Things I needed to hear

I got this email today and I realized that I needed this...with the new baby coming I have not been as patient with Karleigh as I should be...I think I'll put this on my fridge!

NINETEEN SOMETHINGS TO SAY TO CHILDREN
1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you.Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that. \
2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you cando, but who you are.There is no one like you. No one!
3. It's all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons:when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid,or lonely.Big people cry too. I do.
4. You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do.Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It's all over. You canstart fresh.I know you are sorry. I forgive you. 5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though itwasn't easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.
6. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.
7. You can change your mind. It's good to decide, but it is also fineto change.
8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come upwith that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!
9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for thatperson.That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!
10. I have a surprise for you. It's not your birthday. It's for noreason at all.Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.
11. I can wait. We have time. You don't have to hurry this time.
12. What would you like to do? It's your turn to pick. You have greatideas.It's important to follow your special interests.
13. Tell me about it. I'd like to hear more. And then what happened?I'll listen.
14. I'm right here. I won't leave without saying good-bye. I amwatching you. I am listening to you.
15. Please and Thank You. These are important words. If I forget to usethem, will you remind me?
16. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together!
17. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it.Let's see. I'll help you if you need it. I think you can do it.
18. I'll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you?If we both work together, we can get this done. I know you can do it byyourself, but I'm glad to help since you asked.
19. What do you wish for? Even if it's not yet time for birthdaycandles and we don't have a wishbone, it's still fun to hear about whatyou wish for, hope for, and dream about
-- Author Unknown

I have learned...

I have been a mom for 4 years now, and I would not say that I have learned it all. I have learned a few things though!
1. NEVER say "my child will NEVER do..." (they will)
2. Listen to the advice of other mothers/fathers...you don't have to follow the advice, just LISTEN and be openminded...they've been there, done that, and have the t-shirt (usually stained) to prove it!
3. SLOW DOWN...I think that children are God's way of making you slow down even if you don't want to. Take time to memorize their tiny fingers, toes, nose, eyelashes...tomorrow they will be different...they grow soooooooooo fast!
4. If someone offers help...let them help...if you don't want them to do what they offer to do, FIND something they can do. There will be PLENTY of times that you are all on your own...and that child is yours for a lifetime (YOU can hold them when they are screaming in the middle of the night...that's one of those "on your own times").
5. Read a lot of information about raising your child/children, but don't LIVE BY THE BOOKS...unless it's the BIBLE. EVERYONE has an opinion, but each child is different...God gave you a mother's instinct for a reason (not paranoia...know the difference).
6. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY somemore!!!! When you are at the end of your rope, hold your child and say, "God, you gave me this child, now PLEASE give me the patience, wisdom, and sanity to do what is right." Let your kids hear you pray so they will know that your strength comes from the Lord.
7. Don't become so wrapped up in your child/children that you forget that YOU need time too! Sometimes you need to call a babysitter (even for and hour). You can put the baby in their room, shut the door, and call a friend, read the Bible, spend time with your husband... or even SLEEP...
8. Remember that your family existed BEFORE the baby came, your child is a PART of the family not the HEAD of the family! There will be some weeks/days...that you will need to remember that!
9. You WILL make mistakes! Sometimes BIG ones...Look around you, see all the adults...they were all kids once with parents who made mistakes...THEY LIVED!!!! Your child will too!
10. AND...remember that we are ALWAYS learning! NO ONE knows it ALL! If you don't know that yet, YOU WILL!!!!!

23 Weeks

Karliegh loves to put her hands on my belly and talk to her baby brother. She begged me the other day to take her picture touching my tummy...so I did...she is so funny. We are waiting out firework season. Jason is selling fireworks in Fort Smith for 2 weeks so it's just the girls. I am trying to clean out closets and rooms to get ready to paint the baby's room...so we can have it ready before Jason starts football! I ordered some bedding from ebay...just got it in...I think it will be really cute when we get it all together...I'll post pictures when I get it finished. Karleigh also started preschool this summer...just one day a week, she likes it some days and hates it others...I think it depends on what mood she's in. She really likes everything but naptime...she says,"it lasts forever!"...Her teachers say she is quiet, but never goes to sleep...she's whiney by bedtime, usually before, on the nights she goes to school! I can't believe she's already 4 years old!

It's a BOY!

We found out on May 30th that we are indeed having a BOY. I am excited, but anxious because it is a change...and I don't like changes most of the time... I know that when I start geting everything ready and we AGREE on a name it will be more exciting to me, but right now I'm just getting used to the idea... I want a name that starts with a K or C...because it will be Jason, Jana, Karleigh, & __________????? if it starts with another letter it will sound like we left him out...I know I'm crazy!!!! I want to name him Kade, but Jason's cousin has a little boy named Kade...I LOVE that name and have since before we found out Karleigh was a girl...we have also thought about Karter, Kaden, Karson, & Kent...to name a few, but it seems like we know someone that has each of those names...and being teachers, some of them are less than appealing to us...I am about to say we will have little Kade and big Kade on the one or two days a year we get together w/ cousin Kade! I also have to find some cute boy clothes...I look at baby things and come around the corner to see little frilly girls clothes...and they are so cute...it makes me remember when Karleigh was just a baby...and how she's grown...ugh...pregnancy hormones...I tear up all of the time now!!! hahahahaha...anyway, Karleigh is getting her brother...she's been telling us it was a brother for 2 months...we should have listened to her!!!

This is pretty neat!

This is something I found on Shantay's blog...I thought it was pretty neat! I don't know about the "rugged" part, but the rest is pretty good! Click on "read my visualDNA" and decide for yourself!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

14 Weeks...

So I have made it to week 14...I am feeling much better during the day! Thank the Lord! Night time is a little "iffy"...sometimes I feel OK, but there are still many nights that I am still sick! We went to the DR again this last Tuesday and she said everything still looks good. I gained 6 pounds in 5 weeks...which I thought she would be so upset about, but she just laughed. She said you gotta eat...and sometimes what you can eat is not always what is good for you...that's the truth! I am trying to do a little better when I'm feeling good...salads, bran flakes, fruit...you know the good stuff. BUT when I'm sick it's just whatever I can get down...most of the time that's what Jason brings me...Wendy's, Pizza, Sonic...I am getting a little more excited now that I feel good sometimes, but I can't wait till June when we will find out boy or girl...then the real FUN begins! I am working on a pregnancy journal, and today I took some pictures for the first trimester...even though I'm really in the 2nd...oh well...I hope to figure out photo shop so that I can make them look better...but that's not happened yet!

Ten weeks & Counting...

Well, I am...STILL SICK!!! UGH... I am thinking this has been the longest 10 weeks of my life, but I know it was worse with Karleigh! HOPEFULLY, this will be better about 13 or 14 weeks...it was the first time! My sister told me that with her second child she was nauseous the WHOLE TIME!!!! WHAT A LOVELY THOUGHT! I think I will go crazy if that happens! I really want to be able to enjoy life again! Right now I am eating, sitting around, and sleeping...that's about it...OH, and GAINING weight!!!! I can't wait to feel good enough to go for a walk, and eat food that I cook! My greatest wish is to be able to drink until I'm not thirsty without it giving me indigestion or making me gag! I'm SO THIRSTY!!! Now, I can eat pretty much anything...I just can't cook it, smell it, or think about it for very long before I eat it...which means "take out"! Jason calls and says "What do you want?" and I say "Don't ask, just bring me something!" and as soon as he gets it here I cram it down my throat before I can smell it....hahahaha! It's good while I'm eating it, but 2 min. later I'm sick again!!!! HOW FUN! I know that my posts lately are pretty boring...such is life here! Karleigh is my little helper, and today I did take some pictures of her today...I haven't taken many lately...she was doing what she does every day...watching Noggin & helping me clean up! She is such a big girl! What did I do before she came along? hahaha

Problems!

Well, I haven't been on the computer in a while...still sick...I have a few minutes by myself tonight so I thought I'd write. I have now been to the DR...well the nurse practitioner Karen, and she set my due date at October 17th...a day after my sister's birthday...how neat! I have been so sick this week...I can eat, but not if I think about it first, or if I have to cook it, or if I smell it! I know that don't leave many options...I have developed an obsession for Subway sandwiches...white bread, turkey & american cheese...pickle,lettuce, tomatoe, light mayo. Crazy, but that is the ONE thing I can think about and it doesn't send me into dry heaves! I also have a problem drinking...I am so thirsty!!!!!!! BUT if I drink water it comes right back up...anything else gives me SEVERE heartburn, and b/c I'm only 7 weeks I can only take TUMS...which make me GAG! Cranberry Juice slushes from Sonic are my drink of choice at the moment... really cold & not too sweet! There's only one problem with my choice of food and drink...I have to GO GET THEM! I have the energy of someone getting over the flu...and keeping up with Karleigh takes all of that and more...so...I guess the jist of the blog is that right now I am EXTREEMLY HAPPY to actually be pregnant, and can't wait to hold that sweet little angel in my arms, BUT...I will be SO GLAD when my time of sickness is OVER! It's amazing that I forgot how bad this was last time...one of God's miracles!

SICK

I haven't been on the computer a lot lately b/c I have been REALLY TIRED, and kind of sick...hmmm I've been that way before...wonder what it could be...maybe...surely NOT...I mean it's been over a YEAR...I'm not...OH YES I AM...pregnant! Praise THE LORD for miracles! I really thought Karleigh would be it. After my miscarriage in Oct. of 05 I went through a very bad bout with depression, and then we decided we really did want another baby, but month after month ...nothing! I was getting ready to make an appointment to make sure there was nothing wrong with me...WELL, now we know! hahaha...God is so good...he even knows the right timing...I found out on my MOM's birthday...which has been a really hard day in the past...the baby is due in OCT...which is the month I lost my other baby...WOW! It's really early still, and I do worry...BUT, I am going TRUST and NOT WORRY...because God knows the plans He has for me...they are not necessarily my plans, but they are for my GOOD!

More Pictures...

I had my niece and nephew here today, and I have been wanting to get some good pictures of them with Karleigh for awhile...So when Cael went down for a nap I fixed the girls' hair and let them choose dresses...then we did a "photo shoot". When Cael got up we took more pics! HOW FUN! I love taking pictures and then going over them to see if there are any good ones...here's some of them from today! ...by the way Shantay, I wish I could have scrapbooked today...did you guys have a good time? I didn't think it would be a good Idea with 3 kids! hahaha...maybe next week!

SnowDAY!!!

It's the first day of February, and we finally got a snowday! Jason is home from school, and he brought a snowdisc home for Karleigh yesterday. We have been out in the cold 2 times today! I think it is warmer than they predicted b/c the snow is starting to melt...It could be a mess tonight if it freezes over! We went for a walk on the railroad tracks behind our house and I took some pictures...some of Karleigh turned out OK. We also managed to build a small snowman for Karleigh...she ran in the house and came back carrying a baby carrot..."for his nose" she said! HaHaHa...What fun!

tagged....
"According to the rules... Each player of this game starts with the "6 Weird Things about Me".(about yourself)...People who get tagged need to write a entry of their own 6 weird things on their own blog, as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog!"

Weird things about myself...hmmmm...I guess my husband would be the one to answer that question...because of course everyone else is weird...I'm the NORMAL one. hahaha...

1. I LOVE to read, and if I finish a book and do not have another one to start right away I just about go CRAZY! It is the way I relax.

2. I don't sleep well when my husband is home but doesn't come to bed when I do. He says I am crazy because he loves to play on the computer when he's not tired, but I will lay in bed and toss & turn for hours until he comes to bed. I am not scared or anything...I am just a light sleeper and I know if I go to sleep I will wake up again when he comes to bed. It drives him crazy that I don't just go to sleep!

3. Small noises bother me REALLY BAD! My husband eats hard candy all of the time, and he crunches constantly (as does my 3 yr old daughter)...ugh...smacking gum, clicking pens, fluorescent lights that hum, dripping water......need I go on!

4. I am a "homebody"...I will plan 50 places that I need to go and get done in a day, but instead I will stay home. There are days as a stay at home mom that I want to get out, but not many...I LOVE being HOME! (with the exception of cropping at the scrapbook store)

5. With help from Jason we came up with #5...I never finish a cup of coffee...I love to drink coffee...with flavored creamer...mmmmm...but, by the time I get to the coffee it's lukewarm, and I never get to the bottom of the cup before it's cold! That's the life of a mom I guess...

6. I guess the only other thing that I can think of is that I really don't like to watch a movie more than once...the same thing goes if I find out the ending of a book...I just can't get interested in it any longer...I guess I like surprises.

................whew....that was hard! & I don't know anyone else who has a blog to tag...What do I do now?

"Baby Cael"

Here is my nephew Cael...he's 18 months old, and FULL of energy! We went and ate supper with some of my family tonight, and my sister looked so tired...after spending a little time with him you can see why! He NEVER STOPS! He has a toy zebra that bounces, and it is the funniest thing to see him ride it. He puts one hand in the air like a bull rider, and off he goes. Bouncing and spinning as fast as he can go! I love him to pieces! He's going to have to be tough to fight his way in the world with his big sis and Karleigh bossing him around! Somehow I'm not really worried!

This is my baby! She's not a baby anymore, and that is becoming more a reality every day! I lay in bed the other night and cried because I started thinking about the fact that she will be going to preschool some next year, and then SCHOOL! (GULP) It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital...where does the time go....I know that all sounds so cliche', but oh how true it is! I ALWAYS wanted to be a mom, and to stay at home with my kids...well so far it's only Karleigh, and I am NOT ready to give up my job just yet! I know that God knows the plans he has for me, and HIS ways are so much better than mine. Sometimes it just seems like maybe he should take my advice once in a while...hahahaha Right now my lap is full with Karleigh, Fluffy (Build a Bear Rabbbit, and constant companion), and blankets...kisses too...so loving this morning...check back in a few minutes, and there will be crying and knashing of teeth....hahahaa...We're not boring around here. I am just trying to cherish the moments we can be like this...lazy and snuggly...if that's a word...Well, guess I'd better get Miss Karleigh dressed and busy...duty calls!

Kareligh & Me

I have never tried the blogging stuff, but everyone is talking about it, and I decided I needed to try out some new things on the computer this year so...here I am! I sometimes feel like I get more "stupid" every day that I sit at home with a 3 year old instead of going to work in the real world. I have a degree, and love to read, but there is something about knowing more about what's on Noggin than what's new in the world today.....it just makes you feel a little BEHIND TIMES! Anyway, I LOVE being a mom, and I am so BLESSED to be able to stay at home while Karleigh is young!