments on his "I'm on my way to Nana's" shirt, everyone loved it. It was definitely a big hit at the airport. Hayden was absolutely wonderful on the plane and at the airport, we couldn't have asked for a better kid.

We're Home!

2008-09-23T17:51:00.002-04:00

We got home from Texas this afternoon. We had a fabulous trip. We are all exhausted! We will miss everyone so much but, are glad to be home at the same time. I have pictures and videos to post, I'll do it later. Right now you can find me on the screen porch with my family. It is gorgeous outside. Oh, how I love North Carolina's changing seasons.

For Aunt Jeni

2008-09-16T07:51:00.004-04:00

I Did Not!

2008-09-11T18:32:00.003-04:00

I got this from a blog I read daily and thought it was a cute idea. It proves we are all imperfect parents.

I did not let my son wear his pajamas all day long. I did not let him roam the house in only his pajama top and nothing else until he went stinky in the potty.

I did not put baby powder in my hair to mask the oiliness when I went to the grocery store because I was too lazy to take a shower.

I did not just make oiliness a word. ( I just did spell check and apparently oiliness is a word)

I did not forget to plug my phone in for the 18th day in a row and let it go dead.

I did not let my husband feed our son popcorn and ice cream for lunch. And I most certainly did not let him eat croutons for a snack because he wanted them.

I did not eat McDonalds for lunch even though I said I would not eat fast food. I did not, not tell my husband that I ate McDonalds for lunch when he asked if I had already eaten lunch.

I did not buy 6 bottles of our favorite bbq sauce today b/c it was on sale.

And I most certaintly did not stay in bed late today and let Greg and Hayden fend for themselves.

What did you not do today?

Lazy

2008-09-08T09:13:00.005-04:00

Yep that's me, Lazy. As in Lazy Blogger and Lazy Picture Taker. I get in these moods sometimes. I don't know why I just do.

Really the truth is that I've been in a horrible mood and haven't felt like taking pictures or blogging.

I'm just a grump really. And my favorite song from Noggin that I sing to Hayden when he's a grump best describes how I feel.

We leave for Texas in about a week. And I'm not grumpy about that, I'm actually very excited. Over the weekend Hayden has decided to regress a little bit in the potty training area. I worked so hard that it just frustrates me so much. However, we will just go back to square one of our potty training boot camp. And I'll have to drill it in his head again. He's doing ok for the most part he's just having a few more accidents than I would like to see.

Again, sorry for the lazy blogging, when I get back from Texas I'll have tons of pictures!

Thank You Jenn

2008-09-04T15:11:00.002-04:00

Jenn at I hate Whine gave me another little bloggy award. She's always thinking of me when it comes to these things. The rules of this one are to give it back to the people that have been following you the longest and one person from another country. Well, Jenn is really the only blogger that follows me on a daily basis and I'm not sure that there are any that follow me from another country that blog. Oh, except Adria! Since Jenn and Adria are the only ones that really follow me and Jenn has already gotten it I give it to Adria at Taylor Times. I have tons of family that follow the blog but, they don't write their own. So, thanks to everyone that has read from the beginning and started later. I've really enjoyed chronicling our lives as Hayden has grown. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Hayden says

2008-09-02T10:28:00.005-04:00

Hayden: "mommy what is that" (pointing to my face)

Me : "mommy's face is peeling"

Hayden: "hmmm what is that?" (pointing to my face again)

Me: "mommy's face is peeling because she got to much sun"

Hayden: "icky, it's kind of icky"

Me: "thanks"

Hayden: "don't like it, it's really gross"

Can I have your attention...please!

2008-09-01T08:12:00.001-04:00

Hayden is potty trained. For the last 3 days he has gone potty by himself without being reminded, bribed, or threatened to go (Ok, well maybe Nana bribed him just a little bit). He has been accident free for 3 days...did you hear me...3 DAYS! We officially have a big boy. He has been staying dry during naps and even throughout the entire night.
I'm so happy I could scream it from the roof tops. The last few weeks have been very tiring and stressful but completely worth it. Hooray for no more diapers!!!

Best Buds

2008-08-30T17:03:00.005-04:00

Hayden and Landon love to play together. Landon comes over and spends the night with us quite a bit here recently. We love having him here and they get along so well. Landon is only 5 months older than Hayden is. Nikki (my sister) and I did a good job at planning our pregnancies so they would be close in age..Hahaha!!! (Hayden and Landon both were surprise pregnancies)

They were watching Robots and eating popcorn in the living room. Something must have shocked Hayden. I don't know how since he's seen the movie 3 million times.

This is how Landon woke up in the morning! He's such a happy kid.

Hayden was still sleeping when I went in that morning.

These pictures are from a week ago when Landon spent the night with us. I have been quite a lazy photographer lately so I didn't take as many pictures as I normally do. Landon also spent the night with us this past Thursday and I didn't take one picture. I'm such a slacker.

The next Tiger

2008-08-28T12:51:00.003-04:00

Hayden and Landon had a sleep over last week and while Hayden was waiting for them to get here him and Greg played a little golf in the front yard. We actually have a golf course in our neighborhood but have yet to take Hayden there.

He needs to work on his footing just a little bit.

Hayden even taught Aunt Nikki how to play golf.

I'm so proud!

2008-08-26T13:49:00.003-04:00

For a while I swear that Greg thought that Hayden and I watched TV all day and ate junk food. But, I really do work with him a lot on basic preschool skills. Or at least what I think they are. Hayden can count to 10 and sometimes a little higher, he knows most of the alphabet, he can cut with scissors (the right way) most of the time, he does a pretty good job at staying inside the lines while coloring, he can identify his shapes and colors, big and small, he knows the difference between his right and his left foot, and now he can...

Write his name!!!

Now I don't know where most 2 1/2 year olds are at. But, I must say that I'm pretty proud of my little man. He can do more things than what I listed these are the things I could think of at the time.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

2008-08-24T12:16:00.002-04:00

Thank you to Lauren at restored316designs.com she fixed my blog. We don't know why the header wouldn't show up but, it does now! Thank you so much!!

2008-08-23T11:15:00.004-04:00

I dont' know what I did to my blog header can someone please help me. It was there and now it's gone. It says that it's there I can see it in the little box when I upload it and then I save it. When I go to view it it's not there. I don't know what I did. I've saved it in jpg format. Please someone help me.

I'm a big kid now...

2008-08-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

...look what I can do!

I've mentioned before that we have a neighborhood park at the end of our street. It's kind of an old park and needs some updating but, it's nice to have around. Hayden and I often pack a little lunch and walk a couple steps to the park. Literally a few steps, we can see if from our driveway! At the park they have a rope ladder that Hayden has wanted to master for quite some time. And he finally got it. He was very proud of himself and I was proud of him too!

Side note: For all those wondering how Hayden's potty training is going. I couldn't be more proud of him. I would say we are about 3/4 of the way finished. As long as we are home he goes potty all by himself with out being asked. I've been putting pull ups on him when we leave the house. I'm not sure I'm brave enough yet to venture out in big boy pants. I'm sure he would do surprisingly well. My goal is to have him completely potty trained by our Texas trip in the middle of September.

Talk about concentration

2008-08-19T10:31:00.006-04:00

I was watching Hayden play with his Lego's the other night and the faces he made while concentrating amazed me. So, I went and grabbed my camera. This must be the very serious concentrating face.

I mean seriously, look at that mouth. He's really concentrating. You have to hold your mouth just right in order to get the piece to fit.

This is the less serious face. I never really noticed that he stuck his tongue out when he concentrated.

All that hard work and concentration paid off. Hayden's Lego masterpiece and a little "cheesing".

I Love Contests...

2008-08-15T09:14:00.002-04:00

and BBQ sauce. My friend Jenn is giving away two bottles of Country Bob's all purpose sauce and a cookbook. Check out her site and enter for a chane to win.

Just because he's cute

2008-08-14T14:30:00.003-04:00

These two videos are really nothing exciting. Just Hayden being cute and I figured the grandparents would love them.

Just for the record...I don't normally let Hayden run around in his underware but, we are finally making progress with the potty training. And unless I want to do a ton of laundry this is the easiest.

Thanks Aunt Debbie

2008-08-14T14:22:00.002-04:00

Hayden got the package you sent him a couple days ago. He gets so excited when something comes in the mail for him.The shirts fit perfectly! He especially likes his "fishing pole" shirt. Hopefully we will get to see you again soon!!

Thanks Again!!!

Blog Makeover

2008-08-07T08:42:00.001-04:00

Please bare with me...I'm trying to spruce things up a bit on my blog. If anyone knows how I can get a white background please let me know. Thanks!

Oh Man

2008-08-06T11:00:00.004-04:00

This poor kid just can't win. Ever since Hayden was an infant Greg has had a very unusual obsession with the boogers in his nose. He just can't stand it if Hayden has any. Like most kids, Hayden doesn't like it when his dad sticks his finger up his nose to pull the newest one out. So, recently Greg taught Hayden how to get them out himself. Bad Idea on Greg's part. Now Hayden constantly has his finger up his nose. If he gets one out he puts his finger in your face and says "mommy is that a big booger" I'm seriously not kidding. Now, I have to break the kid of picking his nose or I'm going to be the mom of "the booger picker" when he gets older. Thanks a lot Greg!!

You best believe I'm saving this picture. This will be in the box labeled "pictures to show Hayden's girlfriends".

Landon's Birthday!

2008-08-06T10:26:00.004-04:00

The Birthday Boy...3 years old...WOW!
My Dad and Hayden. Hayden was patiently waiting for cake. We thought he was going to have a conniption fit if the cake didn't come soon.

Landon was so excited about everything he got.

Especially this gift. Nikki and Travis bought him a remote control toy story car.
It was a big hit.

Isn't he just too cute!

Isn't this a pretty cake I made (haha I'm just kidding) I can't take the credit if I tried to make a cake like this it would be a disaster. I leave the creative things to Nikki(my sister).

Happy Birthday Landon

2008-08-01T10:08:00.002-04:00

Blog Award

2008-08-01T08:02:00.002-04:00

(I've been so busy the last few days, I haven't had time to post this award.) Thank you Jenn for the award. You are very sweet! I don't have that many blogs that I read and the ones that I do don't know me. So, I'm not going to pass it on. But, thank you so much for the award. I'm glad I figured out how to get it on my blog. (I'm such a dope)

Fun with Someecards

2008-07-30T09:43:00.007-04:00

Hayden has a doctors appointment in 45 minutes so I'm wasting a little time. I found this on Shelly's blog and it looked like fun. Someecards is absolutely hilarious if you need a little laugh. The goal is to find 5 cards that describe yourself in “amazingly unflattering ways.” Here it goes:

Like a Fish

2008-07-27T15:16:00.003-04:00

Hayden and I have been spending most of our Sundays at Grandma's house. It's really the only day of the week that my mom has off so we try to get over there and spend the day with her. It's nice for Hayden and I love spending time with my mom. She has a little 3ft pool in her back yard that she bought for the kids to play in. Hayden has really gotten comfortable in the water over the past few weeks. Once he realized that he can touch bottom without going under he's cool as a cucumber (haha). Especially with his swimmer arms he really likes to float around and swim. He says he's a gold fish when he's in the water. The kid has quite the imagination.

I can't wait to see what our little fish will be like at Nana's house in Texas. I'm sure we will have a hard time keeping him out of the back yard. Greg better rest up while he can because he's on pool duty when we get there.

Marbles Museum

2008-07-26T17:10:00.008-04:00

Marbles Museum in Raleigh (and no Erin it's not actually a museum all about Marbles, haha), is by far my favorite place for kids in the area. It's quite a trek to Raleigh for us but when we make a day out of it, it's well worth it. The entire place is filled with activities and exhibits for kids (and adults) to use their imagination. On Friday the three of us went and had a blast. It's a lot of fun for all of us. We built cars and raced them (Greg and I did) for Hayden. He wanted so bad to race cars but in order to race you had to build the car first so that is what Greg and I did for him. Unfortunately Greg's car beat mine every time. The museum has opened a new exhibit all about Olympics. I couldn't believe all the cute things they had for kids to do. They had ping pong tables, 1/2 of an ice rink for hockey, hurdles, long jump, high jump, balance beams and hula hoops. We had a lot of fun and Hayden and I love it when we get to spend the day with Greg.
The long car above is the one Greg built. The first time we raced them, they both fell apart at the end of the track.
The car above is mine...mine was a little easier to fix the second time around.
Hayden playing on the big train track.

Greg's car is on the right and mine is on the left.

Our cars are the ones that made it all the way to the end. Greg's was on the left this time and the one that fell apart at the end. Mine actually stayed intact!!

Greg and Hayden hula hooping!

Anniversary Family Time

2008-07-26T15:16:00.004-04:00

For our anniversary we went out to dinner the night before. We decided to spend the night together as a family rather than by ourselves. We know that we will get to spend some time alone while we are in Texas. Hayden is pretty good when we go places so we don't mind. We went and ate at the Cheesecake factory (of course) and then we cruised around the mall a bit. How can you get much cute than that!

I think the picture above is just hilarious. Inside the mall near the foodcourt they have a huge play area for the kids. This mall is only about 15 minutes from our house and it's such a neat place. Hayden and like to come here on rainy days to let out some of his excess energy. The entire play area is all sports related. It really is an adorable play ground and one of the best I have seen inside a mall. The only down fall is that sometimes it can get a little crowded. This mall even has child tables to sit at to make the kids feel extra special.

Hayden said mommy take my picture....cheese. Hayden's personality has really blossomed over the past few months. I think he's quite funny. But, I'm a little biased too.

Happy Anniversary Greg!

2008-07-25T08:42:00.005-04:00

happy 1 year anniversary! 6 years total....Wow! I can't believe it! I am trully blessed to have met someone so perfect for me. I am amazed at how far we have come in 6 years.

Thanks for being an amazing husband, father, and bestfriend. I love you!

Here's to a million more wonderful years!! Haha!

It's Official

2008-07-16T16:16:00.002-04:00

We're going on a trip!!!

I think Moose A. Moose from Noggin says it best...

Hayden and I had our annual trip to Texas planned for September. We were very excited to go, we even bought Hayden brand new luggage to take with him. Since the baby was due at the beginning of the year, Greg was going to roll over a week of vacation to use to be with us after the baby was born. Now that our situation has changed, Greg is going to come with us! Now we are even more excited than we were before!! It will be so nice for the 3 of us to get away for an entire week and spend the time with our family that we love and miss so much. We can't wait to see you guys. Hayden has changed so much since you saw him last. I'm so excited Greg gets to come with us, I can hardly contain myself.

Baking with Mommy

2008-07-15T08:04:00.005-04:00

Hayden loves to help out in the kitchen and I love to bake. Now that I have my new Kitchen Aid Mixer I can't seem to get away from it. Since Saturday I have used it 4 times and I try and find excuses to use it everyday. Thank you Jeni for the very thoughtful present. I was completely shocked when it arrived on our doo rstep. It has really put a smile on my face. Thank you!

4th of July

2008-07-14T16:23:00.004-04:00

I know this is late but, I've been busy!

During the day we went to my moms house so Hayden and Greg could have some fun in the sun. That night we went to Kenan Stadium for the fireworks. We never did see any fireworks! We got stuck in the stadium until almost 10 because of a storm. We did get to see some natural fireworks and we met some very nice people.

2008-07-08T11:55:00.004-04:00

This is the 4th time I've started this post. I've wanted to tell you how I'm feeling about our loss. But, I don't think that is necessary. You all know I'm angry and upset and can probably imagine the many reasons why. I think at this point it is important for me to tell you that I'm doing all right! Each day it gets a little easier to deal with. The pain and the grief has not gone away but, I'm learning how to deal with it.

A week ago today we were on a family day trip to the zoo and had no clue what was in store for us the next day. I woke up Wednesday morning hoping for some sort of relief to start feeling better but, instead I was hit with a devastating blow. No one can tell you how to react or even how to prepare for something like this. You never think it will happen to you. However, as a family we have stuck together and hopefully have gotten through the worst of it. Greg has been on vacation since last Tuesday. Having him here this entire time has truly been a blessing. We have filled our days with fun family activities. We've cried and laughed and enjoyed being together. He goes back to work on Thursday and I'm not looking forward to being by myself but, it will be nice for Hayden and I to get back into the groove of things. I'm extremely thankful to everyone that has helped us get through this. The conversations and shoulders to lean on have been invaluable. I know that life goes on and one day we will be blessed with another child. Now was just not our time and I'm ok with that. I know that this is God's plan for us an in time the pain will go away.

Thank you to our Family and Friends who have been by our side this entire time. We couldn't go through this without you.

Little Footprints

2008-07-03T08:50:00.004-04:00

A few days shy of 12 weeks we discovered that our baby no longer had a heart beat. This was devastating news for us. Late yesterday afternoon I had a D&C and arrived home late in the evening. Right now we are mourning the loss of the child we so badly wanted to add to our family. I put my trust and faith in knowing that God has a plan for us. When the time is right, He will bless us with another child. Right now we are cherishing every moment that we have with Hayden knowing that life changes in an instant.

Little Footprints

By: Dorothy Ferguson

How very softly

you tiptoed into my world.

Almost silently,

only a moment you stayed.

But what an imprint

your footprints have left

upon my heart.

Hayden and the slip n' slide

2008-06-30T09:04:00.006-04:00

Hayden didn't quite get the slip n' slide. But, the poor thing sure did try.

Landon and the slip n' slide

2008-06-30T08:37:00.005-04:00

Landon is quite the pro at the slip n' slide. He tries to do everything that Kaylee does. He was a ham for the camera too.

Kaylee and the slip n' slide

2008-06-30T08:01:00.003-04:00

Or should I say slip n' slide pro!! Kaylee got the slip n' slide down on the first try. Then when she saw that I got the camera out she got a little silly. She loves to have her pictures taken and tries to get in the pictures any way she can. I tried to explain to her she didn't have to pose for the pictures I just wanted to get her having fun. But, the little diva in her had to pose for pictures.

Cody and the Slip n' Slide

2008-06-30T07:38:00.005-04:00

Cody loved the slip n' slide! He had a great time playing on it and observing everyone else. Cody's job was to make sure everyone returned to the line when they were finished sliding.

I'm Back

2008-06-30T07:31:00.002-04:00

Wheww...it's a new week! Time to relax and have some fun with my family. After cleaning my dirty house that is. It's amazing how much laundry can accumulate while your gone for a few days. Hayden and I had a good time at my sisters house. It was nice to spend some one on one time with her kids. I sent Hayden home with Greg on Friday night to spend some quality time with Daddy. It was a lot easier to watch after the kids once mine was out of the mix. Greg is on vacation until next Thursday. It will be nice to have him around for 10 days. He might drive me a little crazy but we have some fun things planned.

I've got some adorable pictures and video footage from the kids this weekend. I bought the kids a slip and slide to keep them occupied while Nikki and Travis were out of town. I have so many pictures and couldn't decide which ones I like best so I'm going to dedicate a single post to each child. I'll be working on those throughout the day.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Hayden's new luggage

2008-06-29T13:26:00.005-04:00

Hayden and I are making our yearly trip to Texas in September. I decided not to take the stroller since he's so independent. I want to keep his hands busy while he's at the airport and keep him focused on one thing so I decided to by him his own rolling suitcase. It's a 3 piece personalized set that I ordered from the Disney store. He fell in love with it immediately.

What a week

2008-06-25T07:16:00.003-04:00

Goodness, what a week it's been so far and we are only 1/2 way through it.

On Sunday Hayden and I ventured out at 6 am to take Greg to work and then go to my Dads. We made a pit stop at Bojangles and stopped by Grandma's house at 7 am. Poor Grandma! We ate breakfast and then went to my Dad's where we hung out for a bit. Then we all made our way to a family reunion in Nashville, NC. I haven't been to a reunion in probably 8-9 years and a lot of our family has never met Hayden. Boy were they in for a treat. It was nice to see and visit with everyone.

Monday was a pretty normal day, just a lot of housework.

On Tuesday I had a doctors apt at 9:30 and ended up being there until almost noon. I've been having horrible headaches and was wondering if possibly my blood pressure was acting crazy. Sure enough it was. It was 122/91 when they took it the first time. The bottom number is the one we tend to worry about. 91 is a little high. I lied down for a bit and it went down to 112/86. Still not the greatest but, better. Everything else looks really good. All of my labs from the first appointment came back normal. I was instructed to go and buy a blood pressure cuff and start monitoring my blood pressure at home. Our goal is to deliver at term and keep my blood pressure in the normal range. When I delivered Hayden my blood pressure was 174/126. We want to keep it far away from those numbers. My doctor is thinking that if we can get it under control now we won't have those problems in the future. I hope she's right. I have a doctors appointment in one week and we will discuss my options depending on what my blood pressures look like over the week. More than likely I will be put on a very low dose blood pressure medicine. We tried to find a heart beat using the doppler and she wasn't able to find it. There was only about a 50% chance we would hear it at 11 weeks. Hopefully we can hear it next week.

Today, I don't have much planned. I'll be cleaning up the house and doing lots of laundry. Hayden and I leave in the morning to go to my sisters house. Nikki and Travis are on a mission trip in Deleware and I will be watching her 3 kids until Saturday. Hayden is very excited to be going to stay at Aunt Icky's house so he can spend time with Landon. Greg has to work and will be staying here with Meko.

Starting Saturday Greg is on vacation for 9 days!!!

A little entertainment

2008-06-23T11:00:00.004-04:00

I could hear Hayden playing on the back porch but, wasn't sure what he was doing. I'm recording this from our bedroom, in the dark so he doesn't see me. It's amazing what entertains a two year old.

I AM

2008-06-19T16:56:00.004-04:00

I got this from a bloggy friend, Brittany and thought it was cute.

I am…ME, A daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend

I want…to be debt free

I wish... that the baby growing inside me remains healthy

I hate...the ants that ate my yeast rolls

I miss…Hayden when he was a baby but, love my forever talking little man

I fear… something happening to my family

I feel…loved

I hear…Blues Clues

I smell…laundry detergent ( I just put a load in the wash)

I crave…yeast rolls with honey butter (I could have one if the ants didn't eat them)

I search…the house for Hayden's shoes everyday!

I wonder…if there is a boy or girl growing inside me

I regret…NOTHING...everything happens for a reason

I love…God, Life, my family, and my friends

I care…so deeply about my family

I ache…in my head (I've had a head ache for days)

I always...feel blessed

I believe…that everything happens for a reason

I dance…oh gosh I'm not a good dancer at all, I trip over my own feet. But, Hayden and I do dance around the house from time to time

I sing...in the car

I cry…a lot

I don’t always...keep the laundry under control

I fight…myself, alot.

I write…on my blog

I never…forget what God has blessed me with

I listen…to my heart

I need…to finish the laundry

I am happy... to be me

Ooops!

2008-06-14T16:29:00.003-04:00

Fathers Day Cookie Cake Attempt #1

Silly me didn't grease the pan! Ultimately I wanted a round cookie but if you don't have a round pan that is nearly impossible, unless you grease the pan and then cut it. Since I had already screwed the whole thing I decided to cut little shapes with the cookie cutter. While doing so i realized the entire middle of my cookie was raw. Are you kidding me! So, I started over and my new cookie cake is cooling off on the counter. I think this time I'll leave it in it's original rectangular shape and decorate it that way. Now I have all these yummy chocolate chip cookie scraps and nothing to do with them. This could be a disaster with a pregnant woman in the house!

Wake UP

2008-06-10T12:37:00.005-04:00

Hayden doesn't like to take a nap. In fact, he gives me a hard time about it most days. But, once he falls asleep he doesn't like to wake up. I normally have to wake him up from his naps or he'll sleep all day. Sometimes, I like to give him a hard time when he wakes up and he doesn't like it. I say it's pay back for what he puts me through before he falls asleep. Yesterday I decided to chronicle him waking up...

He's not very happy I came in his room

I tell him I'm sorry but, it's after 3 and it's time to get up. He dosn't care!

He tells me to leave...

there he goes...the little rascall thinks he's going back to sleep

He thinks if he can't see me I can't take his picture...

Wrong!!! I found you!

Don't you go back to sleep...

Now he's trying to be cute

After a big yawn he finally decides to get up!

The End!

101 degrees...

2008-06-09T15:06:00.001-04:00

And the sweat to prove it!

11 days

2008-06-08T10:52:00.002-04:00

11 days until the official start of summer on June 20. It's not even officially summer and it's 100 degrees outside. Unbelievable. I find myself pushing Hayden out the back door at 8 in the morning so he can play before it gets too hot. Then we are stuck inside for the rest of the day. We just can't win, stuck inside in the winter and stuck inside in the summer. AHHHHHHHHH! In my perfect world it would be in the mid 70's year round. I'm just thankful I'm in the beginning of my pregnancy and I'll be big and miserable in the winter. I knew there was a reason we have winter babies.

I'm done complaining...thanks for listening!