Five on Friday

It's FIVE on FRIDAY time!

one.  We've been traveling around our great home state of ARKANSAS!  First stop, we visited Pops and Na and had a fantastic time.  

Vanilla tastes best when it's purple!  

two.  Can you spot the AG?  We were in Mardel's and AG said, "Mom! Mom!"  I swear I looked around to find her for like 45 seconds before I spotted her.  We got a good laugh!

Then Edy had to try!

three.  After a year long sabbatical from running (for a number of reasons), I'm back at it and loving it!!  Looking forward to some upcoming races in my future!

new kicks

the girls' new kicks

four.  The girls were sad to end swimming lessons, but they did a great job.

four.  We are now at my parent's wrapping up our AR trip.  Graham heads back to TX from Nicaragua  today and we will join him next week!  We haven't seen him in nearly THREE weeks and miss him!

Tat and the girls

I'm looking forward to a slow weekend and lots of family time!  Have a good one, y'all!

kale chips

I made kale chips for the first time and I'm pretty pleased!
I found a recipe on Pinterest that seemed easy enough.  You can check it out HERE.  I think my chips are a little overcooked even though I followed the recipe exactly (it could be the difference in our ovens).  The recipe called for a 425 degree oven with a cooking time of 45-60 minutes.  At about 25 minutes in, I realized that they needed to come out asap.  Next time, I will probably decrease my oven temp and lessen the cooking time.  Other than that, they are really pretty tasty and all the fam chomped down on them.

We've been pretty healthy eaters throughout our marriage and gradually we have made more and more healthy eating choices.  Although I ADORE me some fast food, (like, seriously!) I eat it sporadically.  I don't think that Arby's curly fries will kill ya every once in a while!  It's all about moderation!!   My kids eat really healthy, but I'm not opposed to letting them munch on some sugary goodness from time to time!  they.are.kids.  Basically, I was raised on Little Debbie's (ask my mom) and I turned out okay as far as I know!

Well......

I have to take a second to brag on my bff, my hubby!  

A few weeks ago, he buckled down and started a new work-out program, changed some of his eating habits (less snacking and smaller portion size), and to date he has lost 22 pounds.  Granted, it's not a good idea for husbands to diet while their wives are pregnant and putting on the pounds; I'm proud of him nonetheless!

life-n-pics

It's been a while since I uploaded any phone pics to my computer and to the blog.  I figure...if you follow me on Instagram you'll see the ones I take the time to post.  So for this phone dump entry, I'll share some non-instagrams...

Ready for this?

Gonna have no shame for a minute...

Y'all know I like to keep it real.  Ummm...don't know what to think about this one.  I wore that pink shirt the day AG was born (2007).  I believe it covered my entire belly (even though I gained a bunch more weight with her than I did with Edy or Joy).  I didn't wear the shirt when I was pregnant with Edy, but I guess there is a possibility it shrunk somehow!! Right? :)  I'm just four weeks away from meeting my little (or not so little) baby girl.

Edy @ AG's dance class
Isn't she pretty?

I upgraded to an iPhone5 and got a new phone case to go with it.  Thanks, Etsy! 

BTW, my bro-in-law introduced me to the DROP BOX app.  I like it SO much better than using the photo stream because my pics are always waiting for me on my desktop instead of the other way around.  It's a good app for me.

The "sick bug" has visited our home.  Not only have I had a terrible cough, scratchy throat, and "the crud", Edy got some sort of stomach virus that has been pretty terrible.  When I finish this post, I'm off to my bed because I got little to no sleep last night as I stood with her over the potty.  Poor kid. It was a long and tough night.

Fortunately, she started to act herself around 3PM this afternoon.  I'm hoping tonight is better and no one else gets that awful bug.

I've kept the girls separated most of the day in an attempt to make Edy rest *didn't work*.  I sat on the front porch swing (and breathed in the delicious pollen that makes my cough go nuts) and watched AG twirl and sing to her little heart's content.  just priceless.

 
*Just realized a few of these were Instagrams I've posted already.  Oh well.

phone dump...

the end.

follow-up

I meant to post a follow-up to my doctor's appointment last week.  Thankfully, my platelet count has gone up to around 126,000!  The platelet count still isn't in the normal range, but it's better than my initial blood work a few months ago and much higher than my blood work last month.  Praise the Lord!

{ouch}

Today was a big day around here.  Both girls had their wellness check-up and both girls got shots.  Yes, I'm the crazy momma who scheduled both of my children's shots for the same day.  

**FYI: AG is sort-of a wimpy kid.  Okay, before y'all get all judgmental on me, let me explain... Most four-year-olds are kinda wimpy, right?  I think AG could be more of a trouper--she seems to get her feathers ruffled over the smallest of things.** 

Sooooo, in preparation for the visit, I told her that she was going to get a shot, that it would feel kinda like a pinch (stretch?), and she needed to be brave.  Funny enough, she was looking forward to the appointment.  She was bragging to Graham and me about getting a shot.  At one point, she even jumped up and down exclaiming, "I'm getting a SHOT tomorrow!"  Needless to say, I felt like I had told a big ole fib to my precious four-year old because she has absolutely no recollection of past shots.

During the examination, AG seemed so pumped about getting a shot.  I know the nurse was confused by her enthusiasm.

After the doctor checked the girls, two nurses entered with FIVE shots for AG.  Ummm.....I was WAY off on that one--totally told my kid that she would only get one or two shots.

The nurses asked me to hug AG as they administered the shots.  First shot, nothing!  Second shot, tiny flinch.  Third shot, "Ouch, THAT HURT!" Fourth shot, tears began to fall.  Fifth shot, sobs!  For the record, I teared up a little, too. Maybe I'm the wimp.

Let me say, if I were four, I would be crying after five shots!  I was SO proud of my girl.  I take it back--she's not wimpy at all!!!  She is SO strong and brave! :)

Next up, Ro!  She only got one big shot in the leg.  She did really well, too.

After all of the excitement, we headed to the mall for some Chick-fil-A and a cookie. Then it was off to Walmart for a little treat--My Little Pony (the girls' latest obsession).
How many of you can drive those two-seater carts?  I am terrible--totally almost took out an elderly woman.

Stats for AG:

Weight: 39.9 lbs--69 percentile

Height:  42.5 inches--78 percentile

Stats for Ro:

Weight: 29 lbs--75 percentile

Height: 35.5 inches--87 percentile

Yoga Buddies

With the rainy and semi-cold weather, I have been forced to workout indoors.  It's been a while since I did Yoga (which I love) so I pulled out the ole mat and have been working muscles that have been dormant for a long while.  

The minute that mat came out, I had two VERY interested little girls.  They moved and twisted, laughed and giggled, flopped and fell.  Needless to say, I haven't been able to concentrate on my breathing, form, and relaxation.  But I enjoy my new Yoga buddies--they're pretty cool.

Having the girls workout alongside me reminds me of the days of old when I used to workout with my momma.  Remember this, Mom?  

Right now the girls are napping, so I'm off to do some uninterrupted Yoga before our session begins.

It's a Journey

About four years ago, I started looking more critically at our diet and what we consume on a daily basis.  Although little changes were made at the time, the seed was planted and I began to make minor tweeks in the grocery list and my daily food choices.  As the years have gone by, I have gotten more and more conscious about food....it can be pretty overwhelming, though!!

A few nights ago, I went to a breadmaking class.  Sounds easy enough, right?  No!  Instead, we learned about flour (the things that happen to manufacture it), salt and sugar (what the real stuff should look like), grains, etc. This class was VERY informative.  Not only do I need my own grain mill for making fresh whole grain flour, I also need a new mixer for kneeding my dough! (These items are very pricey so I will just have to deal for now.)

Along the lines of healthy living, I thought I would share some items that we have grown to love.  Of course, these things are all in addition to fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, smaller meat servings, no soft drinks, lots of water, etc...

****Barley Life Xtra:  The girls and I have a couple of tablespoons a day in our water or juice.  Although I'm not a huge fan of the taste, it does give me so much energy and the girls love their "green juice" concoction.

****Agave Nectar:  Great sweetener for cooking and enjoying. I like it in my coffee!

****Teeccino:  Tastes just like coffee without the caffeine or the acidity. I love it!!!!

****I think I see a juicer in my near future.  The girls drink a cup of Odwalla Superfood everyday for more fruits and vegetables mixed with the Barley Life and water.  We all love it!

Anywho...these are just a few of the many things we have changed in our diet.  I'm certainly not where I would like to be, but we try to get our foods as close to the whole food as possible.  I try not to get too wigged out about it just yet...that's the goal, though.  

Also, we try to stay active.  In my opinion, there is nothing like a good run.  I hope I can always run, it's my "me" time about four times a week and I am just a better person after a few miles....in more ways than one!

18 month check-up

Edy had her 18 month check-up (a little late) on Thursday. Here's a little update...

 She loved playing in the waiting room!

Fortunately, we are all caught up on shots, so other than a little finger prick to check for anemia there wasn't any major drama.

Stats:

Weight-26 lbs:  66 percentile

Height-33 in:  73 percentile

Edy is a talker and the doctor and nurses were very pleased with her speech development so far.  As a momma, you never get tired of hearing nice things about your kid!

She was asked to point to ONE body part, but made sure the doctor heard her say at least nine!

Click HERE to check out Ava Grace's 18 month check-up.

Making the best...

...of a pretty bad situation week.

I'll spare everyone the play-by-play, but Edy got sick on Sunday night, AG got sick on Tuesday night, and Graham got sick on Wednesday morning.  

Edy and AG have continued to get sick off and on since Tuesday.  AG has had it the worst and I feel terrible for her.  It has been bru-tal!

Through it all, we did manage to slip outside and have some much needed play time...

Graham did this to my sweet baby...

Check out this video of the girls playing in the pool:


If we tell Edy that we love her, she automatically comes to get kisses.  So sweet.

After swimming, this is where I found AG.

On a more serious note, please pray for sweet Ava Grace.  She really has been through the ringer.  I have been worried about her.  She won't eat or drink.  The few times that I have gotten her to drink or take a bite of dry toast, she gets sick.  I don't want her to get dehydrated.

As I write this  post, she is asleep on the couch.  It's 10:30am.  That is definitely out of the ordinary for my very active child!

Another Update...

There's no easy way to say this...

Yesterday, we lost our little one.  We are sad, but we know that God has a PERFECT plan.  I rest in the fact that God is in control and His plans are far greater than my own.

I have a peace--a peace that passes all understanding.  This only comes from God and through the prayers of His people.

Please continue to pray for us.  We will go back to the doctor later this week.

Update

Although my bleeding has increased, we did see our little one's heartbeat this morning.  The coming days are so uncertain--please continue to pray for us.

Ava's Drawing...

Ava Grace is getting so good better at drawing people.  Over a month ago, I asked her to draw our family on a card.  This is what I got...

[front of card]

Do we look happy?  Do we?

 [inside of the card]

Who's this little one, you ask?

\........................................../

\......................................./

\...................................../

\................................./

\............................../

\.........................../

\......................../

\....................../

\.................../

\................/

\............./

\.........../

\........./

\......./

\...../

\.../

\./

\/

 We ARE happy!

I had AG make this card so I could give it to Graham.  He loved the front of the card and stared at it for what seemed like a lifetime.  Finally, he opened it.  I will never forget his face--true joy!

***I wrote this  post last week  so I could  publish it when we were ready to tell the world our news.  But we have had a really rough week and we are asking for prayers right now. . .

I started to spot on Tuesday.  By Saturday, I was positive that we had lost the baby.  But today, we went to the doctor and my hcg levels were great and when he did the ultrasound the baby's little heart was just-a poundin'.  What a great thing; however, there is still a chance that we could lose the baby if I continue to bleed.  Please join us in praying for our little gift.  He/She is set to arrive on Graham's bday (Dec. 4).

NO MATTER WHAT--WE GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD!

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 137:3

Now hiring: Pediatrician Extraordinaire

Finding a new doctor flat out stinks!  I loved our doctors in Ft. Smith.  Seriously...I was SO pleased with every. single. one. Pediatrician, dentist, primary care, and my OBGYN--they were all so great.  I wish they would have just moved with me!!! My problems would be solved.  

Anywho, I sought some advice when looking for doctors here in East Texas.  I talked to some people in our church that are in the medical field--got their suggestions. I did some Internet searches--looked up credentials(Like I know what any of those acronyms stand for?? That's why I have Google, right?!). I even looked at ratings (not too trustworthy, though). Finally, I settled on a new pediatrician--felt real good about it.  Guess what?  Not taking new patients!  After a long pause, the receptionist gives me the names of the doctors that are taking new patients.  I couldn't ask her to tell me the best one, right? Trust me, I thought about it.  I decided to call back after I did some more research.

Even though the new pediatrician isn't Dr. Jon, I guess she will do... for now.  I'm still not certain if we are gonna mesh. We are still on a trial run period. You see, I ask questions and sometimes they may seem silly, but appease me please!  I want her time.  After all, I'm actually paying for it! (Yesterday...I felt rushed). I want her to CARE...really care--fake it if she has to. I want her to know how to relate to children.  Dr. Jon had a magic wand he let the kids play with...Where's her magic wand?? She acted clueless when the girls cried or wiggled.

All in all, she is definitely knowledgeable...I was able to gather that...even through her EXTREMELY high-pitched voice.  We will go back in a few months and give her another shot...no pun intended! chance.

Toys--check!  Clean carpet--check!

This was taken post-shots...Tough Cookie!

Ava Grace:

• 36.5 lbs. - 81 percentile for weight
• 39.75 in. - 82 percentile for height

Edy Rose:

• 21 lbs. 11 oz - 47 percentile for weight
• 29.75 in. - 65 percentile for height

Now... I'll save you ALL the details that led me to my new gynecologist.   I will tell you that he graduated from Hendrix and UAMS before finishing up his degree in Texas.  Also, I found out that he worked in a "small rural town in Arkansas" for a while.

Edy Grows - 10 months

Edy Rose, 

You're 10 months old today!  Just look at how much you've grown.  Ahh...you are just too cute for words.  

Here is what you have been up to this month:

• feeding yourself soft peas, bananas, and carrots
• sleeping 12 hours at night
• cutting your top two teeth at the same time (that makes 4 teeth total)
• standing solid without holding onto anything
• cruising around furniture with ease
• crawling faster than I can blink
• signing "more" when eating
• drinking juice/water from sippy cup
• pointing to lights when asked
• giving open mouth kisses
• saying "Mama", "Dada", and "Bye"
• gibber gabbering constantly
• enjoy looking at books--especially Moon Dance
• smiling a lot!

I can't believe we are only two months away from your first birthday.  I know I've said it before, but your first year has flown by too fast. 

I love you, Rose Bud,

Mommy

I've  had several people comment that they liked looking at the out takes from our monthly picture shoots.  Well, here they are.  Count 'em--all 27 of them.  Guess what?  The best picture out of all of them was the very first one! Ha!

I love my little wiggle worm!

MY Talking Points

We are finally getting settled here in East Texas.  There have been some challenges along the way, but we are starting to feel a little bit of normalcy creep back into the picture.  Last weekend, we got new car tags and driver's licences.  Boy, was that an experience.  I did my homework and gathered all the necessary materials before we left.  We stopped at an oil and lube to have our cars inspected.  To our surprise, I had a flat tire and Graham's car wouldn't start back up!  The attendant jumped Graham's car and everything seemed to be fine with it after that. We dropped my car off at Wal-mart and loaded everyone into Graham's car. Mistake. We headed to the Tax Assessor's office to handle business. Three hundred and sixty-four dollars later, we had our four car tags and were ready to get our new driver's licenses.  But wait...Graham's car wouldn't start.  You saw that coming, right?  By this time, we had two tired girls on our hands, tears galore, rude comments flying back and forth--FRUSTRATIONS MOUNTING, people! Ever been there? We were able to get a jump and get Graham's car to Wal-Mart.  Luckily, it was just a bad battery.  We picked up my car, complete with plug in tire, and headed to get our driver's licenses.  Four to six weeks from now, we should have our official Texas state driver's licenses in hand.  Whew, what a day.

No bites on our home in Fort Smith.  We are still praying that a buyer will come along soon.  We have had several lookers recently, but nothing major.  This is where being a home owner can be frustrating.

I came down with a bad cold about a week ago.  I went to the doctor (glad I found one beforehand) and she gave me some advice, but didn't prescribe anything because I'm still nursing.  As colds usually do with me, it turned into a sinus infection. Brutal.  I'm now on antibiotics and starting to get some relief......sl.ow..ly.....

Oh yeah...to top it all off, Graham and I have poison ivy!  I've never had it before and there are a ton of myths around it, but I went straight to trusty ole' Wikipedia to get the truth answers.  I was most concerned about the girls chances of getting it.  Hopefully, they are in the clear.  According to WebMD, they should be.  As for Graham and me, we're trying not to scratch!

We don't have TV.  I didn't think I would miss it much because I have the Internet, but it's just not the same.  I really miss PBS Kids for AG--she loved her morning line-up.  Other than that, it's not so bad.  I missed the whole debacle on The View,  but checked it out via Hulu anyway.  I am SO TIRED, sick and tired, of politically correct NONSENSE!!!!  I don't like to get political on the blog, but... so I won't.

Ahh....what else?  Oh, I've done a ton of reading over the last six weeks.  It's been nice.

I don't have a closure for my ramblings. I guess that's it!

It has been one of those weeks!

Well, we are here--in Texas.  It has been a crazy week! 

The guys loaded our moving truck all day on Monday.  I am so glad we hired people to load our things.  They did a good job!  Tuesday was moving day.  We woke up, finished cleaning our empty house, and headed to Jacksonville.  It was very sad to leave our home.  I couldn't believe that I got so emotional--but I did.  I walked back to the nursery and cried.  Both of my babies came home to that room.  It was tough.  We pulled out of Fort Smith at 9:30am and made it to Bullard, Texas around 5:15pm.  It was a long ride.  When we got to our new place, lots of church guys were there to help us unload.  They were quick.  The rest of this week, I have been working on unpacking.  I feel like I have moved a mountain.

On another note...how bad is our health care?  SO BAD!  Since I am not teaching right now, we have a private health care plan.  Guess what? They denied any treatment for kidney stones AND Graham's back issue.  WHAT?  Kidney stones aren't preexisting.  Plus, Graham has not had surgery for his back in almost ten years AND he doesn't take any meds for his condition.  UGH!!!! I could just scream!  When Graham questioned the kidney stone exemption, the representative said that they denied it because it was reoccurring.  Really?  We get colds each year, too.  What's next?  Are you gonna deny treatment of colds, too?

By the way, since we are living in the country, we have little to no cell service and no Internet.  We are working on the Internet thing, so I will be away from the computer for a bit.  I ran up to the church to catch up on emails, etc. 

Sorry for the ramblings, I gotta get to Walmart and then we are headed to Tyler to look for a new couch!  I'll blog when I can. 

4 month check-up

Honey, we got a big un!  Which is no surprise to me--Ava Grace was the same way.  In fact, their monthly stats are almost identical.  It's amazing.

16 pounds--91st percentile
24.5 inches long--97 percentile

It's a PAIN!

Well, I'm alive, but after a long couple of days I'm flat exhausted.  Yes, I had yet another visit from the dreaded kidney stone devil.  I went to the emergency room late Sunday afternoon in severe pain.  I have had seven or eight instances with kidney stones in my past, but this was by far the worst.  I can't even describe the unbelievable amount of pain I've had to endure.  I know this all sounds so dramatic, but at one point I remember crawling around on the hospital floor due to the pain. Pain can make you crazy...seriously! After the CT scan confirmed the obvious, the doctor suggested that I stay the night in the hospital and try to pass the stone on my own.  I was in and out of pain throughout much of Sunday night and Monday morning and I never passed the stone.  Last night, I had surgery to remove it. I spent Monday night in the hospital and dealt with nausea--brutal! I'm doing much better today.  Fortunately, I did not need a stint this time and my milk production is starting to increase (such a blessing with a whirlwind of emotions attached). Needless to say, it has been tough, but I've had a lot of help. I'm thankful to the Lord for the people He put in my path these past couple of days.

Afternoon Walks

I'm loving this weather and our afternoon walks together!