My Baby isn't such a baby anymore!

So today Nisee started Pre-K or Preschool which ever you prefer.  She is still attending First Baptist Learning Center but they have the Pre-K classes separate from the daycare classes and they are structured like an actual class versus a daycare room.  She was really excited this morning when she got to put on her clothes and do her hair. Her favorite thing was her Disney Princess backpack!  She insisted on taking her lunch bag even though she doesn't take her lunch now.  We took a few pictures outside of the house this morning.  She started a few days later because of our vacation.

Blogging and Life

I read all these great blogs and wish that I could be a regular blogger but I just can't make myself do it.  I think if maybe I had more time or more money then I could do it but I still am not sure.  However I think I am going to make it a point to blog at least once a week.  I have been playing around with lots of great things lately and I am enjoying what I have been doing so I feel the need to share them!  I will start sharing weekly what I am doing!  Lets hope I can keep this up!

Happy Valentines Day ... A little late

A lot of people don't like valentines day and it isn't my favorite holiday by any means but still I think it can be a fun holiday.  I went to one of my favorite stores, The Dollar Tree, last week and I ran across some cute things for  my girls!  Nisee and (believe it or not) Lacee LOVE Disney Princesses and Tinkerbell.  Lacee who is recently 16 months old will sit and watch Cinderealla and Tangled, pretty unheard of for a 16 month old.  I found some great Princess Borders and Tinkerbell stuff from The Dollar Tree.  So I decided to make a little basket for each of my Princesses! They had a great time opening their gifts!  I think Lacee loved her Tinkerbell cup the most.

Chad and I don't go all out but we do usually get each other something small like a nice card and maybe some chocolate.  I got the sweetest card and a Russel Stovers box of chocolates!  Chad got a card and a snickers bar and a butterfinger, his two favorite candy bars!  We were both happy!  I don't ask for much but I wanted to go see Safe Haven, the new Nicholas Sparks movie, but Chad has to work all weekend now so no Josh Duhmel for me this weekend but maybe soon. 

The one thing I don't remember about Valentines day is the massive amounts of candy that the kids get now.  Nisee came home with a plastic shopping bag full of candy!  Lacee got puffs and some goldfishes.  I remember when we were in school we would make a folder out of construction paper and tape it to our desk and then we would get a bunch of valentines cards.  They still get those but they all come with Candy now.  We might have gotten a random sucker or two but nothing like these kids are getting.  Nisee does not care very much for suckers but she will eat one every once in a while and she will NOT eat chocolate unless it is in the form of a chocolate chip cookie.  So short of the gummies she got Chad and I now have about 15 suckers and a the equivalent of 3 candy bars of chocolate to either eat or throw away.

Valentine's day started out great but it didn't end that way.  I found out around 6:45 that a man that I knew had passed away.  I wasn't close to him but he was like an Uncle to my best friend and her sisters.  I know that his passing is very hard on them and it makes my heart hurt for them.  I wish there was something more I could do to ease their pain.  I let them know that I am here if they need me and I am praying for God to provide them comfort during this time.  He was a good man and he is living it up in heaven with their Dad!  I just know it!

Then today we got the news that my mother in law, Mary, is going to have to put her dog, Jack, to sleep tomorrow.  She found out that he has cancer and is losing blood from the tumors.  He has been sick for a while and we knew it was going to happen at some point but it is always hard to lose a family member.  Jack, who is a chow mix, is 15 which is pretty old for that breed.  He has been there since I started dating Chad 8 years ago and he will be missed by all of us.  The hardest part is trying to explain this to Nisee.  She was only 1 when Mamaw passed and had just turned 2 when Papaw passed so we haven't really had to have this conversation with her.  She is almost 4 now and she loves Jack and always has. Jack likes to bark and even when Nisee was a small baby and he would bark she would just laugh!   We tried our best to explain that Jack is sick and that to get better he needs to go to heaven to be with Jesus and that when you go to heaven you don't get to come back.  She said that Jack couldn't go and that he could just take his shots to feel better.  We told her that the only way he could get better was to go to heaven.  She is still a little young but I know when she goes to Grandma's and Jack isn't there that she is going to ask questions. I guess we will just have to see.

Wow,  Now that I am a blubbering mess I am going to to post a few V Day Pics of the girls and I am going to be lazy and watch some of my shows!

New Cousins and Hockey is Back!

I am so excited to announce that Nisee and Lacee (and Me) will be getting a new cousin!   My close cousin Jessie and her husband Brett are expecting their 1st bundle of joy on September 7, 2013!  I am so happy for her because I know she has wanted his for a long time.  Part of me hopes it is a girl because well I have lots of girl stuff she can use but part of me hopes it is a boy because well we don't have a boy!

Maybe one day we will have another baby and yes I want it to be healthy but I also want a boy.  My mom has often talked about the different relationships that are formed between a mother and a son and a mother and a daughter.  I want to experience that mother/son relationship but I guess that time will tell.  We are not ready for another baby just yet.  We do want one though.  We have decided that.  Being around babies and pregnant women makes me tend to forget the time I had with my last pregnancy and starting thinking about having another baby sooner but then reality sets in.  We simply can not afford another child right now.  Nisee and Lacee go to a fantastic learning center and I am so happy that I found them.  I hope to have all my kids go there but they aren't cheap.  We pay $275.00 a week in child care and if we had a 3rd that would probably break us. Nisee will start kindergarten in August of 2014 so maybe we look to have another baby due sometime around that but who knows!

Anyone who knows me or Chad knows that we are HUGE fans of Hockey and yes Our Penguins are playing their 1st game at home tonight.  They are currently 2-0 having won both of the 1st 2 games of the year.  The season is half over because the players and owners were being big babies about money and couldn't come to agreement.  Finally after they had a MOM aka mediator come in they got to the point and we got our hockey back.  Still a little upset but it isn't enough to keep me away! I love my hockey!   I am actually typing this while watching the game and that is why it has taken me about an hour to type this so I guess I better get off here and finish this game!

PS I love working from home and if you get the chance I recommend it!

Prayers and Remembering

A friend of mine from high school who I am friends with on Facebook posted about a friend of hers who is in dire need of prayers.  She recently delivered her baby boy and he had diagnosed with Trisomy 18 which is most often fatal.  It is a genetic condition similar to down syndrome but much more severe and is a result of additional chromosomes.  My heart goes out to this couple and I am praying for them! 

I can't help but think back to my last pregnancy and what a rough time I had with it.  As most of you know my pregnancy with Lacee was anything but easy.  There is a lot more in depth information in my blog archives but in short we were told that Lacee would not survive.  I remember the day exactly, it was June 8th.  I had been referred to Maternal Fetal at Baptist due to the suspected growth issues with my pregnancy.  Earlier I had been told that I was at much higher risk for a genetic disorders because of quad 4 testing and other factors and that was if she even made it. They did an ultrasound to check her growth and the news was very bad. The doctors told me that I would lose her and that I should consider my options and in my belief there were no other options (which is a dang good thing) but to let time tell.  And Time did tell. Every week I was told to prepare to go into the hospital and to be ready to deliver and have a lengthy NICU stay but every week Lacee kept proving them wrong.  The baby that they told me would not make it was delivered at 38 weeks FULL TERM completely healthy just a really small!   She was only 4 lbs 7.2 ounces. 

Sometimes I think we forget how blessed we are.  Things with Lacee could have been so much worse and we are so blessed that we got the ending we prayed so hard for.  So I ask that you pray for this family and this baby because they could really use it! 

3 blogs WHAT?! and a few updates

Yea so I am doing 3 blogs.  This one of course and a weight loss one that is private and only visible to me and the other girl who is my partner. My third blog is a photography blog that I am going to be using to help improve my photography skills.  This is a blog that I am doing with some other girls and I think its going to be a lot of fun!

I am going to try to do at least weekly posts on here!  I love to write on my blogs but I only have so much time and I have a lot to do.  It has been a long time since posted here so I am sure some updated are in order!

Chad has a new job at Ingersol Rand. He loves the job and we are praying that it will become permanent.  Chad lost his job earlier this year because the guy he worked for at his old company is an ass hat!  We will just leave it at that.

I am still working at the same place but something new is coming in 2013!  I will be a work from home team lead starting very soon.  They were actually supposed to install my equipment tomorrow but because they ran out of avaya licences I am stuck waiting another week or two.  They say patience is a virtue but we will see!

Nisee is growing like a weed and I mean it!  Even though she is only 3 and a 1/2 she is firmly in a size 4T and even wears some 5T's.  She's not that big around but size 3T pants are high waters on her now.  I don't have her exact figures right now but I will update soon!  She is also so smart and observant!  She asks tons of questions and her favorite things right now are Princesses and still Dora!

Lacee is the opposite of Nisee.  She is very petite.  She is 15 months old and weighs just under 19 pounds.  She wears a 9-12 months clothing and only has 3 teeth.  She didn't get her first tooth until she was 13 months old.  She still hasn't walked yet but she has taken a few steps where she didn't realize she had.  She is a pistol and has a completely different personality from Nisee.

Here are a couple pictures of the girls recently!

2013 Resolutions! Lots to do this year!

Yes I have been gone a while but Now I am back ... Starting New in 2013

I am really excited about 2013!  I have a lot of great resolutions for 2013 that are for each part of my life!

My 1st resolution is to reach my weight goal by the end of the year. That is totally do able!

I like to set goals and time frames based on Holidays so here goes!

Goal 1 is to lose 8 pounds by my birthday Feb 7th!
Goal 2 is to lose 12 pounds by Easter March 31st (total 20 pounds)
Goal 3 is to lose 10 pounds by Nisee's 4th Birthday May 15th (total 30 pounds)
Goal 4 is to lose 12 pounds by July 4th (total 42 pounds)
Goal 5 is to lose 10 pounds by August 23rd Vacation Starts (total 52 pounds)
Goal 6 is to lose 10 pounds by Lacee's 2nd Birthday Oct. 6th (total 62 pounds)
Goal 7 is to lose 8 pounds by Halloween 2013 (total 70 pounds)


My 2nd resolution is one that I will help me with my 1st resolution but has its own intent.  My goal for 2013 is to really stick to a budget! One of the main parts of this is to avoid eating out as much as possible.  This has 2 benefits with the 1st being it is easier to control my calorie intake and stay on track and 2nd the cost savings.  If 2012 taught us anything it is that we have to be better stewards of our money.  We make enough money to not be living paycheck to paycheck and budgeting will be a great way for us to make sure we start to have a savings built up!

My 3rd resolution is read at least a book a month!  I love reading but 2 small children have really derailed my reading time.  I have a long list of books I want to read.  Chad and I got a Kindle Fire to share for Christmas and our birthdays so hopefully I can use it for some of my reading!

My 4th resolution is one that has to do with my photography and one that Kara is going to help me with!  I am excited to be a part of a photography club in 2013!  We are going to work on expanding our over all knowledge.

My 5th and final resolution is that I will complete at least 4 craft projects this year!  One each quarter!  I am saying 4 for 2 reasons.  The 1st being because my craft projects tend to be large and time consuming and since I am going to be focusing on my weight loss, cooking more, photography and reading so 4 is probably going to be the most I can get done!


Well there you have it!  My resolutions for 2013!

Happy 30th Birthday Hollie!

That's right I am officially 30 now!  I doesn't feel much different than 29 but it is kind of odd having to write a 3 down now.  I had an AWESOME birthday!  We celebrated on February 4th since my actual birthday fell on a Tuesday this year.  I knew we were all going out to dinner at Cities to celebrate and that we had to take the kids to my parents but what I didn't know was that my Mom and Chad had planned me a surprise Harry Potter Party at her house!  My parents were there, my sister and her husband, my brother and his wife and my friend Stephanie and her son Evans!  My mom made a cake like the one featured on the blog Bakingdom! I sent her a link just to show it to her and she ended up making it!  She did a great job!  And it was super yummy!  She also made butter beer, pumpkin juice, and had lots of other Harry Potter themed items!  I am super blessed to have such a great family and friends!  Dinner at Cities was awesome with all my closest pals! Below are some great pictures of the party and dinner!

 

How much bad news can one family take?

Most everyone knows that my Mamaw Evalene was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in October 2009.  The doctors said months so the fact that she had been here almost 14 months was great but we knew things were getting worse but I never imagined that it would happen the way it did.  I was just down there on Sunday November 21st and we talked and she was playing with Nisee. By playing I mean,  Nisee would bring her a piece to this Cat and Dog Tic Tac Toe game she has in her hospital bed and she would smile at her and say "Cat" or "Dog" and take it from Nisee and sit it up on her tray table.  We left there feeling like this would be a Thanksgiving different than past Thanksgivings but still not much different because we would all be together.

Boy were we wrong!  Wednesday I went to work things going as normal and then I got a text message from my Mom saying that the doctors had confirmed that my Papaw Lester had been diagnosed with Acute Meyloid Leukemia and that Chemo was not an option.  She didn't know much more than that.  So the first thing that I did was google it and every site that I read stated that Chemo was the only treatment.  Put it all together and well it wasn't looking good.  Then I got text number 2 which said they were just hoping to keep him home through the holidays.  I took that as they were going to let him stay home during the holidays so that he could be with us.  I tried to concentrate at work but I could not so finally I left a little early at 2pm.  I went and got Nisee and we went to the grocery store.  As I was coming home from the grocery store my Dad called.  He said that news about Papaw was not good.  Papaw when they said home for the holidays they meant ALIVE through the holidays.  Then my mom called and her news wasn't any better.  She said Mamaw had taken a turn for the worse and that she had to start the morphine.  I asked if I needed to come down there and she said yes but leave the baby at home not sure how long this night is going to be.  I lost it for about 15 minutes while I threw some things in a bag and then I took off for Statesville. That was the longest 50 minute drive ever and I cried the entire way.

When I got there I found Mamaw could still look at me and hold my hand and barely speak but that was all.  I now know she was in the process of dying.  I kept it together while in the room with her and then I ran outside and dry heaved because I hadn't eaten anything all day because I was so upset.  I stayed up with her until I finally passed out.  Let me make note that she was talking Wednesday morning and still swallowing pills.  It happened really fast and of course all of this while we were trying to process what had just happened to Papaw Lester.

Thanksgiving started with our family being together for a McDonald's Breakfast.  It was great to see them all that morning.  I then spent the day at my Mamaw's side with my Mom.  I never left the house.  The longest time I spent away was 30 minutes to take a shower.  Chad came down and brought Nisee to see Mamaw and she recognized both her and Chad but couldn't speak and Nisee continued her own game of bringing Mamaw the cat or the dog.  They stayed for a little while but left to go to Chad's Mom's for Thanksgiving lunch. I stayed with Mama of course.  Angie and Jessie came by and spent all afternoon with us.  Daddy left that afternoon to go to eat with Nanny and Papaw for Thanksgiving.  Dusty and Heather did too as did Chad and Nisee.  That evening everyone came back but Nisee.  She stayed with Mary that night.   My sister Tara came down and Mamaw recognized her that night but that was the last time she recognized anyone for the most part.

Friday was about the same.  We spent it at the house with her, comforting her and each other.  We were all afraid to sleep and I don't think that Mama and I did sleep more than a few hours.  Chad left Friday afternoon to go get Nisee and keep her at home that night and he was going to bring her back Saturday morning.  I pray you never have to go through this but if you do please read the book that hospice gives you.  It explains "the process" of dying and what you can expect.  It really helped me to understand that what was happening was for lack of a better term normal.  Once again everyone was back that night including Tara.

Early Saturday morning my Mamaw Evalene went to heaven.  She left this world with all her family around her, knowing that she was loved beyond belief and would be missed terribly.  Chad arrived shortly after with Nisee and I had never been so happy to see them in my life.  My Mamaw was so special to me and we had a relationship that not a lot of people get to have with their grandparents.  I am glad she is not suffering anymore but I am selfish because I want her here with me to see Nisee grow up and to meet her other great grand kids. 

I started this post in December of 2010 and I has taken me a year to be able to finish it.  I completed this on December 15, 2011.

Thankful

It has been a while since I have been on here and blogged.  I have been pretty busy with the girls but mostly I haven't felt like blogging. Odd yes I know!  So the title of this blog is Thankful. On facebook a lot of my friends are updating their status each day with something they are thankful for.  I have tried to do this in past years and I was doing it last year when I was called to my Mamaw's bedside on Wednesday and there I stayed until she passed.  Thanksgiving is pretty much a ruined holiday for me and my family for now but that doesn't mean I can't be thankful for all the blessings I have in my life.  My Mamaw enjoyed us all getting together for Thanksgiving but she was a firm believer that you should be thankful every day and I feel that same way.  Each night before bed when I am saying my prayers I always start by thanking God for all the blessings he has given me. Sometimes I mention things specifically and sometimes I am more vague.  While I like the idea of saying what I am thankful for each day from now until the last Thursday in November when Abraham Lincoln said we should celebrate, I think that for me I will continue to be thankful each day.

To me the best thing about publicly saying what you are thankful for is letting others know you are thankful for them and their contributions to your life. So that is what I am going to do.  Please know this is not an all encompassing list but is simply the highlights of what I thank the Lord for each night.

I am thankful for:
My awesome husband!  He is my soul mate and I am so lucky that I have him!
My beautiful daughters: Nisee and Lacee, without them I am nothing!
My wonderful parents!  They raised me right and continue to love and support me!
My great siblings: Tara and Dusty, I couldn't ask for a better sister and bother
My mother in law: Mary,  She is such a great person!
My close friends who have been with me through thick and thin and though we may not talk everyday I know we are still there for each other (Britt, Coley, Steph, Meesha, Kara, Christina, and Kari).
My Grandparents:  Nanny Peg, Papaw Lester, Mamaw Evalene, and Grandma Cash.  Though some of them are not here with me they taught me so much and loved me so that I can still feel it even though they aren't here.
My Church Hardison UMC!  I feel back home again! 
My Savior Jesus Christ who died for my sins and My God who sent his only son to die for my sins!

I think that does a good job summing up what I am thankful for each and every day but I am sure there is something that I missed because there are always little things to be thankful for each day!

Early Christmas Shopping and Hair Accesories

So yesterday after being up sick most of Friday night and Saturday morning I started feeling a little better.  I needed to take Lacee's diaper bag to get embroidered at the mall so off to Winston we went when Nisee got up from her nap and might I add even though  she had been sleeping for 2 and a half hours she was very ill that we woke her up!  She hates going down for a nap but once there you better let her be but she had been asleep long enough.  We decided to look around the mall for a little while.  We got Nisee a few Christmas gifts.  Translated we found some good sales and couldn't pass on the sales even though she really didn't have to have the items at this time.  Still I like buying a few things along the way and then its not like you have to drop a ton of money all at one time.  NOT that we have a ton of money but you get my point.  My favorite thing about yesterday were the hair-bows we found for Lacee.  We stopped by a store called DazzleUp and they have some cool things and they are all 4 for $10.  I got Lacee 2 I guess you call them hat-bows, a headband, and got Nisee 1 hair-bow!  They are so cute I had to share a picture off them!  I know you can make these and I might just have to see if I can find a tutorial on what all it takes.  The 2 hat-bows are almost the same and I wanted a purple one but the only purple ones they had did not have really cute bows on them they had these UGLY purple flowers so I went with the same bow but different color hat!   Any who I am not going to spend too long on this post but I just wanted to share!

Happy Grandparents Day!

Today was not only the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 but also Grandparents Day.  This is the 1st Grandparents day that I have spent without my Mamaw Evalene and my Papaw Lester.  It is hard to believe that this time last year I had 3 grandparents to wish Happy Grandparents day to and today I only have 1.  We spent a lot of the afternoon with Nanny Peg which we always do on Sunday but today was especially important to me and to her.  I really miss Mamaw and Papaw but I am so Thankful that I still have Nanny!
Happy Grandparents day!

Me and Nisee with Nanny Peg and Papaw Lester Easter 2011

The Last picture I have of me and Mamaw Evalene

I was cooking dinner for Nisee to spend time with her Grandparents today but my Dad had to work and my mom was out of town so only Chad's Mom got to come over but we still had a great dinner.  I made Hamburger Steaks, Scalloped Potatoes, Fried Pickles (yes I am addicted), and for dessert Pink Champagne Cake. Again I substituted the champagne with sparkling grape juice.  I decorated it really pretty so I had to take a picture!

Pink Champagne Cake I made for Grandparents Day

9/11 - 10 years later

So today is the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks on 9/11/2001 and I still  I remember exactly where I was when I heard about it.  Brittany and I were at Mitchell Community College in the Student Center upstairs in between classes.  They have couches and small study rooms that are in the open but they also have a few rooms that had tv's in them that  you could rest in too.  We were sitting on the couches when we heard a person come out and get on their cellphone to call someone and say that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.  We got up and went into the room to watch the news on tv and we saw the second plane fly into the second tower.  My mom called me and Britt's mom called her.  We had to go to classes still but we didn't have class.  The teachers turned on the TV and we watched as the towers fell and we heard about the other plane hitting the pentagon and the plane that crashed in PA.  I met back up with Britt after class and her Mom said they were evacuating downtown Charlotte because it had the tallest buildings between Washington DC and Atlanta.  I remember that I went to my Mamaw Evalene's next to eat lunch (I did this all the time because it was close to her house) and we continued to watch the news and talk about what happened.  I remember them closing down I-40 near the fuel reserve tanks because they are a huge threat. I remember being scared, shocked, and saddened by everything that was happening.  My heart just ached for those who lost loved ones that day.

It has been 10 years and I still get emotional when I see images or hear stories from that day.   Today at church we sang America the Beautiful and Pastor Lynn talked about how hard it was to write a sermon for today however she delivered a pretty good sermon for someone who had trouble writing one.  Her sermon focused on Matthew 18: 21-35 and talked about forgiveness and about how Jesus tells us to forgive.  We prayed and I continue to pray for those who lost loved ones that they may find some peace!  I think I will close my blog post about this with America the Beautiful as it is a pretty fitting tribute.

America the Beautiful

1. O beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain;
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

2. O beautiful for heroes proved
in liberating strife,
who more than self their country loved,
and mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
till all success be nobleness,
and every gain divine.

3. O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years
thine alabaster cities gleam,
undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control,
thy liberty in law.

My Next Tattoo

I have been wanting a new tattoo for a long time now!  I got my first tattoo in 2005 in November.  It was actually the night of my bachelorette party and it was a gift from my husbands Best Man Chris Blaylock who is an AWESOME tattoo artist! He and Chad have been best friends since Chads family moved down  here in the early 1980's.  It is of 3 fairies who are doing the hear no evil see no evil say no evil but they are all cheating in some way.  For example the one is peaking.  It took 3 hours just to do the outline and I thought I was dying the entire time!  It stretches all the way across my lower back.  When anyone asks "does a tattoo hurt?" the answer is always "Hell YES!!!"  I have never gotten it colored in. Each fairy should have been a different color.  I like it the way it is but I also would like to see it all finished and one day I am going to finish it if I ever stop coming up with new ones that I want!

My First Tattoo ... just needs color and fleshing out

My tattoo inspiration... and I want my colors to be red, green, and purple not blue.

My second tattoo I got in 2007 when we went to visit Chris at his new shop Electric Karma Tattoo in Murphy, NC.  Now anyone who knows me knows that one of my favorite things is Harry Potter.  So I had been thinking for about a year that I wanted a Harry Potter tattoo but I needed it to mean something more than just Harry Potter.  As most of you know my married initials are HP and my maiden initials are also HP. Yea no monogram changes for me after the wedding LOL!  So I decided to get my initials using a cool Harry Potter font.  So I searched around for an image and I found one with the H and P and the golden snitch swirling around it and that is what we went with.  I was going to have it outlined in red (for obvious reasons to any HP fan) but Chris felt that green would look better and well he was right the green looked awesome and since green is one of my favorite colors I was cool with it!  It is about as big as my hand and is located at the base of my neck in the center of my back.

My 2nd Tattoo

Close up of My 2nd Tattoo

In 2009 I had my first child, Nisee and ever since I have been wanting a tattoo with her name in it. And now that I am pregnant with my next child, Lacee I am even more determined to get a tattoo with their names in it. Before I go any further I want to share my philosophy on tattoos.  You should put tattoos in places that can be covered if you need to cover them and in places that you can show them off if you want too. I also do not think stomach tattoos are really a good idea either for obvious reasons.  So that being said my tattoos will be located mostly on my back.  I would consider a leg tattoo on my thigh or on the tops of my shoulders because those can be covered easily as well.  I would also consider a tattoo on my foot but I have heard those are really painful and IDK if I want to do that too my feet! LOL  For Chad I would be fine with him getting tattoos on his chest area as well because he can cover them with a shirt if he needs too.  He already has them on his back, upper arm, and covering one calf.  He also kinda feels the same way as me about this.  Once again this is just mine and his opinions and to each their own.  Chris has awesome tattoos all over his body and they are great BUT he is a tattoo artist and he isn't trying to make it in corporate America!

Back to my next tattoo!  At first I just wanted their names on my back and Chris said that you don't want just a bunch of random things so that got me thinking.  Randomly yesterday I figured out what I want and how I can tie in my love of Harry Potter, my HP tattoo, and their names.  In the first HP book The Sorcerers Stone, there is a quote about how Harry's mom loved him so much she sacrificed herself to save his life and that her love was so immense that it will give him protection in his very skin.  It is a really good quote and I just started thinking about it yesterday and I was like that is how I feel about my girls.  My love for them is beyond  measure and I will do whatever it takes to try to protect them so my new tattoo will be a shorter version of that quote and then underneath it I am going to get Nisee and Lacee's names and dates of birth.  I will leave room just in case we ever  have another child so that I can add their name and DOB as well.   I want the tattoo to flow across my back from one side of my HP tattoo to the other.  It's hard to explain but hopefully I will be able to get it done one day soon and then you can just see it! I also want it in a cool font that I found!  Here is the font I want and the quote. 

My 3rd Tattoo wording and font!  I listed Lacee's DOB as the 13th b/c if they deliver at 39 weeks that is the day! :)

However the only person who will ever tattoo me is Chris and with a toddler and a newborn it's going to be hard to get to Murphy! Murphy is 5 hours from here and that is a pretty long trip to take the kids on and then there is the issue with money. Good Tattoos aren't cheap but maybe we can swing a mountain vacation next summer!  It would be a lot of fun to go visit and My mom and Dad are talking about getting a motor home so maybe we could talk them into letting us borrow their motor home if they actually get one and if they have it by then!   So when I say I probably won't ever get it I am exaggerating I just mean that it won't be anytime really soon! 

Choices

I have had some thoughts and feelings about this for a long time but I haven't posted because well it is a senstive subject.  First let me say the birth of your child is your choice.   But my number one thing is that no matter what you choose you need to consider the safety of your baby first and foremost.  Due to Lacee's IUGR I have been frequenting the boards on Baby Center and other sites more often this pregnancy.  I actually saw one woman who was so scared of a c-section that she said she would rather risk the life of her child than have one. I think I would not be alone when I categorize her as Crazy with a capital C!  I have seen women who are choosing home birth options as well as using midwives instead of doctors and personally I don't agree with that for my own reasons.  I know there is research out there that supports the safety of these choices but I can't help but go to the extremes and I am just not willing to take the risk. 

I am for having an intimate experience with my OB's office and avoiding huge hospitals.  That is why I choose Thomasville OBGYN when I found out I was pregnant with Nisee.  The first visit I went to I met all the doctors and they were all nice and walking into Dr. Bryson's office above his desk is a large painting of Jesus walking with children.  That spoke a lot to me about the types of doctors I would be seeing.  Through out my pregnancy with Nisee they all knew my name and when I came in for my weekly visits they were knowledgeable about me and my baby.  Needless to say they didn't have to review my chart constantly about what was going on.  They were always there for me and never rushed me with any questions I had.  Thomasville Medical Center is just awesome!  I can not say enough about them!  I delivered Nisee there and Nisee has had 2 ear surgeries there and each time they were just awesome.

I had a C-section with Nisee because she was in distress.  Her heart rate dropped almost 30 points with each contraction I had and I wasn't even into heavy labor.  They put me on fluids which helped some but didn't stop it and I had been in labor for 13 hours and never dilated.  If I was at home there would have been no way for me to know that her heart rate was dropping with every contraction and that she was in distress.  Not only that but when they delivered the pediatrician who was in the room walked around to me and Chad and looked at us and said that if we had any doubts about proceeding with a c-section that we shouldn't have any now because she had meconium all over her face.  Now meconium in the womb is safe but outside its toxic and Dr. Williams was certain that had I delivered vaginally she would have ingested and spent time in the hospital because of it.  To me that was my sign that I made the right decisions for me and my baby!  No comment on how that would have turned out had I been at home.  Nisee was cleaned in the nursery with Chad while I was being sewn back together and when I got to my room there she was!  It wasn't terrible and I didn't feel cheated out of anything because I wasn't there while they got all the blood and yuck off her.  Actually it was a good bonding experience for her and Chad because he got to do all the stuff with washing her and learning about things with the nurse! 

When I got pregnant this time I went back to Thomasville with plans to deliver just like I did with Nisee but well that didn't turn out like planned. This pregnancy has been scary as hell and I am blessed to have her in my belly at 33 weeks today!  There was a time we were were just praying to get to 24 weeks so she would have some chance.  Now I see both Baptist Doctors and Thomasville Doctors.  I go to Baptist Maternal Fetal and they know me and are nice to me and remember me but nothing like Thomasville (well except Dr. Grandis).  I walk in and all the doctors know me, esp. Dr. Dorton! He tells me every time he sees me I read your report the other day... Shes still growing!  Keep it up!  Really how many doctors do this?! He doesn't have to look at my report until I am scheduled to meet with him but he takes time to do it anyways.  When I was 23 weeks and I met with Dr. Krisch he and I were talking about what was coming up and he took me by the hands and said "Know that we are praying for you!"  I mean really how many doctors do this?!  Dr. Ellis and Dr. Bryson have also said things and they are always very reassuring.  I am blessed to have this practice to go to and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I randomly decided to go to this practice and now I feel like God was pointing me this way.  If Lacee makes it to 38-39 weeks then I will deliver with them at Thomasville.  If we ever move I will probably still drive back here to Thomasville because I just love them.

However I will do what is in the best interest of Lacee (and any other children I might have) and to me that is to deliver in a hospital.  To me there are just too many risks to choose a home birth or a birthing center or not have a doctor.  Maybe it is just my experiences that give me such strong feelings about this. Maybe it is the experiences of my family.  Either way this is my choice.  I may think that your choice is crazy but I am not going to tell you that because you choose to deliver at home or use a midwife that you are nuts. So with that being said because I choose to deliver in a hospital and use doctors, do not act like I am uninformed and in some way less than you  You have your reasons and I have mine which I think I have laid out pretty well.  So to each their own.  I feel the same way about elective c-sections and inductions and let me tell you some women get really heated when you start talking about these things!  Ok that is enough of my soap box tonight.  I just couldn't keep it all in anymore!

1 Month Complete

Just wanted to update that Chad and I have both completed 1 month of our Bible reading plans!

Pinterest and UTI

I have a confession!  I am addicted to Pinterest.com! A link to my personal Pinterest site is in the "You gotta see these" section on the blog.  It is really cool so beware if you check it out because you might get addicted too!  I know some other friends who have also gotten addicted!

Also yesterday I thought I wasn't feeling good because of how busy I was at the shower on Saturday but then I just kept feeling worse and worse.  Today I still felt really bad and I was pretty sure what was going on but I had to make sure so I drank a bunch of water to see if it helped but it didn't so I called my OB and sure enough they wanted to see me.  And I was right ... UTI.  Dr. Ellis gave me a prescription to clear it up.  I was hoping to make it through this pregnancy with out one but I didn't.  I had one with Nisee which was pretty rough but I think I caught this one early!  This infection is really draining me on top of being pregnant.  I have been resting all evening thanks to my wonderful hubby for watching Nisee and I still feel like I could sleep for days!  Hopefully the meds will kick in and make me feel better tomorrow. 

Cedar Creek Campground and Hurricane Irene

Both my parents and my brother keep campers at Cedar Creek Campground which is the down of Sea Level, NC.  It is about an hour east of Morehead City where my sister lives on highway 70.

To give you an idea where it is at in relation to other areas

Closer up of the location of the town and you can see where the campground is exactly

So when Irene was slated to hit directly on the area they took off down there and they moved the campers inland a little ways but these campers are permanent campers so they aren't moved a lot and so they couldn't take them too far.  They did get them to higher ground and its a good thing they did.  Below are some pictures of the campground that one of my moms friends took.

Where boat landing was after water started receding

this is the steps of the store at the campground

This is the height of the water and yes that is the same fish cleaning station you just saw in the 1st picture

Road going into the campground

Water under the boat

same boat after the water went down

those are the owners houses in the back ground

More of the boating area

Just devastating

More flooding

My parents and brother got word today that the campers were not flooded but as for other damage they do not know.  They also heard that highway 70 is impassable because of trees, flooding damage, and down power lines.  So they don't know when they can get in to move the camper and see the damage.  My sister and Justin headed back to Morehead City today and they got word they will be with out power for up to a week!  My sister starts her new job as a nurse in a few weeks but in the meantime she was still waiting tables at the Channel Marker but due to damages it says closed until further notice.  My friend Brittany's husband Michael is a lineman for Duke Energy and he as been sent to the coast for at least 7 days to work on restoring power.  Please pray for him as he is going to not only be working in rough conditions but he is going to be away from his family and please pray for all those impacted by this storm!