Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet boy Cole! I am so proud to be your mommy!

Opening soon...

My life is never boring, that is for sure. So, the next chapter in my life(because I simply don't have enough going on) is.... drummrolllll




I'm opening a children's store!

Now taking fall consignment, call me!

I am a bad mom... at least that's now what my neighbor thinks. Let me paint the picture. Anna Reed was napping, and Cole and I were outside. I put him in the swing in the front yard and turned on the sprinkler to water my dying flowers. I am pushing Cole in this huge swing, that after a few good pushes, gets going pretty good on its on. So, I ran inside real quick to vacuum the den rug. What, I'm multitasking? So, as I'm hurrying knowing that Cole is perfectly safe, someone knocks on my door -I go and it's a man that lives across the street-"Yes?" "umm... your child is sitting in the swing screaming and the sprinkler is stuck squirting him in the face." I had no words, I just ran out there begging him to believe that "I really was a good parent."

Sometimes I am a careless driver, which is terrible with such precious cargo. If this won't slow you down, nothing will. (You may have to copy and paste to your web browser.)
www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-az1smQMWHYk/drive_safely

Dumpster Diver... that's my new name. We went for our walk this morning and stumbled upon this in someones trash pile!!! Guess who is one happy little boy...

I'm all about bargains right now... who isn't though, right? Well, guess how much I paid for these ADORABLE bathing suits for AR?

$1!! you got that right, one buck. I got the suits at Dollar tree (which I've just discovered for some reason, and it's awesome...) and already had the "A" iron ons. I am very proud!

YUM.

This is THE BEST, EASIEST, dip in the world. I just combined my favorite things!
2 avacado, diced
feta
can of tomatoes, diced, drained
lemon juice
salt
garlic, minced
and about 2T of olive oil

mix them all together and viola! YUM.


I have a serious addiction to feta, in case you can't tell by the economy sized tub.

catch up time

This might be a long post, don't say I didn't warn you. We have had a busy summer this far. I am staying home with the kids, and we are always up to something, even if it's all laying in my bed watching Calliou. (Cole's fav) Anna Reed is getting so big, she is 7 months and worships her big brother. She is obsessed with Sophie the giraffe and still hair fabulous.

Cole is almost 3, and completely potty trained! We didn't have to work at that AT ALL, thank goodness, he just got up and decided one day he was ready. No going back!! I bet I've already saved a ton in diapers! Anna Reed still doesn't sleep that well, she is an early riser!! (actually anything before 9 is too early, but I've learned to be thankful for even 6am) We have spent lots of weekends with the grandparents, been to the lake a few times, and heading to the beach in a couple weeks..praying for no oil! Cole LOVES to swim! Which is great, considering we started off the summer in lessons that I had to cancel because it was so pointless due to the screaming.

Cole amazes me every day with the things he says. It's like he woke up a little boy, no longer a baby. We went to the zoo last week, and as we were leaving he said "thank you mommy, for taking me to the zoo. I love you so much." After I passed out, I wanted to just cry because I realize he is no longer a baby. He also at times has a much sharper tongue. His latest comments are "don't tell me what to do" and "mommy, I don't have to obey anymore!" But he equally loves his sister as much as she loves him. He tells her "good morning sweet girl", at all hours of the day.
Life is finally getting a little easier, with the kids getting a little older. Cole can do so much by himself now, and I am less tired bc Anna Reed is sleeping...some. I can't even IMAGINE throwing another child in the mix right now! (and don't worry, I'm not!)
We are still crossing things off our house to do list slowly but surely. We've done a ton in the past 9 months we've lived here, and have so much more to do! But we do have a backyard now!
On a sadder note, our beloved dog of 15 years, died while we were at my parents for the 4th of july. This picture was taken hours before he got sick and passed. (He was old, and had a troubled heart.)
RIP Chip Dobson

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I've definetly slacked on the blog lately, so I'm going to add some slideshow videos... one down.. (they won't let me do them longer than 30 seconds so I will add a few)- at least that's my plan!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

It's almost Easter...

and that means... cute Easter baskets! I just ordered these and got them SO QUICK from www.peapiebaskets.blogspot.com

The day I almost lived in the basement.

Let me start the story by saying I am incredible claustrophobic. I hold my breath when I ride the elevator. I can't breathe when I have a ring on that's too tight, and heaven forbid someone put a cover over my head and try to tickle me (thanks, dad.) So, it's a typical Tuesday. The kids are home bc of spring break, and we're all playing in the house. I decide it's been long enough - I'm going downstairs to clean out the rest of the boxes (yes, that we still haven't unpacked, and have lived here 5 months) and sweep and mop. I load up the kids, put Cole in front of the downstairs tv, feed Anna Reed and buckle her to her seat. and get to working away. I'm now in my own world and while taking something to the guest bedroom Cole comes in behind me. Let me first paint the picture for those who haven't been to my house. Downstairs has a big den area, bathroom and a guest room. It's partially underground, so the windows that are there, have those black iron bars on them. So, as I am in the guest room putting up some things Cole comes in and slams the door. (yes, you'd think he would be terrified of doing that since he has one arm in a cast from doing that, but no, it's fasinating to him.) I turn around and look at me and Cole sitting in the guest room and think to myself... "I've never spend more than 2 minutes in this room, wouldn't it be awful it that door was locked?!" Sure enough, as I walk to it and turn the knob, reality set in. I PANIC. AND THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. Anna Reed is in the other room, and the only window has bars on it! I'm stuck. forever in this room. with. no. phone. Seriously, my mouth started watering and I felt my lungs cave in, I couldn't breathe! As I'm frantically running around in circles I realize, there is absolutely no way out. Cole is freaking out, because I am freaking out. He tried to hide under the bed. Knowing that the worst case senerio was us being stuck for 6 hours, until PJ got home at 5:30 and found us. I knew AR was at least safe (and just fed) and tried to keep telling myself that. I start to think there is no way the windows are going to open (you know how old windows are) and I knew I couldn't get out.. but I could yell. As I look out the window I then see all those trees. Ok, also let me remind you we have 26 acres behind us, and realize my only hope for someone to hear me is if the old lady next door is home. (the one that tried to call me in for animal cruelty, but that's a whole OTHER story.) I start yelling "HELP" to the top of my lungs out the window. After a little while, I hear her saying "where are you, jamie?" THANK THE LORD...I'm going to be saved!! She comes and can't get me out, since the doors are locked, but can at least call PJ to come home, and let me in. So, he comes home, then comes around outside to talk to me through the window. I'm like "what are you doing, go inside and let us out!" He tells me he can't get in because I deadbolted everything from the inside, because Cole keeps trying to escape! OH NO. So, he beats down the front door. Seriously, I don't know how he did it, but he did. On the first try, which is kinda scary, but anyway. He comes downstairs lets us out. I'M FREE!!! He's looking at the door, only to show me if I jiggle it a certain way, I could have gotten out. Ok, I swear I did that. Anyway, I'm forever terrified of being stuck places, and will NEVER take my cell phone out of my hand, and have emergency exits, everywhere.

The Club

Wow, what a week this has been. It started last Friday when my sweet Cole, got his fingers smashed in a big wooden door at school. It was AWFUL! I put a bandade on it (later, HUGE mistake) and called PJ and said meet me at his pediatrician, thinking they would take a look at it and tell me he probably needed a stitch or two. Once we got there and waited AN HOUR to see the Dr, all to have him have to pull off the sticky bandade off of a broken finger, imagine the pain. Once he saw it, and we did too, we all almost fainted. His nailbed and basically the top half of his finger was hanging by a thread. It was broken, and smashed, and it was undescribable. So, the Dr told us to get to the Emergency room at Childrens Hospital. Once we got there, we went straight back to a (nice) room, and immediately saw the Dr. He came in, and told us it was pretty bad, so he wanted to send in the hand specialist. They decided he needed to be put under and have a little reconstructive surgery and a few days later, would need a cast. After painful hours watching our sad, yet still wild little boy, who wasn't the least bit slowed by the event, have to go through this. It was harder on us, than him. We stayed in the room with him and watched the whole thing. (well, from a couch that we werent allowed to get up from, from fear we might pass out.) Cole did great. The next day, we went back for his cast. We waited 4 HOURS before seeing the Dr. They put a cast on, we got home... and 2 hours later, the cast was in the floor of his playroom. The next day, BACK to the hospital. (We called, they told us it might be a good idea to come on up that night to the ER and I said, over my dead body, we'll put him to bed, then come in the morning. After hours and hours and 5 Dr's visits later, this is how he looks now a days.

Our idea of a perfect stay in date night.

lovin' on baby sis

Cole loves his "baby sis." But he has to be constantly reminded he can't treat her like he does us. If I leave the room for a minute I am sure to find some trace of something he has tried to do to her. For example...

putting stickers in her hair...

trying to feed her his snack of crackers (running away but doesn't hide the evidence)

climbing in her boppy mobile thing while sliding her over when she can't even hold up her head.

And she better not even think about trying to take a nap. If I can't find him, this is where he is sure to be found.

Christmas pics

The story of Anna Reed.

First off, I will say she is named after my sister "Anna" and my Great Grandmother "Reed." After the post complaining about how she hadn't came yet, we were getting ready to watch the SEC Championship game. We had a good morning, all of us here, just relaxing and went to Milo's for lunch. I knew it was going to happen that day... details not necessary.. I just KNEW. So I told PJ we can just take it easy all day, bc we will be at the hospital by the time the game is over. Sure enough, by the time the game started I was having contractions. It is the weirdest thing, it's like I really can't ever tell when I'm in labor. It doesn't hurt, or really even "contract" that hard, it's almost like an unsettled stomach ache, that starts consistently. So, PJ packs his bag, and we decided to wait as long as possible before heading to the hospital. Well, the DR told me to wait a few hours, and I certainly wanted to wait as long as I could but, given my last birth record, I knew no time should be spared. I didn't listen to him, and went on to the hospital. We got in our room, and I was READY. I dialated super fast, and we waited around (all while cheering on Florida.) By the 4th quarter I was fully dialated and ready to go. The nurse said I'll go get the Dr, and I said "but, don't we have to push for a while first!?" She said "no, she is ready now!" So, I pushed twice, and there she was! We were all shocked at how much hair she had. (unlike anyone in from our families!) I was now a mother of 2, and we were a family of 4.

Welcome to the world AR!

THE FOUR OF US!

COLE MEETING ANNA REED FOR THE FIRST TIME.

CAN YOU BELIEVE ALL THAT HAIR?

Ok, so it's been a while... again. A couple hours after the last post, I went into labor and sweet Anna Reed is here!! It's so nice to have a girl I can be "girly" with. She has had an upset stomach most of her existance so that is sad, but hopefully it will get better soon. Cole loves AR, and is obsessed with all her hair. He wants to kiss it and rub it all the time. Which is fine, except there are always crumbs and stickyness in her hair. I feel like I'm starting over being a mom, I've forgotten the simple things!! When to burp...etc. I'm reading "Babywise" all over again. We had a great Christmas!! Cole loves Santa Clause and all he asked for were legos and an aubie toy. First of all, you wouldn't believe how IMPOSSIBLE it is to find an aubie stuffed animal. But, we managed and the kids now have more toys in the playroom than floor to walk on, but that's another story. (I need a playroom makeover, any storage ideas?!) We've been with family for the past week, and I sure love all the helping hands!! I've even slept a few consecutive hours, I'm spoiled now. I hope all 3 of my blog followers are happy that I have now updated. Pics to come soon!

What we've been up to.

Here I am.... still waiting on baby to get here. I keep having signs that she is getting close, then I wake up the next morning, still pregnant. I feel like it's been forever since I've blogged about anything, much less even read other people's blogs. I can't seem to get everything together enough to where I have time to blog like I used to. Since we've moved I've felt very unoraganized and without a constant routine, which I desperately need!! When I finally do get it together -maybe in the weeks after Anna Reed is born- I will come back with avengence. I do have lots going on and fun things I've been up to that I need to share. One for example is SEWING. I have no time for this, however, I sneak in 10 minutes here and there when I can. It started when I was couldn't find curtains for the kids room (that sounds weird to say) so I thought how hard could they be to make? So I headed to Joann's fabric (my now fav. place!) and bought what I needed and here is how it turned out.




I'm pretty proud of them, being the ammature sewer that I am. I also made one of those nursing wraps, very easy! Next, those cute little girls pants with the ruffled bottoms!
And here is a pic of AR's room.

And here is a picture of the matching Christmas outfits I plan to put the kids in as soon as she gets here!