Christmas, New Years, and More

1/3/2007
Happy Holidays Everyone! I hope your Christmas and New Years was blessed! Ours was for sure. It was good to be around our family. It was hectic, but good. We had 11 children 11 and under at our Christmas gathering. Nine of those children were boys as well. Next year there will be 10 with our addition of Titus. We are just becoming the boy family. Justice this year loved his toys, but didn't get into the unwrapping. Next year I am sure we will have him more trained in the traditions of Christmas. After Christmas we hosted our two eldest nephews for a day and night for which most of it was taken up playing Playstation. They don't get to play very often so we figured the aunt and uncle could treat them to an all you can play night.
Justice returned to being sick the day after Christmas unfortunately for which we ended up taking him back to the doctor. It turned out that the medications he had been on had not fully taken care of the infection and his white blood cell count was elevated once again. So, we took another round of antibiotics. Thankfully yesterday and today he has not had a runny nose or much of a cough. It is the first time in months his nose hasn't run. It is a huge deal to me.
Our New Year was pretty uneventful. We watched a movie and as I got into bed I wispered to Ron Happy New Year. The day after we celebrated Auburn's win over Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl. I love the holidays, but I am happy to be getting back to a normal routine and starting this new year. I am planning on getting the preparations going for Titus, getting the bassinet, stroller, and clothes ready for him in the next couple of weeks so I won't have to do those things with a big belly, although it already feels big to me. I am excited and ready for what this year has in store for our family. Blessings to yours!

WHAT A WEEK!!

Well, we did have quite a week this past week. It all started on Wednesday, when I woke Justice up at 9:15 a.m. and found him to be really, really sick. He was very lethargic, not wanting to get up or move. I let him lay on my chest for awhile then decided to take his tempurature and it was 101 degrees. His congestion had been really bad the day before and was continuing. And, he was spitting/throwing up liquids I was giving him. So, all in all I had a very sick boy on my hands. I called the Pediatrician's office and in desparation asked if there were any appointments. The nurse fought on my behalf to create an appointment for me as she could here the distress in my voice. Upon arriving he just slept, not a good sign since he doesn't usually sleep other than in the dark in bed. The doctor discovered that he had a bad infection of some sort with a high white blood cell count and decided to hospitalize him. I almost started crying when she said this as I had my precious son in my hands and we were taking him to the hospital, seemingly very serious. The next three days were a blur of IVs, vital sign checking, hospital food, lack of sleep, and having a restless baby cooped up. It was so tough. The toughest part was having my son injected with an IV in his wrist and having his blood taken. He just looked at me, his daddy, and mamaw as they did all this. He went back and forth with tears streaming down his face yelling for "momma" and "dadda," and not understanding why were not doing anything to get rid of and take away his pain. It was torture! And to top it off, the IV came out that night and they had to reinsurt it at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. Thankfully, Wednesday night his fever broke and he began looking better and by Thursday afternoon his color was restoring and his eyes began brightening up. The fluids and antibiotics they were giving him were working. Friday morning the doctor came by and said that they would see how he did during the day and make a judgment over whether he should stay another night. Ron and I were completely drained and at our sanity's end on Friday having had two terrible nights of sleep with Justice having a lot of trouble getting comfortable and dealing with congestion. The Lord was the only thing keeping us from losing it. We made it to Friday night and the good doctor let us take our baby home. I knew things would be better having him home to get some good rest since you cannot rest in the hospital. It is impossible with vital signs being take every few hours, people coming in take the trash, bring the meals, bring ice and the newspaper, etc. Friday night was a victorious night! Saturday, we saw the doctor at the office and he was so, so pleased with his progress. He said that if he did not know he had been in the hospital he would not have suspected it and would have thought he was healthy other than a cough and runny nose. So, our battle was over after a long week. We are keeping him home until Christmas to get him fully better. We are still deciding what to do about making our home more sanitized and what to do about taking him to nursery. We understand that we can't isolate him forever and it is impossible to keep him from getting sick all the time, but we never want to have him in the hospital again and if that takes keeping him home more, than so be it. We shall see and we are praying for God's wisdom in how to best care for our little boy.

Busy, Busy, Busy

We have been so busy lately that posting has been on the backburner for awhile now, but I have missed it and have been meaning to get back. So, first off we are all pretty good. Justice continues to struggle with congestion and a runny nose, which has been going on for a month and a half now. We have been to the doctor twice and nothing is really helping. So that is no fun, but we are and have been completely walking for a few weeks. This is a picture of him walking outside at my mom's farm on Thanksgiving. Shortly after 15 mos. he began taking steps and about a week before Thanksgiving he became committed to walking full time, which has been exciting and challenging. I am glad he finally got it down even with the challenges it brings. He wants to walk all the time now, even in stores, which makes trips longer and more stressful. With the walking comes more things to get into and keep him from so my days are more tiring, but it is worth it to see my son reach that goal. He is a cutie walking, I love it. He is so short and petite that it is just amazing to see such a little guy upright and walking.

Thanksgiving was fun. It was a huge gathering with a good bit of my family including my Uncle from Panama City, his wife and two little ones, my great Uncle from Birmingham, and my stepdads brother, wife and two little boys. We had 5 children under the age of 4 on Thanksgiving. There was lots of joyous chaos. Justice wanted to be right in the middle of it all. He is quite the social bug. And he had a little event including a busted lip and a bruise on his face after an incident with one of the other kids, not anyone's fault, but it was an event. Boys I think just will have spills, bumps, and bruises along the way and I am handling it in stride. I can't protect him from everything. All in all it was a wonderful day. I spent a good deal of time in the kitchen more than ever. I even had a great deal of involvement in the Turkey, which turned out beautifully. We tried a new recipe I had gotten off the 700 Club show and it was divine. I also did creamy potato bake and a dessert as well as assist my mother in the meal preparations. I felt like such an adult and not a kid anymore. It was fun!

Since then I have been managing my jewellery website with the Christmas shopping season boosting sales. God has truly blessed us and I give Him all the glory for the provision He has given us. It has been exciting to watch Him work. I am truly thankful.

Titus is doing well in my tummy. He moves a lot, which is very reassuring. I go back next week for a checkup and an ultrasound to monitor his development. I am 26 weeks along, so only 14 weeks to go, which I know will fly by as it did with Justice. I am just giving it to the Lord to help us manage it all, a newborn and a toddler in a two bedroom home, trusting God to provide for a family of four and keep us all sane, I am resting in His peace.

Hopefully it won't be this long between posts again, but I wish for a blessed Christmas season until I return.

I Am So Behind!

I cannot seem to post more than once a week here lately. I just seem to stay busy with one thing or another. Being pregnant I tend to nap when Justice takes his afternoon nap, which used to be the time for blogging. So, here I am again finally. Since last week I have gone to Carrolton, GA to visit my mom's side of the family. It was a nice visit. Justice got to meet his great, great aunt, the sister of my grandfather who died in WWII before my mom was born even. I learned quite a bit about my family's background. It is so important to get that information while you can. I would encourage you to talk to your families about memories, traditions, habits, physical appearances, and family relationships from the old times. I enjoyed looking at pictures and seeing where some of my features came from passed down from my mother.

Titus moves more and more inside of me. It is one of the greatest things about being pregnant is feeling your baby move. It is like they are communicating with you. I feel like when Titus moves he is saying, "Hey Momma!" I love it. I can just feel his personality I think. Justice didn't move a whole lot and I could just sense a calm nature in him. He turned out to be very laid back and calm for the most part. I think I am in for it with Titus. I bet you he will be a fiesty little thing who is a bundle of energy and loves to be active. He will be a fun kid I am sure. I cannot wait to see Justice and Titus together growing up as close brothers. What a blessing! As for the pregnacy, it is getting hard. For the past couple of weeks I have had such bad indigestions/heartburn every night. I have tried eating more bland foods and taking tums, but still get it. So, doc suggested Pepsid AC, so I will try that and see how it goes. I am hoping well! Titus' heartbeat was good at a steady 144. I go back on Dec. 12th and do the fun sugar test.

Justice is doing so great with walking. I am so impressed with him. He still has an affinity for crawling, but is walking with more and more ease. I am very pleased! He had a doc. appmnt. today for which we found out he has an ear infection in both ears and had no idea. He picks at his ears, but he has always done that. Poor buddy! He also had two shots, that was no fun, but he is a trooper. I also figured out what to do about his patchy skin in places. I tried hydrocortisone cream, switched detergents and baby wash, but to no avail, it just got worse. So the pedi said that we out to bath him every other day, used Dove or Cetaphil Sensitive Skin, and use a healing sensitive skin lotion on his arms often. So, I did the cream twice today and such a difference did it make!

Well, that is all I have for now. Blessings!

Halloween Pics, A Week Later

We had such a fun time dressing Justice up for the first time this Halloween. Since he was only 3 mos. old last year we did not bother doing this. So, we dressed him up as Tigger as you can see. He was sooooo adorable! We stayed home and passed out candy to the cute trick or treaters. Since it was a very mild night we let him crawl around on our porch and greet the visitors. He enjoyed seeing all the little children come up with their costumes on. We actually had him say, "roar," as he crawled around and I even got it on video. It was just the best time.

Outdoors, Walking, & Cleaning

This little boy just loves to be outside! It is still just so amazing to me. When he is inside he busily moves from one thing to another, but when he is outside a calmness falls over him. He will just sit in the grass and look around, mezmorized by the sounds, smells, feelings, and sights he gets. I enjoy watching him in those moments discover God's creation. He is all about it and want to go outside at every opportunity. We can't hardly open our front door without a fit to go outside. It has been hard with the weather turning colder to go out much, but we try at every good chance we get.

As I wrote in my last post, I am getting more and more pleased at his walking. He is doing it more and more. We went to visit with some friends today who are the same age and walking and he took more steps than he has before. I think they truly give him motivation to get up and going. It is fun to watch him try to immitate their walking. He is doing a good job.

Mommy is also doing a good job with her cleaning. I have been really trying to look at my house as my job. When I was working I was a worker bee. I always gave 110% and sought the approval of my boss. Since being home I guess I haven't really seen my cleaning through that same motivation. So, I am trying to get into gear and seek to please the Lord with the position He has given me. My earthly leader in my husband has also been pleased with my accomplishments. So, while Justice is napping and I am writing I will end this post to go and see what else I can scrub, pick up, or fold. Have a blessed day!

We Have Some Walking!

Finally, we have some walking going on! Hurray! The past couple of weeks we have steadily been walking at times. He has taken as many as 10 steps in a row and will consistently take 2-3 steps when prompted. He is still lacking in motivation. He is quite content with crawling and getting him around. But, we are trying to get him on two legs as much as possible. On Sunday I put him in the Toddler class at church to hopefully get him around walkers to motivate him to do the same. I think that babies and children learn a lot from being around their peers who are doign things. I know he will get there. I just hope it is soon so I can cross walking off my list and by the time Titus comes he will be a good walker.

Justice also just got over a major cold last week. I had thought he had had a bad cold earlier this fall, but oh no, this one was much worse. He had so much congestion this time that he would cough so much and throw up. He also had a fever for a day and a half. But, after about a week, we were recooperating. His nose still runs and some coughing remains, but we are on the mend.


His schedule still is up in the air from day to day. I don't know whether he will take one or two naps any given day. Today he went down for his morning nap at 10, which was perfect and hopefully he will go down for an afternoon snooze too. We shall see. It seems to work better for his lunchtime if he can get a morning nap, but then it is hard to get him down in the afternoon and I know he needs one to be pleasant at night, so I have to pick which battle I want to fight. I guess I lean towards getting a morning nap if at all possible.

Well, I have to go get my shower before little guy wakes up and I am going to go visit my mom. I hope to write more later this week. Blessings!

The Big News!

Well, we had our ultrasound yesterday and we are pleased and excited to announce that we will be having another baby boy! Yup, Justice will soon have a baby brother to look out for. It was a little bit of a shock, but I was quickly happy. Ron took a little while to warm up to the idea of not having a girl. But, he is getting better. I am really glad and feel that this truly is a great addition to our family. His name will be Titus Osar Lee (two middle names, Ron's idea, he wants him to stand out). Titus is a really strong name for this strong son we will bring into the world in March. Please be praying that he will be in perfect health the rest of the way.


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Sweet Days

Yesterday Justice stood from a sitting position for the first time. He also did it several times in a row. I was such a proud momma. We are really rooting for him to walk since it is about time, he is 14 1/2 mos. old. I would like to cross it off my list of milestones for him regardless of people telling me that I should be glad because once he walks I will be chasing him more. I was very happy when he learned to crawl and know I will be elated with his walking, but I am being patient and keep telling myself that anywhere between 9 and 18 mos. is normal for walking. Otherwise, his vocabulary grows and I loose track of all the words he is saying. His latest favorites are sun and moon and he points to them in a book we have. His little voice is just too precious for words and he is so proud when he gets a word right. He is able to repeat us very well. Babies are just little sponges soaking up knowledge with their new discoveries. It is so exciting to be apart of that journey they are on. It makes me think about the journey I will be on with him teaching him about Jesus, the Bible, and how to live a life of integrity in this world. In my Bible study we are focusing this week on raising godly children and the awesome task it is. I look forward to delving into the material and learning how to be a good mommy for my children. I was putting Justice down this afternoon and had a little moment with God. I have been playing a Christian lullaby CD for him as I put him down. This was the same CD I played when I brought him home from the hospital and pulled it out again. I had just laid him in the bed and began to cry thinking about bringing him home from the hospital and listening to this same song. I sat and prayed over my little boy and the little baby in me, blessing them and covering them with the Lord's love. I asked for God's help to make me the mommy He wants me to be and what my children need me to be. It can be quite overwhelming at times, but I know He will be with me every step of the way. What a comfort that is!
Tomorrow I go for my ultrasound to find out if I am having a boy or girl, Titus or Mikayla. I am so excited and cannot wait to really call this child by name and prepare our hearts and home for this precious life. God bless and here again tomorrow.

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Since My Last Post...

Time just gets busier and busier it seems right now. A lot has been going on, people visiting, my birthday, playgroups, doc. appmnts., etc. God remains faithful and good to us. Over the weekend last Ron's dad and stepmom came down from Wyoming to see Justice for the first time. The visit went well and we were able to stay the weekend at my mother's place on the farm. My stepdad actually took Justice for a little ride on the fourwheeler as you can see in the picture. I was a little nervous, but Justice loved it! The farm was a great time! They have horses, cows, tractors, and hay. Justice was facinated with it all. Ron's folks were glad to have stayed there since it is more like their home out in the countryside of Wyoming.
The tummy is growing and it well should be, I am 18 weeks so far. It is still not obvious to the world, but those who know me well can see a difference. I have pulled out my maternity wear finally. Monday I went Maternity clothes shopping with my mother. It is really difficult finding small sizes in maternity clothes. But, I did find several good things that I think will transition as I grow. I continue to feel lots of movement by this baby, more than with Justice. I think he/she is more active than he was. October 19th is only now 5 days away for the big ultrasound. It will be a big day
Tuesday was my 25th birthday. It was a very special day. My loved ones did a wonderful job of making me feel loved and appreciated. Ron sent me flowers during the day. My mom made me a beautiful cake and kept Justice for Ron and I to see a movie. The movie we saw was actually Facing the Giants, an independent film about God and high school football made by a church in Albany, GA. If it is playing near you I highly recommend it. I was touched an challenged in my Christian walk after seeing this film. It is low budget and the real beauty of the film is the message about giving your trials to God and honoring Him through it all. I was very blessed by it.
Wednesday I continue to go to Bible Study for mothers. It has been so wonderful! God has taught me a lot and the fellowship with the other moms has been so needed! I am growing as a person as well.
This weekend I hope to be relaxing and peaceful. We would like some time just to be a family. Be blessed!


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Life and Pregnancy Update

I was thinking that I had not done an update on my pregnancy lately. So, I thought I would fill you in on my progress. I will be 17 weeks tomorrow. Things are moving quickly! Time has definitely been flying by with this pregnancy, mostly because I have Justice now and do not have time really to sit and think about things. For a couple of weeks now I have been feeling the baby move. The last few days he/she has been moving more and more. I think this baby is already more active than Justice was. I have two weeks from Thursday to go until my big ultrasound where we can find out the sex of this little one. I can't wait for that day! Although the pregnancy has gone by fast, it seems to take forever to get to that appointment. I have been feeling good for the most part, still some nausea at random times. So, everything is postive!
Justice is doing well. He has taken his first steps in the last week and a half, just a few though. We will get there one day for sure. His speech is just amazing to me! One word of note he has said this week is watch, not a particularly easy word. He is also all about going outside. If I even mention outside or let Joy out, he just has to go. He is so funy, he will just sit out there and look around. He crawls in the grass and picks up sticks. I love it! We really do have so much fun together. Well, that is pretty much it for now. Hope to update you more in the near future. Life is just so busy lately!

Thankful For Joy

I'm not talking just about my dog Joy, although she is truly a joy. Today I am reflecting on little joys that God has blessed me with lately and some things were from unexpected situations. I took this picture the other day while I had Justice out in our front yard. I just love watching him discover things. He just crawled around in the grass, picked up sticks, and pulled weeds (good for us especially). As the weather has cooled down I expect to do a lot more of this.
Yesterday, I was feeling the most rotten I have felt in a long time. After I put Justice down to bed all I could do was lay on the couch. My dear husband brought me a blanket, water, and at one point picked me up and took me to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He was so sweet doing these things for me! So, in a very yucky situation I received a blessing.
Today has been wonderful as well. Finally after over a month my friends and I had a playgroup together. It was so great to see their children, they are really growing up and becoming so active. I could not believe it. We also had some great adult conversations I miss having all day. It is such a blessing to have these friends who help me out and we all help each other out with our different parenting and relationship issues we have in our lives. It is a lot of fun just hanging out and fellowshipping together.
I am stressed out a lot over our finances as I have shared in past posts. I get so frustrated at rising bills and grocery budgets. I am anxious and worried how we get from month to month from time to time. The other night as I was sitting praying and reading my Bible I was journaling my prayer over our finances and I really felt the Lord in my prayer and the words came to me to know what to pray. Often times in situations where we are down or frustrated it can be hard to put into words what we need to pray for. This night the words came to me and I knew what I needed to pray. It was so comforting lifting up the Lord what I was really feeling and knowing the right words that would express the desire of my heart for our family's finances. It was truly a great God moment touching my life.

My Great Find of the Day

This is the double stroller of my dreams! I am so jazzed about finding it. My mother placed an order for it today off Amazon.com. Although the birth is still quite a few months away, I hadn't seen anything that fit what I wanted in a double stroller. I almost bought one at our consignment sale last night, but lost out when I stepped away for a moment, but after finding this one I realize that it was a sign that the perfect one was still out there. This is the Jeep Wagoneer Tandem stroller by Kolcraft, stadium seating, cup holders for mommy and babies, rear seat accomodates my car seat, a huge bottom compartment for baby bag, purse, etc., and a steering wheel with horn for the front seat. If you can't tell, I am very excited. God is just bringing to me all the things I have felt would be great for baby #2. He is truly blessing me. Last night I got an amazing deal on a top of the line swing--Fisher Price Nature's Touch swing, regularly $190.00 at Babies R' Us for $75.00! Yay! It is the best swing playing music, multiple speeds, cushy chair that reclines so you can use it from birth, I am in Heaven. A couple of weeks ago when I went to Birmingham I bought a Sling Carrier by Infantino that is so comfortable and I even tried it out with my two month old nephew. It is great! So, I am only 15 weeks pg, but am pretty much done with shopping for baby #2, other than clothes if I am having a girl.

This Just In--Good News to Follow

Justice just had his doc. appmnt. and his rash was the result of the same virus that had given him diarrhea on our trip. What a relief! Doc. said that it would clear up in a few days and that he was no longer contagious, but that this was the tail end of the virus. Also, I don't think I have a cold. I think allergies were the culprit of my sneezy, throat itchiness yesterday. I am much better today. Things are looking up! I am excited in an hour and a half a big consignment sale is happening in our town. Since I contributed I get to go to the preview sale tonight. I have big plans to shop tonight. Hopefully I can find what I am looking for. I am all about the bargains! With health back in our home and shopping to look forward to I am smiling today! God is good. On another note, I am really enjoying watching Rachel Ray's talk show. She has the best ideas! I learn a lot about homemaking and cooking ideas. Good stuff! My house is also staying clean this week. I have a new system in place. I have set up a routine for myself where I block out time to do one room at a time to focus on. So far so good. I just have to stick to my routine now. I really do function so much better when I know what I need to do at certain times of the day. We have four more weeks until the big ultrasound! I can't wait! Well, I guess that is all for now. Blessings and health to all!

Somebody Give Me a Break!!!!

Okay, I am going to go a little venty on this post. I have been greatly challenged the past few weeks. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the issues Justice has been having with a cold and the chicken pox. Well, the saga continues. Ron and I took a trip to Myrtle Beach area with Justice last week to see Ron's sister and brother. I knew it was going to be a challenge as it was on paper a 7 hour plus car ride. We left on Wednesday of last week and it took us 9 1/2 hours of traveling to get there with stops. The day before Justice's stools had been runny and a little diaper rash had developed. Well, it kicked into gear on our trip. He had full on diarrhea by Thursday and a nasty diaper rash. By Friday afternoon it was clear Justice was struggling with these issues. I was having to change him every hour to two hours and his bottom just got worse and worse. Praise the Lord though, Sunday his diarrhea ended, the diaper rash still there, but now it would have time to heal. Praise the Lord also I had prescription cream for the diaper rash since it had turned into a yeast infection. So, we made the car ride back with little incident and some of it was actually pleasant. Tuesday rolled around and Justice's nose started to run and had congestion. He woke up okay today, but by the afternoon it was clear he had a cold and so did I. Also, on Tuesday night a mysterious rash appeared on his stomach and chest, similar, but different from the chicken pox one. It had not spread this morning, but by afternoon it had pretty much covered his stomach, spread to his neck and back and was a little on his face. I will be taking him to the doctor tomorrow. Boy, I am exhausted! I asked my Bible Study group to pray that Justice wouldn't have anymore sickness. We are due for a break from the issues we have been having. It makes me wonder about taking him the nursery as I fear this is where he has gotten some of his things. But, I cannot keep him sheltered the rest of his life and we cannot stop living our lives. It is a frustrating situation, but there just can't be much done for it.

Never Forget 2,996; A 9/11 Tribute

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11. I am joining in with thousands of bloggers paying tribute to each one of the victims of this tragic day in our nation's history. This day will live in infamy as Roosevelt said of Pearl Harbor. My post today will not dwell on the tragedy or pass political statements. In this post I will honor and celebrate the life of a strong and passionate woman who died this fateful day.
My honoree is Judith Camilla “Judy” Frankel Larocque. Judy was from Framingham, Mass. She was the founder and chief executive officer of Market Perspectives Inc., a Framington-based market research company catering to the technology industry. This day five years ago, she was traveling to California for business when American Airlines flight 11 was hijacked and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. She, along with 92 others on board, were killed instantly.
Framingham was home to Judy. Although born in Boston, she grew up in Framingham where she graduated from Framingham High School. She received her sociology degree from Boston University in 1973 and went on to attend graduate school at Clark University in Worchester, Mass.
Judy was a pioneer in business. She worked for many technology firms building up experience. She was the principal of Emergent Marketing, an executive marketing consulting firm before going on to start her own venture in business. She founded and maintained the CEO position of Market Perspectives, a research firm that offers online and on-site surveys.
Judy loved to walk her beloved dog, often referred to as her third child, Naboo. She lived near Lake Cochituate and was often taking time to canoe and swim. She was also keeping healthy and young by doing yoga and gardening in her front yard. In May prior to her death she walked 60 miles for breast cancer awareness.
She is survived by two daughters, Danielle Lemack of Chicago and Carie Lemack, 26, of Cambridge, Mass.; and a sister, Diane Marshall. Her daughter Carie has kept her mother’s voice alive by becoming the co-founder and vice president of the Families of September 11th Organization. She has appeared on various news outlets and has spoken before the 9/11 commission. She was also a part of the victims’ families who spoke out during the Zacarias Moussaoui trial.
Friends and family members have given these words to describe this special lady: warm, confident, caring, intelligent and vibrant.
Rest in peace dear soul. Let us never forget the day that claimed your life and so many others. Let us carry your memory as citizens of the great country and cherish the freedoms we hold. God Bless America.

My Crazy Week

Last week was crazy! Actually I think with a baby these types of weeks come with the territory. Last Saturday Justice ended up getting really sick with a cold that ended up being the worst cold he has ever had as I had posted last week. On Monday, I came down with the cold. Thankfully by Wednesday I was feeling much better. Then, I was taking with my friend Ashley on Wednesday and she was telling me about a friend of hers has a son with chicken pox and had had the vaccine and everything. On Wednesday night I was undressing Justice for his bath and discovered a rash on his chest I would later find out was chicken pox. Most likely he actually got it from the vaccine. I was very grateful that he never itched, had a fever, or felt bad from the chicken pox. It was just a pain because I had to cancel outings with friends because I just didn't want to chance there children getting it although the nurse said he wasn't contagious. The tail end of our week last week Ron got the cold as well. My stepdad also came down with the cold. It just got passed around our family unfortunately. But, on a postive note our weekend was a blast. My mom kept Justice so that Ron and I could go to the Auburn vs. WA State game Sat. night. We had such a good time seeing Auburn romp the competition. There were fireworks on and off the field, literally--at the halftime show and at the end of the game there were actual fireworks. The rest of the weekend we again spent at the lake swimming and having fun. Tomorrow I am traveling to Birmingham to finally get to see my nephew who was born on June 30th. I will report on that trip when I return, until then, blessings!

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Happy Thursday!

Thirteen Reasons I am Looking Forward to Fall:

1. Cooler Weather--I am normally a big fan of summer, but I am ready for a break from the heat. Enough is enough.
2. Finding out whether I will have another son or bring a daughter to this world. I am hoping for a girl, but a healthy baby either way more than anything.
3. AUBURN FOOTBALL!!!!! The first game is this Saturday and I will be there! I am pumped if you couldn't tell. I love football season.
4. My TV shows return! So tired of summer TV and reruns. I can't wait for Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, Deal/No Deal, etc. Although I am glad to have SuperNanny on Mondays.
5. My 25th birthday--Oct. 10th-- I always love birthdays. It at least guarantees me one date night.
6. Fall Festivals--Hayrides and Hodowns
7. Holiday Season starting with Thanksgiving--my favorite time of the year, getting together with family, good food, relaxing with loved ones
8. Parades
9. Fall Clothing--I love the colors and warmth
10. Fall Foliage--I would love to go to the mountains and see the deep reds, oranges, and yellows that appear
11. Get Togethers--We seem to have more opportunities to get together with friends over football, holidays, etc.
12. The air is crisp
13. I am starting a Bible Study with Mothers, I am really looking forward to getting to participate in this one especially, growing closer to God, sharing with other mothers, and learning together

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All About My Babies

Here are the first shots of our new sweetheart on the way. These are the pics from my ultrasound posted about last week. The one I am most impressed with is the shot of the legs below, amazing! I cannot believe this child is inside of me when there is so far no indication if you look at me that this could be going on. I am 12 weeks so far. Still, somewhat nauseated in the early evening, but not too bad. I have been hit with a lovely summer cold, courtesy of Justice who caught it probably from church nursery. So, that hasn't been fun, but I am making it. But, poor Justice, it has been rough! This is his worst illness yet. He has been so congested and his nose is continuously running. Tonight I had to torture him with the nasal aspirator, that might as well be a curse word in our home. He screams bloody murder with each go. I had to do it though, he couldn't breathe out of his nose at all. On more positive notes, he continues to amaze me with his vocabulary abilities. Along with ball, bye, bye, bird, soft he says "saaft," boat, momma, dadda, hey, he is now able to
say versions of the following toe, for rain he says "raahn," and for tiger his says"tie-ah." He can also do the sounds for a cat and tiger. We recently had a funny story with his saying soft. We rub on things that are soft and say soft such as our pet Joy and soft blankets. Well, recently he has gotten facinated with daddy's chest hair. One day daddy had his shirt off and Justice was examining it and all of a sudden he says, "Saaft" He is too cute! He is also progressing on the walking front. He can push his push toy now on his own. When he does it he just beams with pride. It is a major accomplishment for him. He has developed a liking for two PBS shows that are the silliest things ever, but he loves them--"Boobah" and "Teletubbies." He just smiles and giggles with these shows. These are the only shows he likes, no cartoons, just these with silly creatures bouncing around.

Peek at the Baby

With my last pregnancy I did not get to have an ultrasound this early, 11 weeks, but with this one my doc wanted one since I was breastfeeding at the time of conception and wanted to nail down a due date. So, I went in for the u/s today. It was so amazing! The baby was already so developed for being so early in my pregnancy. Two arms, two legs. I could make out fingers. The baby moved. It was just incredible to see my baby inside of me when I don't look like anything is going on, it is just this precious little secret I am carrying. Incredible!
* This image is the birth stone for March as I am due 3/14/06

I don't know what all I have reported on this site, but it has been a week and a half since I last nursed Justice. I weaned him before my trip to Atlanta. It went very well and I don't have any sadness, I guess partly because I will be breastfeeding another little one very soon. Since I took a month and a week to wean him it was so slow and gradual that we both had time to adjust and there was even a bit of joy when I last fed him. It felt good to know I had gone to a year and was proud of the accomplishment and not sad to be ending our nursing career. Justice today also only took one nap, he had been taking two. I had been having some trouble with his naps, getting him down and his afternoon nap kept getting so late. So, today I tried just keeping him up and had a couple of fussy moments, but he stuck through it. After he had his lunch, he perked up and played for awhile and went to sleep at a little before 2 and right now it is a little before 4 and he is still sleeping. I won't wake him!

All About the Cake

The best part of Justice's birthday party had to have been the cake. I got a 5" round cake just for Justice to enjoy and destroy. As our birthday party was themed Auburn, the cake was decked out in orange and blue and adorned with a 1 year candle. It was too cute! So, at the end of the night we sat Justice down on a washable blanket with just a diaper on and put the cake down in front of him. At first he was so dainty, just using his pincer fingers to taste the icing, but at time progressed and the photos show, he had his feet in the cake and all over his mouth and body. He had so much fun! He was surrounded by his family who acted coo-coo as he tried his cake out. He surely thought we were all nuts--but we were just nuts about him. So, here are a couple of pictures from this fun night for you to enjoy!

"I can't believe I am being allowed to do this"












"You put your right foot in and do the hokey pokey"

Banner done by YellowRose

Happy Thursday!

Thirteen Tidbits From My Week

1. I am feeling much better! My nausea is becoming more spread out and is more rare now. I am still very tired and very thankful Justice still takes two naps a day.
2. You must read the post about the birthday party for Justice's one year below. I don't have cake pictures up yet, but I will soon.
3. Ron and I spent our first night away from Justice to celebrate our 4th anniversary on Sunday through Monday, for our anniversary which is on 8/3
4. We went to Atlanta and stayed at the Double Tree hotel in Buckhead.
5. We swam in the pool for awhile, hung out and relaxed.
6. For dinner we ate at Dantes Down the Hatch. It was an amazing dinner! Dantes is fondu and for those who haven't had it, it is totally awesome. You actually cook your food in a light oil that they have on a burner in front of you. Fun, fun! Also, they had a live jazz band performing romantic music that night. A must try if you go to Atlanta!
7. Just for fun we watched Christmas with the Kranks on Sunday night and Ron and I busted a gut laughing, good ole fashioned slap stick comedy, I recommned it for the comedy lovers.
8. We stopped by Peachtree City the next day and did a little window shopping and ate at a pizzeria before heading home anxiously wanting to see our Justice.
9. We were so glad to see Justice we couldn't tell you! We missed him so much after one night! He really well other than waking up in the middle of the night and staying up for 2 hours. My mom really didn't want to let him cry so she just kept rocking him.
10. We got back in the groove of things Tuesday. Justice continued to be a little off schedule Monday through Tuesday, but returned more to normal. He didn't seem to be having any issues from us leaving him.
11. Justice was sent some great presents by family members, some really neat toys and much needed clothing sent by his aunt Jeni and family. I think I will have to start hemming his pants. He is in the 3rd percentile for his height, but his weight is in the 25th percentile. So, the pants fit in the waste, but not in the legs. The joy of his short genes from my side of the family. I am only 5" tall.
12. This pregnancy I have had more cravings than last time. So far I have wanted hamburgers, pizza, corn dogs, and grapico, all bad things! Not good! But, I still am not eating very much. I had Ron go out and buy me a plain cheeseburger the other night and only ate half.
13. Justice continues to add to his words. This week his is trying to say rain, button, and tries to meow like a cat. He loves to say ball and soft. He will pick up his teddy bear or pet Joy and say soft over and over again. I love hearing him speak! The best thing!

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Finally, about the One Year Bash!!!

Here is Justice "opening" one of many presents on his one year birthday party on 8/5/06. It was such a fun day! The day started off hectic, at least for me, trying to gather everything to take to the Lake where we would have the party. For such a small gathering we were having, a lot had to be taken--food, the cake, decorations, baby things, presents, etc. I ended up forgetting some decorations and the candle, but thankfully we stopped by a grocery store and got the traditional one year candle. The party started with a boat ride on Lake Martin. It was a beautiful day! A little rain came our way towards the end of the ride, but it helped cool things off. We had a BBQ together with my mom, Ron's Aunt & Uncle and their family. Justice loved all of his presents. We actually got him the cell phone in the picture. It is pretty cool--it is a Parents Magazine toy and has an option where you can record a gretting that plays back. After the dinner and presents, Justice did the traditional cake destroying. We put him on a washable blanket with the cake in front of him wearing only a diaper, which I highly recommend. He was so dainty at first just picking off the icing. I know he thought we were all crazy hooping and nudging him to dive in. By the end he started the smooshing and getting his feet in the cake. We proceeded to give him a thorough washing as the cake was all over him at this point. I wish I had the pictures to put up, but they are being developed. I will post them when I get a chance. All in all it was a perfect day! It was fun to celebrate such an amazing addition to our lives that we could not live without--my Justice. I enjoyed every moment!

Banner done by YellowRose

Happy Thursday!

Thirteen Things Good/Bad About Being Pregnant

The Bad:

1. The "All Day" Sickness, at least for me that is the way it is, not just morning for me
2. Edema-swelling, with pregnancy #1, I didn't have ankles the last two months of my pregnancy and my feet grew two sizes. All I could wear was flip flops, I am hoping since I am due in March this won't be such an issue.
3. Mood swings, I feel like this is a 9 mos. PMS session sometimes. I feel so bad for being snappy and moody with Ron, but sometimes I just feel out of control.
4. First Trimester Energy Zap-I have hardly any energy to get things done. My house is a wreck, I haven't really cooked in awhile, I am just zapped of energy.
5. Doc. Visits-especially exams, I think this goes without saying
6. Along with #5, having my blood drawn for tests, gosh I hate needles
7. Labor and Delivery-No one enjoys this part! ------------The Good:
8. First Kicks and Movements. I loved feeling my baby move inside of me, it makes it so real and enjoyable
9. The Ultrasounds-Seeing your baby move around on screen while in your tummy is just so amazing. I can't wait!
10. The excitement-The minute you tell friends and family they are just so excited and happy. The anticipation of the new life is unreal. I love the build up to the big day of meeting that little one the first time.
11. Related to #7, Epidurals-Loving the person who came up with this. I could not have made it to delivery without this. A Woman's Best Friend!
12. The Belly, I really did enjoy having the belly, it is just amazing to carry your child around all the time with you-great bonding!
13. What it is all about, why all the bad is worth it, the new life coming into the world. I will have a beautiful new baby to hold and cherish. Justice will have a sibling to play with. I am joyful!
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Reflections

In honor of my son's birthday this past weekend I thought I would post his newborn picture and reflect on this past year for a bit. This post is a little late, but still having my sickness I haven't felt like doing much of anything, so this is better late than never.

Wow, what a year, couldn't have in any way imagined what it would be like. From the first cry, to the first coo, the first smile, laugh, roll over, baby food, to most recently crusing, it has been a whirlwind of milestones and memories. Staying at home with him has been the best thing. I have treasured each day with him. No matter how stressful I can get or exhausted a day makes me, I go to bed joyful each night at the day I have spent with my most precious baby. Baby, he almost isn't a baby anymore, soon it will be so much a memory as he will become a little boy, but he will always be my baby at heart.

Things started off really rough at first with Justice. It was chaos the first three months. I never got to bed before 12 and I had to get up every 2-3 hours for a long time. Nursing issues plagued the first week home with him, but thanks to my lactation nurse, we made it through. Then, once we got the hang of nursing, he wanted to nurse practically every hour. He wouldn't take a bottle for the longest time. He had to sleep on me to sleep at all. Car rides were unthinkable, he wailed the entire time. But, It was heaven to have him. At 3 mos. he fllipped a switch and became the most layed back, easy baby.

I could not have asked for all the wonders he has. He had so much personality and loved to be social from very early on. He had his first real social smile at a little under 4 weeks. He cooed and gooed like crazy soon after. He loved for daddy to rock him by holding him out like he was flying through the air at 4 mos. Five months he was blossoming with making all kinds of noises and faces and continues to this day. Content, he is so content. It has been great just sitting in the floor and playing with things. At 7 mos. he developed a love to be read to. Goodnight Moon quickly became his favorite and still he gravitates to that book. He has also loved other babies and kids for a long time now. He is a chatterbox and a ham. He has always made us laugh.

There is a section in his baby book to write down wishes for my baby. I haven't written in it yet, but over the past year I have developed an answer. I wish for my son to be set apart, to rise above the norm and the peer pressure out there. I want him to be fearless of what others think, but desire to do what God calls him to do. I want him ultimately to rest his life in Jesus Christ and let all else fall into place.

Tomorrow I will post pictures and talk about the birthday bash...It was so much fun!

Banner done by YellowRose

Happy Thursday!

Thirteen Tidbits From This Week:

1. For those of you who aren't aware from the previous post--I am pregnant!!! I am approx. 8 weeks along and due on March 15, 2007. I had my first doc. appmnt. today and confirmed it. We are very excited to be giving Justice a sibling. He needs one as he is quickly becoming spoiled.
2. The all day sickness continues. I don't think it is quite as bad as last week, but it is still nagging. I got a prescription for Raglan, a nausea medicine, from my doc. and will try it tomorrow and hope for good results.
3. The next appmnt. I will have an ultrasound to pinpoint how far along I am exactly. Since I was nursing while I got pregnant my doc. wants to make sure it we are correct on the due date. This is exciting since otherwise we would only have one ultrasound at 18 weeks. So, I get to see my baby a little earlier.
4. We did have such a good visit with Ron's sister and new nephew this past weekend. We hung out, shopped, and ate amazing food. Owen is adorable and such a good baby. Momma is doing a great job and I am so proud of how she is handling everything.
5. I went to lunch with my mother and one of her old childhood friends today. It was a very cool thing that they have kept up with each other over all the years. I don't think I would know how to contact anyone from my elementary school years now, but my mom is 60 and she does.
6. Saturday is Justice's 1 year birthday party. I am pumped. I had struggled over what to do for this day and it just all came to me--really I think the Lord helped me to plan it. I don't want to go overboard, but make it special. So, the theme is Auburn Football. Since we are a major football family and are already teaching Justice the fight song I felt it very appropriate. We are also a month away from the season starting. So, that is the theme. We are having it at the Lake and doing a BBQ with family and a few close friends. I can't think of anything better!
7. Our anniversary is today! Aug. 3, 2002 Ron and I said our vows of commitment and began our life together. And what a blessed life it is! We are waiting to celebrate it next week and changed our plans to be going to WhiteWater to beat the heat.
8. I am having a Southern Living Party next week and have been planning things for that. It is my first home party of this sort. I really signed up to be hostess because the person who did got a little gift basket including cook books, a frozen mug, and the basket of course.
9. I took my doggie to the Vet today and she got two shots and a prick to test for heart worms. She did great there, but came home with a fever and a little rash on her tummy. I feel so bad for her. I think she may have had a reaction to the shots. I am keeping an eye on her and might have to take her back to the vet in case she doesn't get any better.
10. The Vet bill was expensive too. I am glad I only have to take her once a year for all of this.
11. I am starting a Women's Bible Study on Tues. nights and had the first meeting this week. It is going to be so good for me. I will get one night a week to focus on me and my relationship with God. It will be wonderful!
12. Gosh I am tired. With all I am planning and events going on it is hard, being pregnant doesn't help either. I look forward to mid-August when life will slow down briefly before fall kicks in.
13. Have I said how personally blessed I am lately. I truly am! My son gets cuter and cuter each day. He is such a good baby. Being so sick as I am he couldn't be doing better. I am able to lay on the couch and he just crawls around playing and giggling. He is now adding a couple of words a weeks and the list is just growing--this week he has added "see" and is working on "soft." My husband has also been wonderful and helping out around the house. I know it is hard coming home from a long day's work to doing chores, but he is a trooper. Also, I haven't cooked in awhile and he has been great about it. The Lord is good!
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Long Time No Write

I have missed my blogging and posting lately. I apologize for the delay and lack of new posts on my end. I have however had a great deal of events in my life thus far. One such great event was the discovery that I will be having another baby. Yup, that is right, not a misprint, I am pregnant. I am due on March 15, 2007. Justice and this baby will be 20 mos. apart. I feel this is a great age difference for them. I am thrilled and utterly excited. I am also utterly sick! For the last couple of weeks I have been battling all day sickness with some breaks of feeling well. I haven't thrown up yet--Praise You Jesus! But, I have felt like I would lose it several times a day. My salvation has been starlight mints. I probably suck on 10 a day. They have really helped. So, that is the main reason for the abscence.

Today Ron's sister departed from her visit to our home. She came down from NC with her new bundle of joy, Owen. He is 4 weeks old tomorrow. Such a sweet, sweet baby. I held him a lot. As I was holding him and giving attention to Justice at times together it really hit me that I will be in this situation soon. It will be quite a challenge. Justice absolutely loved Owen and wanted to play with him a lot. When he left, Justice was very upset and crawled all over saying "Baby" over and over again. Our visit was wonderful all around. We shopped around the little stores in downtown Auburn. Both babies did well. We ate out a bunch which was a treat for us never getting to do so. His sister mostly paid. I was very impressed with the great job my SIL was doing with her sweet boy. She is very much getting things down. I actually got some good tips from her to make things easier this time around.

I am also busily planning my little guy's birthday party on Saturday. It will be an Auburn Football themed party. It will be so much fun. We are going to do a lake day and grille out as a part of the festivities.

Well, that is all for now. I am so tired too with this early pregancy stage. Hopefully I will write more later this week and reinstate my Thursday Thirteen. Blessings to all!

Demolition Man

Is this not a great portrait picture, who needs a professional studio. What a precious, precious boy I have. I don't mean to be bragging, but I cannot help it! He is precious to me more than life! We have such fun together. His latest fun thing to do is for Ron or I to build up some blocks and for him to demolish them. His new nickname is "Demolition Man." He may be destined for engineering. I have written previously about his love for books. His favorite book is Goodnight Moon. All I have to do to get him to come to me is to start reciting the words and he comes a crawlin' This is helpful when he is about to get into something I don't want him to.

He is now nursing two times a day and drinking Organic Whole Milk the rest of the day. It is actually a relief more than sadness I feel as I wean him down. I do plan on nursing him in the morning and night for awhile longer. I enjoy these times. He is really growing up.

As far as Ron and I go for our 4th anniversary, we are going to let my mom keep him and us go spend a day at the lake together. We are going to buy some steaks, grill out, swim, and just relax! I think it will be great! Also, we recently received a financial answer to prayer. God is taking care of us.

Toddlerhood Cometh

This picture is from our outing a couple of weeks ago on July 3rd at the Park. He absolutely loves the swing! It was a fun time. He is becoming a toddler everyday more and more. He is pulling up regularly now and becoming much more sturdy with it. I am thankful that getting from a standing back to a sitting position is going well for him. A lot of times babies will pull up and not be able to get back down, but so far so good for us. He is saying more and more words. Recently he has added "baby" and "nose." He loves to point at our noses, mouths, and eyes. He can tell you where mommy's nose is as well. Exploring reaches new heights each day. I discover new places of danger to baby proof and remove from reach. We have the cabinets and drawers off limits now using bungie cords to prevent entry from small little hands. On Saturday Justice got his second hair cut making him look like such a little boy. It is darling! I will post a recent picture soon. We took him to a walk-in salon and they did a great job. There advertisements indicated that they were an all family place and the lady was indeed very experienced with working with infants. It was a trick trying to get him to allow her to trim and move his head around.

Other items of note this week...I have switched to shopping at Kroger for my groceries instead of Wal-Mart. I have discovered that by purchasing the on sale items there that it is not only comparable to Wal-Mart, but in many cases better. It also saves on gas and my sanity. I have always hated to shop at Wal-Mart and it stresses me out each time. My Kroger trips are actually fulfilling as I feel accomplished upon leaving.

Ron and I's 4th anniversary is coming up on August 3rd. Last year's anniversary I spent in labor on our sofa timing contractions. I would like this year to be a little more special. We were going to Six Flags, but changed our plans because childcare fell through and we felt like doing something else anyway. Any ideas for a fun anniversary outing? We have to be local in Auburn for child care purposes and cheap.

Banner done by YellowRose at http://www.yellowrosesgarden.com/

Happy Thursday!

Thirteen Interesting Baby Food Flavors and If Justice Likes Them:

1. Cinnamon Raison Pears with Apples-Likes
2. Macaroni & Cheese-The Kind in the Jar-yuck! the real stuff he's into
3. Strawberry Banana-I actually like this one and so does Justice
4. Carrot, Mango, and Apple-this is a Latina brand of Gerber/Beech Nutt and Justice loves it
5. Sweet Peas with Rice-he'll eat it amazingly, but not a lot at a time
6. Zucchini-Another Latina Brand, Justice can't stand!
7. Pink Guava-Just had today and it is pretty good, Justice likes!
8. Sweet Potatoes and Apples-this is Justice's favorite, it is very sweet!
9. Peaches-Can't give, he gets a bad diaper rash everytime
10. Prunes-likes and keeps him regular! along with the Plums/Apple mix
11. Apples or Sweet Potatoes with Chicken or Turkey-Justice won't eat the meat unless mixed with one or the other
12. Chicken with Vegetable Stew-Yucky, yucky, no sweet mixed in, not a good thing, Justice will grunt, tense up and push the spoon away
13. Mixed Fruit or Banana Yogurt-"Good stuffums!" as we say in our household.

I like to try new things with Justice, 11 mos. old, to expose him to lots of different tastes. Ron will often ask why sometimes I torture this poor boy with some of the flavors, but he will surprise you at what he does/doesn't like. He ate a whole jar of green beans tonight, I was very impressed! So, what do you think of the menu of items? No salt, no additional flavoring, straight up veggies, meats, and fruit! Good stuffums!

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A Late Tackle It Tuesday

Well, a day late, but here after all. This is a different sort of task for me. I absolutely cannot stand washing and folding my king size sheets for our bed. It is a great pain! The dirty sheets sat in a pile for a few weeks staring at me and finally they were washed and ended up sitting in my clothes basket in my room for a week after.
So here they were:









And here is the empty basket after they were folded and put away! Hurray! Justice wanted to get in the picture too!










Stop here to play!

New Opportunities

Happy Monday to all! The beginning of a brand new opportunity for accomplishing goals and making things happen. We had another lake weekend and are now getting back in our regular groove. I have lots of goals for myself this week. I am trying to stay disciplined with my housework and making ends in organization. I am also trying to maximize my grocery shopping budget by multiple store shopping. Last week I found my cereal on sale at one place for $2.00 a box and I am trying to find more such deals at different places this week. I also want to try more healthy foods, getting more vegetables and whole wheat into our diets. I have been working on this for awhile now and plan to continue my quest this week. So far I know I am going to get more whole grain pasta and brown rice in our meals.

As far as Justice is concerned with him nearing being one year old I am going to try to introduce more table food for him. He is getting better at chewing and really good at picking up finger foods, so I want to work on his skills. I really need to also get the latches up on our cabinet doors and drawers since he figured out how to open them last week--smart boy! Next week I also plan on subsituting one nursing session with milk as he will be 11 1/2 mos. and by 12 mos. getting down to two nursing sessions a day. I am taking these things in stride and not pressing them, but they are on my list.

Banner done by YellowRose at http://www.yellowrosesgarden.com/

Happy Thursday!

Thirteen Moments From the 4th of July Weekend:

1. On a sad note, Ron cought a summer cold/flu on Friday resulting in a not so good time for him. It just got worse and worse as the weekend progressed. He was a sad little puppy :(
2. Friday started off the weekend with a get together with some friends of ours from Ron's work. This couple has a two year old boy who is quite the mess and I was on the lookout for flying objects and dodging his feet from stepping on Justice. The food was excellent and I made another dessert creation consisting of strawberry yogurt and jello mix mixed with cool whip, fresh raspberries and blackberries, oreo pieces and crunch bits, layered in a parfat style, yummy.
3. Saturday we took Justice to the park and got video of him in the toddler swing, he loved it! He just laughs and swings his arms in delight. Have I said how much fun he is?!
4. Sunday, Ron woke up feeling the absolute pits and I was starting to have a little funny feeling in my throat. We were supposed to leave for the Lake this day. I loaded up with Vitamin C pills, popping one after the other. By later in the afternoon I was feeling decent and loaded up the car myself and left a sad, but relieved husband. He couldn't really rest with Justice and I around. He didn't leave the house the entire weekend.
5. Sunday later, arrived at the Lake. It was beautiful! The water was sparkling! I took Justice on a boat ride with my mom and stepdad. Joy came along too. Justice loves the boat! His eyes get all squinty eyed and he just relaxes and feels the breeze and zones with the roar of the motor.
6. After putting Justice to bed, I took a night swim. It was so relaxing and envigorating. The water was warm after a day in the hot sun and temperatures flirting with 100 degrees.
7. Monday started early--about 6:45. My mother's dog was barking to get back in the house and resulting in Justice waking up, not my idea of a nice start. But, we did take a peaceful mile walk and made a homecooked breakfast to begin the day.
8. The rest of Monday was all about the water. It takes me so long to get myself and Justice ready for the water. I have to get sunscreen on him which is a chore in itself--he is squirmy when he has to be held down to get something done. Don't get me started on his behavior with the nasal aspirator. But, it is worth it to get in the lake.
9. Justice enjoyed the water for about an hour or so. He was facinated by passing waverunners and pontune boats. He observed the children that another family staying at the lake were doing with great curiousity. I can just imagine him thinking, "I have got to figure out how to do those things.
10. I got some self time once Justice went down, floating around, soaking up rays and clearing my head.
11. The day ended with a boat ride and BBQ. Good family time is what holidays are all about. Appreciating the freedoms and blessings that we are given as a nation. Just before bedtime we were graced with the best fireworks I would see over the weekend from the dock.
12. On the morning of the 4th I spent calling Ron to see if he had gotten any better and could not reach him. So, I loaded back up and found that Ron had just not wanted to get up to get the phone and was still on the sick side. He was so glad that I had come back, for one thing he hadn't had a decent meal in a couple of days since I had not planned on having any food at the house since we were to be at the lake. As a family we had a nice 4th of July meal and said a prayer for the soldiers and thanked God for America. The day was finished off with fireworks. Justice didn't like the banging noises following the spectacle, but we got through it.
13. Singing --"Born on the 4th of July" --Ron's sister, Jeni had her little baby boy the day after the 4th. So, Justice has another new baby cousin, Owen. He weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Mommy had a C-Section at 12:00 EST. Both are doing very well. We can't wait to see them. We aren't sure when that will happen. That is the perfect finale to the holiday--a new life
    
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Announcement From Justice

Justice wants to tell everybody, "Hurray, I have a new cousin!" Yep, that is right I have me a brand new nephew today. Everything went really, really well from my SIL. She went in to be induced at 7 a.m. and had the baby at 11 a.m. Really quick! Bad thing is her epidural only worked on one side. Momma and baby are doing well. The baby was born weighing in at 8 lbs. 3 oz. and is named Isaac. If you read my post yesterday I talked about handing over this name as it was the name we had picked out for a second boy if we have another boy. Well, just for fun Ron and I were looking at names last night and were looking at Biblical names. Ron is all about having a strong, very meaningful name. I am too, but Ron is very particular. I threw out the names "John David," "Christian," "Chase," "Troy," Ezra," and didn't find any of them worked. And then I threw out the name Titus, and he loved it! It means "hero" or "defender" and of course is a New Testament book with Titus being a missionary friend of Paul. So, there you have it, our next son should we have one will be Titus and probably will be a "Ty" one day. The middle name is not settled on. We do want a girl next and her name would be "Mikayla Deborah." Deborah is the name of Ron's mother who passed away when he was 16 and this would be very special for him to have a girl. But, the Lord knows what is best. It may be a little ways off before we even have to worry about all this, but I like to plan.

Other news, I spent most of the day with my friend Ashley who had the biopsy yesterday. She called last night and said everything went well, but she was very sore and stiff and was having trouble tending to her little girl. So she asked if I would come over and help out today. I am not writing this to glorify myself and don't want comments of how this was so good of me today. I write this to say that I was so happy she asked me to come and help her. I always offer to help people in anyway I can, but no one ever takes me up on the offer and I know they need help. I would just encourage everyone to ask for help in times of need. You are blessing the person with an opportunity to love and care for you. I learned a lesson myself as I have not been someone to ask for or accept help from others when needed. God doesn't just bring people in our lives for no reason. God gives us friends and family to support and assist us. Often we feel God may be abandoning us in times of need where He has put people in our lives that are right there for us and we are too prideful and stubborn to call on. Lesson learned.

We also had a wonderful time with the kiddos. She has an 8 mos. old baby girl. The last two times we got them together they hurt each other. One time her girl scratched Justice below the eye and Justice pulled her hair the next time. She actually got a shot of this and it is up on her blog http://labellavista06.blogspot.com. This time they did much better, part of that was due to us being right on top of them keeping hands out of hair and fingers out of eyes. They were really cute together. Justice loved having new toys to discover. He gets bored of the ones he has.

Also, Ron and I are going to eat dinner at a friend's house in a city about 30 mins. away. We are actually considering buying a new house in this area because housing is so much more reasonable and we could get a bigger house for the same amount we are paying now. I am hoping and praying about this potential move. It would be a great opportunity if that is the Lord's will for us. When we do add another baby we would need a bigger place pretty soon after he/she is born.

Blessings!