Our Christmas

We had our Christmas on Monday morning because Corbin had to go back to his mom's on Wednesday! It was a great morning.

The boys went through their stockings first. Corbin went through his then tried to get Garrett to pull stuff out of his. Didn't work too well, so he finally just poured it out! Corbin opened movies, cds, a gameboy game, a backpack, and some clothes. Then he helped Garrett open his presents. He said I got a lot of stuff but none of them were big like Garrett's. We didn't say anything. Then he asked if he could play his gameboy game and I said sure, after you get dressed and walk Milo. So, while he was getting ready, I went downstairs and waited for him. When he got downstairs, he didn't even see his big present until I called his name. Then he turned and saw his bike. He said is that for me? I said, who else would it be for? He was happy and started checking it out. I said now, you see why you didn't open your big present upstairs and he said yeah!

Robert's mom came up that afternoon and we had Christmas with her. Then we rode to Tanglewood to look at lights, but Garrett was throwing a major fit, so it wasn't the most enjoyable time!

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Snow Day

On Friday, it started sleeting/snowing about 9 am on Friday. Students were dismissed at 9:30 and teachers were able to leave at 11! It was a great party day! My students ate cupcakes, cheese doodles, and drank Capri Suns at 8:30! We did gift exchange at 9 and sent them home! It snowed all day Friday and through the night!

On Saturday, we took Garrett out for his first snow! We put him on Corbin's sled and Robert pulled him down the hill! He wasn't sure what to think! He didn't love having to be all bundled up!

A Busy Week

When Corbin got here on Sunday, we put our tree up!

Corbin's Christmas Program was Monday night! They danced to two songs and he did it! I was so proud! I figured he would be all shy and hide, but he was getting down...lol!

Garrett's Christmas Program at Salem-Sloan Daycare was Thursday night! I know, you are asking yourself, what kind of Christmas program can a baby have? Well, they put the 4 child stroller on the stage and made it look like a sleigh and all the babies wore red and sit up there, while the one and two year olds wore brown and antlers and were reindeer. Basically, he just sat up there and tried to tear the sleigh down by grabbing hold of it and jerking it...lol! It was precious, none the less!

An Arkansas Thanksgiving

On Tuesday afternoon, Robert, Corbin, Garrett, and I headed to Arkansas for Thanksgiving. We go to Arkansas on the holiday we have Corbin and this is our Thanksgiving. Usually the drive takes us 12 hours, but there was a rock slide on the North Carolina/Tennessee border and we had to take an hour and a half detour. This only made an already long ride even longer. Garrett did was ok, but woke up each time we stopped. Then I figured out the lights of passing trucks and street lamps were shining on him, so I covered up that side of his car seat with a blanket. We left NC at 1:30 pm and made it to my mom's in AR at 3:30 am on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, we hung out at mom's and Mammaw's. We went to visit my dad at work. It was just a visit day basically. On Thursday, we had lunch at Mammaw's with my mom's side of the family. It was great until Corbin started running a fever right as we were getting ready to go to my Nana's for my dad's side of the family. So, we gave Corbin tylenol and left him with my mom at Mammaw's since they had all already been exposed and Robert, Garrett, and I went to Nana's. We had a great supper there and Garrett got to play with his cousins, Kinley, Cruz, and Chanley. As always it is great to see all my family! I miss them so much and wish it were possible for us to live there, but as most of you know it is not a possibility for us right now! On Friday, my mom and I decided we did not want to fight the crowds shopping so we just hung out at home. Robert went to take Corbin to the dr. as he was still running a fever and his throat was sore, but guess what, no dr.'s offices open...not even the Urgent Care ones. So, they came home and we did Christmas with my mom and RaeRae. Then we left to go spend the night at my dad's and see Tessie and Cyrus, since they had been in Branson. On Saturday, we went back to Mom's to drop off the playpen and say bye. Robert decided to take Corbin to the dr. even though his fever had broken because we didn't want to send him back to his mom's sick. It took them from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm to be seen and get the medicine! There was only 1 doctor and 1 nurse...can you imagine that! They had been closed for 2 days and they only have 1 doctor there...crazy! Anyway, Corbin has strep throat. We are praying no one else gets it! So, my mom and I hung out at Mammaw's and then finally did a little shopping at Kohl's. We went back to my dad's and packed the car and visited with them before starting back at about 6:30 pm. We tried a different detour and made it home at 8:30 am (our time, 7:30 am AR time). Garrett slept better and we stopped less on the way home.

After this trip, we have definitely decided we need a van! Every time we come home, we always need more room because without fail we come home with more then we took out there! Which isn't a bad thing :)!

Now home doing laundry and relaxing and dreading having to head back to school tomorrow! Thanksgiving is too short of a time to head home! Well, next year it will be Christmas so that is better!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and is looking forward to a joyous holiday season!

I am so blessed!

At this time of year, we are suppose to reflect and count our blessings. Today at church, a ladies group sang a song about being so blessed you can not count them all! That is exactly how I feel! The Lord has blessed me so much more then I deserve! I have a healthy, beautiful family! We have a roof over our heads and food to eat. Even though money is tight we are still able to do a few extra things here and there and I forget sometimes to be thankful for that when so many are wondering how they will find enough money for food or to pay their bills to keep their homes. Robert and I both have jobs in an economy where jobs are scarce. I grew up with parents, grandparents, sisters, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved me and I am still close to today no matter the distance between us. I am thankful for my in-laws who have added blessings to my life! I have friends I know I can count on no matter the need and most importantly that I can talk to about anything and know I can trust them to hold it close! My church family is wonderful and we are blessed to have them when my family is so far away. For the Lord who saved me even though I am so unworthy! See what I mean, there are too many to count and name. I know I am missing some, but I just wanted to say how thankful I am for what the Lord has blessed me with and to share with all of you as you are blessings to me too!

This week is Thanksgiving and we are headed to Arkansas on Tuesday. Tomorrow, Corbin turns 9! It is so hard to believe how fast he is growing up! Everyone have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

For his first Halloween, Garrett was a monkey! Thanks to Didi for sending us the costume! Corbin was a clone trooper from Star Wars! We went to church for Trunk-N-Treat! It was a rainy, miserable night, but we had it in the church, so we stayed mostly dry!

We made it through September!

What a month September was for us! Why was it such a bad month...sick, sick, sick! One week I missed 2 days with Garrett and Robert missed one because he had a double ear infection. Then Robert missed a day because he had a sore throat. Throughout that whole week, Corbin had a bad cough, but never ran a fever or felt horrible so he went to school because he was working on perfect attendance. Unfortunately that was ruined the next week when Robert, Corbin, and I all got food poisoning.

Two weeks ago Sunday, we had a pork loin from Sams for lunch. We cooked it for over 16 hours in the crock pot and when we got it out to thaw it was in the refrigerator the whole time, but nevertheless on Sunday night about 1 am, Corbin started throwing up and having diarehha at his mom's and I started at 3 am, and Robert started at 4 am. Robert and I were horribly sick Monday morning and had no idea that Corbin was sick too. So at this point we are afraid we have shared the stomach bug and do not want Garrett around us. So we tried to call Robert's mom for help, but she had to do interviews for her job. Then we tried Cyndi but she had to work because she was going to be off another day. This is one of the major downsides to living over 700 miles away from my family! So, Robert made himself well enough to take Garrett to daycare. On the way, he called Crystal (Corbin's mom) to tell her we were sick and to watch Corbin and that's when she told him Corbin had started at 1 am. This made us think it wasn't a bug because it was too big of a coincidence that we were all sick at the same time. Usually with a bug, one gets well and the next one gets it in a staggered effect. So, Robert told Crystal to take Corbin to the dr. and then call and tell us what the dr. said. When she took him and told the dr. we were all sick and the dr. said given that and that Corbin didn't run a fever or have any other symptoms, he felt it was probably food poisoning and gave Corbin phenegran to rub on his wrist since he couldn't take it any other way. I had phenegran from my nausea when I was pregnant so Robert and I took that and it helped us. Garrett had a recheck for his ears that afternoon and Robert took him because he never did throw up just had diarehha and he felt better then I did! Cyndi came when she got off work and watched Garrett while we slept because we just couldn't function. Even though we quit throwing up by 9 am, we were still nauseas and had no energy and there was no way we could take care of a baby. Cyndi gave him a bath and I feed him and put him to bed. Then Robert's mom came and spent the night and took care of Garrett so we could sleep. Then she took Garrett to school the next day because we still had no energy. We made it back to school on Wednesday!

This past week, Robert missed Wednesday because Garrett's cough was so bad we wanted to get him to the dr. He has bronchitis. He is on his 3rd Antibiotic in a month and is taking mucinex and breathing treatments 3 times a day! He seems better but still has a rattle in his chest. I think he is teething too and going through a growth spurt so he has been cranky and when it's time to eat you better have it ready!

I am hoping October brings better things for us! Hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather! I for one am ready for cooler weather!

Sick Baby

So here's the downside to taking off 12 weeks to stay home with your newborn baby, you head back to school with no sick days and you put your baby in daycare and he gets sick! Of course, you have to stay home with him, you are the mother, but you have one sick day and now that's gone and you'll have to wait till next month to earn another. So, building up sick days so you can have another baby in three or four years doesn't seem like it's going to happen! :)

Garrett has had a cough for a while. About a week or two before we went back to school, he got a sinus infection. So, the dr. put him on Claratin. He has never dried up. In the meantime, he has developed a cough. Dr. said at 3 month check up that a cough is normal with the excess slobber he has in his throat from teething (which we now have 2 bottom front teeth...very cute)! So, no worries until this week when it's gotten worse and he wakes himself up at night having a coughing fit and cries cause it hurts to cough. Along with the fact, that Cyndi called and said that she went to the dr. on Thursday and he said if she was a 3 month old she'd have the croop but since she's an adult she has the virus that causes the croop. Guess what, she kept Garrett last Saturday! So, all this adds up to Mommy taking a sick day to take Garrett to the dr. so he can get better plus he can't go to school until he hasn't had a fever for 24 hrs. with no tylenol and he went to bed with 100.3.

It's hard to see your baby sick and all you want to do is take it away! So, pray for us that he gets what he needs tomorrow and can be on the road to recovery! Mommy needs to save her sick days for a little sister...lol! :)

The Beginning of School

School started back and it hasn't been too bad except it is so hard to get up! It makes it even harder when Garrett doesn't sleep well at night! Robert had to miss the first day of school because Garrett woke up with his eye matted over! Our first thought was pink eye, but it turned out to just be his sinuses. So he got eye drops and went back to daycare the next day! His two bottom teeth have began to come through and you can feel them! It is so exciting to watch him grow and change, but not fun to deal with the fussiness that goes with it!

Corbin loves school so far this year! He says it's his best year ever. Yeah!!! He was already starting to say he didn't like school and that worried me! He told us it is because in 3rd grade you have more freedom. He had such a good first two weeks, he had a friend stay over on Friday night. We decided to do movies after Garrett went to bed...Robert and I barely made it through the first 3o minutes and we were asleep! Yes, we're getting old. We all went to the pool on Saturday. Boys are competitive and so we had to stop them from playing anything where they could be competitive because it became a battle! I said we could only do this about once every three months because we were all so tired by the time we took his friend home! We also wanted to give Corbin a night where he had us to himself, so Cyndi watched Garrett for about an hour Saturday night while the three of us went to eat at Applebee's! It was fun and gave us a chance to catch up and just relax and talk. Corbin was so exhausted though from the previous night he was ready to get home and get in bed! He slept from 8:30 pm to 9:00 am! Wish Garrett would do that...lol!

We are enjoying our long weekend just relaxing! Life will begin to get busier as soccer season starts on Tuesday and the demands of games begins to take its toll too! Hope everyone else enjoyed their long weekend! Have a blessed week!

The Last Days of Summer

Summer has ended for me. I went back to work on Monday and Garrett started daycare! There were tears the first day and times I wanted to cry every other day, but held it in! In the end we both made it through, he better then me...lol!

Before the summer ended, we had some fun! We have spent many evenings outside trying to keep Garrett awake before bath and nap and watching Corbin ride his 4-wheeler!

Robert and I finally went on a date! My great friends, Annie and Dana Allen volunteered to watch Garrett one night while Corbin was with his friend, Kyle! We went to eat at Texas Roadhouse and were back before 8:30 p.m. Which means we were only gone about two and a half hours, but it was nice to get out! The next night, I went with Robert and Corbin to the races at Hickory Motor Speedway while Cyndi stayed with Garrett! They have a few different races of late models and various types of cars. We had a great time together and Corbin enjoyed having both of us to himself again! We have a membership to the pool in our area, but it has been hot and it has concrete all around and I have been hesitant to take Garrett as pale as he is! So, this has been a place for Corbin and I to go and have some one-on-one time and just relax. Robert isn't really a pool person so he stays home with Garrett! Finally though, our Sunday School class had a party from 8 pm to 10 pm and we went and took Garrett! He liked it, but was still a little young to understand what he was suppose to do. One of our friends let us borrow the float her one year old didn't want to stay in and he loved that! It was a good time.

I have also had some issues with my incision from my C-section this month and had to return to the doctor. It has bleed at times and been extremely uncomfortable and is still having a discharge. The doctor looked at it and didn't think it was infected that it was just healing, but went ahead and gave me an antibacterial creme to put on it 3 times a day! Robert has to put the creme on it and cover it with guaze and tape because it is in an odd spot for me to reach it! I would have to hold a mirror to see it and that would make it hard to get the creme on and tape it up! Most days it's only 2 times due to how busy we are and especially when the kids come back to school on Tuesday, I will have no time for Robert to doctor it!

School begins for students on Tuesday. I ask that you pray for Robert and I to be the best we can be for our students and for Corbin that he have a good year! Pray that Garrett doesn't get sick too often at daycare as Mommy is out of days and Daddy doesn't have many either!

Have a blessed week!

Baseball party, 4 months, and Teething

We had Corbin's baseball team party last Friday the17th. The boys got to swim and received their trophies. We ended the year 5th in league due to not getting to make up about 3 of our rain out games. We got 3rd in tournament and lost to the team that won it all (they beat us every year!). Robert is the coach so the team presented him with a coach's plague to thank him for his hard work this year.

Garrett turned 4 months old on Saturday the 25th! This week has been a lot of first for us. He went to his first vacation bible school and ran his first fever the first night. He has been really fussy lately and slobbering a lot and chewing on anything he can get his mouth on and since nothing else was wrong we figured he was teething! So, off and on all week he has had a low grade fever which we have treated with tylenol and some gum pain which we have treated with teething tablets which everyone told me to use. Also, at 4 months they are suppose to start cereal. Since he is so big the peditrician told us we could start giving him cereal in a bottle at 3 months because he wouldn't be ready for a spoon yet. Because baby food comes at 6 months, you are suppose to start with a spoon at 4 months. So, last night we started that. It went pretty well considering it was the first time!

Hope everyone had a great week! Be careful and God Bless!

Arkansas

I always go home to Arkansas for 2 weeks in the summer, but since Garrett hadn't got to meet all the family since his birth in March, I decided to go for 3 weeks! 3 weeks away from home and routine with a newborn baby...what was I thinking!

The first 2 weeks we were at my mom's! The first week was torture...Robert wasn't there and we work as a team and Garrett had a hard time adjusting! Garrett is usually a good baby. He only cries when he needs to eat or is tired, but in Arkansas he cried often beginning with an hour and a half fit the first night we were there! Fun times! He had a hard time napping the whole time we were there and even when Robert got there and brought the swing it was still difficult to get him to settle down and nap! We basically just hung out and saw family! Garrett got to meet his cousin, Chanley, who is 5 weeks older then him. He met all the great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and multiple cousins! My sister Katie took some awesome 3 month pictures of Garrett in my mom's living room!

On Friday, July 3, I got to meet up with some old friends I haven't seen since high school! Erica, Misti, and I enjoyed catching up, but didn't have nearly enough time to get caught up as we were leaving to go to Hot Springs and my mom was calling me to come on! So, we have decided to get together again in the fall and hopefully will continue to get together in the summers when Erica and I go home!

We spent the July 4th weekend in Hot Springs at Morgan's boyfriend, David's grandma's lake house. We went out on the boat, watched fireworks, and just enjoyed some good old family togetherness!

The last week we spent with my dad! Garrett was actually really good there. It could've been less people or just him finally getting use to having to go to different places! We took Cyrus bowling and the boys went to play putt-putt! Corbin learned to drive a four-wheeler and guess what, we rented a u-haul and brought it home with us! I got to watch my brother play baseball and see him hit an in the park homerun to win the second game in the last inning! It was wonderful! My dad was so good with Garrett and it was great to watch!

Finally, we drove home. Garrett and I rode with Cyndi because Robert and Corbin had Milo, the dog! The trip home took longer then the trip out because Robert was pulling a u-haul with a four-wheeler in it! Luckily Garrett slept through the night that night, got up at 6 am and ate and went back to sleep till 9 am! It was beautiful! So, we are glad to be home and back in routine, but miss all the family!

Play Date and Heading Home

On Thursday, I took Garrett over to my friend Mary's house to play with her son Aiden who will be 6 months on the 29th of this month. They were so cute and laid on the mat and played with toys and didn't seem really bothered by the other being there. It is nice to have a friend who also just had a baby so we can share what's happening and going on. We don't always do the same things but it's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and check in with to see if what's happening at your house is normal. Mary also has a stepson, Justin, that is the same age as Corbin. So far we've done well with having kids that are close in age and can play together. We'll see if we're that lucky next time...haha!

On Monday, I will head for Arkansas with my friend, Cyndi, and Garrett. From my house to Arkansas is usually 12 hours. With a 3 month old, I'm thinking at least 15! We will have to stop at least every 4 hours for him to eat. Cyndi will come spend the night with us on Sunday so we can load her car and get Garrett's car seat base in her car. The plan is to leave around 4 am on Monday. This is when Garrett usually wakes up to eat and goes back to sleep. So I'm thinking if I get up at 3:30 and since I will be in a car all day, just throw on clothes and brush my hair and teeth, and then load my stuff and feed him at 4...we can hopefully be on the road no later than 4:30 am. This should give us at least 4 hours of driving time before he throws a fit to eat again which will get us out of North Carolina and into Tennessee. I've already told my mom she can get up with him through the night on Monday since he will have slept all day in the car. She doesn't think he'll sleep, but he seems to every time he goes somewhere with me. When he gets fussy, we just turn the radio up and he goes right to sleep! Robert will get Corbin back on Friday and they will either leave on Friday night or Saturday morning.

I am very excited about this trip cause not only will everyone get to meet Garrett, but I am also getting together with two of my old friends from school! We got back in touch through Facebook and made a plan to meet and eat and visit! It will be nice to catch up and just sit down with each other!

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer! Be safe and God Bless!

Shots and the Blues...Oh my!

Robert and I took Garrett to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon for his 2 month check up. He was in such a good mood when we got there. He smiled and cooed and talked to the doctor. They weighed him and he weighs 13 pounds and 12 ounces. He was 23 1/2 inches long. She said he was a big boy and I could start cereal in his bottle at 3 months. From looking at him and talking to us, she felt he had met all the milestones he was suppose at this point and maybe was even a little advanced! Yeah! He is very much a talker! When you talk to him, he will coo and make noises back! Could this be because his mother talks to him all the time!?!
Of course, if you know anything about children you know that shots start at 2 months, which is why I made Robert go with me. As a first time mother I was terrified of how I would react to how Garrett reacted to the shots. The first thing they did was give him some drops that were some kind of vaccine. He sucked those up. The nurse said wow, I've never had a 2 month old do so well! Could it be that likes to eat...lol! Then she proceeded to give him two shots in one leg and one shot in the other. He was screaming after the first shot and continued to scream when she was done! I did not look because I can not even look when I have to have a shot! When she was done, Robert picked him up and tried to comfort him but he was devestated, so he handed him to me and I'd get him calm and he'd start again. We finally got him in his car seat, still upset! He calmed as we walked out with him and by the time we were in the car he was asleep and slept the rest of the afternoon!
I did not cry which was a surprise but it broke my hear to hear those screams! I knew he was in pain and there was nothing I could do for him and he will have to have shots at 4 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 18 months. Robert is going at 4 months as we are still out of school, but he says I can go by myself at 6 months. I told him and my mother that we would see! They both think I should suck it up and handle it, but if I don't have to I don't want to! I've heard from lots of mothers who didn't take their kids for shots because they couldn't take it. So what's the big deal of I make my husband go every time. He helped make this child too!
Wednesday after his shot was the hardest day yet for me. He did not nap after 10 am and was extremely fussy. I could not lay him down yet he cried when I held him. I gave him tylenol and did all I could to comfort him, but by the time Robert got home at 3:00 I wanted to pull my hair out. So, Robert took him and tried to comfort him. Didn't work either! We went for a walk hoping that would put him to sleep...no luck! So, we came back in and tried to get him to play on his mat. He was fine until Robert left to go take Corbin back to his mom at 5:00 and then he was cranky again. When Robert got back I handed him Garrett, knowing that I felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown and needed a break. As any mother knows though, you never get a break. While we want our husbands to help and be a part, it is difficult to give up the control and let them try to help. I wish often that Robert would do more, but the truth is when he tries, I just get frustrated because I don't think he's doing it right or that he's comforting him enough and I just take him back! Thankfully there was church that night and he was of course wonderful in the nursery. He actually took a 20 minute nap!
All of this led to another first, he slept through the night Wednesday night! Of course, Thursday night he was up at 2:30, but he had worn himself out Wednesday and slept. Someone suggested I stop him from taking naps during the day all the time. I said after the day I spent with him Wednesday, I would rather him nap and get up once a night! I am sure as soon as I start cereal he will start to sleep through the night! He proved he could do it now!
I am having a hard time with being at home all the time. It is extremely hard to get out and do much with a newborn baby as you have to take so much stuff with you. Also, we have had so much rain that if I want to get out like I was going to today, I can't because I'm not getting him out in this horrible weather! Anyone who knows me knows I like to go. My dad use to call me the party planner because I was always coming up with something I wanted to do or somewhere I wanted him to take me! Don't get me wrong, I am totally in love with my son and enjoy getting to spend this time with him, but I have quickly realized I am not stay at home mom material. I might could take working 3 days a week if I had a career that allowed me to do that, but since I don't I will go back to work in August and Garrett will go to daycare. I know I will miss him horribly and even now when I leave him for small amounts of time I wonder how he is and feel lost without him, but for my sanity, I need to work!
Robert and Corbin will be out of school next week and I'm sure this will help my blues! Corbin will be with us next week, but instead of trading on Sunday, we will trade on Friday and he will spend 2 weeks with his mom as we prepare to take him for 2 weeks to Arkansas. Garrett and I are actually getting to leave on June 22 with Cyndi to get to Arkansas a week early and get some of our visiting out of the way before Corbin and Robert get there as they are boys and are easily bored with just sitting around and talking. Plus, everyone will get to see Garrett before Corbin gets there and then be able to focus on Corbin when he comes, so maybe he won't feel ignored. Corbin is doing better with Garrett now because Garrett has begun to recognize him and coo and smile at him when Corbin talks to him and at times if Corbin just walks by him. Pray for us as we prepare our 12 hour trek to Arkansas which will probably be much longer now that we have a baby that eats every 3 1/2 hours.
Have a blessed week and pray that this rain lets up as our basement flooded last week from the excess of rain! Plus with school getting out, it would be nice for the kids to be able to get out!

2 months

I can not believe Garrett is 2 months old! It does not seem like 2 months ago, I was lying in a hosptial bed waiting for him to make his grand entrance! Looking back, I realize how much my life has changed in 2 months!

2 months ago, I never would have believed.....

**That my parents could sit together in a room and actually carry on a conversation after the birth of their first grandchild (as parents).

**That I could love another person so much!

**How scary it can be to be a parent!

**Each day is a blessing that I could never find the words to thank God for.

**How much your marriage changes with not only the pregnancy but then the birth.

**How hard it must have been for my parents to let me move to North Carolina even if I was grown!

**How quickly a baby grows!

**That I could actually stay up past 9:00 and get up multiple times throughout the night and still function the next day!

**That I would actually miss going to work!

**How someone else's tears could break your heart and make you smile!

**How much one additional person in your family could change the dynamics so quickly.

**How hard it is to find time to spend with your husband and your older child.

I am sure I have missed something, but these are the thoughts that came readily to my mind. Corbin did really well for the first two months, but we have started to see some effects from him not being the center of attention and not getting all the time he did get. I was older when Cyrus was born and I had to share my dad, but it was still an adjustment, so I can only imagine what it must be like for an 8 year old to share his. Hopefully, we will soon all figure out how to work in this new situation and make it the best for us all! It will never be the same, but maybe it will be better!

Have an exceptionally blessed week and pray for sunshine!

Mother's Day/6 Weeks

Garrett turned 6 weeks old last Wednesday and I went for my 6 week check up! She said all looked good and I was cleared! Hopefully, all our drama is behind us! We also went to have his pictures made at Olan Mills! He was not happy about this in the beginning..he wouldn't smile and as usual he was a wiggle worm! About half way through, she had to wait on some people and I picked him up and he had pooped his pants! So, I went to change him and when he came back, he smiled for a few pictures and then he was done. I was not impressed with the backgrounds or the pictures, but I had a free package and I have people hounding me for pictures so I got my free package plus ordered a few. Next time, I will go to a lady, Tabitha Goforth, who took our picture at the Mother's Day Tea at church on Saturday and it turned out wonderful! Oh well, you live and learn!

On Saturday, we had a Mother's Day Tea at church with the GA girls. It was a great time and as I said before I got a wonderful picture of Garrett and I that I will treasure forever as it will mark our first Mother's Day!

On Sunday, we had baby dedication at church as well as celebrating Mother's Day. It was wonderful. Our associate pastor, Mitch, read this book, that I think is title The Last Time, that made me cry..not really good before you have to get up in front of your whole church! If you have not read this book, it is a beautiful book about how fast children grow and how we forget to cherish the little things while they are happening until we realize it was the last time they would do those things! Needless, to say there weren't many mothers who weren't crying! I got the plant for the newest mother! Robert's mom, Linda, came down for the dedication and took pictures for us outside by my roses we planted last year. We had lunch with her and she and Robert went to get Corbin at 3:00. That night we went to eat at Chili's and met my best friend, Cyndi. Robert and the boys gave me a digital picture frame which is wonderful considering all the pictures I take!

Hope everyone has a blessed week!

My Little Brother by Big Brother

Every week Corbin has to write a spelling story using his spelling words and every week it is a struggle. It is getting better as we work on it, but it is usually hard for him to find a topic. The week after Garrett was born, he decided to write about Garrett! His story is so sweet, I wanted to share it!

MY LITTLE BROTHER

For the last nine months, I've been waiting for my little brother. Daddy and Melissa told me about him. They decided to call him Garrett. We got his room ready by getting clothes and furniture.

Cyrus, Michael, and Tessie came from Arkansas to see Garrett. They're Melissa's parents and brother. They stayed in a hotel in Hickory. We went swimming there.

Didi and RaeRae came, too. They're her mom and aunt. They flew from Arkansas and stayed at our house. Didi slept in my room, and RaeRae slept on the couch.

On Tuesday, Daddy and Melissa went to the hospital. Garrett was born March 25, 2009 at 2:04 p.m. I got to see him and hold him while sitting in a chair. His hair is the same as mine. I took care of him by feeding him. Everybody stared at him. Now I'm the big brother!

By Corbin Gragg April 1, 2009

Wonderful Week

Well, this week we got out and about! On Wednesday, I went shopping at Kohl's for some new essentials since my body has changed! I spent way to much money but it was nice to shop in the normal clothes section again and have all those choices! On Thursday, I went to the dr. and she released me, but I still have to just lay gauze in between the layers until it seals up. Robert thinks that may take up to a month. I was excited to step on the scales and see that I had lost 3 more pounds and am 4 pounds less then I was on my first dr.'s visit at 9 weeks pregnant! On Friday, we went to school and took Garrett to Corbin's classroom for show and tell and visited my classroom! It was very sweet and Corbin was so excited. We also stayed and had lunch with him. It was great to get to school and see everyone again after what feels like forever away! On Saturday, I went to the Mothers of Multiples "yard" sale with Mary! I got up at 4:30 with Garrett and then was at Mary's by 6:30! I got Garrett an excercise saucer where he can sit and bounce for $15 (when he's ready to use it) and one of those playmats that he can lay on his back and all the toys are above him for $10 plus a few hard paged books to read to him! After that Corbin had a baseball game at 11:30 which unfortunately he lost! Then, we went to Boone, NC for Robert's grandpa's 94th birthday party! Robert's side of the family except for his mom and brother had not seen Garrett so they were all excited to hold him! Of course, Sunday is church!

Pray for us next week as Robert goes back to work and he is not excited about this! I will miss the extra hands at home, but may enjoy the time without him...we'll just have to wait and see! It has been nice to have him home and to spend time together.

Everyone have a blessed week!

Week 3

We finally got to get out this week! We went with Robert and Corbin to Hickory on Tuesday to buy them some shoes. Corbin is growing so fast...he is in a size 6 shoe and his size 8 jeans we just bought this fall are already too short...glad short season is coming! On Thursday I went for my weekly dr.'s visit and she said it was healing well and that she would probably release me next week! Yeah...prayers answered! On Friday, Garrett and I got out and walked around our neighborhood. He seemed to enjoy riding in his stroller which is good because I plan to do this more with him as the weather gets warmer! On Saturday, we went to see Corbin play baseball! He hit one in the park homerun and got on every other time! They won 16-5! One mom at the game said, "Wow, you look better than you do in your hospital pictures!" I said thanks, I hope so! I have been working to lose some more weight because at this point I am back to the weight I was when I went for my first pregancy visit!

Hopefully this time next week, I'll have been released from the doctor. Joy! Joy! It will also be a sad time though because it will be Robert's last week home with us. He goes back to school on the 27th! I will miss someone else being here to talk to and take some of the load (which was a big discussion we had one night this week and things have improved considerably)! I will definitely be ready to see him when he comes home from school!

We thank God for all he did for us this week and hope everyone has a blessed week!

Week 2

Have you ever been stuck in your house unable to go anywhere or do much of anything? As we rush from place to place and go, go, go, we think it'd be fun to be stuck in the house for a few days to get caught up! Then it happens to you, and you wish you were anywhere but home! Due to my c-section complications, I have been limited on what I can do and with a newborn you are not suppose to get out for 4 weeks. Needless to say I am going stir crazy!

We went for Garrett's two week check up on Tuesday and he weighed 8 lbs. 7 ozs. That is almost a pound more than his birth weight. She said everything else looked good as well! We go back at 2 months to start shots....Mommy is not looking forward to this. Daddy is going to take off work and go with us! Garrett's naval cord feel off on Thursday! So, he got to take a bath in the little tub on our kitchen counter! How exciting! I was going to publish some of those pictures but you can see all his business and I would rather not put that out for the whole world to see!

On Monday, I had to go back to the dr. before my scheduled appointment on Thursday because when my nurse, Robert (ha ha) changed my packing on Sunday, there was green puss on the gauze. The home health nurse came back and checked it and called the dr. on call and they said I call the dr. on Monday. So, back we go to the dr. and had to see a different one because my doctor was on call at the hospital. He cleaned it out and agreed that it is infected but since I am already on antibiotics that it should get better. We then returned to the dr. on Thursday and I saw my dr. She cleaned it out again and said it looked really good! She thought we'd have it all healed up in the next two weeks! Yippee! She also said I could get out and start walking around the neighborhood! Yahoo!! I am already back down to my pre-pregnancy weight, so I want to start walking to lose some more.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! We thank God for the blessings he has brought into our lives every day!

What a Week!

I have always been a little dramatic! Drama found me a lot in high school, but it seemed to have calmed down the older I got until.... I got pregnant! As I have stated before throughout my pregnancy there was drama, my delivery was drama, and now after delivery we have more drama! Yesterday, about 2:00 pm, my incision from my c-section started to bleed, and we're not talking drops, we're talking loads. So, I had to go back to the doctor where she drained it out and packed it. There was a blood clot that she had to drain out and an infection had set in. I was again running a fever. I hadn't taken pain medicine since 9 am so it was very uncomfortable. She explained that a c-section heals from the inside out and the part that is holding everything in has sealed up fine, but the top had gotten an infection and you have to pack it to keep the top part from healing over and leaving a big opening in the middle that could collect blood until it busted open and bled out! About 10% of c-sections have some type of complication and as my dad says if there's a chance of something happening...it will happen to us! So home health care is coming in twice a day to pack it until Robert feels comfortable doing it. Then they will just come and check on us. It could heal anywhere from 10 days to 4 weeks. Needless, to say my husband is taking off another week to stay home with me because I can't drive as long as I am on pain meds and I have to take those to handle the pain of the packing.

The doctor asked yesterday if the reward was worth it and I said oh yeah! I wouldn't trade Garrett for the world! He is so precious! Every time I look at him, I just love him more! For someone who really wanted a girl, I wouldn't trade my baby boy for the world! He went to the peditrician on Wednesday and they said he was perfect and he weighed 7 lbs. 14 ozs. ( a 5 oz. gain from when he was born).

My step-mom joked in the waiting room when I went back for the c-section that she wondered if I was telling them to just go ahead and tie my tubes. I said no, I wanted to try again. When people say that you forget the pain soon after, they aren't lying. I remember that it hurt and I wanted to scream and cry, but in the end it is gone and you are left with the most precious gift you have ever been given.

I told Corbin and Robert about my friend, Erica, saying she'd only seen pictures of Corbin, but that Garrett looked just like him and Corbin looked just like Robert, and my friend, Misti, asked where I was in the baby! Corbin loves to hear this! He loves it that Garrett looks so much like him. So, Corbin says when we have a baby next month...I said we aren't having a baby next month. Robert said remember we talked about how it takes 9 months for a baby to come. I said we're not having another baby in 9 months! So, Corbin says well, when we do have another baby, what if he doesn't have dark hair either? I said then I guess I'll have 3 boys who look just alike. He said no, four with Daddy and I said yeah, that's right. Then he tried to count the dog as he always does and I said no, Milo doesn't count!

We have been so impressed with how well Corbin has done with Garrett! His spelling story this week was about Garrett! When he gets it back next week, I'll have to post it. He loves to hold hm and he kisses him all the time. It is so precious! Garrett couldn't ask for a better big brother! His teacher sent me an e-mail saying that he had really improved the last few weeks and seemed to be really trying to do better! We have really praised him for this and told hiim he is setting a good example for Garrett! He reads his reading homework to Garrett at night!

Corbin's first baseball game of the season is tonight. Of course, Garrett and I will have to miss it since they suggest not getting him out for 4 weeks, so we have 3 more to go! Robert is the coach and this year they will be called the Hiddenite Wildcats. Their uniforms are nice! I will post pictures of this as soon as I get some!

So, keep us in your prayers and enjoy your weekend!

Finally he's here!

Garrett Michael Gragg made his appearance at 2:04 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25! It was not an easy labor! My water broke Tuesday night at 10:45 p.m. just as I was getting to sleep! We came to the hospital only to be told my water hadn't broken and to be sent home! (My husband and my mom are not happy about this still)! As soon as we began to pull out of the parking lot, my contractions began! My husband wanted to turn around and come back to the hospital, but I said no, I'm not going back to be sent home again! So, we got home and I continued to have contractions every 5 minutes for 2 hours before I finally let my husband call the hospital again. They asked if I'd taken tylenol (yes), had I tried to rest (yes), and then they asked to talk to me. The nurse asked if it was like menstraul cramps..duh! YES! Well, it was my decision if I wanted to try a warm shower or come back to the hospital! I still did not want to go to the hospital only to be told to go home, so I tried a shower..didn't work! We headed back to the hospital and got back to hospital at about 4:30 a.m. When they checked me, I had dilated 1 to 2 cm and was 50% effaced! From that point, I was admitted and my family was called to come back. When the doctor came to check I was 3 cm dilated and in severe pain! I asked when I could have an epidural and she said now since I was progressing! Let me just say...that was the best thing ever! By the time they got here I was 4 cm dilated. It went quickly from there and by 12:30 pm I was ready to push, but my epideral had worn off and I was in pain! It was horrible! When I started pushing, we found out he was face up instead of face down and while he could still come out naturally it was going to make it harder! After pushing for about an hour, they decided to try the forceps. They put them in and I said take them out! She did after only 2 minutes and we went in for a c-section! I had to wait again for the epideral guy to come and I was in so much pain that I threw up at least 4 times! Finally they came and I was wheeled into surgery! From this point on, the day is kind of hazy. Garrett came and they showed him to me for about 10 seconds and took him! I had been running a fever since before I started to push and was on an antibiotic, so when he was born, he was running a fever of 102. They took him to the NICU after cleaning him up and showing my family. He was put on an antibiotic as well! His fever broke about 4:30 pm, but because he had an IV to take his antibiotic for precautionary purposes, he had to stay in the nursery and could not come to the room! I finally got to see him at about 8:30 that night, but didn't get to hold him to the next day! He stayed in the nursery until Friday at 11 a.m. and then he got to come to our room and stay! We go home tomorrow after his circumcision and I can't wait!

I am thankful he came when he did because my parents got to be here for it! We are so blessed to have family and friends who have prayed for us, came to see us, sent e-mails, called, texted, and facebooked us! This is a special time in our lives that I know we will never forget and at the end of the day, no matter how bad labor was, I received the best gift in the world....Garrett!

AND STILL WE WAIT!

So, my due date has come and gone and still no baby! I have not even dilated as of Monday! My parents are here and guess what..no baby! I go back to the doctor on Friday if I haven't gone before...which from my current condition...seems doubtful and we will set up to induce on Sunday because it is a week from my due date! It is so frustrating to wait on something you have no control over! Oh, we've heard all the old wives' tales...walk, lots of sex, spicy food, castor oil, mineral oil, and crisco oil! We' ve tried the walking, sex, spicy food, and crisco oil in oj (I don't recommend this!), but at this point, still no baby! Everything and everyone is ready, but him! Already too much like his dad!

And we are anxiously waiting!

I made it through another week of school! I only have to make it till next Thursday and then I am off for my maternity leave! My dad is set to come next weekend and my mom flies in on my due date...22! Hopefully, when I go to the doctor on Monday, I will have dilated some and we can see this baby boy within the next 2 weeks! I am so ready! It will be nice to feel normal again and to hold him in my arms instead of my belly! Robert has decided he will take off until after Easter break to be home with me! We will probably be sick of each other by then, but it will be nice to have some time with just the three of us, one parents go home, too! We basically have everything we need now and are just waiting for our bundle of joy to make his appearance! Keep us in your prayers!

What a week!

We started out the week with snow and missed Monday at school and had a two hour delay on Tuesday which put me at catch up all week in my classroom! Then on Thursday, I started having severe back pain! I heard everything from back labor to that's just pregnancy pain!
When I got up Friday morning, I was still in pain, so I took a day off school and called the doctor. They said for me to come on in. Robert took me to the doctor and he said I had a pinched nerve! Are we surprised that something else is wrong with me? The doctor showed Robert some exercises to do to help the pain! Poor Robert...more ways to have to pet me...lol! He also checked to see if I was dilating and I'm not. Garrett's head is still on top of my pelvic bone and that is the pressure I feel! He said once Garrett went below the pelvic bone I would start dilating and the pressure would change. He asked how much longer I was going to work and I said 9 more days and he said it would be painful, but to sit down as much as possible since my feet are also swelling horribly! So much to look forward too! I have some more sick days I can take if the pain is too severe I can take off! We have our church shower on Sunday, so hopefully we will have Garrett's basic needs covered in case I go early (which my mom is praying I don't)! Robert put together the travel system and ordered an extra base for my car! He also put together the swing and he is going to clean out the cars. With this new pain, I am no help to him. He said the next baby we were buying all new stuff and I had to put it together! I said not unless there's two next time...lol! Hope your week was blessed! Enjoy your weekend!

Snow Day!

On Monday, we had 5 inches of snow that started on Sunday morning during church! So, no school...YEAH! Corbin was here so we enjoyed playing in the snow with him since snow days are really all about kids once you reach our age...lol! Here are some pics from our fun day!