Nice Matters Award

A sweet friend of mine, also named Kelly has honored me with the "Nice Matters Award". This is such an honor and blesssing to me. I started my blog, just mainly thinking that I was the only one that would read it or pay attention to anything that was said in it. So it is really an honor to know that others do really read it...it definitely makes you think about your witness for Christ and how you come across to others! Thank you so much Kelly for thinking of me! Be sure to check out her website www.thebarefootmama.com. She has sooo many cool crafts and great recipes, not to mention her adorable little girl!!

Just a funny to share....

My mother emailed a joke to me the other day and being blonde AND pregnant, I found it pretty funny and just had to share with you! Just so you know, I take no offense to blonde jokes and many times find that they fit me to a tee! Although I must say I am soooo glad that this one is NOT me!!

The other day my neighbor, who is blonde, came running up to me in the driveway just jumping for joy! I didn't know why she was jumping for joy but I thought, what the heck, and starting jumping up and down along with her.

She said, "I have some really great news!" I said, "Great. Tell me why you're so happy." She stopped jumping, and breathing heavily from all the jumping up and down, told me that she was pregnant! I knew that she had been trying for a while so I told her, "That's great! I couldn't be happier for you!"

Then she said, "There's more." I asked, "What do you mean 'more'?" She said, "Well, we are not having just one baby. We are going to have TWINS!" Amazed at how she could know so soon after getting pregnant, I asked her how she knew.

She said, "Well, that was the easy part. I went to Wal-Mart and they actually had a home pregnancy kit in a twin-pack. Both tests came out positive!"

105 Degrees!!!!!!!!

Yes, that is what the temperature was here yesterday! It is so miserable right now. I am just thankful that I am not 8 or 9 months pregnant in this, because it is killing me right now!! Most all of the school sports have been cancelled thank goodness! Conner is running Cross Country this year and their practices have been very sporadic, so I am hoping they will do ok in their first meet next Thursday...if they even have one. We are supposed to get a bit of a cooler spell next week I think. Please pray that the temperatures drop some and that we get some rain (which we have had none in---FOREVER!!) It is scary when they start telling you that you can't use the water for this and that and when you know that your a/c is working overtime to keep the temperature in your house at 75 or above!!

What's For Dinner??

Tonight we are having homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. I got this recipe from my good friend and next door neighbor and it has been a hit at my house as much as it was at hers! So I thought I would share it with you too...especially since it is sooooo SIMPLE!! And fairly cheap to make too!


1 lb. chicken cut up in small pieces (I used boneless skinless to simplify my process, but that does make it cost a little bit more)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup of milk
1/2 - 1 whole bag of wide egg noodles


Boil the chicken, save the broth, let the chicken cool a bit then cut up into small pieces.
Using the chicken broth, add the can of cream of chicken soup and milk to it and bring to a boil.
Add the noodles, return to boil, then reduce heat some. Add cut up chicken and cook until noodles are tender. So easy and so good!!


Ok, so now I need to figure out what to fix for dessert!!

Introducing..........

Baby H!.....since we don't yet if it is a boy or girl, we'll just leave it at that. Maybe at my ultrasound in two weeks, we will be able to tell, who knows??

I labeled the picture so you could tell what/where everything is, since it is hard to tell sometimes. This picture was taken on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 and I was 12 weeks 3 days. The baby has really grown even since last weeks ultrasound...from 4.2 cm to 5.6 cm! That's quite a bit, but right on schedule.

They were able to get the nuchal translucency measurement this time. The doctor takes this measurement and combines it with my bloodwork and determines what my percentages are for Down's Syndrome. Since my pregnance is already considered already high risk because of my diabetes and previous miscarriages, it already increases my chances of Down's Syndrome. Down's Syndrome is not inherited. Here is some very helpful information regarding Down's Syndrome. According to my doctor, the figures that he gave me before the testing said that my chances of having a baby with DS were 1 in 56. This number seemed pretty high (and somewhat scary I must say), however, what this really means is that I have about a 2% chance, but a 98% chance of a healthy baby. HOWEVER, after my testing yesterday, my chances went to 1 in 80 or almost 99% chance of a healthy baby. Of course they offered me the CVS test (which you will see has quite a bit of risks involved with it) right now or an amniocentesis around 14-15 weeks, which also has its risks. These are definitive tests, however, they are not risks that we want to take. Finding out that our baby had Down's Syndrome, would in NO way change the way we feel about the baby, nor cause us to terminate the baby. That is not an option to us. Obviously we are praying for a healthy baby, but we are ready to accept the child that God blesses us with. I truly believe in my heart that everything is ok with the baby and that it is just a matter of me holding this baby in until it is time for its arrival! Please continue to pray that with us!

First Day of School......Already??????

Can you believe it is the first day of school already??? I can't!! Although I must admit that I think I am ready for it!! ; ) My children are extremely tired of each other, the pool is now closed, we watched all the movies, and it is just too hot to even think about being outside!

Conner started middle school this year! Can it possibly be that he is really in 6th grade already! It seems like just yesterday that I was walking him in to Kindergarten!! And I walked him (and stood at the back of the room so no one could see--haha) in to the Auditorium this morning for his first day at a new big school. They only went until 10:00 (what a waste!), but they got to change classes, but didn't get to go to all their classes yet. But he loved it! I new he would!

Mari Cate is in 3rd grade this year!! My baby can't be that old, can she?? This is the first year that she is going to get to have one of Conner's former teachers (all of his others left after him--haha, not because of him, I don't think--???, but seriously all of them are retired or teaching somewhere else now). So we have begged Mrs. Calfee to stay at least until after Mari Cate has been in her class!! She is a wonderful teacher and actually graduated from high school with Frank, so that is kind of neat. She was great with Conner and I am sure she will really encourage Mari Cate with her creativity. I can't wait to show some of the neat things they make in class!

Tomorrow is a full day for both of them, so we shall see how that goes. I am sure they will both love it. I will have a busy day in Chattanooga at the high risk ob for my nuchal translucency ultrasound and genetic counseling. If you think about it, please say a little prayer for me, I am kind of nervous about it. Thanks!

A Little Change In Plans....

Well, since most of my family now knows, I guess it is ok to announce it on here too.

Our "Simpler Life" plan, just got changed around a little bit. So we are just going to have to work around things a little differently...but that's ok.

As my Frank quoted to me when I was a little stressed over all this "The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9. He will direct us and guide us through this new phase of our lives, even if it wasn't exactly the one we were thinking we were heading on. ; )

On June 19, I found out that I was pregnant! This came as a surprise to us, believe it or not! Obviously with my history we are a little nervous about what is to come, but we are trusting God to take care of everything. I am scheduled for a cerclage (click on the link to read more about it) on Saturday, August 11, so please be praying for me during that time. As of today, I am 10 weeks 3 days, my due date is Feb. 24th (which also happens to be my cousins birthday!). And one of my very good friends from high school is due the day before me--how neat! I will be having (and have had) lots of doctors appts. with my regular ob and with the high risk doctors. They are "co-managing" me as they call it. I will try to keep you posted on what is going on, especially for those of you who live far away and I don't get to talk to very often! Please just continue to pray for our family and this little one on the way!