Tagged by Merry Melodie

20 Years Ago

Well, I was probably playing with my best friend Erin tromping through the woods somewhere around our house. She and I loved to go exploring as we called it. We were attending college church and were meeting at IBC. There was a pature behind the church with a fence that had a sign on it. If we could have read the sign we would know it said beware of horse. We went in and tried to feed the horse and it went crazy. Some women came running through the field after us and she chased us all the way to our church and told our dads. We got a good talking to.

10 years ago

Wow! This is fun. Ten years ago Casey and I had dated in September and broke up sometime in October. I knew he was fixin to ask me back out. We got back together that January. He was my first love :) I had just passed my driving test, so I was probably driving all my younger friends around. Me and Amber were inseperable. She is still one of my very best friends. I had a gold honda accord, I loved that car. I thought I knew everything and I was sooooo much wiser than my parents of course. I am not looking foward to paying for my raising.

5 years ago

Casey and I had been back together for 2 months and we were disgustingly in love. My brother said we just made him sick. We spent every singe minute we could together. I was living in Athens and going to ultrasound school. All I did was spend time with Casey, study, sleep, and drive. It was a stressful, fun time.

1 year ago

I was eight months pregnant with the most woderful life change that I couldn't even understand yet. I never knew how much you could love someone until I saw his little face. I didn't know yet what he would look like or how sweet his little perfect smile would be. I didn't know how sweet it would feel to kiss the little feet that were kicking me all the time. I just knew that I was ready for him to be here, it is such a long time to wait.

Yesterday

Yesterday, I had my hopes up that Maggie, my cat would have a home. The woman that was supposed to come look at her didn't show up and didn't call until an hour later. I was angry. I played with Jack and we all went to bed early. He is doing the funnies thing. Every time he hears music, he flapps his arms in the air and starts clapping. It is just precious.

Today

Well, today i am stressing over giving my cat, Maggie, away. We just don't have time for her. I wish I didn't have pets at all at this time in my life, but I can't give my dog away so the cat had to go. I have several people wanting her and a long list of people to call if the woman I am meeting tonight doesn't want her. I will be glad when it is over.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, hopefully I will be free of this cat drama and I can focus on getting ready for chrismas. I plan to get home from work and go to church. We'll see:)

I tag Melodie and Julie Young

I passed!!

And by the way I passed my other test!! I am sooooo happy ;) I am now a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer!!

My Good Boy :)

Well, it didn't take very many little spats and Jack is back to his little sweet self :) He is minding when we say no finally. I am soo glad because I was really not enjoying having to spank him.

He now has 5 teeth!! He cut the front top right one 11/17. It is great because he can chew his food lots better. Just in time for his first Thanksgiving dinner :) I am looking so foward to the first holidays with my sweet baby boy!!

Hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!!

What a little temper!!

Well, the dreaded time has come that we are having to start spatting Jack! Is it normal to do it this early? Any of you experienced moms, please give me some reassurance. He is throwing full blown fits! The worst of them is when we are trying to change his diaper. He acts like we are torturing him or something!! He rolls and rolls and then when I finally hold him down or spat him, he looks at me like I am the meanest mom in the whole world. NOW.. I understand what parents mean when they say it hurts them more because it does!! I would rather take several beatings that have to spank him, but I don't want to raise one of those kids that just do whatever they want to and won't mind. He also is a little defiant these days. If he doesn't get his way or get to do what he is wanting to do, he has a little fit. He has a very strong little personality. He gets his stubborness honest though. He really didn't have a chance in that department between Casey and I :) I would appreciate any advice that any fellow moms can give, because this is hard!!

Also, I though I would blog about the Love Dare. Casey and I bought it after church last week and started it Sunday night. It is amazing how it has already changed several things in our marriage. I am really enjoying doing it together and we are learning a whole lot about each other and where we can improve. I won't spoil the book for those of you who plan to read it, but I wanted to just blog about some of the funny things Casey has said after our daily readings.

On day one, our dare was not to be negative. That is what the few pages we had to ready was about. After I finished reading, I said "Did you get all that?" and he said, "Yeah, I can't talk all day tomorrow!!" We had a good laugh about that!

The next day, after we finished reading, he a said, "Kayla, this book is picking on me. This book is me exactly!!" It was also very funny.

Anyway, it has been a great thing and has brought us closer already. I would recommend it if you had time to read it together. It is fun to see what your dare is for the next day!

Hope everyone is having a good day!!

Bye, Bye :)

Jack waved for the first time this weekend :) We were leaving the Harvest festival and he just raised his little hand and waved. It was soo cute! After that he has done it a few more times. Last night he was in the bathtub and I was saying bye bye and waving and all of the sudden he said bye, bye and waved at the same time! Casey and I were so shocked! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen:) I think that is the first time he has said something and meant to.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!!

I PASSED!!!!!

I don't know if anyone knew it, but I had to take one of the hardest tests of my life yesterday! I am registered in abdominal ultrasound, but I wanted to get my board registry in hearts (echocardiograms). That required that I take a 200 dollar echo test which was 150 questions and lasts for three hours and also a physics test which is about the same. I took the echo yesterday and passed!! I am so grateful! I prayed so hard while I was in there I know God's ears were burning. I had to take a physics exam for my last registry, so I am not very nervous about that one since I have already passed one before. I feel like a hundred pounds has been lifted off of me. It is really challenging to find time to study with a nine month old.

On a new note, I hated to miss peak of the week last night. I went to visit a new little baby:) A friend of mine growing up has a serious drug addiction. His girlfriend just had his little boy and left him because of the drugs. She is here to stay with his parents for a while and needed some things. I took her some Jack hand me downs. I need to tell her about the friendship center if she needs anything I don't have. Luckily his family is wonderful and like my second parents, so I know she will be very well taken care of and little Waylan too. Please pray for this family, they are in a lot of pain. It is such a sad situation. I don't want to disclose names because I'm not sure they would want that.

I know I am jumping subjects, but I felt the need to post something happy after that. Also, this is a great way to document things that happen in Jack's life since it has dates and times. This week Jack has started a few new things. He has discovered he can do all kinds of funny things with his mouth. He is making this hilarious sucking noise and it looks so funny. He also learned how to get his knees up under him and turn to sit upright. This was great because before this, he would get frustrated at being on his belly and would crawl to us to sit him up. About two weeks ago he started drinking ouit of a straw. That is so much fun to watch:) Sorry this was such a long blog. Hope everyone is having a great week!!

RSV

Well, I just wanted to update everyone on Jack. He is doing a lot better. The steriods he is on make him really hiper. And get this, they are for the inflamation in his lungs to stop the wheezing, but... when he takes them he crawles around like the energizer bunny and gets so worked up that he starts wheezing. I don't know if they are helping or making things worse. Anyway, the doctor said he didn't have a bad case of RSV and that he may not get any worse than he is now. So far he hasn't and I am very thankful. We have only had a couple of scares. Last night he was really congested and wheezing and the combo got him a little strangled. He got his breath after just a few seconds, but we never let him out of our sight because it could happen anytime.

I had a hard time the first of the week when we learned what he had. I felt responsible, since I had been sick and I knew I gave it to him. I hated to know I was the reason he was going to have to fight this stupid virus. I know it isn't productive to beat myself up, but I guess that is just the overprotective mother coming out. I just wish it were possible to protect them from anything hard or painful. If I feel this way now, I know the next 18 years are going to be tough!

Well, we miss everyone and hope to be back this sunday if all goes to plan. Hope you are all having a great week!!

The Joys of Teething :)

Well... gone are the few short months of sleeping through the night. Jack had been unusually fussy for a couple of weeks and wakes up every morning at 2am. He finally cut his second bottom tooth, but instead of getting better, he is even more irritable. I don't know if it is hurting the more it comes through or what. Bless his heart, he will take is paci out and just chew and chew on it. He is refusing to eat solids too. I can't get him to take anything but milk which worries me because the infamous "they" say that at his age he should have juice, fruits, meats, cereal, and who knows what else every day! Oh well, I guess its just a phase. Oh yeah and after waking up at 2am, he will only go back to sleep in the bed with us and then wakes up EVERY time his paci falls out of his mouth. I hate to see him hurting like this. Baby ibprofen seems to help, so I gave it to him last night.

On a new subject, he is pulling up! He looks soo big walking from me to the couch while holding on to the edge. It is hard to believe he is soo big. Although sometimes I miss him being a little baby, it is so much fun to hear him talk (especially when he accidently says mama) and see him smile and laugh.

We have a new daily show in our house. We are now big fans of non other than spongebob!! Jack will watch him for a good long while and I even catch myself watching when he isn't. Today at work me and a guy I work with that has two young girls were actually talking about episodes we had seen last week that we thought were hilarious.

Anyway, I have to go study and I hope everyone is having a great week!!!

Guacamole!!!!

Casey, Pam (my mother in law), and I decided to go out to eat at Casa after work. Jack had just had a diaper change and had had a dirty diaper earlier, soooo I foolishly decided it would be okay to just take toys in the diaper bag. This decision was based on my growling belly, so it wasn't the brightest move. Anyway, we went to Casa and Jack was sitting calmly in the highchair. All of the sudden we look at him and he is straining like you wouldn't believe. So hard, in fact, that his eyes and face were turning red. "Uh oh!" I said as the reality of the situation started to sink in. We realize that he is filling up his diaper, but just decided to tough out the odor and change him when we got home.

That is.... until Pam noticed a little bloch of something green on Jack's arm. She said, "None of us ordered guacamole, did we?" She was right. She wiped it with her napkin and took one sniff and made a terrible face. We looked down and what to our suprise the entire high chair is full of green poop! Here we are in the middle of a restaurant with no wipes, no diapers, and no change of clothes. What now!!!

I pick him up and as fast as I can take him to the women's bathroom. Pam helps me undress him and we wash him in the sink! Yuk!! There is poop everywhere and we have a naked baby with nothing to put on him at all. I was having a serious white trash redneck moment as i wrap my naked son in paper towels and carry him out of the building. All the while trying to ignore all of the hidden giggles.

I take him to the truck, still naked mind you, to wait on Casey and Pam to pay and box up our food which we haven't gotten to eat yet. As we wait, Jack decides now would be a good time to pee while he is standing in my lap!! Now I have a naked baby and am wearing poop and pee.

Finally, they get to the car and we strap little naked Jack into his carseat and quickly drive home!!! This is definetly a tough lesson learned( although very funny after the fact). First RULE of parenting: NEVER NEVER leave home without a diaper, wipes, and a change of clothes NO MATTER WHAT!!!!

Ode to Breastfeeding

Warning! Long blog!!


Well, my days as a breastfeeding mom are numbered. I was out of town last weekend on a ultrasound confrence and I had major issues getting to feed Jack! I only has two fifteen min breaks during the morning which wouldn't have been that bad, but it took 10 min for mom to get to the hotel that the conference was in and and we never knew when the breaks would be. This meant he had to take formula during my sessions and then when I got to the room on lunch he was full. Wow, it was crazy. Then I had to pump, but we had no fridge to keep the milk cold! By the end of the weekend, I was producing very little milk.

At first I was very stressed and sad, but then I just decided to give myself a pat on the back for making it this long and move on. He is still nursing at night and maybe once in the afternoon, but I don't know how long that will last. It is kind of nice not to be pumping all the time at work. I am not near as stressed during the day and I don't worry if he is eating enough anymore. BUT... formula diapers are a whole new issue!!!

this leads to a new section of this blog

THE BLOWOUT OF ALL HIS BLOWOUTS!!

The first night home from Nashville we went out to eat (as usual since I don't cook lol). After we got back, I decided to check my email. I left jack in his carseat to watch TV beside me. He started fussing and so I got up to get him out. When I picked him up I thought man, he's wet! Then I looked at my arm... yuk!!!! I had poop all over me!!!! It was all down my arm, all down his legs, all in the carseat, and on his hands (which were on the way to his mouth)! I knew this was no job for wipes and I just set him in the tub and hosed him down. It was quite a mess, but after we had a good laugh :) He didn't eat any of it by the way, I caught his hands before he made it that far :)

Son Seekers

I just wanted to post a thank you to everyone :) I have really really enjoyed getting to know all of you and am glad to be getting more involved! You have all made my family feel so welcome. I look foward to all of our events and classes. I hope all of you are having a great week!

What was I thinking?

I just need to vent a little! I am having a real problem with my cat! When we got her, I never imagined how annoying she could be with a baby in the house. She cries all the time! Last night I woke up twice to the sound of her sharpening her claws in my carpet. Luckily she didn't damage anything, but I was still mad as a hornet. I have never been much of a cat person and now that we have Jack, I don't tolerate her well at all. Oh well, since I can't find her a home or get rid of her, I just had to vent my frustration.

26 things about me

1. Casey and I dated in high school, but broke up. He randomly called me three years later and we were married the following december.

2. We lived in Sevierville TN beside Gatlinburg for 11 months, it was a blast!

3. All of our parents and my grandparents live off of the same road.

4. My first crush on Casey was when I was twelve and he had goofy glasses and a bowl cut ;)

5. Around the same time, I shaved the bottom half of my hair off because Jennifer Lovelace did it and I thought she was sooo cool lol.

6. My best friend growing up was Erin Lynn.

7. I went into ultrasound because I wanted to do medical and didn't want to deal with needles or anything gross, boy was i in for a rude awakening. You wouldn't believe the things you can scan with ultrasound!!! Seriously just get me started on this one, I have lots of stories.

8. I have a mini dacshund and a cat.

9. I don't know what possessed me to get either one of them. They are too much work with a baby. Actually I can handle my daisey, but the cat is the one i could do without! All she does in cry!

10. I have a beautiful baby boy (like any of you don't know, he is all I have blogged about so far and I take him everywhere!)

11. I love naps!

12. I don't cook, really! I think I have used my stove twice since Jack was born. Poor Casey. We eat out! Alot lol.

13. My husband did electrical work for five years and my bedroom still does not have switch covers or plug covers!

14. We pretty much gutted the house we have and remodeled and I never want to paint again.

15. Casey is the funniest person I know, I laugh all of the time. I love him!!

16. I don't have a hobby, not that i would have time for one now that i have Jack.

17. I envy stay at home moms.

18. I never mail anything. I am horrible about this! I will write a card and it stays in my house forever. Email has saved my life!

19. I love to lay out in the sun on a float. I will probably regret that in about 10 years or sooner than that, but it really relaxes me.

20. I am ocd about jack's food and not wasting the milk i pump. I am like the breast milk police. I call all the time to make sure he eats every drop. I feel sorry for my family, but they forgive me. The know i just want to be involved. And for those of you who pump, you know it is hard work!

21. I have to sleep with two pillows (more when I was pregnant). One under my head and one between my knees. It drives Casey crazy because they are everywhere.

22. I have been cutting Casey's hair for five years. One night he wanted me to try before he shaved it off and he liked it. Now i do my dad's, casey's, and my brother's hair every month. i like it, it is a fun chore and it saves my family some money!

23. I am obsessed about shaving! I do it everyday of my life. That was the worst thing about having jack. At the hospital I was to weak to do it and it about drove me crazy! Right when we got home, i had my mother in law help me, i felt sooo much better ;)

24. I am totally still in love with Casey!

25. My family is my world. I love them all! I am blessed to be as close to them as I am!

26. Jack is a gift from God and i love him more than anything!

My little Jackpot

I am just sitting at work bored to death and missing Jack, so I thought I would blog about him. Mondays are always hardest for me because I have just gotten to spend the whole weekend with him. I go through withdrawls. This morning I woke up the the sound of him jabbering and just by listening I could tell he was laying on his stomach lifting his head just waiting on mommy to come a get him :) I went in there and sure enough, he was on his belly looking up. I put him to bed last night in his last Pamper's swaddlers diaper (size 2) so it wouldn't go to waste and now I have a whole bed worth of laundry to do. The poor little guy peed all over himself. I don't know how he was sleeping in it. Well we are for sure in a size 3 now. I hate to leave the swaddlers behind. Partly because I love them and partly because it is all going way to fast. I can't belive it has already been six months! Anyway, back to this morning. He usually goes right to sleep when i feed him after he wakes up, but for some reason this morning he just kept staring at me and playing with my nose. I just decided to get up and let him watch my morning routine. He sat quietly on the bed and watched me iron while chewing on a few toys. It was a great way to start the day :) Well enought for now, hope everyone is having a good Monday!

My first blog :)
Well a little introduction about me and my family. I am married to a wonderful husband, Casey. We were highschool sweethearts and have been married now for nearly 4 years. We have a six month old little boy named Jack and he is the love of my life!! We have two pets daisey and maggie.

I do ultrasound for a group of doctors in muscle shoals and Casey is a salesman at Ray Miller Buick. I love my work most of the time. It is a very interesting job.

Well, I guess that is enough for my first blog!