One Hit Wonder

2010-10-17T23:56:00.001-04:00

http://mylivingroomfloor.blogspot.com/

I have a blog?

2010-10-17T23:42:00.003-04:00

I have a blog? Really? Are you sure?

I guess I just forgot! LOL

However, I'm back & ready to share tons of new pics of our wonderful adventures. Not only that. I am going to be moving this blog. For many reasons..... Mainly, I don't want to be defined by my PCOS or my struggles w/ pregnancy. I want to rejoice in the 2 miracles we have!

I have a blog?

2010-10-17T23:42:00.001-04:00

The last week of summer....

2010-08-11T00:26:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know that officially summer hasn't ended. However, for my house, it kinda is.

This is the last week of summer break. Next week, my baby boy heads to kindergarten.

I have had to most difficult time with this. I have cried & cried. More than any mother should. I mean, I've had 5 years to prepare for this day, right?

I've spent over a year researching schools, talking to parents, principals, & teachers. We've visited public, traditional, & private schools. We've been interviewed to see if we were 'good fits' for the school. Heard terms like 'reading ready' & 'cluster'. I've walked a many a hallway the past few months. I've filled out applications, been disappointed, angry, excited, & scared all at the same time.

My heart is breaking as I sit here writing this post & I'm not sure I really know why. I went to Kindergarten... you went to kindergarten. We survived!

I just want to yell "stop" & pull him back & pretend this was all a dream. I need one more year... But, he doesn't. He is 'reading ready'. He is kindergarten ready. He wants to ride a school bus. He wants to make new friends.

Maybe, I know some control is being lost in this new world we're entering. I'm not the one who has all the answers. I'm not the one who gets to make all the decisions. I can't fully protect him anymore.

I just pray that God protects his little heart & mind from things he isn't ready to learn & prepares him for the things he needs to learn.

I have said for years that I'd never home school. Now that idea doesn't seem so crazy to me.

Not Me Monday!!!

2010-04-26T11:25:00.003-04:00

It's another edition of 'Not Me Monday'! Has it been awhile? LOL

I haven't had intentions of exercising on more than one occasion & never making it. NOPE! I'm a gym rat, ya know!!

I didn't come home from the store, put the groceries away, & later discover I put the chicken in the cabinet instead of freezer. Nope, Not me! If this had happened.... my husband wouldn't have been the one to discover my oops moment!

I did not come home from church yesterday & use the baby's lack of sleep as an excuse to go cuddle & nap in the bed w/ her till AWANA. Nope, I was too busy cleaning up this place!

I do not look at new babies & get a bit jealous! Nope, I'm too busy enjoying my rapidly growing children to even notice other peoples babies! :)

I'm not secretly relived that AWANA is over till August! No.... not me!

I don't waste too much time on Facebook each day when I know I have tons of other stuff to do. See, I only get on Facebook as time permits & if all my other chores are done!

I guess that's all for now.... really it isn't but I'm NOT too tired to think of all my other things I need to confess this week! :)

Eliza's 1st food

2010-04-26T11:20:00.002-04:00

March 9, we gave Eliza her 1st bites of food. We started her off on some Gerber rice cereal.

She was skeptical in the beginning, but became excited as time went on. Now she's eating baby cereal twice a day w/ a fruit or veggie at each feeding. She loves her food!

Yellow Belt Test

2010-04-23T20:09:00.003-04:00

In March, Davis tested for his yellow belt. He did so well & we are so proud of him. I think I was more nervous than he was! LOL

March pictures

2010-04-23T19:58:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures from March..... at least what I had saved on Kodak gallery.

5 Year Checkup

2010-04-23T19:47:00.003-04:00

Today Davis went for his 5 year check up. He did so well & I am so proud of what a big boy he's becoming.

His physical & check up went so well. He was once again declared "perfect"! He's on the tall size for his age, passed his hearing test, had 3 shots, peed in a cup, & had his blood drawn. He also had an x-ray taken on his tonsils b/c they're so large.
All in all, we were there for about an hour & he was so patient & such a good boy.

The best part of the visit for him was that we found out that he doesn't have to have another shot till his 7 or 8 year check up!!! That made him happy. LOL

After the appointment, we went to Target & then met Daddy for lunch. We had a great day together & now we're finishing up the day w/ Family Movie Night! As I'm typing this blog, the boys are on the couch, Eliza is in the floor playing, & I'm on the love seat watching Alvin & The Chipmunks.

Gotta love this life!

Davis turns 5!

2010-04-23T00:23:00.004-04:00

Our baby boy turned 5 on March 14. Where has time gone?

Now that he's 5, it's a whole new world! Kindergarten, Legos, playing the wii.....

We celebrated with a party at Incredible Dave's with a few of his friends.

He is obsessed w/ Star Wars & Star Wars Legos right now! So, he had a Star Wars party.

I now have a 5 year old. As sad as I am, I will say that I'm looking forward to the fun times that being 5 will bring. He's growing up! I just hope that we're raising him to be a good young man.

Annabelle May 2001-March 2010

2010-04-23T00:15:00.004-04:00

In March we had to put our sweet Annabelle down. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Words cannot express how awful the experience was & how much I regretted my decision for days after losing her.

As time has passed, I know it was for the best. She was old & sick & the best decision for our family. It's hard to remember our lives w/o her & we still miss & think of her daily. I still think I see her in the house or that she's in bed w/ me at night.

Davis seemed to understand & did very well w/ her going to heaven.

Bowie had trouble & seemed depressed for a few weeks after losing his sister & best friend, but seems to be doing well now.

This pictures was taken just days before she died.

February

2010-04-23T00:07:00.003-04:00

Just to catch ya'll up.....

In February, Eliza turned 3 months old &..........ummm..... yeah, I've got nothing!

Here are some pics that did get salvage from our computer crash 2010!

Computer Problems

2010-04-23T00:00:00.002-04:00

So, I had all these pics from the past several months that I was excited about blogging about.

For instance, Davis went to the eye Dr for the 1st time, Eliza's 1st Easter, & our lives as a foursome. We lost it..... not our minds, but almost. The pictures. Not all of them, but most of them.

I'm sad b/c when we went to the eye Dr, Davis tried on glasses (he didn't need them) & made silly faces while I took pictures.

My favorite was a picture of him wearing big fish bowl glasses & making a fish face! I can't get that image out of my head! It was so cute. Instead of sharing the picture, I share the story. I need to go back this weekend to pick up my glasses (that I did need) & Danny suggested we do a retake.

Maybe... just maybe!

It's been 12 weeks...

2010-02-03T16:01:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics of our little Lizie at 12 weeks. She's discovered her hands sometime last week & is now obsessed!

A Look Back at 2009

2009-12-31T16:28:00.004-05:00

Here is a look back at my life in 2009!

January

1st

We rang in the new year with our friends the Knights. Brian, Heather, Nora, & 2 week old Evan watched the ball drop together. We had dinner at Shogun & then back to our house for cards.

18th

Danny & I celebrated our 6th year of marriage. We celebrated w/ a night out. We had dinner at Bonefish & then to a movie.

Also, in January~ We decided to pursue fertility treatments with a Doctor in Cincinnati.

February

5th

We had our first visit to the fertility Doctor in Cinci. Dr. S told us our chances of conceiving were high. We made plans to continue on & have the IUI.

14th

We celebrated Valentine's Day as a family. We made a fondue style dinner at home that included a yummy chocolate dessert.

25th

We headed back to Cinci as my cycle had begun. They did an ultrasound to see what my starting point was & I started taking the injections.

March

2nd

Back to Cinci for another ultrasound in hopes the shots had worked. They found 3 follicles (eggs) growing. One was larger than the others.

5th

We went back to Cinci to check the progress of my precious eggs! There were only 1 left, but it looked perfect. Dr. S wanted to go ahead with the IUI. He said that if this cycle didn't work we'd increase the injections for next month.

7th

Insemination Day!! We went back to Cinci, this time w/ Granny & Davis. We had the IUI & then spent the day in Cincinnati trying to act normal!

14th

My baby boy turned 4! I couldn't believe it had been 4 years!! We celebrated his birthday by having a Super Hero party at Incredible Dave's. It was a wonderful day.

19th

I cheated & tested a few days early! It was a slight positive. I couldn't wait to share with Danny, but we were both skeptical.

20th

Went for blood work & pregnancy was confirmed! We were ecstatic.

23rd

More blood work.... my beta was growing!

April

1st

Our family piled in the mini van & headed to Virginia/DC to visit Danny's cousin & his family. This was Davis' 1st official spring break!

9th

We went back to see Dr. S & do a 'head count' on our little bean. He counted 1, but things looked great!

May

2nd

It's Derby Day. Danny & Davis went to a party at a friend's. I stayed home very sick. Pregnancy finally felt real & I was so happy.

9th

We traveled to Eastern KY for my cousin's wedding. Davis was the cutest ring bearer!

21st

Our baby who is in heaven would have been 1! I made cupcakes in his honor.

28th

I turned 30! Danny had a little party for me with some friends of ours. It was a great surprise & a lot of fun!

Also, in May.... Danny & coached our youth's softball team again. We hadn't done this in a couple years & it was a lot of fun.

Davis started his 2nd season of t-ball. We saw so many improvements in his abilities, but I'm afraid he's not a big fan of the game!!

June

5th

We went camping w/ the Holloways. This was our first experience as a family with tent camping. I was pregnant & morning sickness was no fun in great outdoors. We had a blast & hope to do it again this year.

13th

We took Davis to see Thomas for the 3rd year in a row. As always, he enjoys this tradition.

Also, in June.... We found out we were expecting a baby girl. I was shocked!

July

17th

We went to French Lick Indiana to the KMHI Hall of Fame dinner & presentation. Kreil was being inducted & this was an honor for him & our family.

21st

Danny turned 39!

August

In August things started to settle down. We enjoyed our tradition of going to the fair & had a wonderful time. The state fair is something our family looks forward to each year.

Davis started playing soccer for the YMCA. He had fun & seemed to enjoy it.

September

1st

Davis started his 2nd & last year of preschool. He was a bit nervous, but had no problems starting the year out right.

8th

Davis starting taking Tae Kwon Do. He was so excited & wanted to start the day we went for the visit. They make it so much fun there.

October

2nd

We went to Yogi Bear for a Halloween camping treat. We went w/ the Knights & Holloways. Everyone had so much fun, this is sure to be a annual tradition. We spent 2 nights in cute little cabins.

18th

We continued our tradition of pumpkin picking at Huber's. Davis talks about this all year!

25th

H1N1 hit the Barnes home. Davis had it, but it was diagnosed early & he had no complications.

31st

We celebrated Halloween. Davis dressed up as Darth Vader! He's growing up so fast!

November

2nd

Davis went to the dentist for the 1st time. He did better than I could have imagined. We got a great report from Dr Nathan! No cavities!

10th

Our baby girl was born 17 days early. What a surprise & blessing.

15h

Eliza & I came home from the hospital to start our lives as a family of 4.

26th

We celebrated Thanksgiving at my Nanny & Kreil's. We had a lot to be thankful for.

December

10th

Eliza went to see the pediatric cardiologist. Our pediatrician had detected a heart murmur. She received great news. It's an innocent murmur & she'll grow out of it.

20th

Davis was in our church's children's musical. This year he not only sang songs, but played a shepherd. I was so proud.

25th

We celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ at home together!

31st

We went out with the Petri Crew for dinner & some Incredible Dave's with the kiddos. We had a great time & was home early.

I didn't even post all we did & the places we went! We had a great year & made many memories.

Not A Creature Was Stirring...

2009-12-27T23:42:00.002-05:00

Not a creature was stirring.... not even Davis & Eliza.

Here are my babies sound asleep on Christmas Eve in hopes that St Nicholas would soon be there!

Side note~ Yes, I'm very aware that I posted 3 times in 1 night... I had some catching up to do!! I hope to get 2 post in tomorrow to make up for lost time!

Christmas Eve...

2009-12-27T23:28:00.002-05:00

Every year on Christmas Eve we spend it with the Morans.

This year Dana was gracious enough to host & the kids loved it! It was such a nice relaxing evening spent with my family.

This is a family where other than the 2 children I gave birth to & Geri, there are no blood relation. This is a family that has never made me, my husband, or my children feel we are any less than family. They love us unconditionally, even when we're unlovable! Now, that's family!

Picture with Santa

2009-12-27T23:14:00.003-05:00

Somehow this season just flew by! I thought I had it all together & was ready for Christmas.... then I blinked! It was Christmas Eve & I had not only had my son's annual picture with Santa taken, but I hadn't documented Eliza's 1st Christmas w/ her picture w/ Santa.

I had so many things to do & didn't want to venture out in the cold winter air to fight all the crazy people at the mall on Christmas Eve. But, would it matter in 20 years? Would I remember that or would I just remember not having my kids pictures made?

I know me.... I know how I beat myself up.... I know how I want to document our lives together. Out the door we went! Luckily, Danny was able to help me w/ some errands & met us at the mall. It turned out to be a nice morning & relaxing time watching the 'crazy' people scramble for their last minute gifts, while we were finished, just wanting a picture w/ good Ole' Saint Nick.

We may make Christmas Eve pictures w/ Santa a tradition!

Eliza was fussy & Davis was tired, so Super Daddy had to step in. All the while, Mommy pushed the stroller & snapped pictures!

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

2009-12-25T22:20:00.004-05:00

Rejoice! A King has been born!

Not Me Monday!~ Almost forgot!!

2009-12-14T20:27:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to just being posting that I almost forgot it's Monday & that allows me to confess my sins of the week!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not forget not once.... not twice, but 3 times to put deodorant on this past week. If I had of, my husband would not have made me feel bad about it, either.

I did not on a regular basis forget when I had nursed my baby. Nope, it wasn't me entering times on my Blackberry to keep up with it all.

I did not let my 4 1/2 year old son play wii one morning, so I could get 15 more minutes of sleep. I would never do that.

I have not let Eliza go back to sleep on the Boppy in my bed at anytime. NOPE, I wouldn't do that.

OK, I think that's about it for this week. I'll save all my others for next week..... If I can make it back on here by then!!

GOOOO CARDS!

2009-12-14T20:19:00.004-05:00

This is Eliza ready for her first Cardinal basketball game! Can't you tell she's excited? We were hoping she'd bring us luck as her brother did when he wore this outfit (sans bow, of course), but no luck!

Davis was born during March Madness & he wore this sleeper for EVERY game that UofL played. I would have to rush to make sure the sleeper was clean b/c he had reflux & UofL would sometimes play on back to back nights. We thought he brought us luck because UofL went to the Final Four that year.

It's Deja Vu

2009-12-12T12:21:00.002-05:00

We've been making weekly appointments to the pediatrician to check Eliza's weight because she had yet to gain her birth weight back. We took these same weekly & bi weekly trips to see Dr Jill when Davis was born. I guess my babies just take awhile to get started.

At our last visit to see Dr Jill, our baby girl had not only gained her birth weight back, but passed it. I was so happy & knew I could rest more easily & not stress during every feeding.

While we were there, the Dr did discover a heart murmur on Eliza. I came home & called the same pediatric cardiologist that Davis sees & made an appointment for our baby girl.

This past Thursday we went & saw Dr. A. He is an amazing Dr & we're very lucky to have him take care of our children's hearts.

There were 3 things they found 'not normal' with Eliza's heart. The first thing was a tiny pin prick hole in her heart. Davis has... I mean had this, too! He grew out of his, as will Eliza.

The 2nd thing was what is actually making the murmur. It's false tendons. This, Davis also has! They both will grow out of it.

The 3rd is narrow valves. This condition is called Congenital Heart Disease. It sounds a lot worse than it is (in her case, anyway). This is something she will grow out of, probably in the next year.

We had a great visit & couldn't have asked for more. Everything is fine or will be in the next year or so. We go back for a follow up next December.

Oh, they weighed her & our baby girl is now 9 lbs!

Love this song

2009-11-22T20:48:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this song & I just had to share.
It's so catchy, I can't stop singing it. LOL

Our 1st night home

2009-11-16T20:52:00.002-05:00

Last night was our first night home from the hospital. I enjoyed our first night as family! It was nice to start a routine.

One thing that we did that Davis thought was 'super special' was lay in his bed w/ baby sister & read our books before bed.

He was so excited to share that time with Eliza. I was just as excited & thought it was too sweet. My problem was I am still very sore & it's hard for me to get in & out of his bed, but it was all worth it, as it always is!

1st Bath

2009-11-15T23:53:00.002-05:00

Tonight was Eliza's first bath.

Her reaction? It was the same as Davis'. He screamed & screamed! I cried & cried while he screamed. Eliza screamed & became just as upset, but I handled myself much better.

Busy Day

2009-11-15T23:37:00.006-05:00

Today Ms Eliza was released from the hospital. I was ecstatic when I heard the news & was even more so when we walked in the door of our home.

The 1st picture is of her all dressed up in her going home outfit. I wish I'd gotten better pictures of the dress. It really is sweet. She's going to wear it again tomorrow to her 1st pediatricians appointment. I'll try again then.

The other picture is of her ride home. She looked so small in that big carrier.

The day included a few more 1st...... I'll share them later!
We had a great 1st day home & I look forward to our lives as a family of 4!

Update on baby Eliza

2009-11-14T23:34:00.002-05:00

I was discharged from the hospital today, but have been able to board in a small room on the mother/baby floor. This has worked out nicely. I get to keep Eliza in my room & nurse on command.

They brought in this light blanket for me to use during nursing, so she'd get light therapy even when nursing on command. I am very thankful for that, as it gave her & me some much needed cuddle time w/o the guilt of her not getting the light therapy.

At 8pm tonight her wonderful nurses took her back to the nursery to have her blood levels checked for biliruben levels. It took 1 hour to get the results back & I prayed... as did many of my friends & family.

I waited as long as I could before calling the nursery. Since I'm now a boarder in the hospital, I'm trying to make friends & not appear pushy.

As usual, they were nothing but sweet & kind. Her levels went down! That meant they didn't have to call the Dr & she doesn't have to start double light therapy. They will test her again in the morning to verify it's continuing to go down.
I hung up & cried. I am so thankful! All day, Danny & I kept saying how grateful we are to have a healthy girl & this is our only problem. But, at the end of the day, it's still hard. It's emotionally draining. It's hard on my 4 year old, who doesn't understand why Mommy & Sissy can't come home.

Right now, Eliza is in the nursery for their standard 11 pm check. They do weight, temp, & a full body check. I'm once again praying & asking everyone to do the same that she has gained some weight. This morning she weighed 6 lbs & 12 ounces. She needs to gain weight or sustain to get to go home tomorrow.
We sooo want to go home!!! We need to go home!
I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

I couldn't ask for a better husband. He's worked so hard this week to take care of Davis, Eliza, & me. He's gotten little rest & his only complaint is that he wants to do more for us.

I have the sweetest little boy. I got to spend a couple hours w/ him this evening in the hospital, just the 4 of us. I was able to watch him w/ his sister. I was able to hold him & hear about his day & night w/ Spencer. It was much needed!

I have the sweetest baby girl who I can't believe how much in love with I am. She's so precious & I love bonding w/ her & looking into her eyes. I love that I see so much of Danny in her. It just melts my heart.

Tonight I'm tired & will try to get some sleep till Eliza comes back to eat.

Another day in the hospital

2009-11-14T11:17:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning excited w/ the thought of finally going home w/ my new baby girl.

Unfortunately, the Neonatologist came w/ bad news.

Eliza's biliruben levels increased & they are going to keep her at least 1 more day.

I had a little meltdown.

I want to see Davis.

I want to be a family of 4.

I want that alone time w/ Danny that we just haven't gotten this week.

I want to be in control again.

One of the sticky points right now is that the Dr on call started the release papers for me this morning. They are trying to reach my OB to see if she "wants" me to stay another night, so I can be w/ Eliza & have her in my room.

If not, then I will be considered a 'border'. If there are extra rooms available, I'll be a border in a room, but won't receive any meds from the hospital or be considered a patient. The benefit of this is so I can still have the baby w/ me in the room & nurse on demand to help rid her of the jaundice.

If they don't have available rooms on this floor, then I could be in a different part of the hospital . The bad part of that is that I won't be able to have her in my room or nurse in my room. I'll have to go to the nursery to see her & feed her.

I'm super emotional right now & cried when Davis called to check on me. I loved hearing his sweet voice!

Eliza has jaundice

2009-11-13T18:41:00.004-05:00

Last night the nurse came in & woke us up to do a forehead test to check her biliruben levels. She tested high, so they took her to the nursery for some blood work.

The lab work came back this morning & she does have jaundice. The neonatologist ordered special uv lights for her & we have to take them home w/ us for 1 or 2 days.

Once we get her in there, she does fine, but she doesn't like the initial idea of laying there. I suspect she's cold b/c she has to be naked & then covered w/ blankets. The lights warm her up pretty quickly.

Davis is a big brother

2009-11-13T08:12:00.005-05:00

Danny & I had a baby girl...... or so we thought.....

Davis has announced this is 'HIS' baby! He couldn't love her more! The sweetest times have been the short times we've been able to be just a family of 4. We can't wait to get home & start our lives together.

Introducing Eliza....

2009-11-13T02:35:00.009-05:00

Our baby girl arrived!

Eliza Moran Barnes was born Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 10:18 pm.

This wasn't what was planned, but God had big things in store for us & we're very grateful!

I had started feeling bad & on Tuesday it became worse. I called & made an appointment w/ Dr W my family Dr. My appointment time was 4:30. Once I arrived & gave the nurse my symptoms (congestion, cough, body aches) & that I was 37 1/2 weeks pregnant! Dr W called my OB b/c he felt I needed to be at Labor & Delivery for a checkup, so they could monitor the baby as well.

I went home, so Danny could take me to the hospital & we made arrangements for Davis. Luckily, we grabbed the camera as we were pulling out of the driveway.

Once we arrived at the hospital, they started testing me for H1N1. I tested negative, so they wanted to run a full blood count to find out what was going on with me. While the nurses scrambled around to relieve my aches, I started having contractions.

We had a November 20 c-section scheduled, but our baby girl had different plans. While waiting on test results I went into labor!

The nurse announced "We're having a baby tonight" & started prepping Danny & me for surgery!

At 10:18 pm Eliza Moran Barnes was born!

She weighs 7 pounds & 9 oz. She is 19 inches long & so absolutely beautiful. She has a head full of black hair!

A Sick boy

2009-10-29T10:16:00.004-04:00

It all started Saturday.....

Davis just wasn't himself at soccer. It was soooo cold & I was sooo tired. I'll admit that I got frustrated w/ my little soccer player for not wanting to play. However, the trooper that he is... he jumped back on the field & played goalie. He did a great job & I was proud.

He did so well, we promised him ice cream. It was lunch time & Chick Fil A sounded good. Davis picked at his food. He went in to play at the indoor playground & after a few minutes came up to me & laid his head down. I reached up & felt his back. He was burning up.

We couldn't get out of that place fast enough. Daddy grabbed him an ice cream cone as Davis & I made our way out. He only had a few bites before tossing it out.

We got home & I took his temp. It was 101.4. I called Pediatric Acute Care & was advised to stay home w/ him. There was nothing they could do. I had made a call to our ped, Dr Jill prior to calling them, but reached her cell's vm.

We put Davis down for his nap & he was out! A few minutes later Jill called & told us if it reached 102, to take him to PAC. I went in & checked & it was 103! I called & made an appointment w/ PAC.... even though something was nagging me to just take him to the Pediatric ER at Baptist.

Everyone got ready & we headed that way.

Even though we had an appointment, we had to wait over 2 1/2 hours. I was so frustrated. I had a sick baby, who they didn't even offer Tylenol & we needed to get out of there.

Once the Dr did arrive, he was convinced Davis had strep throat. He ordered a strep test & I requested the H1N1 test. The Dr informed me, that they don't have any of the tests there, but they could send it off & have the results back to me in 3-5 days. NO THANKS!

The nurse came in to test him. She was great w/ him, but then went on to explain to us that we shouldn't want H1N1 or the meds b/c he has strep. I explained that we just asked for the test, but he most likely doesn't have strep. He has big tonsils (he gets that from his Momma)!

She was rude & that put me in even a worse mood.

The Dr did come back & say he didn't have strep, ear infection, or anything else wrong w/ him. Now have a nice day!

I left so upset I wanted to cry.

We treated his fever & the cough that was starting. We are so blessed to have Jill as a friend. She saw my frustrations on Facebook & left me a message saying to call her on Sunday if his fever hadn't broke.

On Sunday, he hadn't, but I had decided that Danny or I would take him to the Dr first thing Monday morning & I didn't want to bother Jill anymore on her weekend. She, however, called me Sunday night & felt like it was H1N1 & wanted to start him on Tamiflu to treat it before it got worse.

On Sunday night, my baby boy started treatment for H1N1 & just as the Dr said, his fever broke Monday! We couldn't have been happier. That didn't mean the illness was over, just no fever. I also started treatment on Monday, to protect me & baby Eliza from getting sick.

We were very lucky to have a Daddy to stay home & take care of all of us.

Davis still has his cough today, but appetite has increased to almost normal & we see light at the end of this tunnel.

Now, it's time to start our Halloween festivities!

I need a name!

2009-10-25T23:21:00.002-04:00

I've spent the past few weeks brainstorming names for my blog. I obviously need a new one & just can't seem to come up w/ something catchy.

I'm getting frustrated. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I want something cute, easy to remember, & fun. My blog is about my family. Our new family of 4!

Search for a new washer

2009-10-21T22:11:00.002-04:00

Danny & I have been on the hunt for a new washer for the past few weeks.
Our need is great for many reasons. Just to touch on a couple:

A) Our baby girl will be arriving in just 4 weeks!! WOOHOO

B) It sounds like an airport in our home during the spin cycle!

C) There's been a burning smell coming from the washer on occasion. That isn't good!

Anyway, we found a Samsung we really liked, but have been waiting to see where we can find it the cheapest.

Today, I was checking my twitter account... something I don't do very often! I found this contest & wanted to cry!

The ones that are being given away are beautiful & nicer than the one we had picked out. I agree w/ Angie..... if I win, I'm naming them! LOL

It's been how long?

2009-10-16T16:29:00.002-04:00

OK, so I knew I was a bit behind on blogging, but didn't realize how long it had been till I checked my blogger account. The sad thing is, I love to blog. I love to write. I just don't have an answer as to what happened.

I am still alive & a new post will be coming soon. So, check back!

Not Me Monday!!

2009-08-17T19:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I just love a Not Me Monday!! Here goes all the things I DID NOT DO this week....

The reason I haven't posted a Not Me in so long IS NOT because I can't keep track of the days of the week. Nope, NOT ME!

I have NOT frozen my husband out of the bedroom since I'm pregnant. Nope, he's not sleeping on the couch!

I did NOT call my husband at work today & in a panic tell him I think the Doctor left a stitch in my belly button from my surgery in January 2008. Then when he came home he DID NOT check my belly button & find dried Tummy Honey inside. NO way was that me. Even if it was me, I sure wouldn't admit it!!

I did not run out to buy Davis new undies before his 1st day of preschool b/c I'm worried what the teachers would think of old underwear that he has worn all summer. Nope, not me. I have much better things to worry about.

I did not hang up baby Eliza's hairbows today & realize she has more bows than she does clothes. Also, I did not panic when I realized not one of those were purple!

My 4 year old does not play the Wii. No way, would I allow video games this early in his life!

There's my Not Me's for the week. What are yours?? I'm dying to know.

Don't call CPS!

2009-07-15T00:13:00.002-04:00

This is why I can't leave Daddy & Davis alone while I go to Kroger.

I was at Kroger for my weekly shopping trip tonight & I got this picture sent to my phone.

Hang up the phone, don't call CPS..... yet!

The cut on the eye was from Monday when Davis & Max were playing Better Batter Baseball & Davis got hit in the eye w/ a bat.

The blood & the nose.... I'm still not sure what happened. But there is not cuts or scraps, so all is well.

Nonetheless...... not a good pic for Momma to receive while at Kroger!!

Baby girl E

2009-07-13T20:12:00.003-04:00

Today we went back to the Dr & had a wonderful visit. We got another ultrasound & anatomy scan.

I am so thankful to announce that baby girl is wonderfully healthy! They checked her kidneys, heart, brain, & everything in between. Things are developing & working as they should be.

She is in the 20 percentile at this stage, so we're expecting a little one, but may be surprised as she gets bigger & bigger over the next few weeks.

Danny & I have narrowed names down to 2, but are leaning closer to 1 over the other. That's an improvement over the past few weeks!! HAHA

Here are some pics from today's visit. She is just darling & we can't wait to meet her!

We have 18 weeks & 2 days left, but who's counting?!?

It's a.....

2009-06-29T09:09:00.005-04:00

Last Thursday Danny & I got a sneak peak of our little baby. We were so excited! I was a nervous wreck. I had to keep trying to talk myself down

"Amie, it's either a boy or a girl, it's a boy or a girl, it's a boy or a girl"

This went on my whole drive there.

It took a second to get a good look at Baby B. We weren't surprised b/c just on Monday when we were seeing our regular OB/Gyn baby was so squirmy & runing from one side to the other.

I'd like to share what we feel is the most important information we received that day.

The Maternal & Fetal Medicine Doctor (high risk OB) did a full anatomy scan, measured fluid, lenght of limbs, head size, & all the things needed to rule out any problems.

We are so happy to say our baby shows no signs of any problems at this point. Baby is very healthy & growing great. I just keep thinking of that & thanking God for another heathy baby. We really don't care if it's pink or blue, we couldn't be more happier for this miracle.

Drum Roll please....

Baby Barnes is a GIRL!!

I'll get a picture up soon. We had some technical difficulties!

Davis' Cardiologist visit

2009-06-08T10:24:00.003-04:00

Last Monday, Davis went for his routine cardiologist appointment. We've been seeing A since Davis was 1 & his heart murmur became known to us.

He is an amazing Dr who we really look forward going to see. He makes Mommy feel better knowing that his heart is healthy!

As soon as Dr A walked in the room, he greeted Davis. They had a really cute conversation & it went like this:

Dr A: Are you married yet?

Davis: Yes

Dr A: You are? How long have you been married?

Davis: 6 months (w/o missing a beat)

Dr A: Wow, do you have any kids yet?

Davis: Yes, I have 4.

Danny & I were about to bust out laughing. Davis was as serious as can be.

Davis & Dr A spent the remaining time of the visit joking & kidding w/ one another, which really put Davis at ease.

Our visit went great & there is imporvement in Davis heart. One of the little valves that was opened has closed up & looks great. The murmur is still there & there is a tiny pin hole. We go back in 2 years & we're praying that the hole has healed. Even if it doesn't, Dr A isn't worried. He said he's a healthy little boy & can do anything that all the normal kiddos can do at this age.

Is it Tuesday???

2009-05-26T09:50:00.004-04:00

So, I sat down to blog about my Not Me Monday.... luckily I didn't get very far when I realized it's Tuesday!

I will share 1 Not Me..... I will not be turning the big 3-0 this week!! Nope~ not me!!

I am trying to convince Davis that I'll be 25, his Daddy isn't helping me out here.

We went to dinner last night at Sake Blue for sushi (the cooked kind for me) & some Japanese habachi grill. YUMMO!

Thursday is my actual birthday, but Davis has t-ball practice at 6:15 & the softball team that we (we meaning, Danny) coach plays at 7. So, it's a busy night & no time for birthday fun!!

I'm still waiting

2009-05-19T10:35:00.002-04:00

This song became my theme during the last few months of trying to conceive. Everytime I hear it, it brings me to tears, but also brings me comfort. It kept me focused.

Those of you who know me, know what a control freak I can be. I personally like to describe myself as a 'planner'.

It was worth the wait when we found out we were pregnant again. But, our waiting didn't end.

We're waiting for the morning sickness to end, to find out if we're having a boy or a girl, & finally

to bring our little angel home.

I've been working on patience for the past 5 + years, you'd think I was better at it!!

We still don't know what we're having, but I did have my c-section scheduled yesterday. That's a step in the right direction!! We're scheduled for November 19. Hopefully, we'll be out & ready for Thanksgiving!!

NOT ME MONDAY!

2009-05-18T01:29:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Oh, it's Monday & it's been a long time since I posted a Not Me Monday!

I did not get cracked in the head w/ a softball practice on Sunday. If that had of happened, I would not have sat down & cried. NOPE...

I did not spend hours scouring the internet & crying b/c I don't want my baby to go to Kindergarten. NO way, I'm thinking of having a party when he goes!! :)

I have not been eating spicy food & then complaining of heartburn so often that my husband is threatning to tell my OB on me.

I did not take Davis to preschool 2 days this week w/o having taken a shower first. Of course I wouldn't do that, I'm too put together for that.

I did not sit in Tumbleweed's bathroom reciting "Ten Timid Ghosts" to Davis while he pooped.

I didn't hear my 4 year old point to an American Flag the other day & say "That's the American Idol flag".

Crying over Kindergarten...

2009-05-18T01:02:00.002-04:00

As Davis' 1st year of preschool comes to a close, I'm faced w/ the fact that I only have a few months before I have to start applying to Kindergartens.

I've been scouring the internet, talking to teachers, praying for God's guidance, & reading everthing about JCPS, Whitefield, & Christian Academy that I can find. So far, this is what I've learned:
A. The schools aren't ranked as I'd suspected they would be. Some were better, but most were a lot worse.

B. I cry easily.

C. Lowe Elementary has a daily snack time.

D. Whitefield & Christian Academy is expensive.

E. I'm not as in love with Traditional Elementry schools as the rest of Jefferson County.

F. There is an event for parents at some schools (the smart ones) on the first day of Kindergarten called "Boo Hoo Breakfast". It involves, doughnuts & Kleenex. I will be attending!! :)

So, we're still undecided. I have till Febuary to get our applications for schools together. We're not sending him to our 'resides' school or any school in that cluster. So, we have to wait on the lottery system that JCPS claims is a chance. I disagree.... but that's a whole other post.

I'm just having a super hard time w/ this Kindergarten thing. I want to poke wholes in every school I look at. I spent 30 mins complaining about Christian Academy & the $5000 + a year wasn't even in my complaint list. When in reality, CAL is an awesome school, that Davis would be lucky to go to.

Batman & Dr Phil

2009-05-02T12:03:00.002-04:00

A few nights ago, Davis & I were laying in his bed. Davis called Daddy in to 'fix' his Transformer.

Davis had been looking at his Batman sticker book & was naming all the characters.

Batman,

The Riddler,

Batgirl,

Dr Phil,

WAIT...... Dr Phil? Danny & I both looked up & tried not to laugh. I looked at his book & since the sticker had been removed from the sticker page to be placed in one of the scenes, I had no idea who it was. Luckily, Danny knew it was Dr. Phosphorus.

We have a very funny kid!

Our Baby is getting big!!

2009-04-28T13:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Danny, Davis, & I made our way to Cincinatti for my last appointment w/ the specialist for this pregnancy. It was bitter sweet b/c they've been so good to me, so I'm sad to leave. But, I'm super excited to start a normal pregnancy routine w/ a normal Doctor.

We got another sneak peak at our little baby. He or she was sucking on his/her fingers. It was so cute to see the baby moving around & waving.

Davis was so excited, he wouldn't hand over the picture to us. I promised him, we'd take & make him a copy to keep in his wallet. He's just really amazed that a baby is growing in his Mommy's belly.

GOD is SOOO GOOD!

A Blog With A New Name

2009-04-24T17:43:00.002-04:00

People keep telling me that I need to change the name of my blog. These well meaning people do have a good point.

However, have they thought of any names to suggest to me?? NOOOOO, they claim that is my job! HAHA

Don't these people understand I'm trying to name a baby right now? Anyone who has ever named a child understand this stress. So, I'm in the market for a new blog name. Any suggestion? I'd love to hear them & I may even use it. If I do use your suggestion, there will be a prize in store for you! So, you get nameing rights & a prize. Good deal, huh?

So, C'mon my 2 readers...... get out your thinking caps & come up w/ a good blog name for my soon to be family of 4 blog!

Our 1st ultrasound

2009-04-10T09:01:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Danny, Davis, & I traveled back to Florence Y'all for my 1st prenatal visit & ultrasound. I'm still seeing the RE in Cinci/Northern KY until he releases me to a regular OB/Gyn.

We were able to see the heartbeat on the screen & the Dr was pleased w/ everything he saw. He said the baby has a strong heartbeat & is attached in just the right spot.

I go back in 2 weeks for another u/s & then I should be released to see my own OB/Gyn.

Davis was so cute! When it was time to go, he said "Wait, what about the baby?". He thought we were going to be able to take the baby home yesterday. We had to explain that the baby has to grow bigger & bigger before he/she gets to come home with us.

For the past few weeks Davis has been insistant he wants a sister, then on the way home from DC, he announced "If it's a boy, we'll name him Salt". HMMM... already tormenting his brother!! Danny & I said that he'd be salt of the earth, but we'd have to give him a different name.

I'll post about our DC trip & include some pics in the next few days!

We're having a baby!

2009-03-31T09:21:00.003-04:00

A lot of people have emailed me with questions about our wonderful news.
First, I want to say "Thank You" to all who have lifted us up in prayer the past few years. I have felt you on your knees & to say I appreciate it, is very much an understatment. I have said this many times before, but knowing someone is spending time with the Lord on my behalf, is very humbling & I will be forever grateful.

We went back on Saturday, March 7 for the IUI. Dr. S wasn't in the office that day, so I saw Dr. A. That was the first time I'd seen him & was super nervous. He put me at ease the moment he walked in the office. He had a big smile on his face & said "Happy Ovulation Day"! The procedure took less then 2 mins & our wait began.

Our wait was filled w/ mixed emotions for me. I knew I had only released 1 egg, so my chances of conceiving were slim. I started off w/ high hopes & as the days passed I lost all control. I had a complete meltdown & declared that I didn't want any more kids, that God gave us Davis & that was it. Danny looked at me & said

"Your pregnant!".

WHAT? Did he not just hear what I said through my tears sitting in the kitchen floor?

"Yep, that's pregnancy talk." he declared.

That made it even worse for me b/c I knew I was going to end up dissapointing him yet again.

I was scheduled to either take a home pregnancy test or call Dr S on March 21. I had read on the message boards that someone took it early just to see if the trigger shot was out of her system. So, I picked up a couple Dollar Tree tests & thought I'd give it a shot.

I took the test on March 19 & received a VERY faint positive. I have received a false positive before, so I was very weary of telling Danny about it.

I did break down & convince him to meet me for lunch & I showed him the test (in a sealed baggie). We both were cautiously optimistic, but I decided to call my Dr. He wanted me to have blood work the following day to confirm a pregnancy.

On Friday morning, I went for my blood work at a local lab in Louisville. On a trip to the grocery store I picked up a digital test & ran home & took it. When the 'positive' appeared on the screen, I wanted to scream like a school girl!! :)

Needless, to say, the blood results showed I was pregnant. I had other one on the following Monday to verify the baby was growing.

Some have questioned if I should be sharing our good news this early. I don't think it matters. I know that those same people who prayed for this pregnancy will also pray for a healthy baby. I want everyone to be able to celebrate w/ us during this time, as we're very happy & excited.
I can't help, but compare this pregnancy to my last one. I miss my baby & wish we'd be preparing to celebrate his 1st b-day in May. My eyes can't see the big plan, but I trust a God who is in control & I take comfort in that.

Wordless Sunday?

2009-03-29T20:11:00.003-04:00

OK, so I was going to post my wordless Wednesday picture on.... Wednesday, but we'll be traveling & I just couldn't wait!

Not Me Monday!

2009-03-23T09:17:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not learn this week that I am really bad at keeping a secret. I mean really bad!

I did not head to the attic to start pulling out clothes for spring & summer. I also did not start packing up the winter stuff & vowing that no matter how cold it gets in the 'ville, I would not wear my Columbia coat again till after October.

I did not eat out everyday this weekend. Nope, not me! I cooked homemade meals all weekend & they were delicous!

I did not celebrate my little guy turning 4 this past week. No way! That would just be crazy! He's still a little baby!

I want everyone to head on over to MckMama's blog & take a moment to pray for her baby Stellan. He is sick in the hospital & isn't doing well. Please take the time to lift this baby boy up!

Who are you?

2009-03-06T21:55:00.001-05:00

I love looking at the feedjit on the right of my page to see all the traffic.

I don't think I know anyone who lives in a lot of the locations, but I'd love to know who you are. It's OK, go ahead & stalk me! I stalk, um mm... I mean follow blogs from people I've never met, too. It's makes me & my life feel more normal! HAHA

Or better yet, stop by & introduce yourself in the comment section of any of my posts. I love to make new friends!

My trips to Florence Y'all & Cincinatta!

2009-03-05T16:42:00.003-05:00

In the past 11 days I've made 4 trips to either Florence Y'all or Cincinatta. In some cases, I've made stops in both destinations. We weren't making these trips just for Johnny Rockets, but we did make a stop there at least once!

We were going to see a fertility specialist that I had been refered to by many different people & had done some research on him & liked what I found. They have 2 different offices, one in Florence Y'all & the other in Cincinatta.

March 25, I went to my cycle day 3 appointment. This appointment was in Cincinatta & my friend Lynn & her baby Teddy went w/ me. The appointment went well, Dr S seemed to be happy w/ what he saw. Lynn, Teddy, & I did have to make a quick stop at the Levee for some Johnny Rockets!

On cycle day 3 I started the follistim injections. These are ovulation inducing drugs. Here is the schedule & dosage of the injections for this cycle:
cd 3 125 iu

cd4 100 iu

cd5 125 iu

cd 6 100 iu

cd7 100 iu

On March 2, I headed back to Florence Y'all, this time alone. The nurse had written down the date, time, & office location for me. I arrived in Florence Y'all to find out, that office didn't open to later in the day. I frantically called & they told me to drive the extra 15 mins to Cinci & I would be seen there.

Dr S said I had one follicle that was growing well. It was already 12 mm, which is good & fat. He really seemed pleased w/ what he saw. So, he wanted me to continue the injections for the next 3 days w/ the following dosage:

cd 8 125 iu

cd9 100 iu

cd 10 125 iu

Today, cycle day 11, I headed back to see Dr S. My appointment was in Cinci again & I went alone. On the way there, I ran into a bit of excitment.
I was driving down I-71 w/o a care in the world when an unmarked police car turned his lights on & pulled me over. The officer wearing a suit came up to the driver's side of the car & barely reaching my window showed me his ID & informed me that he was Sgt X w/ the Kentucky State Police. He asked where I was headed. I handed him my Driver's license. He asked if I had insurance on this vehicle. I was driving Danny's Jeep, so I began looking for the insurance card. He said "I'm going to go run this, you stay in the car". I didn't respond b/c I was still frantically looking. He repeated "Ma'am, please stay in the car & put your hands on the steering wheel". I acknowledged him & did as told.

The next thing I saw was Henry County Sheriff's car & another police car pull in front in front of my Jeep & beside me. The KSP officer was running my information. Just as quickly as they got there, the other 2 police cars pulled out.

The KSP officer walked back to my window handed me my ID. I had my insurance card in my hand ready to hand over. He just said "You're not who we're looking for. Be careful & drive safe.".

He went back to his car & pulled out going like 90 mph. I'm not sure who he was looking for, but I'm thankful it wasn't me!

I did make it to see Dr S. He again seemed pleased & I had 1 fat follice that measured 18 mm. We'd liked to have seen more, but 1 is better than nothing.

He directed me to take the ovidrel, which is a trigger shot that makes me release that follice & turn it into an egg. I take it tonight.

We are going back to Cinci on Saturday morning for the IUI. We're thinking about going to either the zoo or aquarium while we're there.

I guess we're starting the 2 week wait & I know it's going to kill me!

Not Me Monday!

2009-02-23T20:58:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not hear Davis call from the backseat "Momma, you didn't buckle me" today. If I did hear that, luckily I was only driving across the street. Nope, not me!

I did not scream with delight to the person I was on the phone with, with I got my period. Let's just say, we're lucky I wasn't talking to the lady at the bank. Nope, I wouldn't do that & surely wouldn't blog about it.

This week I did not...... it's so bad I can't even blog about it. But, it doesn't matter b/c I didn't do it, right? :)

I did not take Davis to the Doctor on Saturday, find nothing wrong w/ him & then proceed to take him out to lunch to watch the UofL & UK game. Nope, not me. I know when a kid is sick & I should take him home.

I did not then take Davis back to the said Doctor today & discover he had the flu. NO way, was that me. My kid doesn't get sick b/c I'm so addicted to hand sanitizer.

I did not get honked at & given 2 hand gestures while driving & not even know why. If that did happen to me, I wouldn't have been offended b/c I had just told my friend Andrea how that doesn't bother me when people honk at me.

Danny & I did not have a long discussion on baby names & spellings when we're not even pregnant yet. Nope, we're way too busy & gave better things to do with our time.

I was not tempted to send a nasty email to someone today. Nope, I never get my feathers ruffled. I'm cool as a cucumber!

Now, you join in the fun & share all the things you didn't do.

HPFBC Flood 09

2009-02-17T21:44:00.004-05:00

I just realized that I had eluded to something that was going on at church & promised to share at a later date, but never did.

What's going on in the life of our church is seeing lives changed, souls saved, & God glorified! But, behind the scenes.... that's another story!

A few weeks ago on my anniversary date of January 18, we discovered a flooded church. This flood was due to a pipe freezing & busting in our nursery suite.

The flood ruined our nursery & almost everything in it. The water also flowed into the fellowship hall, into the children's Sunday school rooms. It even made it up to the offices & into our church foyer.
Needless to say, it has been a mess cleaning up. We had to empty everything out of the nursery & document all the damanges.

These photos do not due the damange justice!

Not Me Monday!

2009-02-16T00:00:00.006-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not get offended this weekend when someone didn't notice that I had 7 inches cut off my hair. Nope, I'm not that sensitive, nor do I care what people think!

I was not super tempted to go out & buy a pair of Uggs b/c I didn't have any casual boots to wear w/ my brown sweater. I am way to rational & I would never pay that much money for a pair of boots.

I did not take a 2 1/2 hour nap on Sunday. I was wide awake doing all the laundry that got pilled up over the weekend.

After convincing Davis to give up his papi (pacifier) in exchange for a Bumblebee Transformer, I did not want to give one to him just so he'll go to sleep. No, way would I offer him a papi when he so willingly gave it up, just so I could get some sleep!

I did not take Davis to school on Friday & then realize that I had left his Valentine Day cards

at home, I would never forget something so important to my little guy.

Nope, not me!

I did not go to the YMCA this week & only run 1 mile, then walk around & watch everyone else

exersise. Nope, not me. I ran 3) 10 minute miles, b/c I'm good!

I did not leave Target this week, get in my car & then realize that I couldn't find my purse. I did not

pull back into the parking lot & find it in the bottom of my empty shopping cart. Since I did not do

this, there is no reason to mention it to my husband! :)

I wasn't sad this week b/c my sweet husband didn't get me anything for Valentine's Day, besides

a sweet card. I didn't b/c I remember how generous & loving he is every other day of the week &

didn't need a commercial holiday for him to prove it.

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-02-11T14:37:00.003-05:00

A Visit To The Doctor

2009-02-06T20:34:00.002-05:00

On Thursday Danny & I drove to Cincinnati to see a fertility specialist. We've seen a fertility specialist here in Louisville before, but we felt strongly about seeing this Doctor based on referrals & on research that I did.

I was slightly nervous about going even though I knew what he would recommend for our next level of treatment. We had waited so long between our visits to the Louisville Doctor & this Doctor b/c we really wanted to be sure this is what we are to do. We know God has opened doors for us to go through w/ the IUI & our knowledge of this Doctor is God ordained.

After leaving our visit I felt so blest & even more confident in our decision. I will admit I'm nervous about multiplies, but I am confident in the God I serve.

As I've mentioned before, I love Jon & Kate + 8, but I am no Kate! Danny & Davis keep talking about our twins, which I'd be OK with. I'm just praying for God's will & protection during this time.

We were very blunt w/ our Doctor that we are not open to any type of reduction. I felt I needed to say that to him on our 1st visit for 2 reasons:

1. I wanted him to be aware of that decision, so that his treatment can be based upon that

knowledge & make decisions that is in the best interest of me & our babies.

2. I wanted him to know that I trust his judgement in my treatment, but I trust Jesus more.

So, with that said, we're very happy w/ our Doctor. He was very sweet & even asked about our Daivs to get to know him as well. That made me so much more comfortable w/ him automatically! If you want to know more about my visit, please feel free to ask. A short run down of our treatment will include: ultrasounds, injections, ultrasounds, ultrasounds, sperm washing, & insemination! GOOD TIMES! LOL

Not Me Monday

2009-02-02T21:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not complain this week about not having any tv b/c my satelite was frozen. You see, I would never complain about tv when 1/2 our city was w/o electric. I would never do that. But, seriously I am very thankful that we kept warm w/ electricity this week.

I did not become slightly obsesesd w/ Jon & Kate +8. If I did, I would no way do a google search to get a sneak peak of their new house.

I did not completely forget about Monday last week & then feel sad b/c I did not get to 'Not Me Monday' blog. I am way too busy to be worrying about silly blog things.

I did not join the YMCA this week & run on the tread mill to discover I have missed running like crazy. I did not do this b/c I swore off running. I do not miss it at all! :)

I have not been cramping this week & kinda annoyed by it b/c I have an appointment w/ a fertility specialist on Thursday. IF I had been cramping, I sure wouldn't be blogging about my cycles. SHHHESH, what kind of girl do you think I am?

I certainly did not convince Davis he really wanted to eat the last bites of Fruity Pebbles, so he'd hand over the BBQ chips for me to eat.

I think that sums up my week. I hope you enjoy & please share all the things you did not do this week!

more winter weather pics

2009-01-29T21:00:00.004-05:00

Here are some more winter weather pics.

The first pic is of Davis on our deck. He had to look at the icicles hanging on the table. He ran out the back door (luckily w/ boots on) before I could get his coat on. Before the all the grandparents start calling, we only stayed out long enough for a picture! :)

The 3rd pic is of the tree in our next door neighbors yard. Looks like Mr Keith (neighbor across the street) & Danny will have a project when this weather clears up.

Ya know, I didn't do my 'Not Me Monday' b/c the day went by & I totally forgot, but I have a few good ones for next week!

Daddy's little helper

2009-01-29T11:41:00.005-05:00

Davis loves to play outside in the snow & cold, luckily Daddy always has work to do out there, b/c Mommy does not like the cold.
One of his favorite things are helping his Daddy shovel snow. While this activity is going on, I am usually peeking out the window & making hot cocoa.

Oh, yes that is a Transformer taboggin, watch cap, ski cap, or whatever you call it. That's one of my favorite things about being in the south, but on the border. There's 5 words for every item & depending on where you were raised, is what you call it!

Louisville Ice Storm 2009

2009-01-28T08:57:00.004-05:00

I wanted to make a quick post with some pictures b/c people keep asking what is going on here in the 'ville. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes!

History in the making

2009-01-20T12:22:00.003-05:00

I want to start off by saying I do not intend for this to be a blog for my political beliefs.
However, with that said, I don't feel as if I can let a day like today go by without blogging about it.

I appreciate what is happening today in history. I appreciate the 100 year old man who traveled to DC to see in person this inauguration. He has lived in a time where African Americans didn't enjoy the same rights as others. He's seen first hand how he or his parents were wrongly treated by people who thought they were better than him. I appreciate that. I'm glad he gets to see an African American president in the white house during his lifetime.

Today, I am so proud to be an American, as I am every other day of the year. I am proud that I live in a country that can hand over power from one president to another. Especially, when they are of different political parties. I am proud that most saw past color to elect a leader of this free world.

But, more than anything I am sad. I am sad b/c Obama won the election in November, but Americans have lost. I'm sad b/c African Americans deserve better than him. I'm sad that he's going to let all these people down. I'm sad that the media is acting like this is the 2nd coming of Christ.

What can one do? What do I plan on doing? I plan on spending the next 4 year praying for our new president & his administration. I'll pray that his heart & mind are changed. I pray for his safety & the safety of his family. I'll pray for the safety of our country. I pray that for Obama's family, that they grow stronger during his time as president.

Today is a big day for our country. I am very thankful for the hope that has been given to people who never thought they'd see even in thier lifetime.

So, I ask that you join me in praying for our president. Lift him up in prayer & ask that whatever happens, is for the glory of our Father in heaven.

FREEBIES! FREEBIES! FREEBIES!

2009-01-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

If you know me, you know I LOVE free stuff. I am sharing these 2 new freebies with everyone courtesy of my friend Andrea.

Andrea & I have been friends before I was Mrs Barnes. We used to live in the same city, spend our weekends together, & love Jesus together. Then she moved to a different country & we shared emails, cards, & phone calls. She's back in the states now living in Arizona.

It's been almost 7 years, 3 kids (2 for her), 2 moves, 2 job changes, & miles apart, but I still consider her one of my best friends. We still talk on the phone, email, facebook, read each others blogs, & most importantly love our Jesus!

Head on over to her blog & check out the 2 new freebies she found.

Not Me Monday!

2009-01-19T09:56:00.004-05:00

Is it Monday again? I guess it's time for another 'Not Me Monday'!

Not familiar w/ 'Not Me Monday'? Click here to read MckMamma's blog & her Not Me Monday Carnival! It's so much fun, I've started doing it every Monday.

Let's get started....

I did not practically starve myself on Saturday b/c all I could think of was the food I was going to have on dinner w/ my dear husband. See, I know that is unhealthy, so I wouldn't do that.

I did not take my little guy to the train show on Sunday & allow him to pick out a Bionacle. I refuse to buy Bionicals b/c the suggested age is 5+ & he's only 3 (1/2), plus there's too many pieces for me to pick up.

I did not convince Danny, Lisa, & Troy, that we needed Starbucks before going in the train show. I wouldn't do that to everyone's diet.

I didn't go to Incredible Dave's Friday night w/ friends & held their new baby the whole time (almost). I didn't do this b/c see, I'm happy w/ our little family of 3. I wasn't baby longing at all. Nope, not me!

I didn't spend too much time on the computer this week. I was way too busy cooking, cleaning, & being a good housewife.

I guess that's all my confessions this week. It looks like I was better than I thought this week!

I have another freebie!

2009-01-18T22:16:00.003-05:00

I found another freebie today. I get a lot in my email, google dashboard, blogs, or other websites. Most things I find are just coupons, but when I come across a freebie, I love to share.

Let me know if these are helpful & if anyone out there is using them.

This freebie is for Boost for kids. Go to this website to get your freebie.

Oh, also check out my new signature. I love it! If you want one, you can go here & don't forgot to thank my new blogger friend.

6 years ago today

2009-01-18T21:11:00.007-05:00

I've been trying to post this blog for a few hours today. I'm having major trouble w/ my photobucket & blogger. So, for now I'm just going to post these pics. Just a little trip down memory lane to our wedding 6 years ago today. Don't we look so young?

C-A-R-D-S

2009-01-17T23:28:00.002-05:00

GOOOOOO CARDS!

Why am I doing my Cards cheer? Click here to find out!

Oh, Happy Birthday Earl Clark!

3) 1 year olds & 1) 3 year old

2009-01-16T13:32:00.004-05:00

I know what you're thinking.... 2 posts in 1 day! Yea, but I just couldn't help myself. Plus the fact that our laptop is now wireless, I can sit it on the kitchen counter & it's easier to make a quick post.

Today, I have Mia, Cole, Taylor, & Davis. Of course Davis was at preschool this morning till Daddy brought him & lunch home!

Cole was playing w/ this big ambulance of Davis'. Danny suggested I get the tractor ride (from Max & Maddie on Davis' 1st b-day) on out of the toy room for him. Well, I did & it started something alright!

I had to go to the garage & get out the Firetruck ride (from Mia & Cole on Davis' 1st b-day) for Mia b/c I was scared a fight would break out.

Of course little Taylor wasn't about to go without. So, off to the attic I went to find the car ride on (from Granny on Davis' 1st Christmas). Here they all are ready to baby race!

Also, today after posting my blog I received an email from a fellow blogger (& Louisvillian) who gave me the Mother of the Year award. Go here to check it out & read her blog. She is a sweet mother to 2 little girls. Sickness is going around her house, so she has her handsful & amazes me at her calmness & organization.

Another thing that happened after I posted. Danny & decided to go here for our anniversary dinner. We both like it & haven't been in awhile. When I sent Danny an email suggesting it. He called me & was so happy talking about bang bang!

I think that's all for today. I wanted to post a pic of my living room b/c today it looks like toyland threw up in my living room. But, that's OK. The kids are having fun.

It's naptime & the kids are melting down 1 at a time. Right now Taylor is in my lap & Davis is crying for no apparent reason.

COLD!

2009-01-16T11:22:00.004-05:00

It's so cold today. This morning Tom Wills reported that the wind chill was -12 F. THAT'S Cold, I don't care who you are! The temp outside was actually 0! Yep, O. I know it's colder for some of my northern friends, but we're in the south!

This picture was taken taken as Davis was leaving for school. He had on 3 shirts! He was wearing his under shirt, his button up shirt, & then the sweater. I'm sure if he gets hot in school, the teacher will start pulling off layers. I had to iron his cords this morning b/c I thought they would be warmer pants to wear.

Notice his hair! I'm loving how long & thick it is. After sleeping on it when it's clean, it's got little curly waves in the back. I trimmed it on Wednesday to buy us some more time. I'm trying to figure out if we should cut it short again. It's so cute when it's short. You can focus on his eyes & smile more, but this is much warmer on his big head right now!

He was being silly in these pics, which is his favorite thing to do right now. He'll let me take a couple shots of him doing what I ask & then he puts on his silly face & there's no turning back.

Sunday is our 6 year anniversary. We're thinking of going here to dinner. There's actually 2 restaurants there. They are owned & managed by the same person & share a kitchen. We're eating on Jack's Lounge side. We wanted someplace we don't normally go & thought this sounded good. I've eaten at Jack's on GNO (Girl's Night Out), but it's been awhile.

We're still open to suggestions if anyone has something in mind. We're also planning on seeing a movie. Davis will be at Nana & Papaw's house. He hasn't spent the night w/ them since before Christmas, so this should be fun.

Oh, notice the new blue pant doesn't go all the way down the wall? Danny ran out & is hoping to finish it up & start on the trim this weekend! It's hard to get it done w/ Davis in the house b/c he wants to "help"!

Another freebie!

2009-01-15T15:37:00.002-05:00

First what's better than good spaghetti? FREE spaghetti!

Here's another freebie I want to share. This coupon expires on January 26, so hurry up & use it.

It's a Fazoli's promotion that somene else directed me to. Click here to get your coupon for free spaghetti! YUMO!

Davis is napping right now & Ms Taylor just left. I'm trying to decide what I should do. The house is pretty much clean, w/ the exlusion of Geotrax in the middle of the floor. There's no dinner to prepare b/c I made chili last nigh & plan to enjoy it again tonight.

Today while Davis was at preschool & Taylor was napping I spent 32 minutes on the elliptical machine. I had to drag it into the living room to use, so I wouldn't wake Taylor. That's a record for me.

I'm thinking I should jump back on it & see if I can get another 20 mins or so in before Davis wakes. I'm already starting to feel the pain of this mornings excersise!

FREEBIE

2009-01-14T10:01:00.002-05:00

When I logged into my Google account today, I saw on myhome page an offer for free shampoo. I thought I'd share it w/ all my favorite blog readers.

So, click here if you want to request a FREE full size bottle of shampoo! I love finding freebies in my mail box.

Oh, this offer is only for today, January 14, 2008. So, hurry!

I need to upload some new pics of Davis from my camera onto the laptop. I'll try to do that today to share w/ everyone.

On Monday we met Daddy for lunch. On our way home, he asked why Daddy had to go back to work. I told him Daddy had to go to work to make money for us. He said "no, he just makes money for me". Yep, that's about right!

Not Me Monday!

2009-01-12T19:31:00.012-05:00

It's Monday again, so time for another 'Not Me Monday'!

For those of you who are either new to my blog or didn't read my last 'Not Me Monday' post, this is a list of all the things I did not do this week!

I did not clean Davis' room yesterday & find cheerios behind his bed. I surely did not, b/c everyone knows what a clean freak I am.

I did not sneak bites of Davis' peanut butter pie while watching the UofL game. Remember, I'm on a diet & I'm pretty sure that pie isn't on my diet.

I did not have 2 baskets of clean clothes sitting in my living room for the biggest part of the week. Plus, they were not there unfolded. NO WAY that was not me. See, I follow a very strict schedule of washing, drying, & folding laundry.

I did not fall off the elliptical machine this week b/c I lost my balance... NOPE, you won't find any bruises on me!

I did not bribe my 3 (& 1/2) year old w/ mini cookies to get him out of the house quicker. I believe it was more like carrots!

I am not sitting here blogging (& smiling) while my sweet little boy is playing so nicely w/ his garbage truck.

This may be the biggest & most personal not me, yet....

I did not take a pregnancy test on Thursday & get a VERY faint positive. I did not show that said test to my amazing husband & raise his hopes of another 'mini me' baby, just to crush those hopes w/ 3 more tests that ended w/ a BIG FAT NEGATIVE. See, if I did do that, I wouldn't share it on my blog. Also, I wouldn't even consider taking another pregnancy test b/c I heard there was a limit of 999 per lifetime. I've surpassed that limit & I wouldn't want to get in trouble w/ the FDA.

There ya go........there's my 'Not Me's' of the weekend. Share yours in my comment section. I'd love to hear about all the things you did not do this week!

My to do list....

2009-01-06T11:03:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

We started off our new year, going to dinner w/ some friends at Shogun. Before you ask, yes there are other restaurants in Louisville, but I don't see the point! :)

We then came back to our house & the adults (w/ some help from Davis & Nora) played cards while the little ones ran amuck through the house.

It was a fun night. I knew I was getting old, when around 10, I was ready for my pjs! Seriously! HAHA

We've started this Biggest Loser challenge in early December. The participates includes Danny, Elizabeth, her friend Darlene, Geri, Kreil, & Dani M. Some have more to lose than others & some have already lost a lot. I have to say Kreil has lost 20 lbs so far! YAH!! But, only 12 count in the challenge! :) He looks great & says he feels good, too.

My sweet husband has lost 9 lbs. Since he is so tall he carries weight better than others. People were very surprised to find out how much he weighed.

So, I've started the year off eating healthy & getting a workout in when I can.

Also, on my to do list already this year is...

1) Figure out what to do for our 6th anniversary. We're low maintance, but like to do something

to celebrate another year together. Any ideas?

2) Plan Davis' birthday party. We have a couple ideas. All he has added to the discussion is that he DOES want a party & he wants a Transformer cake. If it was up to me we'd go back to

Kazoing. That seemed to work out nice.

3) Enroll Davis in swim lessons. I think Daddy is helping out on this one. He may even be signed

up as I type this post.

4) Figure out our summer vaca plans. We have a few ideas, but all we know for sure is that we

want to go to the beach. We love the beach!

I'm sure there are more things, but my head can only hold a few! HAHA

Davis did wake up at 5 am w/ a little cough. I gave him some Delsym & he seems to be doing better. His coughs are fewer & farther between.

The picture is of Davis & all his Moran cousins on Christmas Eve. The brew just keeps growing! There were 3 less than on his 1st Christmas.

Pictured from left to right is:
Mia, Tyler, Mark, Jack, Alison, Davis, Cole, Caroline, Samantha, & Evan

Davis says the funniest things

2009-01-02T12:11:00.002-05:00

So I only have time for a quick post, but I just couldn't resist sharing.
Davis is siting at the table having lunch w/ his buddies. They're chatting it up while I clean. Then I hear Davis say something about his Papaw's house. He then goes on to say it was when he had just turned 3, now he's all grown up! So funny! He really thinks being 4 (or almost 4 in his case) makes you such a big boy!
I'll share more later. The big boy is calling my name!

Christmas & bedtime

2008-12-26T23:01:00.007-05:00

OH, so it's officially come & gone. Christmas!

We had a wonderful time visiting w/ friends & family this past week.

Looking back at Christmas 2008, I can truly say we had a wonderful Christmas! Davis received everything he asked for (except Wild Banchee, he was unable to be found), Daddy got tons of clothes, I received my laptop & a few wonderful unexpected gifts, & we were able to give gifts to the ones we loved. But, most importantly we had a great time w/, my family & the Barnes family. We were able to catch up & let Davis know his cousins a little better.

I am so thankful for our family, friends, all we have, but most importantly I am so very thankful for Jesus! I'm thankful that Jesus loves me right where I am! I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not or change the world to be something it's just not. I can believe in Santa, carry a Coach purse, & watch Grey's Anantomy, & still be loved by Jesus!

Right now it's bedtime in the Barnes' house. Davis is asleep. Once 5 pm hits, this is the time of day I look forward to. This is 'me time'. I get so exhausted & can't wait for bedtime for Davis. So, I can catch up on tv, blog, or play wii. Once I know he's asleep, I go in & check on him. He looks so sweet asleep & then I start missing him. I miss loving on him, playing games, learning new songs, the endless questions of 'why', & waiting for the next funny thing he'll say. I can't wait to spend another day w/ him..... and then I'll get some me time again!

Oh, one more thing.... this picture is one of my failed attempts at our Christmas card this year. We were trying to get Davis, Bowie, & Annabelle in the pic. For some reason our Annabelle wanted to play more than she wanted to have her picture made!

Christmas Musical

2008-12-19T14:25:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was the annual Christmas musical at our church. This year it was a joint effort with the choir, praise team, youth, & children's choir. It was up in the air for awhile whether the cubbies (3 & 4 year olds) would even get to sing. Well, they did (sort of) & I have pics to prove it! There were 2 performances, one on Saturday night & one on Sunday night. To me, the 2nd night went off much smoother. I think the kiddos even had fun.

The 1st pic is from Sunday night. It really looks like he was singing his little heart out. In reality, I think he was asking for candy or Spencer! That's the only way I could get him up there & to participate w/o using his candle as a weapon (gun, light saber, you name it).

The other 2 are from Saturday. He looked handsome, but was a bit overwhelmed w/ the people & the singing!

Christmas With Friends

2008-12-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

Last Friday Davis had 2 friends over to celebrate Christmas with him.

Nora & Spencer came over & they made their own pizzas, made cookies w/ sprinkles, played, played, & played.

They had so much fun & were really good kids. We may have to try this again.
Here are some pics from the night.

Not Me! Monday

2008-12-15T19:03:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite bloggers is encouraging her readers to start a 'Not Me! Monday'. This is an opportunity to be brutally honest, show our imperfections in an inperfect world. So, here goes what I DID NOT do this week!

I DID NOT skip naptime for my 3 year old, so I could get some Christmas shopping done at the mall today.

I DID NOT dread w/ every ounce of my being going to the second night of the Christmas program at church last night! Watching Davis sing (dance, use the candle as a light saber, choke Parker, etc) was more than I wanted to bear. However, it turned out great & I left full.

I DID NOT feed Davis 'sneaky ice cream' that I made & convince it him was actually a treat. Seriously, the best cookbook I own is 'The Sneaky Chef'.

I DID NOT break off a piece of wooden spoon in said ice cream & unknowingly give it to my 3 year old.

I DID NOT blow up my blender making this sneaky ice cream I speak of. NOT ME!

I DID NOT even consider searching Danny's closet for my Christmas presents while he slept.

I DID NOT send my son to time out w/o even getting my lazy behind off the couch.

I DID NOT lie to my dear sweet husband about why I went to the mall today & what I bought. HEY, he'll figure it out on Christmas morning, right?

I DID NOT make a hundred excuses why I can't use the eliptical machine this week. I DID NOT use it a total of 0 times!

I DID NOT just blog about all my sins of the week.

Free Redbox rentals

2008-12-15T10:30:00.003-05:00

There's not a whole lot going on in the Barnes' house right now. I do want to share about Davis' Christmas program & post pics when I figure out how to get them on the laptop.

However, I do want to share this info I stumbled on today. Redbox is giving away free rentals at Wal-Mart on the next 3 Sundays. When you go just use the following codes.

12/21/08 - 11MOMS4UN

12/28/08 - 11MOMS4UT

01/04/09 - 11MOMS4UA

Twitter

2008-12-12T20:04:00.002-05:00

I just figured this 'twitter' business out a week or so ago... now I just figured out how to add it to my blog! Feel free to follow me & if you twitter, I'd love to follow you!

Davis had friends over tonight to play. He invited Nora, Spencer, & Amelia (she couldn't make it) & they are having a grand old time! They made homemade pizzas & then make sugar cookies. Spencer just left & Nora & Davis are still playing. I'll get some pictures posted once my house calms down.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T22:07:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick post to wish all my readers (I say that w/ a smile) a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone enjoys time w/ family & friends.
As for our family, we'll be spending time together enjoying good food. Anyone who has ever eaten at my Nanny's is probably jealous right now!
I thought about posting about all that I'm thankful for, but the list is way to long to even start. My family has been very blessed this year. We are healthy, have plenty of food to eat, a warm bed to sleep at night, & each other.
I am thankful for a wonderful husband & beautiful son.
I am thankful for where the Lord has put me during this season of my life. I get to spend 1-2 days a week w/ 15 month old twin babies who are so cute! Mia & Cole keep me busy, but are so much fun. Then, 4 days a week I get to keep a 11 month little girl named Taylor. Ohh, you'd fall in love w/ her instantly. She is one of the most happiest babies are the planet & Davis is in love w/ her. I get my baby fix & my nights are a little easier!
I am thankful for all I have & all I get! But most of all I am thankful for what I don't get. I am thankful I don't get what I deserve. I derserve helll. (Romans 3:23) I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross & paid the price for my sin. (Mark 15) Thank you Jesus!
On a side note- One of my favorite blogs is having a giveaway. Check out her website to win a really cute boutique diaper bag. http://frugalmommyof2girls.blogspot.com/2008/11/layla-grayce-giveaway.html

Shopping season is here

2008-11-09T00:19:00.009-05:00

Today, I offically started my Christmas shopping. I found these really cute things for Davis' preshool teachers & just had to get them. It's handpainted & personalized, so I wanted to get my order in sooner rather than later! I won't share what they are just in case they are readers of my oh, so popular blog! HAHA

I wanted to share a super buy I got at Kohl's on Halloween Day. First, you must know I love love things that are in 3s. Whether it be 3 little snowmen, 3 Easter eggs, or this cute door sign w/ 3 little pumpkins. I love the 3s b/c it represents Davis, Danny, & me. I'd love a way to add a little something to it to represent baby Sam. Maybe a small little pumpkin I can hot glue to it?? If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to pass them on.

I think I'm finally starting to figure this blogging thing out. I have created a logo thingy that will appear in the address bar when you visit my blog. It's really neat. I now have to figure out how to load it to the page. I'm noticing (thanks to Google Analytics) that I'm receiving more & more visitors. WELCOME! I'd love to hear your comments & feel free to be a stalker (follower)!

Yesterday, Danny painted our foyer. I have this decorating idea in my head. It involves of painting the walls an ice like blue & adding chocolate browns in the room. We're getting hardwood floor in the next few weeks, so we need to get this painting show on the road. Danny finished the foyer & was ready to move on to the hall, when I announced I hated the color. It's a pretty blue, just not for my living room. It looks more like something you'd have in a baby's room. So, back to the drawing board. I did find a nice area rug today that had the blue I'm looking for in it. Wish me luck!

Welcome Theodore Brian!

2008-11-01T18:19:00.003-04:00

I just want to make a quick post & welcome baby H! Theodore Brian was born last night (Halloween) at 11:45 pm. He is such a cutie. Mommy, Daddy, & baby are doing well. Please say a prayer for them & thank God for this wonderful addition
Aunt Amie loves her baby Teddy!

The Things I Do For A Friend

2008-10-26T20:53:00.004-04:00

Today, my sweet dear friend Lisa asked me to do something I don't normally do- JAZZERCISE! Let's just say Lisa & I used to be friends!
I met up w/ her against my body screaming "NO NO NO". It was a 50 minute class. I felt so silly & uncool trying to keep up w/ these ladies who obviously have been there before. I was sweating more than I do when I run & ready to quit way before the 50 minute class was up.
This involved dance moves, jumps, lunges, & other moves that my mind is trying to repress at this very moment. Anyone who knows me, knows my coordination & knows I should have stayed home. Well, one of you should have called me today around 3:30!

Lisa being the athlete that she is signed up for 3 months! I left thinking "What a waste of my time! It's a beautiful day, I could have been running." I'm sure I was good entertainment for the instructor & the lady who was behind me. I looked awful as I tried to do these moves. A few times the instructor said "don't think about it so hard" & I'm sure she was looking directly at me! Now, as I sit & blog about my experience I am so sore I can't move to the couch to watch tv w/ Danny. I tried to call Lisa to officially end our friendship, but she didn't answer. I left a voice mail!! She did email me moments ago to tell me she didn't answer b/c she is too sore to get off the couch. I had to smile!

Will I go back? Hmmm.... that's yet to be determined. Being sore lets me know I did something good, right?

Run Mommy Run

2008-10-22T23:58:00.003-04:00

I've recently started running again. One thing I'm discovering is that I like to run more in theory than in reality. It's a love/hate relationship w/ a lot more hate than anything else. I do truly love to run when I'm doing it. I also hate to run while I'm doing it! I love how it makes me feel right after a run. I love the soreness it brings to my body. It lets me know I'm doing something good. What I hate is the way I struggle to breath while I run.... no seriously! Sometimes, I actually have to think about breathing. This may come to a big surprise to all, but I'm NOT athletic in any sense of the word. The fact that I have run a 5K & a mini is amazing to me. I want to be a runner, I want to run, I want to be athletic, I want to be healthy!
I know people who run w/ no ipod or music of any sorts. My friend Sarah told me that it's the only quite she gets in her day. She's a mother to 2 young girls, so I know where she's coming from. I also hear other people say they enjoy the sounds of the world around them. As of now, I've only ran w/ my MP3 player. Danny & I have been looking at an ipod touch for me, so I doubt I'll be running to the sounds of nature any time soon.
Sunday when I ran after evening services it was cold. The air hurt my lungs. My legs ached, I didn't dress warm enough, & I was hungry. With all that said, it was one of the most wonderful times w/ Jesus. I let my music just play whatever song comes up. I have a wide variety of music on there, from Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Hank JR, George Strait, Elvis, & Nickleback. On this particular run, it was all beautiful Christian music. It was a great time of worship as I ran. I am looking for more to add to my song list. If anyone has any songs they'd like to suggest, please leave them in the comment section.

World's Largest Halloween Party

2008-10-21T09:43:00.004-04:00

We've had a real busy weekend. On Friday, we went to Sake Blue to celebrate Papaw's birthday. It's a new Japanese Restaurant here in the 'ville. My family & I love the hibachi grill & sushi (some more than others). It was a little different than what we were used to, but yummy none the less.
On Saturday, we ventured out to the zoo for the World's Largest Halloween Party. It was so packed. The weather was great! It was just a little cool, to remind you it is fall, but warm enough to walk around w/ a sweatshirt.
Davis didn't know what to think of all the costumes at first. He kept telling me it was 'pretend'. I think he was looking for reassurance his self. GJ & Grandpa joined us & we had a really good time.
Sunday at church we had a wonderful guest preacher. He has preached at our church previously. I left this Sunday feeling fed & loved it! He's a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
For the past few days Davis has been complaining of mild stomach pain. I had given him some Children's Gas-X on Saturday & that seemed to do the trick. On Sunday he complained a bit, so I didn't give it more thought. On Monday evening he started complaining once again. I kept encouraging him to go potty. He finally did, but once he was done he started complaining once again of stomach pain. I gave him some 'Little Tummies' children's laxative to see if that was the problem.
Davis & I left to go bowl at our church league & Danny went off to play basketball.
While we were bowling, Davis just wasn't acting 'right'. He was fussy & complaining of stomach pains. When it was time to go, he wouldn't walk out. I had to carry him to the car & into the house once we arrived.
We went straight to his room, so I could take his temp & evaluate the situation. Davis hit the floor & starting crying in pain. He wouldn't move & screamed when I touch his ears to take his temp. I called our pediatrician's after hours line & was advised to bring him in.
I'm sure most of you know that Danny lost his cell phone a week ago Sunday. I was unable to get in touch w/ him to let him know what was going on. So, I left a post-it on the counter & headed out the door w/ my little guy. He was in so much pain he wouldn't stop crying. He cried all the way to Pediatric Acute Care on Poplar Level Rd. We were seen rather quickly, which was a relief.
However, our visit w/ the Doctor went even quicker. He looked in his ears & said he had an ear infection. He walked over to start writing a rx, when I asked about the stomach pain. He touched his belly & said it was a side effect of the ear infection.
Now, I'm no Doctor, but I walked out of there very concerned & just not feeling this was right. So, I called Jill (our pediatrician) on her cell. I was her Nanny for a couple years. She didn't think it made any sense either, but gave me some great advice. She told me to give him a suppository & see if he has a bm. If so, his stomach pain should go away, if not call her office today.
So far, he has not complained of any stomach pain. We seem to be able to keep the fever under control. His little ears do hurt, but w/ Tylenol & Motrin we're keeping the pain at bay.

Annual Trip To Huber's

2008-10-16T19:58:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago the Barnes & the Holloway families took their annual trip to Huber's Pumpkin patch. This has been a real trip for us the past few years. It's so much fun to see how the boys have grown each year. It's a fun way to mark them growing up.
For example, last year Davis rode this little train ride (little carts pulled by a tractor, painted like a cow), he called it the cow train. It takes the kids on a little ride around behind the barns & inflatables. Davis was able to ride it b/c you have to be old enough to ride alone. This year Spencer was also able to join the fun & ride along.

We've tweaked our visits each year. The first year we went into the restaurant to eat. It was good food, but stressful b/c we had 2 small children (Spencer was 3 months old & Davis was 16 months old). The following year we decided to eat at the grill outside. We had hot dogs & chips. It was pricey & not very good. Plus Davis doesn't eat hot dogs. This year we stopped at KFC & brought our own picnic. That seemed to work out well for everyone. I think we'll do that again next year.
We had a really good time & the boys picked out some really nice pumpkins. Davis, of course, wanted the biggest one he could find.

REWIND

2008-10-15T09:07:00.004-04:00

OK, I just realized I never posted about Davis' 1st day of school. We had a wonderful day planned to make sure his 1st day was special.
We started our morning w/ a trip to McD's. We thought it would be a treat to have breakfast out for his first day. However, all Davis could do was rush us through breakfast b/c he didn't want to miss school. It was cute!
We pulled into school & he walked right in. He was a bit nervous, but we had prepared him for this day for the past few months. He never cried.... I can't say the same about myself!
He only went for 1 hour that first day. We picked him up & took him to waterfront park downtown & had lunch at Tumbleweed on the river.
Just as a side note- he still loves school & even Mommy is starting to like it! HAHA

Davis Earns His Keep

2008-10-04T22:52:00.004-04:00

Finally, Davis is earning his keep around here! You see, normally when Danny cuts our grass, Davis follows him around w/ his little lawn mower. Today, Davis insisted on using Daddy's 'mawn mower' all by himself.
It was really a cute site. I was busy in the house, but had to sneak out for a couple pictures!
It's been awhile since I blogged. The good news is I found I have more readers than I thought! People have asked where I've been or if I've quit blogging. To tell you the truth.... my mind is constantly thinking "oh, I should add this to my blog", but then time gets away from me & I forget.
Davis is really growing up. He's officially 3 1/2 & will gladly tell anyone who asks him his age! For some reason, he wants to be 4 so badly he can't stand it.
He started school & soccer in September. He loves loves loves school.
It's so cute & he's really learning so much. He knows the Pledge & the Pledge to the Christian flag. He thinks we need to say it every morning at home, too! So, we've started doing that at home. We have a mini American flag, but are on the look for a Christian flag. If anyone knows where I can find one, please let me know.
Danny & I really would appreciate everyones prayers right now & we're searching for the Lord's direction in our lives. We're daily seeking his will & guidance right now.
I'll post more pics & stories later.

My purse

2008-06-15T14:31:00.004-04:00

Last night as I was blogging & reading other blogs that mean so much to me, Danny asked if I'd blogged about my purse. HMMM... funny question, I mean I love my purse , but enough to blog about it?
I rolled my eyes & went on reading the other blogs. I went to a blog, that I have been following for quite some time. It's a wonderfully God fearing lady who has been through so much & I feel like we're best friends. One of her latest blogs just happen to have a pic of her Coach bag. Now, this caught my attention.
You see, I've been wanting a Coach purse for a long time. I've wanted one every Christmas & birthday for the past few years. My problem was I couldn't find one that I wanted badly enough to pay that much money for.
For Mother's Day & my birthday, Danny gave me money to spend however I want. I was having trouble finding clothes that fitted me, were my style, etc. I was walking through the mall alone one day & stopped in Coach. I fell in love w/ their new line of bags.
Long story short, I am now the proud owner of a Coach bag!
Her entry wasn't about showing off her new bag, but about sacrifices & a lesson God put in front of her for her 3 little girls.
Something she said really made me think. She said that she knows God cares more about her & how she lives her life than what kind of purse she carries. She doesn't believe owning a Coach bag makes her less of a Christian, nor does it make her a better one.
I love my new bag, it's so cute, so pink, & mine. I don't have to share it w/ diapers, Hot Wheels, & sippy cups. I get it all to myself. That is nice, but what was better was the reality check of her blog.
So, in short I got a new purse! HAHA

We've adopted!

2008-06-14T22:15:00.003-04:00

OK, so maybe that title is a little misleading. But, we have adopted... we adopted a soldier. I am so excited!!
He is stationed in Kuwait & I will be his 'angel' during his deployment.
He has emailed me once to thank me for caring enough to sign up for this. I emailed him back, have written a small letter & sent him a package.
His care package isn't much, b/c I'm not really sure what all he likes, wants, & needs. I sent some trail mix, baby wipes, toothpaste, toothbrush, raisins, tissues, gum, & some other misc items.
I also sent a little survey that asks all kinds of questions about himself & what he has access to & likes. I had downloaded it from the site I signed up for.
I had been looking for a way to pen pal & support our troops that were over seas. Every outreach I found allowed me to send packages or make donations, but none allowed me to know my soldier. I believe w/ all my heart that God has lead me to him. It's exactly what I need to keep me busy & my mind off babies.
I'm also so excited that I can be his prayer warrior! That makes me happy knowing that I'm committing to pray for him every chance I get to go before the Lord. That is so humbling!
I checked the temp in Kuwait for tomorrow & it's going to be 106! SHEWWW.... I guess I have less to complain about than I thought.
If anyone would like to get involved w/ this outreach, please email me. I'd love to share the details w/ you. Also, if you can't commit to sending care packages, they need people to write letters to the troop while they wait to be adopted.

Long time, no blog....

2008-06-13T09:16:00.003-04:00

So as usual, it's been awhile since my last blog. I have so much in my head I want to say, to document, to remember.... it's fleeting & I find it hard to put pen to paper (if you will).
On May 21st we should have been celebrating a very exciting time in our lives. In a perfect world we'd be in the hospital w/ our new baby. Instead it was a very sad day for us. Danny stayed home w/ Davis & me, which was really nice. A very dear sweet friend ordered a beautiful peace lily from a local florist for us.
That potted plant was exactly what I needed. When someone asks me how they can be praying for me, which I think is one of the sweetest questions anyone can ask, I ask that they pray for our peace. Peace w/ possibly having only 1 child, peace w/ the fertility options laid out in front of us, & peace w/ the option of adopting.
My hardest days are when some unknowing excited friend or neighbor announces so happily that that are having a baby. I smile & try to remember to say 'congrats', but leave feeling sad.
I'm trying my hardest to be patient, find peace, & work through these issues. I can say that I am so happy for my friends who are pregnant. I love to share in their joy & can't wait to meet the babies. It's just hard when the news is broken to me. Once I have time to process the info & have a good cry, I'm OK.
Hopefully the next entry won't be so far between.... Till then

Some Aunts should just stay away...

2008-05-05T19:14:00.003-04:00

Early this morning around 1 am my least favorite aunt came for a visit. There had been warning signs, so my body was expecting her. I guess I should have called my heart.
For some reason, this is one of the hardest non pregnant cycles yet. It's been over 2 years that we've been actively trying for a baby to bring home. This was our last chance for a 2008 baby. I'm getting closer to that big 3-0. Davis is getting so big & maturing so fast. These are all reasons why my heart is breaking so bad this cycle. I just KNEW w/ everything in me we would bring a baby home in December.
Yesterday I was doing some spring cleaning to keep my mind off things. Danny & Davis were outside doing whatever it is that boys do. I kept listing to Mercy Me 'Bring On The Rain'. In the song he sings:
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I just kept listing to that song & crying. I want so badly His glory over my desire, but this is so hard.
A guy Danny works with told him for me to just relax.......Yea, we tried that, didn't work! NEXT IDEA? I'm not sure if I've said this before, but if someone has cancer do you tell them to relax? No, b/c they have a medical condition that a bubble bath won't help, guess what? So do I.
Also, to add to my day, I checked in on another girl's infertility blog I browse from time to time. Well, she's no longer barren. Deep in my heart I'm happy for her, happy for this experience she's going through. But, when I read it all I could do is cry!
For now, if you could, please pray for peace. I'm just want peace.

Spring time

2008-05-02T20:10:00.003-04:00

There are ways you can tell spring is here... Easter lilies bloom, short sleeves come out of the attic, & lawn mowers come out of the garage. But, to me the declaration of spring is grass stains! We went to the park to play & came home with proof of the changing season!
I love this time of year. Everything is so fresh. Everywhere you look are pinks, yellows, polka dots, & floral patterns. The smell of fresh rain, the breeze from the open window are what makes this season so great to me.
I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but in the Barnes' house it's the same old story, just a different day & a higher dose of clomid.
With each month on clomid I experience symptoms worse than the previous month. The depression really hit me hard this cycle & it's been hard to blog b/c nothing is new.
I posted a pic of Davis, Jake, & Josh on Easter. They are such handsome little guys & have so much fun together.
I want to post more pics, so I'll be back this weekend for a more detailed blog.

Davis turns 3!!

2008-03-27T16:22:00.005-04:00

I

Our little baby turned 3 years old. We just can't believe how time flies.
We celebrated with a birthday party at Kazoing Party & Play. Davis had lots of friends & family join us to help make his day special.
He's been seeing other kids w/ these hand held games & he was very interested in them. He received some gift cards for his birthday, so we got him a Leapster hand hand game. He looks like such a big boy as he races Lighting McQueen around the course. I just get amazed watching him play.
Our lives have changed so much over the past 3 years. Parenthood really makes you see all the important things in life. We are so thankful for our little guy & wouldn't trade him for all the money in the world.
I know all parents think that their child is smart, but man Davis is so smart. He catches on to things so quickly. His memory amazes us.
One thing he does is sing 'In my life' by The Beatles. I'm going to try & get video of it & post it to share w/ everyone. It's so cute!

The stitch comes out!

2008-03-13T14:43:00.002-04:00

Today Danny took Davis to see Dr Jill to get his 1 little stitch taken out. I choose not to go b/c I'm watching the Mia & Cole (my cousin's 6 month old twins). I also thought it would be fun for Daddy & Davis to get some time together.
Davis & I talked about what was going to happen before the visit. We talked about how Dr Jill would take that 1 stitch out to make his nose all better. How Dr Jill would look into his eyes (he's been blinking like his eyes are dry) & how she'd look in his ears (I'm paranoid when it comes to ear infections). Davis was such a big boy! No tears or anything. I think he did better than his Mommy would have if she had to have stitches removed.
Davis now weighs 32 lbs! WOW! He's ready for a big boy booster seat. We've been letting him sit in one that I had for a little girl I was babysitting for b/c I had weighed him at home & knew he was over 30 lbs. He's excited to be in this big boy stage. Maybe he'll get a new booster seat for his birthday!
As for his eyes, Jill said it was allergies & gave him Zaditor rx eye drops to help w/ the dryness. He already takes Singulair for his allergies.
The whole eye thing has been a drama for us, too. Last Sunday we noticed the blinking was getting worse & Papaw even questioned what was going on. I became paranoid & called Pediatric Acute Care. They told me he was probably having eye seizures & theres nothing they can do. We should see our pediatrician & she'll send him to a neurologist. OK, SERIOUSLY? Was that needed? I mean I'm already paranoid, why feed it? I called Jill as soon as I hung up. She said that's not at all what she would have suspected & to watch him. If it gets worse, then bring him in. She was hesitate to have us come in b/c of flu season. She said we'd leave w/ a lot more than we came with. The more I thought about it, the more upset I became!
For those of you who don't know, I was a Nanny for Jill up until around October of this year. I wanted to be home w/ Davis full time. She's our pediatrician, I wonder what I would do if I didn't have her as my personal on call DR!
Tomorrow is Little D's 3rd birthday! I'm so excited for him as we have a fun filled day planned. I'm a nut w/ birthdays & think they should always be a big deal. We are so THANKFUL to God for not only giving us this wonderful little guy, but allowing us to nourish, love, & teach him for the past 3 years. It's an amazing charge & we're honored to have it.
The picture is Davis in the Dr's office w/ his sucker after he got his stitch out.

It's a first....

2008-03-09T23:30:00.005-04:00

Tonight as we are in the final stretch of being 2, we had yet another first!!
Davis received his 1st stitch!
Danny & Davis were playing forts in Davis' room & I was in my bathroom. Davis told Daddy he was going to go kiss Bowie 'night night' & would 'be right back'. I heard a growl, a louder growl & then a bark. Davis started crying. Now this isn't too abnormal b/c the dogs & Davis fight a lot & we hear these sounds.
This was a little different b/c his cry wasn't as dramatic as usual. I ran in there & he was holding his face. Bowie nipped his nose.
We weren't even sure we needed to go to the ER. I called Pediatric Acute Care & they suggested we go to either Baptist Hospital East (if they have a Pediatrician on staff tonight) or Kosair Children's Hospital. I called BHE & they do have a Ped on staff in the ER at all times.
Little D cried most of the way there. He kept saying "I don't go to DR" & "I don't wike hopital". He said "I feel better, Mommy". My heart was breaking, but I'm more of a 'better to be safe than sorry' type of gal.
We got to the ER & was taken back to the Ped ER pretty quickly. The nurse who saw him didn't think he would need any stitches. A few other nurses came in to see him & check out his nose. One of them asked what happened & he was so cute I could cry! He said "playin' fort w/ Daddy, gotta give Bow kisses in blue room, he bite me". I couldn't have explained it any better.
He was such a trooper. When the Dr came in he decided that he would feel better if he had just 1 stitch. I asked about the glue stitches, but b/c of bacteria w/ a bite he prefers to do the regular stitch.
They had to put some numbing solution on his nose & let it sit for 15 mins before doing the stitch. Davis did so well, during all this.
When they came to do the stitch, Mommy didn't do as well. My poor baby only cried for a second & then they were done.
When we got home & things were settled & I was tucking him in bed I told him how proud I am of him & what a big boy he is. He said "Mommy, I cried". It just broke my heart. I asked if he cried b/c it hurt & he said "Yes, my nose". I said, it's OK even big boys cry when it hurts!
One of the ER techs gave him a stuffed zebra & we named him 'stitch'. He slept w/ him tonight!

Before I was a Mom

2008-02-23T22:19:00.002-05:00

I read this in an adoption newsletter that I get & wanted to share....

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plans were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind & thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes & cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know the bond between a mother & her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important & happy.
Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure everything
was okay.
I had never knows the warmth, joy, love, heartache, wonderment, or satisfaction of being a
Mom.

I can relate to so much of this. Being Davis' Mommy is the most important job I'll ever have.

When we had Davis we knew he was a miracle. All babies are a gift from our Father & are miracles, but we knew this baby needed something extra to get here. We are now realizing what a miracle he is. My body may never create another baby b/c it's broken. I haven't blogged much b/c this is hard for me & I don't know what to say. I know I've shut down about talking about it b/c I don't know what is going to happen. I can say that Danny & I are talking about adoption & praying about what to do next.

The Story of Prince Davis & his throne!

2008-02-13T17:04:00.003-05:00

On Friday I thought I'd give this whole potty thing another try with Davis. I've been trying every few weeks, with absolutely no luck at all. He was showing no interest & ended up just frustrating me.
Friday morning we got up & I put a pair of Thomas undies on him & he just took to the potty like he's been doing this forever. Friday, Saturday, & Sunday we had some probs w/ spraying. He & I just couldn't figure out how to do it w/o making a huge mess.
He's had a few hiccups along the way, but they are accidents & he really tries to get to the potty. I'm so proud of him I could just burst. I wish I had a secret as to what worked, I guess just try, try, try, try again, & be patient!
Friday night after Danny got home from work we took Davis to Target. He got some boxer briefs & Mickey Mouse Clubhouse undies. It wasn't his first choice, but the only ones that they had in his size.
We then went to Moe's & had dinner. Davis did so well. He went potty at Moe's in the big boy potty & was so proud of himself.
On Saturday we had an Upward basketball game & Davis did great. We then went to Qdoba for lunch & then to the hospital to see Troy. Davis went potty at the hospital. Davis then fell asleep in the car & Danny & I were out looking for his bedroom furniture, so we just let him sleep while I went in to the stores.
After he woke up, we stopped at the Humane Society & Davis had his first accident there. He just got so excited seeing all the puppies play & chase him.
I guess now, he's officially a big boy. Makes me really sad that he's not my baby anymore. It's so hard to believe he'll be 3, one month from tomorrow.