Let's start with my list I created yesterday.....
Here is all that got done.....
I picked up over 3/4 of the living room floor, and was going to sweep, but Travis used the broom outside, and I don't like using the inside broom outside, and the outside broom got left outside a few months ago and got ruined, so I swept the living room "swept" with a carpet cleaning brush. I got several loads of dishes washed, and dried. Got one and a half more "days" readings done in my Bible reading plan, got supper started, and I'm sitting here now, blogging, and catching up on some of my podcasts, I've got so so so way to many to catch up on lol, and steady adding new ones lol. Travis DID bring in the clothes in from the outside clothesline thank goodness, so I plan on folding them and putting them up today, and added to yesterday's unfinished up list from yesterday I need to go to Wal-Mart, I desperately need to get a new broom.
Becca is starting to play more and more in her little bouncy exer-saucer I got her I'm so proud of her, she is growing up WAY to fast!!! I can't believe my baby is 4 months old.
I guess thats it for now if I have time I'll blog again

Well, its now day 10 of my Bible reading plan, and I'm finally finished with day 3! Last night I was laying there reading and Travis kept trying to talk to me, then finally he said just read it out loud, and so I did. Then he got up to go to the bathroom, and so I started reading to myself again, and he said keep reading, so I had to go back and start reading out loud from where he had left off. I am so upset with him this morning though because he is out of all of his most important medicines, and woke up at 11:30 and in order to get his meds he has to be there before 11! I was downloading some pictures to send to my Mama, and I found this picture, of me that Travis had taken of me walking at the park lol. Ok so back to my life........... I worked Friday for overtime, and for the first time got Mothers Day gifts from my children, via my husband instead of someone else. I got the most beautiful flowers, and an iPod accessory kit, which I wish they had not gotten, b/c I only wanted/needed like one or two things out of it, and the rest was a waste of money that now is causing my doggone power bill to be late getting paid, b/c he spent so much money. And while I'm on my complaining kick, I'll keep going at least it hopefully will get it off of my chest. When I was a stay at home mom, everything was my fault as far as the appearance of the house, the laundry, the meals, the appointments, etc. Now that Travis is a stay at home dad, and I'm working, for some reason the house cleaning, cooking, laundry, appointments, etc are still all MY responsibility for some reason thats not adding up for me. He can go hunting, fishing, and go hide in the bathroom and read for hours on end, b/c he needs some time to himself, but if I dare to pick up a crochet hook and some yarn, I'm wasting time, that there are much more important things to be done. Ok so enough complaining for that paragraph.
I have been really slack with taking pictures here lately, I was doing very good taking at least one picture of each of the girls weekly on Wednesdays since they were all born on Wednesdays, but its been almost a month since I took some pictures, so I took a couple of Lydia and Becca today :) I sent my sister a list of things I wanted to get done the other day, and I only got like one or two things off of it done :(
So I need to get busy now, here is my to do list for today, and not sure how much will get done, b/c Katie Grace will be home in 10 minutes now.....

• Wash dishes
• Put up clean dishes
• Clean off table
• Fold clothes on the line (inside line, Travis put the clothes outside yesterday and knows I'm not going to go get them, b/c I don't like clothes hung outside its a big argument around here)
• Work on the bar
• Read in my Bible
• Read in my Joyce Meyer book
• Clean off the couch
• Put clothes up!!!
• Work on computer area
• Sweep living room floor then vacuum
• Clean off porch
• (hopefully) Take a bubble bath
• Try to catch up on podcasts
• Price color ink for printer so I can print some pictures
• Sweep kitchen
• Work on the bathroom some

Ok so I know that I've got way more on here than I could possibly get done in one day, but usually when I'm upset about something I get quite a bit of cleaning done, Travis used to joke and say that he would make me really mad if he wanted something done right, b/c I get so mad at things not being done right, and then I have to "do them myself"
Ok so let me get started

Well, Katie Grace just got off the bus, and her Kindergarten graduation is June 3 at 8:30 am and I called my mom, and (am I the least bit surprised no, I knew she wouldn't come) she has something else to do. I found out over the weekend that my step brother is thinking about moving up there where Mama lives, and I know that they will do everything they can to make that happen, but yet, I've tried several times to get them to help me get my family moved up there and they keep trying to find ways to keep me from moving up there. Oh well, I guess I'll just forget I have a mother, my mother died in December of 2005 I guess, I guess she wasn't my grandmother she was my mother.

90 days to read the Bible

I am starting the 90 days to read the Bible today. I will pray that I can stay on track. I'm not sure if I'm going to church or not, I really need to, and so does Travis, he woke up in a very bad mood and has been cussing already this morning and hasn't been up for a whole hour yet. I found a picture of my senior prom yesterday and I can't wait to be FAT again, lol, I was so much much much smaller, and thought I was just the fattest thing on the face of this earth. I'll take a picture of the picture later and upload it. I also came across the picture of me and Mema when we went to get glamour shots together, I swear I miss that woman more and more each day. However, I think she would be proud of the accomplishments I've made, and the ones I continue to work on. Well, if I'm going to church, I need to go get ready.

I listened to a podcast called Marriage for Dummies, and they suggest that one of the best ways to improve your marriage is to kiss for 10 seconds at a time, twice a day minimum. I guess it couldn't hurt huh..... for 1 -how can you kiss for 10 seconds long, if you are upset with each other, so you will be creating less friction in the relationship.
I had quite a weird day yesterday. Let's start with Thursday, I woke up at 7:10 am to feed Becca, and didn't get to take but a 15 minute nap throughout the day. Well, that was no biggie, I just knew that I would be that much more tired when I got off work. Well, Travis decided at like 1ish that he had to go to town to do a few things that HAD to be done, I just wish he had gone earlier in the day. So I told him that I needed him to go to Wal-Mart to get me a new uniform b/c I only had two of them fit, and they were both dirty, BUT that he HAD to be home by 5:15 b/c I have to leave by 5:30 to make it to work on time. Well he got here around 5:20 and I left at 5:35 which I was thinking that would still be ok, that I should still be able to make up the difference with a few over the speed limit areas, well, of course what happens EVERY TIME that you are running late????? You get behind someone that is going 10 miles per hour less than the posted limit. So I got there and clocked in at 6:03, which by the way is the last time you can clock in and not be tardy. So I got there and was frustrated about being late (mentally, I knew I wasnt' tardy, but I was still late in my mind) and when I saw my assignment I got super hyped up to be able to handle the load I was given. I was given 8 patients, when the most I'd had so far at this new job was 5 patients, and that was a rough night, I knew 8 would give me a run for my money. So I went and got ice to pass out to all of my patients, after getting report on all of them, and as usual I delivered ice, and introduced myself, and got an idea of what each would need and when, and see if anything needed done right away. Well lo and behold they everyone wanted to do something RIGHT NOW. So from 6:03-9:30 I never slowed down a single bit, and didnt' get to go pump until then. I normally pump at 9, 12, and 3, and I was so behind, but when I get behind on my pumping schedule I get frustrated and it makes my whole night seem out of whack. So I finally got back on schedule by going and pumping at 12 and even got started early by taking my vitals at 3 instead of 5, and I had already given one shower at 8 last night and so I still had one bath to give, so when I planned out my last round, I figured I would take everybody's vitals except for the lady I was going to give a bath to and take her vitals last so that I could just go right into her bath. Well, everything went picture perfect, until............. I went back after the ladies bath and did another quick check over all of my patients, and one of my ladies had peed up her whole bed, all night long she would say she didn't have to go to the bathroom, and I had been given in report that this lady was continent, and alert and orientated, but it turns out that she was alert and orientated, but not times 4, mostly I'd say times 2, and we were having to do bladder scans before and after she peed, well, we scanned her bladder, and got over 350 ml of urine in her bladder, so ok, we took her to the bathroom, and she said she didn't have to pee, and so we had to scan her again, and of course that same amount of urine was still in her bladder, and she kept saying that she didn't have to pee, but then would pee up her bed and her pull ups, so I made sure that in report that I passed on that this lady was NOT continent! So that got me behind again and I was almost late clocking out.
So then I came home and fell asleep very quickly! Travis woke me up and said he was going to do something and was taking Lydia with him, and I asked him to please be home in time to go walking with my sister, I need to leave by 5:30 to be there by 6. He got home at 6, and my sister was not feeling well anyways so of course I didn't get to go walking. BUT I had slept all day long and fell asleep again before 7:30, so apparently I was to tired anyways.
My phone kinda freaked me out yesterday, back in the winter my space heater, almost caught on fire, but instead burnt the power strip in that particular socket, the plastic around the socket on the space heater alone, was disfigured. So my phone was acting really weird, and so I went to try to put it on the charger, and instead of it saying charging, it kept saying needs charging, so I was like why isn't it charging, and finally looked at the plug in and it was plugged in, but was covered with clothes, and was getting hot, so I figured, that it had gotten to hot, and wouldn't' work any more. But I tried to plug it into another socket just to see if it would work, but it still wouldn't work, then all of a sudden, I heard my phone ringing, and went in there and it was saying charging by then, so my assumption is that it had to cool down, but of course I was freaking out thinking that my phone was completely gone.
So now its Saturday morning, and I'm not in the best of moods, and not in the worst either, just hoping that I can get something done today. I am fixing to do my checkbook, and am not looking forward to it, b/c I think I'm a greased cat hair away from being overdrawn

Let's see if I can remember..........

Let's see if I can remember everything that I need/want to say from the last time I posted......... Sunday, April 6, we tried out a new church, its the same one that my sister, and several others we know have recently moved to, and have told us about, and we ALL really enjoyed it. Travis liked it, I liked it, and the girls not only liked it, but actually came home "teaching" me back what they had learned, I was very pleased and impressed with the church. Monday, April 7, Travis met with the disability lawyer, and she told him that he really needs to be hounding the doctors, and that it was still looking somewhere around 1-2 1/2 years before a disability court date would be set. I went back to work :( My first day was Tuesday April 8, for orientation which was supposed to be two days, but they let me split it up, and take day one in April, and I will take day two coming up next week I think it is. Then, Travis had court on April 9, supposedly to show proof that he was being seen for his disabling condition, and that he had two lawyers working for him, to help him. One for disability, and one for workers comp. Well, that didn't turn out the way we had wanted. He had all the proofs he needed, so we thought. The judge gave him 45 days to find a lawyer, stating that letters proving he has lawyers doesn't prove that he really has workers comp, and disability cases in the works, and so he has to file a suite against the child support. Then, so that was Tuesday and Wednesday of that week, and Thursday night April, 10 was my first night of orientation. It also was my sisters birthday. I went to work that Thursday night, and I really liked it, the job that is, not the fact that I had to be there, b/c that I still don't like, I'd much rather be at home with my babies. So then, I was off that Friday, and trained Saturday and Sunday, and was on my own that Monday. Monday, April the 14th was also the starting day of a walking program at work, and I am on a team, the team that has walked the most hours by June 1 will be announced on June 2 and will win the "pot" of money (it costed $2 to be in the walk) I walked 15 minutes at work that night. Then, on Tuesday April 15, my sisters Mom (we are half sisters for anyone that may be confused) had surgery, and I think she is starting to do a little better now. Tuesday I walked 15 minutes. Wednesday night April 16, I walked for 30 minutes with my sister, my three girls, and my sisters good friend, and walking buddy. Thursday April 17, I walked 30 minutes, and I worked that night. Friday the 18th, I walked for 30 minutes with my sister and Allen again. Friday was also my first payday with the new job. Saturday, the 19th I walked for one hour. We had been kinda puttering around the house, and trying to get some cleaning up done, and had wanted to go to a free BBQ at a local gardening nursery and we missed it, so we called Tina, (my sister) and asked her to come eat with us. So she met us out there, and believe it or not, we actually got there right at the same time. Well, supper was good, and the waitress played a very good prank on Travis, me and Tina were just laughing like crazy (after we figured out it was a prank, lol, at first I was kinda like man this girl has some nerve) . Tina and I had been saying how she looked so much like a cousin of ours, and Travis being the cut up type of person he is, turns to her and says, I don't know WHO you are, and without skipping a beat, she says, you dont'? I know you. You should have seen his face, he got beet red. She said you really don't remember me? He said um no. Then she said, I feel really bad now, I cant' believe you don't remember me, I'm hurt. And he said oh shoot, I don't remember anything after having my embolism, and she was like oh I'm sorry to hear about that, did everything come out ok, and he said yeah, but I still dont' know who you are. And it kept on for what seemed like forever, and then she finally said, no I'm just playing I dont' know who you are...... you should have seen that face too lol. It was fun, but the chairs were very uncomfortable, and as the dinner progressed I could tell Travis was in pain. Well, we went to Wal-Mart, and Katie Grace rode with her Aunt Tina, and we were in Wal-Mart for over an hour, and then when we got out to the car, Travis was in so much pain he was sweating like crazy, but he tried to fake it (the pain that is) and we went home, and bid Tina good night, and told her we would see her tomorrow at church. Well, things didn't quite turn out that way. We got a little over half way home, and Travis just started hurting so badly he tried to lean back a little bit in the seat, but he was driving and he couldn't. So he said he thought he needed to go to the hospital, but that the girls needed to be in bed, and so he wouldn't' go. I said well lets just go home, let me call Tina, I know she is still up, b/c she said she was going to go ahead and get her bath tonight for church in the morning. So I called her and she agreed to keep the girls, well just Katie Grace and Lydia I kept Becca so I could feed her, and she took them to church the next morning. Well, Travis and I went to the ER, when we got there it was 11:10 pm, but didn't get called back to a room until almost 1am, b/c there was a shooting, and boy it was scary in that waiting room with all the people that were with the shooting group, they were running in and out, and barking orders at everybody, and I really felt fearful at times. So we finally get taken back to the room, and sit and wait for a while, and they come in there, and talk to him, and order an x-ray to make sure he doesn't have anything wrong with his hip or his back. Well, as Travis and I already knew the x-rays came back negative, and so it was on to the next task. They were telling us that "this is the ER we don't diagnose problems, we just fix emergencies" so they said there main objective was to ease the pain, they brought him a shot, and it didn't' even phase his pain. So we would go long periods of not seeing anyone, then they would come in and give false hopes. Once they even told us we could go home shortly. Well, finally around 8am they came in and said they were going to admit him, and so I said I'd just stay and see what room he would be going to and then I would go to church, well the male nurse that was in there when I said that got an attitude and told me that if I felt like I needed to go to church, that I just needed to go, and not wait on him to be admitted, just to go now. I had wanted to go to Sunday School which started at 9:30, and so I stayed for about a couple more minutes, and mind you I had had very little sleep, just mostly dosing off here and there in that hard chair at ER bedside, so I went by McDonalds, and got me two biscuits, and a dollar tea. Well, when I got there Becca needed to eat, and I was already about 10-15 minutes late for Sunday School, so I just went and fed her (so I thought, she got sleepy and fell asleep)and then went back to the sanctuary and Tina wanted me to sit with her, and so I did, and she held Becca, who had woken back up when I stopped feeding her, due to her falling asleep. Well, she fell back asleep within no time, and slept through the whole loud part, the Praise and Worship and almost immediatly when it got quiet and the preacher started preaching she woke up, and was playing, and happy, but I knew her quiet cues that she was hungry, and took her out and went to feed her. After church, Tina said she didn't want the girls to see me, b/c she and Allen were going to take them out to eat, and so I could go get a little rest, and change my clothes, and go see Travis. So since I had been in the same clothes since mid-day the day before, I came home, changed my clothes, I called to see what room Travis was in, b/c several people were wanting to know, and when I called he was still in the ER, so they transferred the call to him, and he said they just came to transport him up to his room, and that he would be in room 601. So he was finally getting admitted at 1:45pm after being in the ER all night long. So he told me what he needed me to bring him, and I went to get the girls, and was at Tina's for a few minutes, and Becca needed to eat again, so I fed her and while I was feeding her, I fell asleep, and slept for over an hour, I guess, and when I woke up and realized I had been sleeping, I felt so badly, b/c Tina was wanting to take a nap and she couldn't' b/c the girls wouldn't take a nap and here I was falling asleep in her house. I felt really badly, that I did that to her, even though I had been up for so long, and had fallen asleep trying to drive to her house to pick the girls up, I didnt' want to sleep at her house, b/c I knew she was tired, but it happened and I can't change the past, and she didn't get mad , or if she did she she didn't show it, probably b/c she saw how upset I was at myself for falling asleep, lol. Ok so that was our busy Saturday and Sunday the 19th and 20th, and I almost forgot, I walked 15 minutes Sunday too. Monday the 21(walked 35 ,minutes), and Tuesday the 22(walked one hour), I was supposed to work, and had to call in b/c I didn't have anyone to keep the girls, and Travis was still in the hospital. Wednesday, the 23rd, I walked 15 minutes and Travis was discharged from the hospital, and we met Tina and Matthew at Ryan's and had supper, and these really creepy guys kept staring at my sister, and trying so hard to flirt with her, and one guy gave her his phone number, lol he was very spooky. So then we went to Bi-Lo to get some diapers, and home we went. Thursday the 24th, Travis' workers comp lawyer from Alabama came up to take Travis' deposition. We were to meet him at the lobby of his hotel at 8:30, well, Katie Grace missed the bus, and we had to take her to school, so we were late getting to the hotel, but nonetheless, we got there, and had continental breakfast, well me and Lydia did, Travis, and Pat (the lawyer) sat out back and discussed how he should act, and what he should say and not say when they get to the deposition which was being taken at another hotel, where the companies lawyer had stayed. So we showed his lawyer where to go, and then dropped Travis off and I went to the craft store, and walked around in there for over an hour, lol didn't realize it took that long, but it did, and I came out of there with 3 packs of thank you cards, and 3 activity place mats. Then I realized it was the time the lawyer had told me to come back, actually he had said in about an hour to an hour and a half, so I went back, and they were not done yet, so I took Lydia to Taco Bell, and then to the park, and I had to feed Becca, then we played in the park for about a half hour maybe an hour, and then I didn't want Travis to be stuck there and since we don't have cell phones, I drove back to the hotel, and sat there for about a half hour more then Becca got hungry and hot, so I changed her into some cooler clothes, and fed her and about 10 minutes after I started feeding her, they came out, and by now its like almost 2pm and so they said they would drive over to where Travis' old doctor was so he (the lawyer) would know how to get there to get his deposition, and for me to finish feeding Becca then come get Travis. So I did, then we went home, just in time to catch Katie Grace off the bus. So I walked an hour in the craft store, and then all that stuff I just said, then that night, I went walking with Tina, and Allen, and Becca, Travis kept Katie Grace and Lydia, and we walked for an hour and 15 minutes. I stayed out until very late that night, there was no school that next day, and was planning on being home by 10 at the latest, but ended up staying at Tina's until after 11pm which is crazy late for her. Friday like I said there was no school, we piddle paddled around the house, and then Travis, Lydia and Becca went to the park part of the Civic Center, and since I was working the weekend I "chaperoned" for the "In the Spotlight" performance dress rehearsal so that I could see my baby girls first ever performance. I cried knowing that I would miss it, she did so good in practice, just didn't smile enough to be seen so I told her to please smile and keep her head up for the "real night" and Travis said she did a good job. Saturday I already mentioned was the Spotlight, and so Travis and the girls dropped me off at work, and then went on to the Civic Center, and I had told him he better not be late picking me up, and lo and behold I was late leaving work Sunday morning lol. I am counting 2 hours walking time for the walking team for Saturday night, but it was a very hectic night and the only times I got to sit down all night was when I went to the bathroom, when I pumped, and at the end of the shift, when I had to chart my vital signs. Sunday I slept off and on most of the day, and then went to work and had a much nicer night, one less patient, and one less hard patient at that, so I was very grateful. My sister and I also walked Saturday morning in the Wal-Mart for 2 hours. Sunday I didn't' get any recordable walking in, but 4 hours on Saturday, and a lot of my walking Saturday night at work was technically after midnight Saturday night. Monday night April 28th I worked. Tuesday, April 29th, Travis had a doctors appointment to follow up from his hospital stay. When he got back from that, we had a few minutes before we got ready to meet with the advertising staff at www.gwdtoday.com to possibly see about putting an ad in about our candles. We did sign a 6 month ad contract, but its not valid until we can pay for it lol. I didn't see any since in paying $100 a month for a side spot, when you could get one larger and at the top for $150, I'm not even sure if we will be able to afford that I havent' gotten a full check yet, and the one I get tomorrow won't be a full one either, b/c of missing two days when Travis was in the hospital. Then we came home and got Katie Grace off of the bus, and went back to town, Travis was supposed to drop off a wholesale flyer and brochure to someone that possibly wants to put our candles in there shop, and after there we went and looked at some cars, and vans and trucks. All of a sudden I realized it was almost 6pm and thats walking time if you walk with Tina and Allen, so I told Travis, if I'm walking with Tina, we need to get there right now, and if I'm not walking, I'd still like to go over there, b/c she got something for the girls and she wants to give it to them, so we went there with just the intentions (so he thought lol) of just getting the Bible's she had bought each of the girls, but when we got there, he had planned on going to the store anyways so I said why don't yall go to the store, and we will walk, and so thats what we did, we walked for 30 minutes, and got back before him. Wednesday April 30, Becca was 16 weeks old. We, Travis and I were subpoenaed to court for a civil dispute between two of our neighbors. We got there, and I was in so much pain, I'm not sure what was causing it, but I was almost doubled over in pain. The whole court thing was a hoot, it started late, the neighbor that was being called in by the other neighbor was drunk, and poorly dressed, and got away with lots. It was just crazy. Then we went to Wal-Mart, and walked around in there for over an hour, and bought some notebooks, and coloring pencils, and Travis bought a fishing pole for me and the girls thats pink and purple. So we left Wal-Mart and came home to get Katie Grace off of the bus, then we went and got worms, a fishing license, and hot dogs, and went fishing. We came home just in time to get the girls ready for bed. Lydia decided she wanted to work on her "schoolwork" and so we decided to let them stay up until 9. I watched American Idol results show, and even though I know Brooke's time was running out, I think Jason Castro should have gone before her, I was sad to see her go. Now for today, Travis got up and put Katie Grace on the bus, I got up and fed Becca, he went back to bed, and is still asleep right now (10:15) and Lydia just woke up, and Becca has eaten and gone back to sleep. So now I need to go fix Lydia something to eat, and then I would like to get a few things done today before I have to go work tonight. I'm glad I got to update and even more glad that I remembered as much as I did. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I have started reading the book "Be Anxious for Nothing" by Joyce Meyer and I also bought the study guide for it. I might get to blog again soon hopefully
Make it a great day!!

Lazy, Rainy, Saturday

Well, its been raining, and kinda dreary all morning, and I've already had like 4 naps, lol, the best of which I was nursing Becca and she was asleep on my chest while I was sleeping, she seems to enjoy to nurse while she is sleeping as much as when she is awake.




I got Travis to take a picture of me and the girls, but Lydia ran out of the picture, she really hates to get her picture taken if its a posed picture, but if she wants to pose for you then you better be ready to take her picture right then lol.



Katie Grace read a book to Lydia. Then she played dress up with Becca. I fixed cinnamon buns and orange glazed breakfast buns for brunch (1pm lol) I really would like to get some cleaning done today.
This is the start of my busy weeks starting tomorrow I really want to go to church, then Monday, Travis is to meet with the disability lawyer at 2:30, then Tuesday I have orientation for my new job and Katie Grace's report card comes out, then Wednesday Travis has court, then Thursday is my sisters birthday, and my first day of training at the the new job, from 6pm to 6am with a girl I worked with at the other job. Then I will be off on Friday, and will train my last two of three training days Saturday and Sunday nights with another girl I worked with at the other job. As much as I really don't want to leave the girls and don't want to go back to work, I really think this was lined up "just for me, in perfect timing" b/c I will be still not making enough to go out to eat everyday and go shopping each month, but should be able to get all of my bills paid each month without having all the stress I had at the other job. I will be making a little more than the other job, and will have much more family time. I am so happy to have such beautiful girls, and God is so good!! I have been reading in a Joyce Meyers book, but that'll be another post....... till then

Pictures from Friday night 4/4/08

These are the pictures we took last night at my sisters new house. We had so much fun. Matthew, holding Becca, Becca sleeping in her recliner, Matthew holding Lydia causing his britches to fall down, and Katie Grace in the background laughing, and Tina so sleepy yet still such a good hostess, and a video of the kids all horsing around.





She's gonna kill me, for doing this lol, but hey what can you say, it WAS almost 3 hours past your normal bedtime. Love you sister!

A Friday Night

I had a good night last night, and so did the girls. After a not so peaceful afternoon around the house, my sister called and said we were under thunderstorm and tornado warnings, and did we want to come to here house, that that would be better for us than our mobile home, and a good excuse to come see her new house. We went over there and, oops I just realized I forgot to pay her back, and she had gone and gotten us some McDonalds, and we sat out the storm in her condo, and I LOVE it! The girls had fun, even though they both got hurt, lol, roughhousing around and Katie Grace's was easily fixed and soon forgotten, (she was running and jumping up on my nephew and there knees collided and she almost immediately had bruises and seemed to weak to stand but that too was quickly fixed. Lydia was running (why don't my children listen to the no running in the house rules?) and somehow fell to where she got carpet burn on her chin, and wasn't able to be consoled at all, she cried herself to sleep, but I think most of that was b/c she was already so sleepy anyways. I really think Matthew liked his new cousin. It was the first time he and Tina had seen her, and he held her so sweetly. We watched some t.v., played around, talked, caught up on lost times. Then we all got a hankering for some ice cream, thanks to Tina lol. So Matthew's daddy brought us all some ice cream from McDonalds. We finally came home at midnight (where did the time go, we got there at something after 8), and I was the only one awake when we got home. On the way home I saw an ad so to speak, a sign in someones yard, stating that America's Homeplace would build you a home on your property for as little at $350 down so I pulled up there website, and they have some really nice homes, but Travis still wants to build the way he and I decided to earlier, which is fine by me, I think I would just enjoy the quickness of the builders, and the outer appearance, but I still want it built energy efficient like we were going to be doing. I fell asleep in the recliner, and Becca was still in her carseat asleep, but I woke up around 4 and went to bed, then woke up at 6 to go to the bathroom, and Becca was waking up so I just got in my recliner and nursed her, and ended up falling back asleep, and I woke up again at 8 and fed her again, then finally woke up again around 10 and fed her again, then Katie Grace woke up and Lydia just woke up now, so I'm going to close this, and post the rest of the pictures from last night then spend some time with my girlies, then fix some breakfast.

Leaning totally on God and Prayer

Well, its been quite some time since I last sent in an update on us. Let's see.........
Ok, well, first off let me say that Becca has really been doing great with her weight gain, and on her two month well baby visit (3/11/08) she got her shots, and weighed 10lb 15oz and her head was 15 inches and she was 23 1/2 inches long. She was in the 95% for height so yet again, I'll be outgrown before they hit middle school most likely.
Wednesday March 12, I went to Greenwood Regional Rehab Hospital to get my first of two TB tests administered, that went well. Thursday the 13th, I finally had my postpartum check up and everything was great, the pap smear results came back normal. Lydia also on the same day went to see Dr Hughes, b/c Travis wanted her screened for diabetes. She refused to pee pee in the cup acting scared it would hurt her or something lol. Friday I was to get a fasting blood sugar on Lydia and it was 118. Monday March the 17 (St Patty's Day) Lydia was vomiting and very lethargic, and couldn't' even keep liquids down, the doctors wanted us to bring her in to be seen, and they recommended we take her to the hospital to get some blood work done, and it came back normal so they sent us home. Tuesday the 18th, Lydia's fasting blood sugar was 79, and then that afternoon, Travis had been working outside and didn't' put his tools up and Katie Grace decided she would grab the utility knife and whittle some wood, and sliced her forearm wide open, severing the nerves. We took her to the ER, and waited for almost 4 hours then came home. We got home and they were calling us back saying there was only a certain time frame it could be stitched up in and we needed to get her back there, but that we would have to go through the waiting process again. This time I stayed home with Lydia and Becca and Travis took her.
bbl to finish feeding time
ok I'm back now.....
So when Travis and Katie Grace got home he was quite upset, and rightly so, after waiting all that time, and then getting a phone call telling us that she had to come in so they could stitch it up all they did was glue it together with dermabond. So anyways it was after 3am when they got back, and Katie Grace was beginning to hurt a bit from it and so Travis decided it would be best for her to stay home from school that next day, well good thing too, b/c it ended up splitting open and Travis put a butterfly bandage and two band aids over it and it ended up still healing with a wider scar than if it had been stitched. Wednesday the 19th I went to get my second TB testing done, and I brought Becca with me b/c Travis was working outside at home and Lydia was content in the sand, so I decided to take her with me. It was fine that she went, but the lady that was to give me the shot, was at home sick with the flu, so I had to wait for someone else to administer it to me. Ok so I did, I waited and waited, then they found the lady that was to give it to me, and then I saw someone I knew and I went and showed her Becca b/c she hadn't met her yet, and stood there and talked to her forever. Then Friday (Good Friday) I went to the school to make pinecone bird feeders with Katie Grace's K-5 class, and they all had a blast. Lydia's blood sugar that morning was 87.
Saturday March 22 we left to go to Mama's for Easter/Spring Break. We were going to stay anywhere between 1 and 4 days. We got there extremely late Saturday night, and Sunday we opened Easter baskets (the girls did lol) then we went to the Chambers for Easter brunch and everybody got to see Becca for the first time. Saturday was not only Becca's first time to Highlands, but her first time discovering her tongue, and her first time trying to lift her head while being held, or while laying down. She had lifted her head well and kept good control of it for quite some time now when you were holding her over your shoulder, but this was her being held forward facing, and she was trying to sit up so to speak. We came home Wednesday afternoon, just in time to unload the jeep and get settled in time to watch the American Idol results show. Thursday 3/27 I went to Abbeville to get my CPR training, and that went very well. So then I was to call the Rehab Hospital and set up a schedule for me to start working and the lady wasnt' in so I was kinda relieved, b/c I really wasn't ready just yet, lol. I called her back on Friday (Lydia's fasting sugar was 114) and she was able to give me a schedule. I was thrilled with my schedule. It will allow me to have the best of both worlds, I can still have lots of hours at home to fulfill my SAHM feelings I desire for, and I can still be making enough money to hopefully get some bills paid. Katie Grace and Lydia both had doctors appointments Wednesday April 2 and Katie Grace got a clean bill of health with the exception of the fact that they found some blood in her urine, and so we have to take her to the hospital and get an UA on her, and she got one shot, a Chicken Pox booster.
Now for the not so fun stuff.......
bbl Katie Grace just got off the bus
I'm back and its now Saturday morning...
That night (Wednesday April 2) Travis asked me if I no longer had any sexual desires, and I told him that no that wasn't it, I just didn't feel comfortable making love during the times he was wanting to. Well, he says it has nothing to do with that but that night he slapped Katie Grace across her cheeck because she bluntly ignored him. The next day I knew he was upset, but he wouldn't talk to me and tell me what was up, so I grabbed his face and "made him look at me" well that made him madder and he grabbed me by my arm and my jaw and twisted, to get me to take my hands off of him, saying that I'm not his mother quit acting like it. Well it hurt quite a bit but I just prayed for him and forgave and forgot, but was quickly reminded of it b/c the bruise hurts when I laid down. It is still a little sore but doesn't hurt near as bad this morning.

Have been so busy

We have been so busy. Sunday, I decided that I was tired of not being able to walk in the girls room. So, we (Travis, me, and the girls) took everything but the bed, and dresser out of there room. Right now some of it is still in my living room. I'm putting things back one by one, b/c I want the room to look neat, and for them to be able to know what they have to play with. Also the biggest accomplishment for the weekend was that we finally got the mattress on the top bunk of the bunk beds, Lydia has slept with Katie Grace since she came out of her crib, she has always slept with Katie Grace, and I thought she would have a hard time sleeping alone, but she has done well.
Becca had a doctors appointment Monday for another weight check, and in two weeks time of exclusively nursing she gained again woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She weighed in at 9 pounds and 11 ounces!!! Her next appointment is her 2 month appointment where she will get her shots :(
Katie Grace is beginning to have some behavior problems at home and at school, so I've been dealing with that, and the fact that everybody is in such a hurry for me to go back to work.
I have gotten a few candle orders here recently and hope they pick up enough pared with Travis' handyman work to keep me home a little while longer still.
Lydia's 4 year school life will be determined tonight, there is a meeting about the new 4 year program which from the outside Travis and I aren't pleased and don't plan on her going to 4k next year but are going to the meeting tonight to get the detailed description of the program and why they changed from the current plan. We also get to see the new Northside Middle School since thats where the meeting is.
Well this was short and sweet but I've got tons to do

Two dreary lazy days

Thursday and Friday were dreary, rainy cool days, and me and my household were just as lazy. Two days in a row, all I've gotten done was wash dishes and fix supper. I read a good devotional yesterday from Proverbs 31, they always have such good devotions, and more often than not, they can be related to my personal life, either past, or present.
Now for the updates:
Erin:
Well, I need to call Monday and make an appointment for my 6 week checkup with my doctor, I had one on Monday February 18, but I had sent Travis to Greenville to pick up some jars, because we have two candle orders and didn't have any jars to make them with, and while he was gone I got a phone call that his Papa had passed away, and so I called the jar place and had them to have Travis to call me. I told him I would cancel my appointment and that I wanted him to go to the funeral (his family had waited to let us know that his Papa had passed away until 2 hours before the funeral) so he did, he wasn't by any means dressed for the occasion, but he went, and I canceled my appointment, and stayed home with Becca (he had taken Lydia with him). Becca and I had a good day that day, it was my first time alone with her just me and her, and it was great! I've been really lazy these past two days with the weather sending us such much needed napping weather, we have been in a drought for so long now. I printed me off a Bible reading plan this morning, I seem to get so sidetracked when I try to read the Bible through no matter what the plan I use is so I decided to do a thirty day New Testament reading program, then hopefully *when* I stick to that it will be easier to then do the ninety day reading plan. I desperately hope to get some more things accomplished today than the past two days. I've had a few days of upset stomach and its affecting Becca as well, she is just staying so gassy. My back has been catching for the past week of so and when it does, I cant' move at all until it releases.
Travis:
Travis has put in a few more job applications the past couple of days. He's still working out at the couple's house from church, and apparently is nearing the end on one of the rooms he's been working on. He's been in a good bit of pain here lately, and of course when that happens he seems to take it out on anything in his sight, but he's been very good about controlling his anger, and pain so I'm proud of him for that. Thursday in the mail, we got one of those mailers from one of the local car dealers, saying if this key opens the key to the box you could win one of these two cars, well, the other options were to take the cash value of the cars, or you could win a $5 Wal-Mart card, or you could win nothing and be entered in a drawing for $5,000.00, well, hey its worth a shot right, you either win a new car, get some money, or a free Wal-Mart card, so before he went to work on the house he's working on he stopped by and of course what did he win..... the gift card. He missed an appointment at DSS Thursday so he had to go by there and set up another appointment after he left the car dealership, and they set him up another appointment for this coming Thursday.
Katie Grace:
Ok, so for a little background before I mention this.... A school bus driver in Ware Shoals was arrested this week for duct taping the children on her bus (see story here) so I asked Katie Grace what Ms. Rose (her bus driver) does to the children when they are acting badly on the bus. Here is what she said "If you are sitting in the back she makes you come sit at the front." Then she said. "and if you are bad lots of times you will get a bus slip" then I said what is a bus slip, and she said "I don't know, I think its when the bus gives you a spanking, because Ms. Rose drives the 'Magic School bus'." I thought that was so cute, I didn't even know that she had heard of the 'Magic School bus', but she said they read about it in the library at school. She didn't have school yesterday, it was a teachers work day. She had a fun day at home, we did absolutely nothing! I let her stay in her pj's all day, and we watched movies, and did some well needed and appreciated cuddling. I gave her a new snack yesterday, ants on a log, and she loved it, at first she just wanted the peanut butter and the raisins, but then when she started asking for more and I noticed she had not touched the celery, I told her to try them all in one bite, then she wanted more, and of course by then, we were out of celery.
Lydia:
Lydia was super sweet the past few days. She is getting so grown up. She is so smart. She can count further now at 3 1/2 than Katie Grace could count at the Christmas break of this school year, I guess its really benefited her as well as Katie Grace to work with Katie Grace around her. I guess the things that Katie Grace struggles with and needs extra help with will probably be Lydia's strong points if that continues to the be trend. Lydia still doesn't' like raisins so yesterdays snack wasn't' one she appreciated, she just ate the peanut butter, she wouldn't even attempt to try the celery. In the past week or so her imagination has really improved, she is playing with things that never really interested Katie Grace, but of course when Katie Grace is around, she wants to be just like her. Lydia didn't have as many questions yesterday, but instead had lots of self led play with her imagination, I'm proud of her for that, Katie Grace didn't ever really do much of that. I'm glad that she has begun to smile more often now, used to if you caught her smiling she would stop, and now she is smiling and proud of her smiles. She is eager to learn, but doesn't want to do anything to learn, she just wants to be able to know things, that she things she should know.
Becca:
Becca has had a few good days, she's been nursing quite well, and actually last night slept from 12:45am to 5:40am I was so pleased to have had that much sleep at one time!! woo hoo She is getting so big! I cant' believe just a little over 4 weeks ago (WHAT?!?!?!? I can't believe she is even that old much less older than that) that the doctors put her in the hospital for failure to thrive, and were wanting to give up on her, b/c she was losing so much weight, and now she is such a chunk! She is smiling more and more each day, and the girls are even getting excited over it too! Poor little thing has such a bad diaper rash, and is in such pain when she wets or soils her diaper. She just smiles and smiles when I sing her body parts to her at each diaper change, she loves the song I made up, its just "Nose, ears, cheeks, *high pitched* chin" and then repeated over and over again and she just loves it. She also has the most painful hiccups and almost always when she has them she spits up :( Well, I'm sure gonna pay for this, she went back to sleep and I've stayed up now Katie Grace is up, and I'm not gonna get to go back to sleep :(

Today is kinda cloudy its off and on raining, and currently its 46 degrees. The weather bug says we are supposed to have dense fog throughout the morning.

Well, I'm getting away from here now, and gonna try to get some rest before Becca wakes up again.

Well, shoot!!

Well, I called the doctors office to verify Becca's appointment for tomorrow and she said it was today at 10:40am, I said well shoot, usually yall call to remind of appointments, and I was really thinking it was today (I had lost the appt card) and so now her weight check appointment is Monday at 9:30am.

Also, I need to add that my to do list will be for today and tomorrow, b/c its now very late, and Katie Grace is getting off the bus right now, literally the bus just backed in the driveway. So that means that my list will have to span across two days.

An Intro to my family at its current state, and detailed updates

Today is Thursday February 21st 2008

This is my first blog here, I have blogged a few times in my myspace page, but haven't' kept up with it. I hope to use this page to highlight the days and nights of motherhood, and my children's lives. I hope to be able to show this to my children one day or to print off the pages pertinent to them and give them a "Book about me" for each of them, when they get old enough to appreciate it. My goal will be a paragraph per child per entry, whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly. For future references we live in Hodges SC, in a two bedroom single wide mobile home.

Katie Grace is 5 years old, and is still enjoying herself at school, however has some bad days here and there. She really enjoys doing her homework, as long as its in very short time spans. She is still very loving towards me and her sisters, and still likes to rough house with her Daddy. She has had two bad days already this month :( to which she gets "jobs" piled on her when she does that, my mother and sister seem to think that she's acting out to earn time with her Daddy. Katie Grace loves to:jump, cut flips and cartwheels, sing, and watch TV. Her best friend at school is Michelle. She loves to hold and talk to Becca. She is struggling with cleaning up her room, unless I get her started, or help her finish it. She loves that she has PE two days a week at school. Overall she is such a joy as a daughter, and I couldn't have been more blessed with a first child than her. Overall, she is a Mommy's girl, and loves both of her sisters very dearly.

Lydia is 3 years old, and she loves attention. Lydia is in a very heavy questions phase. She is always asking "why do people make..." Lydia loves her Daddy very much. Overall she is a Daddy's girl and loves both of her sisters. My biggest issue with Lydia this week is staying seated during meal times, and completing her plate. Lydia is more of a drinker than an eater, she can down 2, 3 or sometimes 4 or 5 cups of juice, water, or milk, if you let her, but takes turns liking things to eat enough that she will complete it. Lydia loves Becca, and wants her to listen to her and watch her when she tries new things, she doesn't' understand that Becca can't "talk" back to her yet. Lydia loves watching TV, having books read to her, horsing around with her Daddy, playing dress up, and being paid lots of attention.

Becca is 6 weeks old and 1 day today. She is starting to smile and coo more often. I am very happy that she has overcome her weight issues, and her breastfeeding is going very well now. She still is taking Prevacid for her reflux, but is doing much much better with her nursing, she is now down to no bottles, and just nursing exclusively. She is getting so big, and is just a joy to be around. She is aware when her sisters and her Daddy are in the room, and is happy to see and hear them. She loves her Mommy so much. I can't tell just yet if she is a Mommy's girl, or Daddy's girl, she is just as equally happy with both of us, as well as the girls. She has another weight check tomorrow, and I will update afterwards to how it fares. She seems to have a preferred schedule of pacify nursing from around 9pm to 1am then nursing at 1am 3am and then again around 5 or 6. This being said, she is co-sleeping with me during that time. She mostly sleeps in her bassinet in the daytime.


Ok so the picture of me is a little old, but its the latest picture of me I have. Obviously it was taken Wednesday January 9, 2008I am a year older now, Sunday past was my birthday (2/17), and I turned 28. It was a very emotional day. Nobody told me happy birthday until almost dark. The girls and Travis went and picked up Chinese food and brought it home, and went to Bi-Lo and got me a cake. It was a very good cake too. I am not emotionally ready to go back to work yet, and Travis is doing everything he can to help me postpone my return. I am enjoying being back at home. My lifelong dream has been to be a SAHM, and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2+ years that I was a SAHM after Lydia was born. I am very seriously considering only going back to work on Friday and Saturday nights and sign up to be a substitute teacher for the elementary schools and go back to school for my early education degree, even if it takes me 6 years to get my degree I think it would be best to go back part time, instead of full time. I am trying to get as much stuff cleaned out of this house as possible, my short term goal to get rid of it is to gather up Jeep loads of stuff weekly and take it to the flea market to try to sell it, and then at the end of each month what ever hasn't' sold take to donation locations. There are also a couple of people that want stuff taken off of there hands so badly they have told us we can take it to the flea market and can keep the money from it, so hopefully that will also help extend my maternity leave a little bit too.

Travis is doing better, thank God. He is having more good days than bad days here lately. Not that each day isn't a painful day, its just that he is getting more and more able to deal with the pain, and is learning what things will increase and what things will decrease the pain. He is still having days where he is sleeping all the time, but they are becoming lesser and lesser. He is still waiting on his workers comp lawsuit out of Alabama, and heard this past week, that they are willing to pay for the blood clots, and that he should begin to get paid very soon, we had to fax in our past years tax returns, and Travis will have to call in his disposition sometime soon as soon as the lawyer calls and says he needs them. Also as far as the disability goes, he should have a court date for that sometime in the next 18 months. His lawyer told him to try to put in as many job applications as possible, and if they hire him and he isn't able to perform the job at the level they require, they have to write a statement for the courts, and if they don't' hire him they have to give a statement for the courts explaining why.

My goals for today are:

1. Wash dishes
2. Refresh Living room (the portion that has already been detailed)
3. Detail clean from sink to stove
   
4. Detail clean from my chair to the couch
5. Fold and put away clothes on the clothes line
6. Wash and hang Katie Grace's clothes
7. Wash and hang Becca's clothes
8. Fold and put away Katie Grace's clothes
9. Start supper
10. Begin load of Travis' clothes

Well, this is it for now, I am going to get busy before Becca wakes up to eat. Katie Grace doesn't' have school tomorrow, so hopefully she can help me get some things done this afternoon when she gets off of the bus. I will plan on updating again tomorrow.