Swine Flu and a Fender Bender

I am so sick of hearing about the Swine Flu! In the beginning I really thought the media needed to shut up because we all know whether they're talking about the weather or an outbreak they really know how to exaggerate. So I was irritated thinking this was not as big a deal as they were making it but now I don't want to go anywhere! Actually I don't want to take Keaton anywhere! I just heard about the toddler that was recently at the Galleria and he just died from the Swine Flu at Texas Children's Hospital! So now I'm washing our hands and being cautious about it like the rest of the country! Stay well people!!

Even though I second guess taking Keaton anywhere public (like a mall, etc) I did take him to Pump It Up today to get some energy out and jump around! The weather has been yuck and we've been inside all week so I wanted him to be able to run and play. On our way I was stopped at a red light for about 2 min when all of a sudden, BAM, I got rear ended! I got out and told the guy to follow me into a nearby parking lot so we could exchange information. I was so annoyed! It's not like I came to an abrupt stop, I had been stopped for minutes so he just wasn't paying attention. What made me more annoyed was that he just kept smiling and laughing as if this was funny. He was a Japanese man who barely spoke English so trying to talk to him got old too. That's what made me decide to call the cops so they would have it documented that it was his fault because I felt like he wasn't understanding a word I said and if I didn't have a witness he might not pay for the damages. The cop was very nice and said I did the right thing. Luckily, besides my sore neck, everyone was OK and it really wasn't a big deal, just irritating! =) Buckle up!

Catch Up...

If I go a week without blogging it seems like forever! Lots has been going on and I'm just too lazy to sit down and write about it all! =) I guess I'll do that now...

Last Friday Kyle and I took Keaton to the zoo. I was so excited! I've been wanting to go to the zoo for years!!!! I haven't been since I was a little girl and the only thing I remember was watching the hippos, they were my favorite!

So we head out to the zoo, ready to pay $26 for all 3 of us to get in but as luck would have it a lady came up to us and asked us if we were zoo club members. We told her no and she said that she was a member and could get us in for free with her card, YIPEE! Great start to the day! We walked around the zoo and although it was a wonderful, beautiful day spent with my boys, the zoo isn't nearly as exciting as I remember. I don't know what I was expecting but geez, all you do is walk from cage to cage and look, then move on to the next. They didn't even have any hippos and the animals are usually lying down doing nothing so it's not too exciting. What was great was seeing my 2 boys ride the Carousel together, having a picnic with them, and seeing Keaton be amazed by the elephants! Don't get me wrong I did really enjoy the zoo, it was a really nice day spent together! I could do anything and as long as I'm with my two boys, it's a good time! =)

Mommy and Keaton acting like prairie dogs!

Waving to Mommy!

He was exhausted!!

Saturday night we went to our friends Erin and Ian's couple shower and it was a lot of fun! We hadn't seen some of them since we moved back so it was great to get together with everybody like old times! I feel so blessed to have the friends I do! =)

Sunday we went to church and dropped Keaton off at the 2 year olds room for the first time. He took it like a champ by giving us a kiss, waving goodbye, and heading straight for the toys. He loves it anytime he gets to play with other kids and new toys! =) At the end of church a man went to the front with his daughter and son to accept Christ and become a member of the church. What an amazing example he was setting for his children by doing that in front of the whole church! They'll remember that forever!

In baby-belly land everything is good! I'm feeling more movements which I love!! I still can't believe I'm going to have 2 kids! I wonder if this one will look like Keaton? I hope so! =) I think it's so cute when siblings all look alike. My sisters and I don't look much alike and either do Kyle and his brothers so we'll see about these 2 squirts! I just can't wait!

17 Weeks 3 Days

Baby #2 Update:

• Is about five inches long from head to rump and weighs 5 oz.
• Has begun to develop the all-important adipose tissue -- more affectionately known as baby fat.
• Is hard at working transforming its skeleton from soft cartilage into solid bone.

I'm now 17 weeks and 3 days and feeling great! We met with our doctor here for the first time yesterday and I love her! She is so nice and spent a lot of time with us asking questions and making us feel real comfortable. The heart rate was 140 this time (170 last time!) and it was so wonderful to hear it! I haven't been to the doctor since I was 10 weeks so your mind starts to play tricks on you and think of bad things so it was so nice to hear that everything was going great! We go back in 4 weeks for our next appointment and ultrasound. This would be the big ultrasound where we find out the sex but of course we wont be hearing that part! =)

Keaton will now lift up my shirt and point to my belly if we ask him where his baby is. He says, "Hi baby!" while waving to my belly and then he gives it a kiss. It's so cute! I'll have to get it on camera soon!

Hallelujah!!!

Praise God!!! My friend Cara just posted the BEST blog EVER!! After 7.5 months her husband has just returned home safely from his deployment. He is not only her hero but my hero and so many other peoples hero too! I am so thankful for every single person that fights for our country and I hope they know how much we appreciate them! Thank you Patrick and thank you to all the other Americans who have served this country! We love you and support you all!! God Bless America and may God protect our soldiers!!!

WELCOME HOME P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out Caras blog HERE!

Poop!!

Yes, poop!! If talking about poo isn't your style then I suggest you don't read this post, but it is pretty funny!

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "dropping a deuce". Well if you haven't, it's a VERY classy way of saying, "going poo"! About 2 days ago Keaton was outside playing with his toys and then he turned to me and said, "Momeeee, I got deuce!". I just started cracking up! The things kids repeat! I just said, "OK, let's go change your diaper." and he said, "K", like it was no big deal at all. =)

Then yesterday I put him down for his nap and he was quiet for about 10 min and then I hear, "Momeeee!" so I go upstairs to check on him and he has poop smeared all throughout his hair, on his face, all over his hands, and down his legs. I just kept repeating, "OH DEAR!" as I picked him up and carried him to the tub. He kept repeating me and it was too cute to hear his little voice say, "OH DEAR, I got poop!" We got him cleaned up and back to a clean bed but what an event. This is the second time for this to happen in a two week period so now I know it's time to go up a size in diapers!

Hope I didn't gross you out too bad! Oh, the stories you share once your a mother... =)

7 Years Ago

On April 13, 2002 I drove from College Station, TX to Ft. Worth for an acting seminar. I was so excited about it and the day couldn't have gone better! I learned so much and even received a standing ovation from the casting director that was putting on the class. =) I was pretty proud and on cloud nine by the time I left the seminar that afternoon.

I had about a 3 hour drive back to College Station and I was going to meet up with Kyle at our friends house because it was parents weekend and we were all having fajitas and margaritas together (my parents both worked that weekend so they didn't make it). I started home but soon stopped to get gas and a drink then I called my parents and left a very bubbly message about how well the acting class had gone and that I missed them. I made a wrong turn somewhere along the way and had to call and ask Kyle what direction I was supposed to be driving in (I get lost everywhere!). The last thing I remember was driving and singing along to Britney Spears but the next thing I knew I was waking up in the Waco, TX hospital.

When I woke up I was crying and couldn't really move. There was a police officer in my room and I remember asking him what had happened. He sat down next to me and said, "You don't remember? You were hit head on by a drunk driver". I started crying even harder as I remembered seeing headlights right in front of me but it was too late and there was nothing I could do.

The rest of the evening is a blur. I remember people asking me if I was pregnant as they took me into x-ray after x-ray (you're not supposed to have x-rays if you're pregnant). My back and legs hurt so bad I could barely move. I asked one of the residence there if he could stay and hold my hand as they cleaned the glass out and stitched up my head and arm. Kyle and his parents got there before I knew it which made things a lot better! Then my parents and sisters arrived a while later.

Each of them have their own story of where they were and how the received the dreadful news. Kyle and his parents were at the party and Kyle kept calling me because he knew I should have been their already. He kept getting my voicemail and was starting to get worried. He then heard the news from my mom and roommate at the time and he and his parents rushed to Waco. My mom went through every parents' worst nightmare when she picked up the phone and someone said, "This is officer ___, your daughter has been taken to the hospital after a head on collision". She was a mess and couldn't even function after that! My parents were in one car, sisters not far behind and they both got pulled over by the same cop but they told him of the wreck which he had heard about over the radio and he let them go.

I started to remember more about the accident once I was back home. I remember people stopped to help me and stayed with me the whole time. I remember voices saying, "It's OK sweetie, we're going to get you out!", and then I remember singing, The Lord Will Be My Shepard (a great song we always sing in church) the whole way to the hospital. Whenever I would stop singing it my body would start shaking and the paramedic would say, "Keep singing sweetie, keep singing!". Poor people had to listen to my voice the whole way! My voice is bad when I'm healthy, I can't imagine what it sounded like after a brutal car wreck!

Later I got to talk to the paramedic and the people that stopped to help me on the road. What angels they were that day! The people that witnessed the wreck were driving behind the lady, Cynthia-aka bitch, that hit me. They knew she was drunk because she was slowing down then speeding up and swerving all over the place. They were trying to call 911 for the last 10 minutes but didn't have any service then all of a sudden they said her car turned hitting mine instantly. My car spun down the road 4 times then hit a guardrail and stopped on the side of the road next to the ditch. They instantly had service (thank God!) and called 911 and then ran to help me. I thought I was unconscious the whole time but she said, "Oh no, you talked to us! You asked me to hold your hand and we said a prayer together. Then you just started singing girl!" =) That was when I learned that The Lord Will Be My Shepard song began in my car, not just in the ambulance so unfortuantly more people than I thought had heard me singing! =) God never left my side though! The hospital was 30 min. away and once they arrived they had to use the "Jaws of Life" to get me out.

The first month afterwards I was in utter pain! Kyle and my mom were the best nurses I could have ever asked for! As for Cynthia, she was a 40 year old woman who was 3x over the legal limit. She went to the hospital too but left shortly after she arrived because of course the drunk is never injured! It took until December for her to finally receive any jail time but I really hope she learned her lesson. Oh and did I mention she didn't have insurance either?? Yeah she was a real winner.

It took me a long time to get back to normal, physically and emotionally. I cried A LOT! I cried when I saw wrecks on the news, I cried the first time I drove, I woke up from dreams crying, I was a mess! Post traumatic stress for sure! It took me a while to drink again. The firsts time we went out I cried (to Kyle not a big public scene!) because I knew 1/2 the people in that bar would drive home drunk. I then decided that I wanted to write Cynthia and tell her what I thought. Doctors can't tell other people about patients so she really had no idea if I was hurt or not and I wanted to let her know. I wrote a letter and included pics of all my injuries and of my car so she could see what she did. I never heard back from her but I'm sure she read it just out of curiosity. After that I felt 100% better and really healed emotionally!

Don't drink and drive people!! I feel so blessed to have lived these last 7 years that I otherwise might not have seen. Thank you God for saving my life! I know he was with me that night protecting me because it could have been so much worse! Always tell the people you care about that you love them because you just never know what could happen! I always asked myself what would have happened if I hadn't taken that wrong turn?? I probably would have been 5 min. ahead of where I was and it wouldn't have happened. So weird to think about but proof to me that God is in control and what is meant to happen to you will happen and when it's not your time to go, it's just not your time to go!!

Here's a few pics, once I find what computer the others are on I'll upload those!

Happy Easter!!

I always think of Christmas as the big religious holiday, the main event if you will. But this Easter I've really been thinking about the true meaning of this holiday and I'm just in awe! What an amazing God!! Just imagining that day and how the people of Christ rejoiced when they learned of his resurrection! What a great day that must have been! =)

I'm very determined to teach my kids the true meaning of each religious holiday instead of just focusing on Santa or the Easter Bunny. Of course I love those parts too and they will be a huge part of our celebrations but I want to read my kids the stories from the Bible and really make sure they know why we have these special holidays. Keaton is of course a little young to understand and he just thinks it's cool that he gets to look for eggs and throw them in his basket! =) We did take him to church with us this morning and he did great! He even got some compliments from people around us about what a good boy he was.

Keaton had 3 egg hunts this year. One with a playgroup earlier in the week, one yesterday at my sisters house with his cousins, and then one today at Kyle's brothers house. He had a blast at all of them and got some yummy candy and snacks! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! God bless yall!!

Isn't That MY House???

Every time I came home to visit from Colorado I would drive by our old house and stare for a while. We're still friends with all our neighbors that live by that house so occasionally I'm on the cul-de-sac for a real reason, like visiting friends, rather than just being a house stalker!

Today I was in that area with Keaton and decided my "drive by" was well overdue! I turned onto the street and noticed the garage door to OUR house was opening so I couldn't do the usual (where I stop in front of the house and just sit and stare) because that would just be weird with them right there. So instead I did a very slow turn around on the cul-de-sac all the while staring at the house and looking at what they had done with the inside of the garage, etc.

I felt like I should have pulled up in the driveway and just said, "OK, we're back, time for yall to go!" I still feel like that is MY house and we just let them live in it for a while. Kyle and I picked that floor plan, that lot, chose the brick color, the tile color, the backsplash, the carpet, laid the sod down throughout the HUGE backyard...you get the picture! We had barbeque's, holiday get- togethers, watched my belly grow and then brought our first son home from the hospital to that house! That house means so much to me!

I remember the last day we owned it I walked through each empty room and just cried! I cried because I could visualize Keaton crawling down our entry and all the other memories I had of him as a baby in that house. I eventually got over it and knew we'd make new memories somewhere else but still, that house will always be my favorite and mean so much to me!

So although I'm aware that the house is no longer ours, it will always be to me in a way and I plan to continue my "drivebys"! =)

Bringing Keaton home from the hospital with a big "Its A Boy" sign on the garage!

The last picture of us in his (empty) room.

Bye, Bye house!! (It was actually SOLD, not just For Sale, by this pic)

FYI- it was only on the market for 5 days, yup...it's that great! =)

You Know You Want To...

Many of you know about my friend, Cara, who has Cystic Fibrosis but let me tell you a little more! First of all if you were to meet her you would never know she was living with a disease! She is always smiling, laughing (I can actually hear her laugh in my head when I see a picture of her giggling!) and lives her life to the fullest! Cara and I met in 6th grade when we started Jr. High and became great friends. Most of my favorite memories consist of slumber parties, swimming in her pool, good ole' Jr. High dance parties, and I do recall a spaghetti fight or two! Now my times with Cara are mostly spent online since we live in different states but we do get to have the occasional dinner out or a bowling extravaganza when she is in town! We also get together for the annual Great Strides walk which I'm really looking forward to! Not only do we get to walk, talk, catch up, and act silly but we also raise money for Cara and the thousands of other CFers so that we can find a cure!! It feels really good and I know you want that warm, fuzzy feeling too! =)

The average CFer lives to be 37 and Cara is 27. Can you imagine? That is just unacceptable! They really are making advancements everyday to get close to finding a cure and the future for CFers is looking up! The walk is in May and that is really sneaking up on me! I need to get busy if I want to reach my goal! Please donate as little or much as you can to help find a cure!

You can CLICK HERE to make your donation.

What a difference it would make if everyone that read this just donated $5!! Thanks again, I appreciate it more than you know!! Help CF stand for Cure Found!!!!!

Here's the new 2009 video for Cara and our team...Watch it! =)

Baby-N-Belly

This week in Baby's world:

• now measures about 4 inches long and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple!)
• legs are growing longer than the arms now, and they can move all of their joints and limbs.
• eyelids are still fused shut but they can sense light.
• has started "breathing" amniotic fluid in through its nose and respiratory tract, giving those lungs some very early practice for the real thing.

I'm still feeling great! I can really feel my stomach starting to grow but I'm still in that in between stage where maternity clothes are still big and your belly doesn't scream, "I'm pregnant!", just yet! I THINK I've felt a few flutters but I don't know if it's really the baby yet or not. Hopefully in the next week or two I'll start feeling it and know without a doubt! =) Pregnancy really is God's greatest miracle! It blows me away! What an awesome God! =)

I leave you with my first belly pics and I must say I feel WAY bigger than these pics look!!

15 weeks 1 day