Sexy New 'Do

I finally did it! Brady has a big boy haircut!

If you'd have asked me 2 months ago, I'd have told you that I was planning on leaving the curls in tact until he turned 2. That was then. Things happen. Plans change. And not always because you intend for them too.

I was tremendously please with Brady's 1st haircut! But, after about a month he needed another one. I tried to schedule the 2nd one with the same guy who cut it the first time, but he was out of town and it would have been over two weeks before we could have cut Brady's hair again.

It couldn't wait. The curls were taking over and growing wild! My poor child looked like his mama took no interest in his grooming. As evidenced here...

My husband, dear man that he is, talked me into taking Brady to the barber shop on post. He assured me that it would be fine and that if I specifically told him not to cut it too short and to leave most of the curls that's what would happen.

I left the barber shop in tears and continued to cry every time I looked at the back of my baby's head for the remainder of the day. Not one precious baby curl remained! In fact the guy used the clippers!! Brady was nearly scalped!

I let his hair grow and grow, each day praying that he would wake up and I would see a curl beginning to sprout. After a month and a half, when his hair was over his ears, I finally, sadly, resolved myself to the fact that they would never return.

Today we went for his third haircut and I decided that he might as well have the big boy style, that I was set on waiting for until January. I told Uli to cut it short enough on top that I could give him a messy little spike, yet long enough that I could still comb it over as I had been.

Here are the results...and I must say that I was more than pleased! In fact, I'm in love! The entire drive home, I just kept looking at him in the rear-view mirror and smiling!

Brady was pleased with himself too. He told Uli that it was "sassy", his word for sexy! LOL!

Proof that sometimes, when life changes your plans for you, it turns out for the better!

Welcoming Fall!!

What is it about Fall?

So many things to love.

The crisper, cooler, cleaner air.

The extra spring in your step.

The feeling of excitement....Something's coming. Things are a changin'.

Anticipation.

The smell of new books and school supplies.

Football!

Holidays to celebrate.

Time with family, gathered around the table.

A good, warm bowl of gumbo on a cool afternoon.

Pumpkin patches.

Precious kids dressed in their Halloween best.

Cozy sweaters.

Carmel apples.

Fall festivals.

Adorable decorations to put out in the yard. (Oh, how I do miss Hobby Lobby!)

The beautiful colors of the changing leaves in contrast with the clear blue sky. Just makes you stop and take a long look at God's goodness and the beauty with which he blesses your life, doesn't it?

Another year coming to a close.

A new one, full of life and possibility coming to fruition.

So many memories to look fondly upon...so many more yet to be made.

Enjoy every falling leaf, every cool breeze, every sunny skied day!

13 Weeks And Growing

Finally! The much anticipated "belly" photo! I was 13 weeks in this picture (15 weeks now). It was the first time that I actually felt good enough to get dressed and smile in a photo in 2 months!

It hit me at 7 weeks. It was all I could do to get out of bed and half-way manage to care for Brady. I was like a pre-adolescent teen who wasn't too keen on personal hygeine. Brushing my teeth produced an unwanted response of hurling into the toilet, washing my hair made me feel like I had run a marathon while sick with mono, and getting out of my p.j.'s, which I had worn for 3 days straight, and putting on clean clothes was out of the question! Trust me people, it wasn't pretty! I couldn't keep down ice chips!

My sweet little Baby X was sucking the life right out of me! Of course, all of the time I spent on my knees bowing to the porcelin throne sent me to the emergency room one night with pretty severe dehydration. But, boy am I ever glad that it did!

After a few bags of IV fluids they pushed some Zofran through the IV. I had never heard of it and usually I'm totally against meds, especially if I'm pregnant, but that night they could have pushed crack through that line and I wouldn't have cared! Within minutes I was feeling like a human being again! Once they were satisfied that me and baby were okay they sent us to the pharmacy to pick up some Zofran to take home with me. At first I was having to take it 3 or 4 times a day to keep food and liquids down, but after about 5 or 6 weeks on it I was down to just one pill a day, in the morning, before getting out of bed. I thought, "Hey, I'm almost 15 weeks now, and finally over the ALL, DAY, SICKNESS!".

Wrong again! Last Monday I took the last of the pills. I truly thought I'd be fine. Tuesday morning I woke up wishing I had a refill! Once again, nothing I ate or drank would stay down. NOTHING! Brady had been sick with a viral infection, so I thought maybe I just got his bug. I decided to give it a day.

Wednesday morning I woke up and same scenario. Only with one other problem...Brady woke up unresponsive and limp. I was terrified! Somehow, I managed to stop heaving long enough to get him to the ER and find out what was wrong. Luckily, it was only dehydration and after about 5 hours on IV fluids, he was back to himself.

On a side note...I was totally proud of my little man! He handled all those needles and people poking him like a champ! He's one tough cookie! After they started his IV he actually thanked them!! Totally unprompted by Buck and I, he looked at them with tears still in those beautiful, blue eyes and said, "Tay-Tou". Too precious! Then he continued to thank them every time they came in the room to check on him. The nurse said if they gave awards he'd be the patient of the month.

So...back to my predicament. Since we were there in the hospital I walked down to the OB clinic to see if I could get a nurse to put in for a refill. I was told I'd have to wait for a TCON (telephone conference) and that it could be up to 72 hours. Are you kidding me? Did this woman not hear me? For almost 3 days I haven't kept down any fluids...and I'm almost 15 weeks pregnant! Anyone else think that's kind of risky?! And, a 4 day weekend was coming up. If I didn't get the Zofran by Thursday at 4:30, I'm back in the ER sometime over the weekend, cause I don't think I'll stay hydrated puking this much for the next 5 days!

I leave and go back to my baby, who at this point is ready to go home. We finally get Brady discharged and go home. The rest of the evening I was praying for that phone call and no luck! Thursday morning rolls around...still terribly sick. I wait a few hours and when no nurse calls, I call the clinic again. Again, I'm told I'll have to wait for a TCON. When no one has called me by 2:00 that afternoon and the leg cramps are starting, I call again. This time I refuse to hang up without hearing from a nurse. Finally! Results!

The nurse agrees to put in for a refill, but...I have to wait for a doctor to sign off on it, which may be a while. Great. Our pharmacy here closes at 4:30 so that would mean if the Dr. doesn't give the O.K. soon, I'm driving 40 minutes to the hospital pharmacy to pick up the meds. Luckily, all ended well and at 4:15 (just in the nick of time), my meds were in my hands!

Once again, the miracle drug is working and I'm functioning like a normal human being. I just wonder how much longer this will continue? I thought that by 15 weeks I'd be past this mess. The things we go through for our kids, huh? Funny thing is, I'm already talking about and planning for number 3! I need serious therapy don't I?!

All I know is that our children (even the one we're waiting on) have brought more joy and love into my life than I ever could have imagined! I want a house full! I love dancing to the music of little feet!

Sick Baby...Sort Of

You know you've puked one too many times when your toddler does this...

Wordless Wednesday

Big shoes to fill...

Baby's First Pictures

"For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb...My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. " Psalm 139:13, 15-16

Last Tuesday we were able to see our little Baby X for the first time. It's a squirmy little thing, much like it's big brother. Everything looks great with the baby and we're expecting another healthy pregnancy.

It just amazes me to see our precious little ones heart beating, and to make out it's little hands and feet. You might have a hard time making anything out of these pictures, but I see a perfect miracle...a beautiful life growing inside me, formed by the hands of our Creator.

Much like when I saw the first ultrasound pictures of Brady, I feel more than ever an overwhelming desire to nurture and care for this child. As I read the words of Psalm 139 I feel a great responsibility to raise our children to know and to believe that those words are true. I want them to understand that although there will never be anyone else on this earth who could love them as we do, they have a Creator who loves them even more. He loves them so much in fact that He not only created them, but that He has already written their story. He wrote it knowing before they ever came to be, exactly what they would need.

I need to remember that. I became a mom and all of a sudden I started this senseless worrying. I mean well. I believe that I worry out of love. But, I need to remember that whatever tomorrow holds, for our children, for us, that He loves us. I need to remember that I don't have to worry about tomorrow, because He has already written that page. All I have to do is read it and follow His will, His wise counsel, His plan.

So, stay tuned for more of the story. There will be many more posts and pictures from this precious chapter.

Beautiful Baby--Inside and Out

So.......
I've been meaning to do a post about Brady and all of the remarkable things he's doing and saying now that he's 18 months, but I've had such a hard time with this pregnancy since his 1/2 birthday, that I'm just now getting around to it.

He really is a remarkable little creature and a complete ball of fun! He's talking up a storm now and physically we can't keep up with the little monkey! He's NEVER still and true to his genetics, he hears a tune and those little buns go to dancing! Occasionally, he just feels the need to dance, so he'll go to the iPod dock, point and say, "Dan-Dan"!

Physically, he's changing so quickly. He's now 27 pounds, 28 on a good day, and 33 inches tall. The poor little guy is getting lots and lots of teeth too! When he first hit 18 months, he had only 6 teeth. In the last two weeks, he's cut 4 and it looks like a few more might be trying to make their way in. You'd think all that teething would make him mean and cranky, but not our little Brady. He's taking it like a champ! Without the use of drugs I should add... (Okay...he had a few days when he continuously pitched fits, but only a few!)

He's loves to be outdoors and around animals and quickly picks up the sounds they make. He knows the sounds of a bird, cow, dog, tiger and tank...yes I know it's not an animal, but the little ,"boom, boom!", he lets out is just precious! We are after all an Army family, so he might as well learn the sounds of gunnery early! (See attached video.)

His vocabulary is rapidly expanding. It seems almost daily that he begins repeating new words. He is VERY vocal. Especially for a little boy...I say that's what you get when you surround your child with a bunch of chatty women for the first 14 months of his life! Most of the time he just walks around chatting me up in his own little language.

The other day he stubbed his toe on one of his toys. When I called him over to me and ask what happened he proceeded to go on and on pointing at his toys and pleading his case. Of course I didn't understand one word, but it was the cutest thing!

A few words in his repertoire are...
*Da-Da
*Ba-Ba or Ma-Ma (Used interchangeably)
*Hi
*Bye-Bye (Used also as a substitute for Night-Night)
*Jee-Jus (Jesus)
*Juice
*Tees (Keys)
*Shoos (Shoes)
*Peace (Please)
*Tay-Tou (Thank You)
*Dan-Dan (Dance, Dance)
*Bears (Gummy Bears or Teddy Grahams or his favorite stuffed animal, Oatmeal Bear)
*Cheese (Goldfish Crackers or Cheese)
*Baby
*Fries
*Dis-Dut (Biscuit)
*Yes
*Pisa (Pizza)
*Bite
*Baff Time (Bath Time)
I know there are a few that I'm forgetting, but these are the ones he says most frequently and with little or no prompting.

And, perhaps my favorite thing of all...he's our little cuddle bug!! He loves to hug and give kisses and to curl up with us on the couch. He has the most loving little heart. Don't get me wrong...he's spirited, and there are moments when he certainly tries our patience, but at his core he has a beautiful soul. He's our beautiful baby inside and out.


**Forgive the pudding face and flying spit! I've tried for days to get him to make all of the sounds in one video, and this was the first time I was successful. Not willing to risk another crying fit because I wouldn't hand over the camera, I didn't dare try again!