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!