Goings On.

Well, I can't believe how quickly the time is passing by. Mason is now 3 months old and is such a strong, solid little boy. He is cooing, bringing his hands together and is able to prop himself up on his elbows. We are still nursing - I can't tell you how excited I am that I have stuck with it for so long...nobody tells you just how freaking hard breastfeeding is during the first couple of weeks, especially when you get mastitis THREE times like I did with Brianna, but it is all worth it in the end.
Anyway, so my sweet Brianna is now registered to begin preschool in September. I don't know if I am ready for this. If she would've been born just 44 days later, I wouldn't be enrolling her for another year, but I think it will be very beneficial for her to have the experience, so I am also excited. She will be at a Christian school that goes all the way up to 12 grade! If we had endless amounts of money, I would so send her to this school until she graduated, it is awesome. She will go two days a week for three hours at a time. In the last few weeks, she has really expanded her vocabulary and loves to count and has learned her colors from painting with watercolors. She loves to play with playdough and watch the Chipmunks and Care Bears.

Work has been going well. I am always booked and I still really enjoy it. I've been staying at home a lot because it's just too hard to get out with the two kids in the freezing cold. So, I've been trying to reinvent my style a little. I'm back to my old size, so I've been shopping :). I bought these and some black and charcoal leggings. I realized I didn't have any boots to wear with these items, so after some research I bought these, which I have to say, I'm just a little bit obsessed with them at the moment. I loved them so much I bought another pair in black. They have to be the most versatile boot ever. I realize that a lot of people are haters, but they are just so darn comfy!
I also got a bunch of plaid shirts in various styles along with a few basic tanks to go under the shirts and cardigans. I love this one and this one in chalk. For the spring, I am liking the boyfriend tank with a lightweight scarf, the slub-style tanks with a tube bra, short-sleeved sweaters, cardigans and buttoned style shirts as well as flowy sleevless cardigans over a tank top.
Well, parental duties call, and I definitely have to go.

Randomness of the Day

In an attempt to get some computer time to myself, I let Brianna paint in the bathroom this morning when she comes running to me and says, "Look, Mama!" and shows me her beautifully painted fingernails. She did a pretty good job I must say. This isn't anything out of the ordinary, she is ALWAYS doing silly things like this and saying, "Look, Mama!" I just thought I'd document it this time. :) Oh, my sweet baby girl, what would I do for entertainment without you?




My little buddy is tuckered out from crying all afternoon and evening yesterday.


I am now a brunette thanks to Majirel 5N and 6.24...We'll see how long this lasts.

2009

Yes. It's been a long time. 2009 turned out to be a pretty great year for us.

***This is long***


First and foremost, we have a new addition:
Mason James Green was born on Nov. 19, weighing in at 7lbs. 14oz. and 21 1/4". I never thought I'd have a baby that big with Brianna being born at only 5lbs. 2oz. Let me just say, the stretch marks are abundant. :( Oh well, he's worth it! We got pregnant on the first try with this one which was a blessing because it took a year to get pregnant the first time only to have a miscarriage at 10 weeks, and then another 7 months to get pregnant with Brianna. We also had another miscarriage between the two. I was a little worried, so I was SO excited when I saw those two little pink lines, and a total worry wart throughout the entire pregnancy.











I had hoped to blog during my pregnancy so I could kind of document the experience, but that just didn't happen. I do know that with Mason I was sickly for the first 12 weeks. Just kind of felt like I had a mild case of the flu. It really started to get old because the feeling never went away. The second trimester I had the appetite of an elephant. I think I gained 15 lbs. in just 3 months! I also craved candy. I couldn't go to the store without buying a bag. I do have a sweet tooth, but not that bad! I was really hoping it was just the hormones and I was right, I don't have that craving anymore. I felt the first flutters at 14 weeks and started showing around 12 weeks. The third trimester was just uncomfortable, especially at the end. It's a lot different having to tote a 23 lb. toddler around with you when your 8 and 9 months pregnant! The threat of swine flu had me freaked out, so we didn't go to church at all during this time, and when I would go shopping, I would wipe everything down with a anti-bac wipe and went through almost two bottles of hand sanitizer. I had my hospital bags packed at 35 weeks expecting labor to begin or my water to break early again, which made it worse every day there still wasn't a baby. He ended up being three days late...agony.

Labor and delivery went very well. We went to the Medical Center of the Rockies this time. The hospital was completed in 2007, after Bri was born, so we wanted a different experience this time. The facility was very nice, it felt like a hotel stay rather than a hospital stay with the wood floors, 42" flat screen TVs and steak dinner. One thing I really missed this time was the complimentary post-birth massage. Anyway, I went into labor naturally this time instead of being induced after my water broke with Brianna. I was feeling kind of crampy around 2:00 in the afternoon, so I took a nap while Brianna napped, when I woke up, it was a little more intense. I knew I wouldn't have time to go grocery shopping after Mason was born, so I quickly went to Wal-Mart to get last minute groceries. While there, I began having a pattern of contractions which I timed at 7 minutes apart. I phoned my mom and told her that she might want to come get Brianna. At 7:00, I took a really long shower and got ready to leave for the hospital. I tried calling my doc around 8:30 but the answering service was malfunctioning, so we just left for the hospital. At that point the contractions were 2 and 3 minutes apart. I had just gone to the doctor the day before and I was 3 1/2 centimeters dilated and 90% effaced. When they checked me at the hospital I was still 90%, but 6 centimeters. The nurse kept having trouble with the contraction monitor on my belly, so I don't think it was properly picking up my contractions because she told me I had only had 2contractions in the first 20 minutes I was there. I was in disagreeance. There was actually talk of sending me home! After they had me walk around the birth center, I was in a ton of pain with contractions coming one on top of the other. I told them I wanted an epidural. After 4 tries and a blown vein with an IV, they had to call someone up from the ER to get an IV in me. It took 45 minutes for her to get up there and then some more time for me to get a half-a-bag of fluid in me before I finally got my epidural. I was in full-blown constant labor at that point with back labor(that was fun) and could no longer concentrate and breath through my contractions due to all the needle poking and shivering (once the cold bag of fluid started entering my system). The nurse checked me right before I got my epidural and I was dilated between 9 and 10 centimeters. There was still a rim of cervix left to thin out at that point or I could've started pushing after the epidural was in place. So for the next two and 1/2 hours, Adam watched a movie and I laid in bed in various awkward and uncomfortable positions to keep Mason's heart rate happy. The back labor and pressure unfortunately didn't really go away, even with the epidural. :( Once I was ready to go, Mason was out after about 15 minutes of pushing. He was born at 2:55 am. Happy Birthday Mason!

Life with two little ones has proven to be a challenge for me. I have to admit, my temper is quite short these days...Adam would agree :) Mason is a bit of a fussy baby and Brianna has always been a very strong-willed little girl. The two combined can stress me out at times. Thankfully, Adam had a ton of vacation time last month, so he has been a huge help. Thanks be to God for my sweet, patient hubs. Mason is nursing about every three hours and sleeps anywhere from 3 to 6 hours at a time during the night. Brianna has adjusted pretty well to having to share the attention. She is such a sweet big sister, always wanting to help. We pretty much had her potty trained prior to Mason's arrival, and were on our way to being binky-free...but there has been a litte reversion. Anyway, life has slowed down a bunch, but we are thankful for two sweet, healthy little kiddos. We have settled into our little routine and Mama thinks she'll be okay for four days while Daddy is in Orlando on business later this month.

On to other things:

Brianna turned 2 in July. She is so grown up. *tear* We estimate she is going to be about 5' 7 or 8" if you double her height. She weighd only 20 lbs. forever and finally is at about 23 now. So, tall and lean and pretty she will be(poor Daddy) She loves "cha milt" (chocolate milk), which is actually chocolate instant breakfast, grits, cheese and chicken nuggets. It also appears that I have passed down the candly-loving gene to her as well! She likes to sing and dance, paint and play with play-doh, and is curious about EVERYTHING. Just ask her about getting into Nona's purse and about Mom and Dad's TV! She loves to mimick just about everything that mommy and daddy do - I can tell she is going to be a girly-girl, always wanting her nails polished and getting into my make-up bag. Tigger and Pooh, Handy Manny and Curious George are among her favorite TV shows. She loves for "Bobba" (Grandpa) to push her all over their house in her Dora car and playing airplane. She gets to spend time with Nana every friday while I'm at work. (I'm working fridays and saturdays right now.) This summer, we spent a lot of time at the neighborhood pool. Her favorite was the hot tub though. I think it was mainly because it was a generally cool summer. This year I would like to get her enrolled in a ballet or gymnastics class and she will be taking swim lessons this summer.

We were not able to go anywhere on vacation this year, but Nona and Papa came to visit in July for Brianna's birthday and again in December to see Mason. Hopefully we can all get out to Alabama this year so his aunts and uncles and cousins can meet him too. I wouldn't mind a side beach trip for Adam and me either.

With Adam's job depending on the health of the new home-building market, yhings got a little scary there for awhile. After a lot of hard work, he was able to get DR Horton to switch over to Sherwin-Williams. DR Horton is one of the few home-builders that has managed to stay afloat this year. Adam will reap the rewards for that switch throughout the year, so we are thankful for a renewed state of security. Adam is also enjoying his new Ford Fusion, compliments of Sherwin-Williams. He got it two days before Christmas and it is the first "brand-new" car we have ever owned.

We had hoped to put the house on the market by now, but we would still be severely in the hole if we sold right now, so we wait. We are quickly running out of room but Adam cleaned out the basement and made a workshop/workout area in the basement. We got a new kid-friendly sofa sectional, so we put the old couches down there and laid out carpeting to make it a little less "basementy." :) Speaking of running out of room, I had to trade-in my little VW for a bigger SUV. We ended up with an Acura MDX. It was between that and a Honda Pilot. We were going for a smarter buy this time, something that's going to last and retain it's value. We only got $5000 for that car! Oh well, I'm glad we're in this car now. The carseats are so big that I have to put Brianna clear back in the third row seating for the time being. For those of you who want to go out and buy the biggest, safest carseat for their kids, make sure it fits in the car first.

As an afterthought, I turned 30 in Nov., woo-hoo. Maybe Adam and I will go to Vegas for a weekend since we never celebrated his 30th either. The whole holiday season is a blur for me. I'm sorry for Brianna because this is the first year that she got excited and realized what was going on, and we didn't establish any traditions this year like I had hoped. No Santa visit, no elf on the shelf, no advent calendar, no Christmas play or movie or anything like that. We did make cookies though...oh well, there's always next year. Here are some pics of the kids on Christmas.





So, I normally don't make New Year's Resolutions, but I would like my theme for this year to be "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." I don't want to freak out if the house gets a little messy, or if Brianna makes a mess, or if I'm late to an appt. or if I can't find that stupid shirt I wanted to wear or whatever. I did waaayyy too much freaking out this last year. Partly because of my hormones, but I've noticed it's becoming more frequent that I get stressed out easily over stupid stuff. I also want to try to blog more, spend more time with the Lord, and be more creative and outgoing when it comes to activities I do with my kids. Lastly, like everyone, I want to get back into shape. Gone are the days of my nice tight, 20 year old body, but I definitely need a little tweaking. :)

Happy New Year everybody!

Holy Pain in the Mouth.

***Warning, the following contains a lot of whining. Also, do not read if you still have your wisdom teeth.*** So, I went to get my wisdom tooth extracted this morning... I'm not sure I ever want to go to the dentist ever again. The dentist/orthodontist has never been a problem for me, mind you. Three years ago, I had my lower left, partially impacted wisdom tooth out - easy as pie. I even had a filling done while I was at it and went grocery shopping afterwards. This time around, not so much. I literally feel like my jaw is broken. It took 20 minutes of tugging, pulling, sawing, cracking...I'd rather give birth. I got home and took some pain meds and got into bed. As the local wore off, I could feel the pain settling in until I literally couldn't take it anymore - I was moaning - luckily I was the only one in the house or I'm sure Brianna would've been scared to hear her mommy like that. Then, I break out in a rash from the pain med and get a fever - lovely. Well, lucky for me, I have since found a comfortable position in bed and am managing the pain with just 4 ibuprofen. There's something so wrong about paying $200 just to feel so crappy. Anyway, my sweet hubs is currently making me my favorite potato leek soup and I feel like the worst is behind me...Yay! Now, just to keep that blood clot in there :)

Reflections on the FP Bush

What an interesting week we have had. It is so amazing that we have come so far as a nation that we now have an African-American president. I pledge my full support to our new president and I will be continually praying for him over the next 4 years. It was sad for me to see the Bush's depart Washington - the disrespectful booing and bashing was totally uncalled for. Those people only wish they had as much class as Mr. and Mrs. Bush. I am so proud of Mr. Bush and the difficult job he has had to endure for the past 8 years. It was comforting to know that we had a God-fearing, Bible-reading leader who always prayed about the decisions he made - even if it wasn't always the popular decision. I also am thankful that he made a strong effort to protect our unborn babies as best as he could and was able to keep our country safe from the ever-present threat of terrorism. So, THANK YOU President Bush, I hope you and your family can finally rest and enjoy life as it should be!

This is All You Get For The Next 30 Days!

Since it has been over a month since I last updated my blog, I'd say that I officially suck at this blogging thing. I am also constantly in awe of how creative and candid people can be with their blogs, and well, I'm sorry to disappoint all 5 of you faithful readers! The beginning of a new year has come and gone since my last posting, I decided I would not do a resolution this year since I never seem to be able to stick with it.
The other day, my co-worker asked me if I would bring in my wedding album. After looking through the pictures and realizing that just 5 years ago I was a size 2 with no gray hairs, age spots or a wrinkle or fine line to speak of, that I am officially OLD. Ugh. Not to mention that right now, I feel like I have been hit by a car. My back has really been bothering me for about a week now, and I have a very painful stiff neck that happened this morning after I sneezed. Oh, and I now only own pairs of pants in sizes 4 or 6 because I KNOW I will never fit into those 2s again. Wow, I sound just like all of the little old ladies who come in to get roller sets at the salon. On to happier things!
So, now to update you on what Brianna is doing these days. Um, nobody told me that parenting would gradually become harder rather than easier. Now that she is beyond the baby stage, I only wish I could have those days back sometimes. She is cuter than a button, but my oh my, is she into EVERYTHING. If you tell her "no," watch out, she turns into Brianna miss cranky pants. Where do you draw the line when it comes to discipline? Afterall she's only 18 months old. Right now, I'm trying to be consistent with the 1 minute time out thing, but it doesn't seem to be working. I think her memory is not developed enough yet for this to be effective. I trade hairstyling services with my friend Lorinda, and we sat throught the majority of that time which takes almost 4 hours while Brianna screamed and cried. Boy was that fun. Luckily she's a mom too and understands that sometimes they just have bad days. I have visions of having a monster child like the ones you see on Super Nanny. No, not MY sweet baby girl. I think a trip to Barnes and Noble is in my future. Children really need to come with an instruction manual. Do you hear me God?! I think I actually said to myself this week, "I need a Brianna-free mommy day". Don't get me wrong, I know that I am so incredibly blessed to have this child to love and care for, I can't even imagine life without her and I don't want to, but I think all mommies should have time to themselves, just to maintain sanity and a happy, peaceful household - that's important. :)
So, usually around this time of the year the whole seasonal affective thing really starts to kick in for me. I have a really hard time with the cold and snow, but I seem to be looking on the positive side of things like, cute cozy winter clothes and soups and stews and my big comfy bed. I got the Spring cleaning bug early this year and I am trying to redecorate/organize parts of the house as funds will allow, but I am repainting the entire downstairs and will hopefully get around to the upstairs later in the Spring. The kitchen is being painted a darker olive color to compliment the red tones of the maple cabinets and I bought some chocolate silk embroidered material to make curtains. The sink and cabinet hardware is like an oil-rubbed bronze. I'll post pictures when I am finished. When we get our tax returns, if we get any this year, I would like to purchase a new sofa, rug and media center for the living room. Our current light-colored, brushed cotton sofas have not fared so well with the introduction of Brianna. No wonder the salesperson asked us if we had kids. I'm thinking something in a dark colored microfiber. Our poor light-colored carpet is also suffering, so I will be looking for a deal on laminate flooring. We have also been toying with the idea of refinishing our basement. It's becoming apparent that we are rapidly growing out of our living space and it's such a shame to know that we have all that wasted space down there. Originally, we only intended to be here for less than 3 years, well, the state of the economy kind of decided that one for us.
I have a sinking feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg for us Americans. I'm just glad that I have a job that seems to be untouched by the state of the economy. Who knows, maybe someday I will have to be the breadwinner, SCARY! Adam's job has proven to be on shaky ground with the recent layoff of one of his fellow sales reps. With his job depending on the new housing market, things do not look so promising for the future. Luckily for him, he has built a strong relationship with the company and is looked upon very favorably. If they have to let him go, I know they will be accomodating. For now, all we can do is continue to trust God to provide.
That's all for now,
Carolyn

Christmas and Other Things

Here's a fun little Christmas Survey:


Do you believe in Santa Clause: Oh Yes!

Do you put up a christmas tree: Most definitely

Do you decorate the outside of your house: On occasion

Do you decorate the inside of your house: Yup, I don't go overboard though

White lights or Colored: White lights on the Christmas tree, and I'll always love those old C9 colored bulbs.

When do you usually start listening to Christmas music: After Thanksgiving

Do you peek at presents: No, but I'm in the habit of buying my own and collecting the $$ later. Stupid I know, but I buy most stuff on eBay and the parents don't know how to use it.

Do you make gingerbread houses: Not since high school home ec. class, but I LOVE making my soft and chewy gingerbread cookies!

When do you start your shopping: Around Thanksgiving sometime, and I don't stop until Christmas Eve!

Do you like snow: I like to watch it come down under the street lamps when I'm inside all cozy and warm. Other than that, no, I hate it.

Do you like to build snowman or have snowball fights: Hmm, not since I was a little kid. I'm always up for some sledding though!

When do you get up on christmas: When I was a kid, 5am. Now, it's my usual 8:00.

What do you do first eat or open gifts: Eat!

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet: I start getting into the spirit after my birthday in Nov.

Whats Christmas eve like for you: After cooking all day, get all dressed up for the Christmas Eve service, go to church and then out for a late supper. Go home and open a present.

What about the day before that: Last minute shopping!

Are you anticipating christmas: I love this advent season, I am eagerly anticipating the celebration of my savior's birthday!

What is your favorite Christmas memory: Going into my brothers' room and saying, "Wake up it's Christmas, let's go see what Santa brought!" and proceeding to tear into our stockings and play all morning long with our goodies.

What is the best gift you ever gave: My memory fails me on this one.

What is the best gift you ever received: The gift of everlasting life when God sent His Son to Earth to die for me. Other than that, I guess my Aiwa stereo system when I was about 15. I still use it to this day!

Who do you usually spend Christmas with: The immediate fam.

Is Christmas usually celebrated at your house or someone elses: Always wherever my parents are.

Do you get everyone in your family a present: That would be financially impossible - unless we only spent $10 on everyone.

What is your favorite Christmas tradtion: The Christmas Eve events.

Do you like eggnog: Ooo yes. Especially Starbucks eggnog lattes. Although, I heard a newscaster the other day refer to it as "Liquid Cheeseburger." Thanks for that thought.

Do you have any shirts or sweaters with a Christmas design on it: No, but I'm going to an ugly Christmas sweater party, so I will be acquiring one soon!

What is your favorite Christmas album: Any of the Time Life Christmas Albums. Currently on my Christmas playlist: 'Sleigh Ride' by the Ronettes, 'Ave Maria' by Beyonce, "Cool Yule' by Louis Armstrong, 'What Child is This?' by Sarah McLachlan and 'O Come, O Come Emanuel" by Enya, 'The Nutcracker Suite' by the Brian Setzer Band and 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' by Relient K.

Do you open your presents Christmas morning or Christmas Eve: Christmas Morning

Do you go to Church on Christmas Eve: Yup

Do you get a real or a fake tree: Fake, I don't want a fire.

Who decorates the tree: Me, actually, I never take it down, I just take the entire intact tree to the basement when we're finished!


Okay, on another note, I've really been in a rut with the house and need some inspiriation to keep it looking nice, so, Adam and I have decided to repaing the entire interior! He got me a Sherwin-Williams architect's palette with 5 x 5 paint chips - I'm so excited! This morning, I woke up and began re-arranging furniture in our bedroom. Here's the results:



Any ideas on paint color?

I will have to post some more later, Brianna is awake from her nap!