do you really know me...

If you really want to get to know someone you need to:
ask questions
spend quality time
listen
care
have special dates with that person
be there
call them out of the blue
tell them you care
do not judge them
do not brag about yourself
drop a card in the mail

wordless wednesday

on the what?

Carson: Hey Mommy- I put Kyndel to bed says
Me: really?
Carson: yes I covered her up...do not yell at her Mommy she fell asleep on the couch.
Me: carson you know kyndel is not allowed on the couch.
Carson: but Mommy I told her it was ok
Me: Carson
Carson: but Mommy she needs to be comfy too.

A pregnant photo finally...

WOW! Is that really me? Yup, it's me at 31 weeks pregnant and off to work.

31 weeks tomorrow...

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.
Carson is so excited for the baby to arrive. He was talking about the baby sitting next to him at the dinner table. :) He is going to be an awesome big brother!

Big brown eyes looking at me...

In the cutest little voice while rubbing my belly-
Carson says, Mommy, when is the baby going to come out?
Me: Soon Omie (That's what I call him)
Carson: So you will go to the hospital and they will take your baby out?
Me: That's right!
Carson: I can not wait.

He melts my heart :)

will my love be different...

I have a few questions that I have pondered over the last seven months. I have researched, asked professionals and prayed. Below is a list of questions I have- can you help me from either your experience and/or knowledge?

1. Will my love for the baby be "different" from the love I have for Carson?
2. Will I still view Carson the same way?
3. Will there be a "different" type of bonding with the baby?

Carson loves to put things together

infections

phew! Carson has a double ear infection, sinus infection and his heart murmur has shown its ugly head again. We will be heading back to children's hospital next week to see the cardiologist.

wordless wednesday- game night

What a tough guy!

registration

Kindergarten registration?! I can not believe it-
My sweet little boy is going to kindergarten this year. OMG! His current teachers feel he is acamdically ready however he still has some maturing to do. :) Carson will be a young 5 year old as his birthday is 9/6/06. Do I send him or hold him back for one year?

back on the market

We took our house off the market in September due to the lack of buyers in the area. However we have decided to put the house back on the market under "for sale by owner" in April. We are truly praying our house will sell as we are really out growing it.
I bought Carson a Toshiba net book a few months ago. He is amazing on the computer. He loves to play PBS kids at night while I am doing my homework for graduate school. I love to watch his little fingers navigate the keyboard.

can you handle it and woes

Its been really hard for me in life to let God fight my battles as I have "always" wanted to be in control. However for the past x months I have given something over to the Lord and asked him to handle it (which has been difficult for me). There were plenty of times where I could have gone running to others and started gossiping about how "one" was treating me or trying to sabotage me as a person/ professional. However, ever time I started an email, dialing a phone number or sitting cross for an individual that I could share how I was feeling the Lord reminded me " you told me to handle it." I would reply in a short prayer, "I know, Lord." Well, everything happens in his timing and he took care of it to the point I asked him to ease up and show a little mercy. I was reminded by a friend that the Lord does not like liars, people who put others down, or those that hurt his children to make themselves look better.
The woes of a 4 1/2 year old boy:
- He thinks he is a superhero.
- My furniture becomes a jumping bag.
- He always wants to use my cell phone to play games or call Best or MomMom.
- He likes to talk back and always wants the final word.
- His hands and feet become weapons when he gets mad.
- He wants and thinks he is a doctor to our dog Kyndel.
- He knows what he wants and there is NO way around it.
- If you kiss him- he wipes it off and says ew girl lips.
- He wants to play football and baseball in the house.
- There are hundreds of match box cars, action figures and lego's in every room, every crevice and every corner of the house.
- He does not understand the word no or stop.
- His finger nails are dirty every time he comes back for the horse stable as he is digging for worms.
- He runs around in his batman and superman costume all day long.

26 weeks

and feeling great! Carson told me at dinner " Mommy you better stop eating. If not your belly will pop".

When Mommy?

Carson has been asking a huge number of questions regarding the baby. However the biggest question is "when".
When is the baby coming to stay with me?
When will your belly pop so the baby can come out?
When are you going to the hospital for the baby?
In a few months the tide will turn... Carson will be asking when is the baby leaving my house. LOL

Life goes on....

Life has been so busy lately. We have been really busy planning our next mission trip to Guatemala which is scheduled for August 2011. Essie (my mom) is going to watch Carson and the baby while we are in Guatemala. I am truly looking forward to traveling back to Guatemala. I really should be planning for the baby to come instead of Guatemala however I start to get really nervous every time I think about buying items for the baby.

As for Carson he received his first karate badge last Saturday (of course I forgot the camara). He loves karate however we do not like all the karate chopping at home. But, he is really learning to follow directions and pay attention during class even if there are other kids messing around.
The other day in the car I asked Carson if he would help me with the baby. He replied like what…
The conversation:
Me: Help feed the baby?
Carson: No not that green stuff (pea’s in the jar)
Me: Help give the baby a bath?
Carson: The baby gets baths in your belly
Me: Help change the baby?
Carson: No way- yuck
Me: Read to the baby?
Carson: Yea, I am good at that
Me: Play with the baby?
Carson: Yea, like batman, the wii, lego’s. That will be fine.

Just go with it

Yes, I am still here. I was not on the computer much last week as I was having computer issues. Tomorrow I am 24 weeks pregnant. I can not believe how fast the pregnancy is going... I am due the first week of June. It will be here before I know it. Can you say NERVOUS?! As I have said before I really have never held or cared for a newborn baby. I do not know the first thing about a newborn. Carson was eight months old when he came home and I was on the phone with Essie (my Mom) or my sister every hour or at my parents home trying to get a handle at being a parent. PHEW!!!
My husband (Jonathan) is an excellent support system. If he could give birth for me he would. Matter of fact he will probably try to breast feed. (lol) Do not tell him I said that-
Last week Carson told me I was going to have a boy or a girl... Really?! Carson loves to rub my belly. He talks to the baby all the time and has some very interesting questions about being pregnant.
Friday night Jonathan and I went to see Just go with It with two of my all time favorite actors- Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. The movie was cute!

How many?

Today my sweet little boy got 4 (yes 4) shots plus the flu mist. UGH!
MMR
Varicella
DTAP
IPV
Flu Mist
Carson looked at the physician with his big brown eyes and said, "please no more".

Do you remember

Your first kiss?
Your first boyfriend or girlfriend?
Your first family vacation?
Your first pet?
Your first car?
Your Mom or Dad teaching you how to drive a car?
The first time you were scared?
A funny family story?
Your first "song" with your special someone?
When you really loved someone and they left you?
When someone hurts you and they have not said they are sorry?
Your favorite movie?
Your first dance?
Funny stories regarding your siblings?
Your first fight with friends?
Your first job?
Your first time going to the movies?
Your first time going to the hospital?
Your first funeral you attended?
Saying something you regret?
Your favorite holiday memory?

In life there are so many do you remembers.... However we all carry around do you remembers...some that have scarred us, some that have left pleasant memories and some that have hurt us to bone. What we do with the do you remembers is what really counts. Savor each moment as life goes so fast....

seat belts and what did I do in your belly

Carson started karate last month. While we were in Florida he told us that if he keeps up with karate he will get more seat belts. Jonathan and I laughted all day about his cute little comment.
Carson told Jonathan today when he grows up he wants to be a "bad guy" because he can out run Batman and Robin.
My sweet little boy is asking a ton of questions about what the baby is doing in my belly. But he takes it a step further and wants to know what he did in my belly. Lovely! How do I answer that question?

Just arrived!

We are home! Of course we are happy to be back in our home however we truly miss the warm weather already. We all had a wonderful 9 days in Florida. Photos and funny stories to come shorty....
We need to unpack and get prepared for a busy week.

bags are backed

Yea baby...we are out of here tomorrow and heading to 'sunny' Florida. I can not wait to see green grass, flowers blooming and the sun shining. Carson is very excited as well. He told me this morning "he can not wait to fly on the plane and see mickey mouse again."
As for the pregnancy, the baby is really kicking strong now- wow! I had the level two ultrasound yesterday. The physician was very happy with the development of the baby. All is well and right on schedule. God is Good!!

Adopting and time to come out

We are still planning on adopting again. However we have slowed the process down as we need to focus on the new baby coming in June. We are hoping to pick up the adoption process in the fall of 2011. In the mean time we are still searching and praying about the right country to adopt from-
Our conversation tonight about the baby
C: Mommy your belly is getting to big.
M: I know Carson
C: Maybe it's time for the baby to come out and play with me
M: Not yet but soon
a few minutes later
C: how about now Mommy? Baby Skywalker wants to play lego's

weekend recap in no particular order

8 loads of wash
shopped for maternity clothes (not easy to find for petites)
shopped for shoes (that too is not easy with a size 31/2 or 4 foot size)
Carson started his karate class on Saturday
We all went to Dave and Buster's in phila on Saturday evening
cleaned out my bedroom drawers
started packing for Florida
studied for up coming test
straightened up the house 100 times
more preparing for our Guatemala video slide show in Feb
watched a great movie with Julie Roberts
Went to look for a new SUV
Prepared for the upcoming week
took a few long naps
watched snow white with Carson (he loved it)
prepared menu for this weeks dinners
snuggled with Carson all throughout the weekend

The count down is on...

6 days until we leave for Florida where the weather is 70. I will take 70 degrees over 36 degrees any day.

Do you ever wonder...

Is this really what life is all about?
What is this rat race all about?
When is life really going to start for me?
When do I start to settle into my life?
Do I really take time to enjoy what God has given us?
Is this what family life is about?
Will my children remember what I have done for them?
Am I the only one who has these thoughts?

Tomorrow I turn

19 weeks pregnant. It's unbelievable how much my body has transformed within the last 4 1/2 months. I am not sure if I like it- I am still getting use to the baby moving around in my belly. Some times it really catches me off guard and I start to panic a little. As far as the development of the baby- all is well. Praise God!
I am starting to get my energy back however I do take frequent naps. Carson loves to touch my belly and everyday he kisses the baby (as he says). He thinks I have three baby's in my belly and their names are going to be "baby skywalker".

Yes I am

finally pregnant. Every Monday is another week I am pregnant. I am due around June 5, 2011. We have decided not to find out the gender of the baby as we want a happy surprise.
More to come on the pregnancy.... stay tuned!

Carson's top 10 for 2010 with big news

Can you believe another years has come and gone. My, my, my how fast time flies by- I must say, this year has had its challenges however overall it was a great year.

Carson's top 10 for 2010.
10. He played for a small soccer team.
9. Carson went to Disney for the first time.
8. Carson went on his first roller coaster on the Wildwood Boardwalk
7. Carson learned to color in the lines
6. Carson learned to fully dress himself.
5. Carson says the pledge of allegiance
4. He learned to write his name.
3. Finally fully potty trained
2. He learned his right from left.
1. Carson is going to be a big brother around June 5, 2011. When he learned I was finally pregnant he said "That's cool Mommy and kissed my belly".

stats:

3t pants

3t shirts

33 lbs 3'1" Height

size 9 shoe