So many kids, so little time

Well its been almost 5 months since I've updated my blog. Bad Mommy! Things have been so busy, or so it seems. Let's see....

Janson- still a PITA, and is talking like crazy- his favorite things to say are Tree (with the sign), Milk (with the sign), Bath (with the sign), food, up, please, thank you, love you (sort of), bye (in a high pitch voice and waving- its adorable), uh oh, Mommy, Daddy, Bobba, Gigi, Papa, Sisi (for Kelson), Memere, Nin, Pops, (still working on Weeza) LOL. My new favorite thing about Janson is he tries to tell you something and if you repeat it back and its right he says "K"-- its adorable. He loves to get into everything and tests our patience all of the time. He's such a cutie patootie which is a lifesaver since he is ALL boy and into everything. He's got a mouthful of teeth. He goes to bed rather well and loves to take a bath. Funny story that happened a few months ago- we took a trip to the ice cream store and we were enjoying some ice cream and then it was about time to go. I was talking to one of Kelson's teachers and i saw Lucy run out the store with Janson. I just thought he was acting up so she was taking him out, then I heard Louise say- OMG- Lucy Lucy- so I turned around to see what was going on and Lucy was taking Janson out. BUT THEN.. I noticed something on the floor and a horrible smell filled the room. I didn't know what it was at first, but then I walked up and OMG- Janson had pooped on the floor. He had a onesie one, so I wasn't sure how it was able to come out, until I realized as he was walking it was dropping out of the bottom of his pants- LMAO! So as quick as I could I grabbed some napkins and tried to get people to not step in it- people were looking at it like What is that!? I couldn't believe it myself. Kelson's teacher had told me I was a brave momma and she would have left the store. haha. So I asked the staff for lots of napkins- people were staring at it and I said Hey people- this isn't guacamole ice cream here so no need to stare- LOL! So i wiped it up as fast as I could and ran out. In the meantime, Elliot (louise's grandson) about puked smelling the poop. LOL. So we got him out too. It was a VERY funny story after the fact and I was very embarrassed. When I got back to the van Lucy was laughing and was covered in poop too- LOL! let's just say we haven't been back to the ice cream shop yet, but it did make for a funny story.

That's just a little piece of our little Janson. He's such a sweet boy when he wants to be, but he can be such a handful, but either way we love our little man!

Kelson has been a busy bee over the last few months. She is now a Kindergarten graduate (insert tear here) she is growing up so fast. I registered her at Endeavor next year. I've heard good things about the school so I'm anxious to see how Kelson will like public school vs private. I loved the fact that Asbury was christian-based and I never felt worried about her safety, plus the hours were easier on our household.

Kelson was also attending dance- tap and ballet- classes at Southern Sensations dance studio. She loved it and had her first recital in May- she did AWESOME for her first time and was even asked to audition for the competition team, but since it costs so much, this was her first year, and VERY time consuming I didn't want to fill her summertime with practice and competitions. Also she played tball at Phillips Park. she was on teh Ladybugs team. At first I wasn't very thrilled at being a new park (played at Palmer last year), but as time went on i enjoyed it. I really enjoyed getting to know the other girls and I helped coach. It was a little hard to not be hard on Kelson, since she is only 5, but i think after a few more years she is really gonna be good. She had a great time and I LOVED watching her play ball. Kelson is a wonderful big sister, and although Janson likes to pinch or pull her hair, she still loves her little brother. Its so cute to see them together. So this summer Kelson is going to COUSIN CAMP again in Florida, she is so excited. My parents and sister are coming up for Kyle's baby boy Kaleb baby shower at our house and then Kelson is going back to FL with them. She will be gone for almost 2 weeks :( but I know she LOVES going, so I guess we have to share. I hope to get Kelson signed up for either gymnastics or piano lessons this summer!



Kids ready to go to Disney



Easter 2013

Jason and I were discussing if we wanted to have anymore kids. We are both pretty happy on where our life is right now, but would love another girl. So its not completely ruled out, but I don't think its gonna happen right now. But we can't wait too long either- we ain't getting any younger :)

This memorial weekend we went on a camping adventure with the Albert corner. Windemere Cove is the name of the park. VERY nice and it was a nice, relaxing, and fun time with the family. We hope to go back again for the 4th of July. Janson was a little hard to keep an eye on, but he's like that at home, and hard to get to sleep (since it was a new place), but other than that it was a lot of fun. Lucy and Bob bought a new travel trailer (very nice) so we all stayed in that. We did a lot of swimming, fishing (Kelson caught two), bike riding, and just hanging out. Oh- and we brought home a new pet that we found at the campsite- a baby turtle that Kelson named Squirt Windemere Albert :)

I've been working hard on our snowball debt plan (starting in mid-March) we've paid off over $1100 so far. I'm hoping to get us completely out of debt (except our mortgage) by May 2014. Its taking a lot of discipline, but I think we can do it. Jason is still doing the stay at home dad gig and playing when he wants to on the weekends. It works great for our household for now. So I'm hoping that we can stay on a budget and keep each other in line. No lavish vacations until its all paid off! I know I can do it. We have $24K in debt, but if all goes right, we will pay it all off by next summer! Fingers crossed.

Also I'm working on losing weight AGAIN- I was at 201 last summer and now I'm at 176! I'm hoping to lose another 20 lbs! So fingers crossed again :) Wish me luck!

Where has time gone!? 2013 already!

Well Janson is now 14 months old- he says a few words- da da, uh oh, and dat dat- like What's that. He also can sign light and fan (his two favorite ones), music, puppy, so smart, fish, milk, more, please, thank you, all done, bath, bye bye, and blows kisses. He's so into EVERYTHING. He walks into a room and it totally becomes a disaster area. LOL He loves to be held and show you things. He doesn't snuggle much anymore :( and I barely get kisses either- bummer, but hopefully he will go back to being a snuggly bunny. He pretty much goes to sleep around 7:30pm and wakes up around 8am- sometimes he'll wake up in the middle of the night to play or have a bottle, but otherwise he does rather well. He had a few teeth breaking through a few weeks ago so he was up every couple of hours and was running a fever. The flu has been running around for a few months, but luckily I never got it and tried to keep the kids as healthy as I could. With Kelson attending Kindergarten its hard to keep germs away. She is doing really well in school and seems to love it. Next year we start 1st grade public school at Endeavor. I'm really nervous to put her into the public school system but I know that she will be fine and safe. Plus its only a few minutes away from our house. Jason is still staying at home with the kids and does an awesome job. He does seem ready for a break when I get home from work- LOL! I don't blame him though- Janson is a handful and its hard to get much done when he's awake. Lucy says that he is exactly the same way that Brady was- nice! But he's a sweet little man and I just pray that all this work now will be easier when he's older. He's such a cutie pie little man!

Kelson is doing great- she has quite the imagination. She can play by herself for hours and has the best stories to tell. She loves to sing and knows quite a variety of artists- thanks to her daddy. Her and Jason have been watching "Face Off" - its a reality show where artists/sculptors compete to creat different monsters/characters for a panel of judges. She and I did our own version in the bathtub with body paint and she had a blast telling me the inspiration behind her painting- it was so cute! She's so grown up for her age. She is attending dance at Southern Sensations dance studio- she has been there since August- she seems to like it- she is taking ballet and tap. Her first recital will be in May. She still attends the little gym and I just moved her up to the advanced gymnastics class this semester so I'll be anxious to see if she improves over the next few months. I also signed her up for softball starting in the spring- I'm so excited and so is she. We're thinking of signing her up for piano/vocal in the summer after gymnastics and dance are done. I think she will LOVE that! She already has a natural singing voice and has so much expression in her voice. Natural talent! People ALWAYS compliment on how beautiful Kelson is- makes me sooo proud- she really is a gorgeous little girl.

Jason is a stay at home daddy who plays music pretty much when he wants to know- JAB is no longer- so he just plays with Chopper occasionally. I like to be able to hang out with him on the weekends instead of him playing all the time. Heartland is pretty much over, so that chapter in our life is closed- it was a good run, but honestly with two kids and me working full time and working to get promotions it would have been VERY challenging for him to go back on tour.

So me- last July I finally got promoted into the BD Marketing and Sales arena, instead of just a staff analsyst- so with that I got a little raise. I'm hoping to move up to a P4 within the next 6 months if all the start align right :) I just celebrated my 10 year anniversary with Boeing on Jan 20th- wow 10 years. I feel blessed to have such a great job. I'm hoping to gain a lot of experience in this job and then maybe in 5 years or so move to Orlando and work for Disney in their Marketing/BD arena. Never know.

Well that about wraps it all up- everyone is doing GREAT- our little family couldnt' be happier. Oh and I'm working HARD to get us debt free by Dec 2014 (except the house)!!! BUT.. .we are planning a trip to Disneyworld to see the new fantasyland for my bday and Jason's 40th! We're looking forward to it.

*Kyle and Renee are expecting a baby around the end of July- early August! Pretty exciting!!!! I've been getting baby fever- only because I'm not sure if I want ONE more or just to be happy with our boy and girl!? I guess only time will tell.

Oh- and eers is 14 years old- he is hanging in there- God love em! He can't hear anymore and has cataracts in one eye, but still loves to hang out, run a little, and eat. He's the cave dog.

11 Months Old "PITA PAN" and TINK Kelson

Apparently I've been slacking- just realized I missed posting a few months :( living the life of a full-time working mom, wife of two kids, and a supporting my talented musician husband takes a lot of time. Its ok though, good thing about blogs is you can catch up in one post.

Janson aka PITA (Pain in the A$$) Pan is his new nickname- we mean it in the sweetest way- he's just into everything and wants to be going going going all of the time. I wouldnt' trade him for anything, but whew is he a handful. i can't believe my baby is 11 months old already- time is flying by. For his first bday we are talking about having a WHO-ville themed party for him. Since we have the luxury that his bday falls on November 1st (the day we put up our Christmas tree) it would be a neat theme for his bday. He still has only 8 teeth, which is quite a bit considering at 6 months he only had 1 or 2. He is signing a few things now: More, bath, puppy, so smart, touchdown, light (just started that one). He has a few gestures that he has made up that we notice: starts to say UH-OH, but just says uh uh... no oh yet when he drops something, copies Kelson with the "EEEE" face- makes a fist and holds out the other hand (its hilarious). His smile and personality light up our lives. Him and Kelson looked a lot alike as babies, but he is starting to get his own look. Kelson has really started playing a lot with him now that he's not just a newborn anymore and likes to do things. She is a WONDERFUL big sister to him.
He's pretty much eating table food now- no more baby food- don't blame him there. Been drinking his ORGANIC (thx to Keri) vitamin D milk now. His favorite foods are noodles, banana, cookie treats, bread, yogurt, pizza crust, and as long as it doesnt' have a weird texture he will try almost anything.

Everything goes STRAIGHT into his mouth... again- he's into everything. Has had a few bumps and bruises, but nothing major. He is determined to stand up on his own and walk. This past weekend he finally learned how to crawl on all fours instead of doing the "army scoot"- we were calling him scooter. He finally grasped it when I put him in the grass outside then I turned around and saw him actually crawling- he's a smart little man- then yesterday, on Weeza's bday he was walking with his wagon all by himself we were all getting dinner and he just started walking with it. He's such a determined boy. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts walking on his own in a few weeks.

As far as sleeping- he is sleeping an average of 9-10 hrs per night, with an occasional wake up during the night. Sometimes he just isn't tired and wants to play a little longer. We've been trying to get both kids into bed around 8pm to give us a little "US" time, but it doesn't always happen. Kelson and Janson both like to snuggle and be with mom and dad in their bed- can't blame em :) PITA PAN is such a sweet little boy and I look forward to going home every day after work to see my precious babies and great "mr. mom" husband.

Kelson- our big kindergarten girl is doing very well. She loves Asbury and goes M-F 9am-1pm and loves her school. Her teacher this year is Miss Kenney. She gets to see Miss Carla a lot too and they all seem to really love Kelson. They always mention her beautiful personality and smile :) Next year she will go to Endeavor, public school, but I have a few friends who kids attend it and they really like it, so we shall see. I'm a little nervous about it, but I know it will be fine once we get the routine going. We are spoiled by the 9am school start time.

We went to the Madison Street Festival this past weekend and she got her face pained like a fairy- she's such a pretty little girl and I love that she is so well mannered- people comment on her all of the time- makes a mommy proud. She has such a huge heart and she gets very upset if you are upset with her or dissapointed- its a great quality to have. She started taking dance @ Southern Sensations in Sept and so far is doing really well. We're not allowed to attend the classes (its a drop off kind of thing) so I assume she is behaving and catching on well. She doesnt' tell me much about the class. We are still attending the little gym for gymnastics too. She seems to be alittle older than most of the kids and advanced, but she still loves the opportunity to jump around, swing from things, and do cartwheels (which she does VERY well now). I'm looking into signing her up for piano then some vocal lessons maybe next summer after dance and softball will be over. Don't want to overwhelm her :)

Other than that- life is the same. Heartland released a new single and it seems to be doing ok. Jason's voice is still "in work" and we are still trying to figure out the right botox dosage to best fit his need. Its been a little stressful, but his great band members and supporting family have been wonderful. I'm still working at Boeing, Business Development, I really am enjoying this line of work. Hope to try to work myself up to a P4 in the next year or so ;)
I'm still in braces and have an appt Thurs so I think this appt will fix my bottom teeth to get em super straight- the tops are straight already and they look great. I don't see how people wear braces for years and years- UGGG. Bless em! I'm still working on losing weight. I'm about where I was when the biggest loser contest ended in July, (185) so I really hope to lose another 25lbs. I've told Kelson that when I get home from work she needs to encourage me to get on the elliptical or go for a walk with the kids- we did a stroller ride in our neighborhood a few weeks ago (the weather was gorgeous) and both kids had a GREAT time. It was a good workout pushing that stroller too. Well fingers crossed that I continue with my motivation.

Atta boy Albert

Janson is finally starting to sign :) His first sign is "More" :) Just like his sister. He is 8.5 months old. He does it more like the "patticake" version, but he understands the concept. Yea Janson! Also he has two more teeth coming in- up on top- but not the middle ones- kinda weird, but we like unusual ;)

Kelson left this morning for a 2 week Florida trip with Nin and George in their motorhome. Both Jason and I cried a little- and so did Kelson- but I think we are going to be ok. She will have so much fun. She is planning on hanging with my family when she gets down there. Apparently Aunt Keri has LOTS planned for them. Its goin to be very weird not having Kelson around, but I know how life it, and it will fly by. Gives us a little alone time with Janson too. Looking forward to here coming back already. She's only been away from us for a few days- so this will be a real test. Worth case my godmother has standby passes for Papa and Kelson to fly back to HSV :) but I have a feeling she is going to have a great time.

Happy 8 Months/Kelson's Bday to be/Mommy on her way

Holy Moly-8 months old - ALREADY! :( Time flies when your having fun. Let's see, still no signing, but we are working on it all the time. I added "fish" into the list of signs since their Nemo bathroom has a lot of fish in it. Our ritual after bath time is to show him all the fish on the wall and sign fish, so well see if that will be his first sign. Let's see- Janson is still eating like a horse, makes that YUM sound with every bite (its adorable- it almost sounds like he is savouring each bite)- lol, he is sleeping very well through the night. Going to bed around 8pm ish and getting up around 8am ish after he plays in his crib for a while. The last couple of nights I have been able to just lay him down in his crib, still awake, (after bath and dinner time of course) and turn on his rainforest mobile and he goes right to sleep by himself- no crying at all. He's such a great baby. He's finally getting to an age where Kelson can play with him instead of just fetch things for him :) She's really enjoying being a big sister and is VERY good at it. No jealously EVER from her- she only wants to love on him and play. The age difference has been wonderful. Janson has been doing this "king kong" move as Jason calls it where he beats on his chest- its hilarious. I don't want to forget any of these moments. We watched home videos of Kelson around 1 and I had forgotten so many things that she used to do, so we are trying to write down everything and capture it on video. Jumperoo is still a huge hit. Memere Lucy has taught him to turn his head to the side- its adorable- almost like he's shy. She would do it to him and he mocks her. Its adorable. Janson has been such a wonderful addition to our family, I just can't wait to capture so many more memories of him.

Well I finally registered Kelson for her 5th bday party at Chuck E Cheese this year. She is very excited about the ticket blaster and seeing all her kids. A/C and the staff doing all the work- I'm excited about that. August is just too hot for an outdoor party. I think this year she will get "BRAVE" stuff- new Pixar movie that the family went and saw a few weeks ago. Its very cute and now Kelson wants a bow and arrow :) Can't believe my baby girl is going to be 5 :(

Kelson leaves with Nin and George on Sunday to go to FL for a week. My family is SUPER excited to have her to themselves for a week and I know she is excited about going to stay with her cousins. She has been a little hesitate to go since we aren't going, but I think with all the "fun stuff" I mentioned that she would be doing, that I have convinced her to go. She tends to want her mommy and daddy at night, so I'm hoping she will be ok and were only a skype or phone call away. I'm gonna miss my little girl, but she will have a great time and I don't have to worry about her at all.

Kelson starts Kindergarten in August at Asbury- we decided to keep her there for another year since we love them and the schedule is so nice (9am-1pm M-F). I told Kelson that when mommy has to go to work, she has to go to school, but that we are both off together on the weekends, so she liked that. I think she misses being at school. I try to keep her on her toes by doing her workbook, but she has got all that nailed down. I'm thinking of signing her up for dance this fall. She is gonna get a free year at the little gym cause Jason is playing at their street festival again- yea- that's like $600 worth of free classes :) Also considering starting piano- got lots planned for that little one. She loved playing tball this spring, so we will definetly do that again next year. YEA!!!

So me- well we have been doing this biggest loser competition since April 30th- I'm down 13lbs and 3% body fat, but that last two weeks I've been REALLY trying hard- working out every day and eating under 1200 calories. I've been maintaining my weight at 189 and its VERY frustrating because I've picked up the pace yet still haven't lost. All the girls tell me to stay off the scale and focus on inches, but the problem is, inches doesn't win the competition :( It ends July 23rd and first place gets $650. I'm really trying hard to win that money and the title! Jason is in it too, but hasn't really motivated himself to pick up the exercise- he is eating right so that make a difference and has lost, so I guess that's a good thing. I'm really trying to get back to where I was before I had Kelson- or at least in the 170's. I think if I stay with the way I'm going I"ll be just fine, it will just take some time. Wish me luck-- I'll let you know how it goes.

Orajel please

Janson cut his second tooth lastnight- not sure if that's when it popped up, but that's when I noticed it. Its next to his other tooth on the bottom. He's been drooling like crazy, but that's nothing new, so I didn't think anything of it. He's still doing really well with sleeping- goes to bed around 8-9pm and gets up around 7-8. Not bad for a 7 month old. He is QUITE the eater- he normally eats around 8 jars of baby food a day and his 2-3 bottles. He's over 20lbs now. He's gonna be a big ole boy! But he's staying fit with his jumperoo- LOL!
So I finally did it and got braces- I have been wanting them since I was a teenager, didn't need em medically so mom didn't make us wear them, don't blame her there. So I finally decided I was going to just do it- so I made an appt with Dr. Amy Thompson for a consult and she said I indeed was a candidate for the clear 6 month smile braces. So I had them do the molds right then. So Monday, June 11th I got them on. Putting them on didn't hurt- little uncomfortable- but nothing I couldn't handle. The worst part was the sound that they make filing/flossing your teeth down- OMG- i almost couldn't handle it- its like nails on a chalkboard- torture. come to find out they are gonna do that each time I go in to get them tightened- good times. Oh well- it is what it is. So they are still sore and very uncomfortable- I still can't believe I finally did it and have to do a double take when I walk past a mirror. Definitly not as cute as a pretty smile, but I'll have it soon enough. How long I have to keep them on is up to my teeth. One patient got them off as early as 3 months, another patient- who works at the office got hers off in 7 months, so it just depends. I'm hoping for 6 months at the longest so I can get them off around Christmas- what a nice present that will be to have beautiful white straight teeth for christmas :) I'm really looking forward to it. Another good thing about getting braces is I can't eat much- just soft foods like soup, yogurt, etc.. so I've lost 1.5lbs since Monday. Since I've been slacking I plan to start working out- between not eating and exercising I should lose 5 lbs/week. I want to win that biggest loser competition and we only have around 1 month left so I have to step it up a notch. The other good thing about getting braces is I can't bite my fingernails, so its a win-win for me :) I'm so excited and can't wait to see the progress.

7 MONTH JANSON- teefy, sitting up, and what an eater

Our little man has really made some progress this month. He's now sitting up on his own, has a little tooth coming in on the bottom (right side) and is still eating like a toddler :) LOL! He's been such a great baby! We fed him mashed potatoes and carrots, applesauce, and his milk lastnight and he slept longer than he has before. I left for work at 8:30 and he was still in bed (the night before he slept from 6:30pm-7am)! He's such a happy baby too. He gets lots of compliments on what a good baby he is and he's always smiling. I got some real cute videos of Janson and Kelson talking (aka coughing) at eachother. The aunts have taught him to cough on demand now- and he responds and understands. Yesterday he started popping his lips at me- it was adorable. Smart kid. We've been doing the signing, so I have a feeling he will be doing that before long. He said dada about a month ago and says it on occasion now.

We've also found out that Kelson is QUITE the hula hooper- it started out she was just trying it in her bedroom while watching cartoons then the other day she started doing it and OMG- it was amazing. She was spinning as she did it and it stayed up for a long time. I was shocked. She tried to teach us how to do it too, but we weren't able to do it- LOL! She's grown up so much and has been a WONDERFUL sister to Janson- she is so helpful and doesn't whine about having to help at all. She's made it through her good girl twice (she got to go to the Play Place for 10 stickers, then she choose Chuck E Cheese for the 2nd set of stickers). She's really doing great! Speaking of CEC- that's where she wants to have her 5th bday party this year- OMG- 5 years old- my baby is really growing up :( and fast. I'm trying to savor every moment I can.

All about the Alberts!!!! 6 MONTH JANSON!

Janson Cole is a whopping 18lbs 2oz this month :) I guess all that eating shows. His height went from 50% to 90%, he is at 27 1/2 inches. She said if he continues to grow at this rate he should be around 6'2. Jason was excited to hear that since 6' is seen as average these days. He still doesn't have any teeth, but Dr. Zbell said that the taller the child, the longer it takes for their teeth to come in. The same was true for Jason. Our handsome little man is doing very well and sleeping well in his bed. He's had a few up at 5am-6am moments, but is ready for bed around 8pm most nights. He has been spoiled and doesn't like to be put down unless your talking to him and likes to be the center of attention- no idea where he got that ;) He said dada... well is mumbling some dddd and bbb words- already. Time is flying. I'm still working on doing signing with him, but he hasn't done anything back yet. He's such a cutie and a great snuggler. I just can't believe how big he is getting already. He's a little fishy and loves bathtime just like his sister. Kelson has really grown attached to Janson since he is starting to play more and his personality is really showing through. When the two kids lay side by side they look so much alike. Mother's Day was this past Sunday and it was so neat to have my two babies to love on. We went to the play place to celebrate Kelson's 10 stickers on her good girl chart. It was a nice break for us to get away as a family. Kelson has been doing so good and the teacher mentioned the other day when I dropped her off at car line that she really misses when Kelson isn't at school- she has the best personality :) I had a flashback to when my mom used to tell me the same thing about my teachers :) Look out world- we got another Kelly on our hands- LOL! Kelson is going to attend Asbury again next week for Kindergarten- i can't believe my baby will be at real school- M-F 9am-1pm- we wanted to stick with that easier schedule for one more year, then well send her to Endeavor for 1st grade. i'm hoping by keeping her at Asbury that she will be a little more advanced than the other kids. She already seems to be. She's reading some with me at bedtime. I love my babies and thank God every day for them!!!!! Jason and I are doing another biggest loser competition. We are looking forward to getting healthy together for our kids. I started it up on April 30th and it will run for 12 weeks. I've started off slow, but I have a feeling I'm gonna kick it up a notch and really start losing. I'm hoping to get down to pre-Kelson weight!! :) Mom and dad have both been doing Favao supplements and doing great. Mom has lost like 25+ lbs and is wearing a size 10- this is huge for my mom!! She's always struggled with losing weight, so I know this works! Jason and I recently celebrated our 8 year anniversary. We went to eat at the Scene- sushi- and watched "The Avengers". We don't get many date nights anymore due to his playing schedule, my work, and the kiddos. It was a nice evening. Jason's botox injections aren't working nearly as fast as we thought it would. Its been almost a month and a half and he is just now able to talk clearly- his speaking voice doesn't have the breaks anymore, but its affected his singing voice. He tried to sing last weekend and was only able to sing a few songs. I'm hoping that if he does another procedure that it will work better next time, but Jason is pretty frustrated, so well see what he decides to do. Heartland's song, "The sounds a dream makes" (Jason not singing on it) is supposed to be released sometime in June, so well see what happens, but if Jason's voice continues to be the way it is, I don't see him pursuing this career path again. Also my "career" life has been all over the place. I'm still trying to get a promo within BD at Boeing. Its finally starting to get some attention and it looks like it could happen soon. I finally heard back from Disney and they apologized for not getting back to me and said that they were doing a re-org and would get back with me- that was two weeks ago, so I'm not sure what is going on with them. I also applied for a virtual staff analyst job working for corporate, it shows I'm still under consideration, so who knows!!!?? I love to have options, so well see! God will lead me to the right place for me and my family- I truely believe that!!!

Are you sure he's not a pig? Sure eats like one :)

This is the famous line from ET and this is how our little man has been eating lately. He's really wheened off so much milk and going straight for the food :) He eats 2/boxes at each serving now with oatmeal mixed in twice a day. he's really starting to realize that the food tastes better than the milk- LOL! Smart man. At such a young age its so easy to tell that he is going to have a passion for music. No matter what is going on, he can be screaming his head off and if he hears someone singing he immediately stops and looks for them. Its insane how intuitive to music he is. I have a feeling he will do something in the music biz maybe a producer or something. We all knew he would have a passion for music, but to notice singing and seem so into it at 5 months is amazing. He seems to think that our singing soothes him to sleep too ;) Janson is still sleeping in the playyard in our bedroom, but after Theana's wedding is over, I think we are going to try moving him to his own bed. He is sleeping now from 8pm-7am these days, which is great for a 5 month old. He's still alittle diva and quite the snuggler. Kelson is the BEST big sister- she is such an awesome helper! PS- Just an update- I never did hear back from Disney on the job, but I'm still seeing that its in the interview process online and I havent' received a "no longer under consideration" e-mail, so who knows. I know Boeing gets behind on a lot of their interview processes, so well see what happens. Whatever God has planned for us I'm game! This weekend is Theana and Mike's wedding- I can't believe it! So exciting! They both deserve to be married and together! Good ole Toodles and Speedo ;) I'm soooo excited about all the family coming up for the wedding- PARTY time and its not even November- LOL! Plus mom and dad are making the trip- so I'm VERY anxious about that. Kelson's FIRST ever t-ball game is tomorrow and pictures and also a game on Sat. I'm so looking forward to that. I bought her some cleats yesterday and her own bat. How stinking cute! Be looking for updates and pictures! Jason got the Botox shot last Friday and as of Sunday he couldn't talk- he's still at a whisper and this is 4 days later, but they said that his voice would be weird for 7-10 days after the shot. So I'll be anxious to hear him after this weekend. Fingers crossed and big prayers that this will give him a temporary fix for his voice.

Month 5- Rolling over, Diva King, and Jumping

Our little man is rolling over all the time now. He's got that part nailed. I can't believe how fast he is growing already. Lately he's been such a "diva king" when we aren't in his site and holding him, he's crying for us. We have tried to make him be more independent so we can get things done around the house while we watch him, but he won't have it. We pulled out the jumperoo and he LOVES it- another Kelson trait he inherited. Now that he is able to reach the ground he jumps like crazy. He still smiles more than any other baby I know and what a great personality. He is such a WONDERFUL morning person. He is still sleeping in the playyard in our bedroom, but I think after Theana's wedding, next weekend, WOW! we are gonna try to start putting him in his own crib. He doesn't get up during the night much anymore and is sleeping usually around 9pm-7:30/8am- pretty good for a 5 month old. What a great snuggler he is too. Kelson has been getting up several times during the night to sleep with us, we are trying really hard to avoid her doing that often, as we like to have some alone time when we can, plus she needs to learn to be in her own bed when its bed time. But then again I think about the future and when we will BEG for her to come snuggle and cuddle with us, so a lot of those memories make me want to hang on to her snuggling with us at night. Last weekend Jason played at the Gaylord Opryland hotel for a Boeing function and since I had the kids, I stayed at the Raddison hotel with them to hang out at the pool. This was his first time in a pool, the water was pretty cool, although it was supposed to be heated. Kelson had a BLAST and did very well swimming. We all dipped in the hot tub too- Janson seemed to like that, but since it was so hot we didn't stay in there long. Jason also watched Kelson and I play in the pool while he chilled in his stroller. Tomorrow, April 6th Jason gets to go to Vanderbilt for his first round of botox shots. We are PRAYING that it works the way we hope it will. Those shots are expensive, but the label is paying for them- thank goodness. I just hope he gets the results we have been hoping for. Heartland's new song should be coming out at the end of May, so I hope that Jason's voice will get better so he can record the next song in the studio. The other lead singer, Chad, has a phenominal voice as well so good luck to them all!

It was bound to happen

So I came home from work and noticed that Kelson's hair looked layered. Knowing that I hadn't cut her hair and that its normally straight across I asked her to come see me. When i did I grabbed her hair and it was short - like 5 inches- in the front than in the back. I said OMG, Kelson did you cut your hair!? She just looked at me and said she didn't know she wasn't supposed to and said she wanted to look like her friend Lola. Funny thing was Jason had been at home with her all day and didn't notice at all. So I made her go to her room for 10 minutes and told her that she wasn't allowed to use scissors for a month. She was more devistated that I was mad at her than anything. She is such a tender hearted child. So I told her that we would talk about it after she got out of time out. Honestly the cut was rather cute, but I wasn't gonna tell her that. So I went into her playroom and saw the glob of hair and scissors right next to it- LOL! I guess she was telling me that she wanted a summer haircut. I'm just so glad that it wasn't her bangs like most kids do, especially since Theana's wedding is next week. My feedback from facebook is that all kids do this- boys and girls- so I knew not to get too angry. She is a very smart girl and realized what she had done wrong and promises to only let mommy and Stacey cut her hair from now on. I took her to the beauty shop a few days later to get it all one length. It turned out cute... little schmuck! Ah- so it begins :) I have to admit she did look miserable and so sad in the before picture-- LOL! That's not my sweet Kelson.

More on the little man :)

Lastnight I laid him down in his playyard and went to do something and came back and he had rolled over :) I tried to get him to do it again, but he didn't seem to want to have a crowd when he was doing it. I noticed he looks like he's trying to pull his knees up too to crawl. My little man is trying to grow up WAY too fast. I've been calling my little piggly wiggly lately- he's been eating like crazy. At least 7oz of milk each feeding with food two times a day. He's a growing little guy- that's for sure. He smiles (flirts) more than any other baby I've ever seen. He's really start to coo and make noises, especially when someone speaks baby or french to him.

After looking at Kelson's first food, they pretty much had the same "first foods" :) How cool!
1st fruit- Bananas-- He loved em
1st veggie- Sweet Potatoes- seems to be his fav
2nd fruit- Applesauce- he loved that too
3rd fruit- Peaches- yummy- loves that too
He is a good eater no matter what I've given him! :)
Peas- those are coming up next

All About Me!!!!

Well, I just turned 33 years old last Thurs. So hard to believe, but life is going by fast anyways. I celebrated with friends at Jefferson Street Pub (where JAB was playing) then some fun time at the cave. Saturday we pretty much laid around and then we went to eat at CASA, then watched "Puss in Boots" in our new home theater. Its sooooo flipping awesome. Jason has been researching the perfect equipment to buy for over 2 years now (within our price range), so we were finally able to buy it all since we sold our Santa Fe. I will miss that great car, but Marian (Keith Donald's sister) wanted one, so we gave her a good deal on it, just like Keri did for us. So it was a WIN WIN for everyone. All in all we've spent around $10K for the home theater, but its so worth it. Jason and the kids gave me the Christmas Carol (Jim Carrey movie) in 3D with two pairs of glasses. Its great! We watched a little bit just to experience it. Its gonna be awesome. Jason is very pleased with everything we got and spends a lot of time in there- already. The kids watched "The Wizard of Oz" while I was at work a few days ago, so it looks like the whole family will get use out of it. So back to my birthday, I got some really great gifts. Kohl's gift card, Amazon gift card, blue ray movies, cute and stylish laptop carrier, bath and body works set, a blender for my low-fat smoothies, a cute shirt, and some adorable flip flops and AU lounge pants. All in all it was a GREAT bday. My sister had given me some cute Disney stuff.

So with all that going on, over the last couple of months I've been applying for Walt Disney World jobs. Well March 2nd, I got a call that my resume was pulled and I have a phone interview in about 5 minutes with the professional recruiter, so I'm excited and thrilled at the experience and gesture, but whether it will be a "move" I can make is the question. I haven't even gotten the job yet, so there is no promise there, but just considering it is a scary thing. Not scary, but different. Different place, move to FL, etc... all things have to be considered. Anyways, with that being said. I have to go finish preparing for the interview, so fingers crossed and may God show me the path for my future career and the right path for my family. Amen!

Month 4- Smiling, Eating, and Diva'ness

We had Janson 4 month checkup on March 6th. He weighs an even 15 lbs. He's 25 1/2 inches tall (same as Kelson was at this age)- we still think he will be around 5'11 or 6ft. His blue eyes are still blue as ever. He's starting to sit up very well on his own, therefore Dr. Zbell put him on fruits and veggies already. He's tried apples, bananas, and sweet potatoes already and ate them all quite well. I've been trying to sign "more" and "milk" already. He's a little young, but he's a smart little man, so he should catch on quick. He already blows bubbles back at us. He loves tummy time and looking around. He does not like to be put down or someone not paying attention to him. He is quite the snuggler and lots to smile. Bathtime is a joy with him- he has been splashing like crazy. Kelson and I get a big kick out of him when we all hang out in my bath tub. Since Kelson has been more interactive with him, she seems to really like having a little brother around. We did nickname his wee wee... since we call hers "Tuti" from Yo Gabba Gabba, I decided to call Janson's "muno". The character already looks like one anyways- LOL! I had to explain to Kelson while Janson had a muno and she has a tuti- that was fun!
Janson is quite the Man-diva... he is always wanting someone to play or hold him- no matter what. He is still sleeping around 10-11 hrs a night. Its exciting, but sometimes doesn't seem long enough... Overall we have two WONDERFUL children.

Kelson's spring break is this week so I'm gonna try to see if we can organize her playroom and toys and possibly donate some. She has SOOO many and lots of them were "phase toys" (where she was into something for a few months, then lost interest). Some I can keep for Janson, but she does play with a lot of her toys. She is getting cuter and more personable every day. She has so much fun at school and has learned so many cute songs. Her t-ball practice starts in a few weeks so I can't wait to start her on that. Our two babies are perfect!!! Having our big spacious van has been a lifesaver.

Update on the Alberts'

Lastnight Kelson asks me, Mommy, what age will Janson be when I get a baby sister? I have to admit I was a little shocked, as most of me feels we are done with having kids, although part of me really would like ONE more. I told Kelson that I wasn't sure if another baby was going to come along or if it did when it would be and I couldn't promise it was going to be a baby sister. She determined that Janson will be 18 (didn't say months or years), but I know I can guarantee it won't be years :) I did have the IUD put back in so we were planning on having anymore anytime soon, if at all. Don't want to mess with perfection, but we do make some adorable kiddos though.

Like I mentioned we went to visit the FL family a few weeks back. Got to hang out with Belle for her 6th bday- wow time flies- and go to disney with the family. The sad thing is that our family, Belle, and Kyle all got bed bugs from a rental house we stayed at in Orlando :( This has not been a fun process. Jason and I didn't notice the bites until a few days after coming back home, so I was scared that we may have brought them home with us. From what I can tell they are no easy thing to get rid of, so fingers crossed we didn't. Jason had a HORRIBLE reaction to them- over 100 bites, I had around 30, Kelson around 20 and luckily Janson, who was in the playyard has none. The owner told us that only one of the bedrooms had bed bugs, but it goes to show they can spread and the whole upstairs was infested- YUCK!!! I feel so dirty and always feel that something is crawling on me. They bite in 3's. good indication thats what we have. Other than this and coming back with colds, we are doing great and our little family is very happy and complete!

My job is going good. I'm working on reclassifing into the Marketing and Sales classification instead of being a staff analyst. This could mean more money and its better for growing within the company. More professional. So again, fingers crossed this goes through. I've been working this for a while now and would hate to leave my division, but being the bread winner I have to strive to keep our family comfortable and happy.

Another great thing about our FL trip was after we traveled down there we became proud owners of a 2007 Honda Odyssey van. I wasn't sure if I was going to be "cool" with becoming a van momma, but I LOVE it. Keri bought a new van, so she gave us a great deal on her used one. I don't mind hand me downs. So far I love it and its sooooo family friendly. Kelson seems to like it too. The perks on it are awesome too-sliding doors, dvd player, built in navigation, etc... What an awesome sis I have. We plan to sell our Hyundai Sante Fe- I will miss that car terribly, but its too small for our family. When we sell it I plan to pay Keri and give jason the money for our home theater- he's sooooo excited!

Jason and I are going up to Nashville on March 21st for Jason's vocal appointment with Dr. Garrett. She works for Vanderbilt and specializes in spasmodic dysphonia and administers the Botox shots. Jason felt excited and comfortable when I made the appt, almost like a relief to have someone who was actually going to help him. So well see what happens, but we have got to do something. Being from Vandy she has to be a GREAT doctor. We'll keep you posted.

Yesterday myself and Carissa, Mike Speed's sister, hosted a shower for Theana. It turned out really cute and we had around 25 guests. Theana was pretty sociable, although we had to remind her a few times to smile and say thank you ;). Overall it turned out great and she got some really nice gifts. So hard to believe she is gonna get married sometime this year.

Month 3- spitting and snuggling

This month Janson has really been spitting up a lot. We've tried several different formulas to meet his needs, but none seem to stop the spitting up. That's how we say he says hi to new folks- by soaking them- LOL! Poor guy. We started supplementing some oatmeal/rice to his milk to see if that would help make it thicker and stay down easier. Well first off we tried this because he was still hungry after 7oz of milk. He is taking to EATING very well, but still having spit up issues. The pediatrician says its normal, so I'm gonna gonna be concerned, just be sure to have plenty of bibs, hand towels, and detergent.
JAnson is quite the flirt and snuggler. He doesn't mind going to anyone and will usually smile to anyone as well. He is so happy most of the time and is such a joy to watch. His eyes are still super blue, so fingers crossed they will stay that way. He seems to be growing so much. We spent some time down in FL with the family and Juliet, whose 8 months now, is about the same size as our little guy. Its nuts. He has Jason's small eyes when he smiles.

He has a very sesitive stomach, so we've been giving him sensitive forumla. He LOVES to snuggle when its time for a nap, he loves attention, smiles almost all of the time, and loves his bathtime just like sister. He has a lot of the same similarities Kelson had at that age- drooling, chewing on hand, etc.. thank goodness I had a blog to remember it all.

I started working with him on "More, Milk, and Fan" signs. I know he's early, but wha the heck ;) It's so neat having a little boy around- especially one with so much personality.

Sharing the LOVE

Lately I've been trying really hard to share my time and love with both of the kids. I know that Janson doesn't understand, but he seems to feel rather comfortable with his mommy holding him, so I try to show Kelson lots of attention if I'm not holding him. Kelson has been wonderful with sharing me, she understands a lot for a 4 year old and doesn't get jealous. If I am holding Janson I ask Kelson to come snuggle with us or to come talk to her brother so she doesn't feel like he's getting all my attention. I love love love having a little baby around the house again. Although I've been AWFULLY tired this last week being at home alone, its been wonderful hanging with my babies. The house is a wreck though. I've been working full weeks, no virtual, so my schedule is a little harder to maintain, but so far so good. The weeks are flying by. With all the activities life brings I'm sure I'll just get even more worn out and tired... but hey, that's what makes life so great!

Heartland- TAKE TWO

This week Jason is in Nashville meeting with the record label and manager. They are working on a new and improved "Heartland". We are anxious to see what is going to happen. Because Jason has voice issues aka spasmodic dysphonia he is getting frustrated and unable to do any lead singing. Fingers crossed for him to try botox shots into his throat. Its been known to temporarily help. Surgery is LAST resort. He's been trying to do natural ways to cure it, but nothing seems to help :( I feel so bad for him, but we will find something that will work. I have a good feeling.
So the new Heartland group is just three guys: Jason, Charles (Heartland's fiddle player), and a new guy named Chad. Chad is singing the lead on the new single and he has a really awesome voice. VERY country- almost Meryl Haggard like. Jason Miller and Chopper are hired hands in this venture.

So I guess I'm getting the feeling of being a single mom this week and WHEW I don't know how some mom's do it and work full time. At least I have "the corner" to help me.

Like mother like daughter

I'm sooo excited-- I just signed Kelson up for T-ball this spring/summer. She was really excited too when I told her the good news. I thought she wouldn't be able to play for another year or so, but a friend of mine found out that Palmer Park, where I grew up playing softball, was taking kids at 4 years old. I offered to assistant coach, if needed. Asked what 3 things made me a good coach: 1) strong knowledge of the sport 2) playing in college 3) love kids and its just fun to play. I said that I had no experience coaching, but wouldn't mind helping out if needed. I can't wait to see little Kelson in her ball uniform. Well see if she takes to the sport like I did. Thanks to my mom and dad telling me I wasn't going to sit indoors all summer when we moved to Hsv in 89. It all started there. Annabelle and Corgan have been playing since last spring and Kelson has asked why she couldn't, guess they start em early in FL, so when I told her she was going to "run fast" (in the voice of Keith Donald) she was really excited! Course, mommy is too. Stay tuned! Oh- I suggested team names : Pirates (since we love pirates), Rangers (since my dad played Minor league ball for the Texas Rangers), or Marlins (Florida team that I've seen play a few times).

Month 2- Smiles and Growth

Janson had his checkup this morning with Dr. Zbell. He was a good boy. Had to get 3 shots :( Never fun to watch. BUT, he has gained around 5 lbs since his one week appt :) LOL! That's insane. So he weighs 12lbs 12oz (80%). We were all guessing around 10lbs. His height is 23 5/8 inches (75%) and he is gonna have BLUE eyes. I'm sooo excited. I was hoping both my kiddos would have blue eyes. Yea!!! I just imagine myself loving and hugging on him like my mom does on Kyle. Such a sweet thing. I'm starting to understand the whole mommy's boy thing. Janson's been doing really good at night- only getting up once now a night. Still eating around 6-7 oz (hence the weight gain). He's started to try and talk to us by cooing and holds his head up very well. He likes to be patted on his butt and snuggled. He LOVES bathtime :) just like his fishy sister. he wasn't sure at first, but since we give him baths so often he really loves the feeling. Its still hard to believe that he is here and been here for two months already. He's changed our lives and Jason, Kelson, and I have been a great team.
Kelson's still at Asbury Weekday and LOVES it. She looks forward to going. I still think the M/W/F thing works out great. I'm going to sign her up for Kindergarten soon. Sadly, the school only goes through Kindergarten so after that she will have to attend Endeavor (public school by our house). In the meantime she is learning about God, praying, crafts, and loves "her kids" etc.. I'm so blessed to have found that place.
I started back to work full time on Jan 3rd- wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm busier than ever so it makes the day go by and I have a good feeling I'm gonna get a promotion this year- fingers crossed.

Month 1- tummy time and prune juice

Kelson LOVES her little brother. She touches and kisses all over him all the time. She has asked many times to hold him and feed him- which lasts about 2 min, but at least she's showing interest in him. I've really tried to share my time between the two kids so she doesn't feel the baby is more important. She's been wonderful with helping us with him and keeping him happy. The age difference is perfect. She's been staying in her bed and minding us so well- I'm proud of my little girl. As you can see, daddy has them started early as WV fans. No matter what I hope they always remain close like me and my siblings are.

Well my poor little man's tummy started bothering him a couple weeks after he was born (very tight and kept pulling his legs up). So since it was Thanksgiving time and my two doula's were there, I asked their opinion. I thought maybe since I was nursing there was something I was eating, but I wasn't eating anything weird or unhealthy, so I'm not sure what caused him to be in pain. I decided to try to supplement with some formula so we could see if that made a difference. It did. I was still nursing, but only half the time. After the tummy issues went away, then he started acting constipated :( So I ended up calling the pediatrician on call and they told me to try a stool softner, so with Chantell leading the pack she did that and within a few min he pooped. It was a huge HARD poop. It hurt my little boy. It was sad to watch. He just never seemed at ease or comfortable. AFter this happened and I discovered prune juice in his bottle we've had no problems and he's one happy baby. I'm just glad that I had help and the Internet to find out the best remedy for him. So now he is on sesitive formula full time (nursed for a month- hey, at least its something) with prune juice. He is eating somewhere between 5-6oz already. He's a hungry boy :) He's had some spitting up issues, but nothing we can't handle. He sleeps on and off for about 3-4 hours at a time right now. Its great!

Big day for the kiddo...11/11/11

Poor little man's cirumcision ring was hanging on by a thread, so I searched online on steps on how to get it to come off without hurting him. I called the peds office and they said just to let it come off on its own, but I knew there were tricks out there so I continued to search online. Several mothers tried vaseline and some put a warm washcloth on the ring to moisten it to get it to come off, so I tried that lastnight. Kelson and I were bathing in my bathtub, so I had mom bring him to me so I could include him in the fun. I kept his umbilical area dry and Janson seemed to LOVE the bath. He cried for a minute, but then realized that he was in warm water. He loved it, just like his big sister did. Kelson helped me wash his hair and I put the warm washcloth on his private area. So lastnight when mom was changing his diaper, she called me in, and his ring had fallen off (a few hrs after the bath) :) So it worked!! Good 'ole internet! Then this morning his umbilical cord was off too. It was a big day for the kiddo. 11/11/11 he got his manhood back :) I'm looking forward to his first real bath :)

The rest of the hospital stay and the weekend...

Janson was doing great and got some tests ran, I was taking a few pain meds to help with this recovery. While I was there my ear infection returned, so I had to get on some antibotics to kick that too. They thought that Janson's arm needed to be X-rayed cause he wasn't lifting it as high as the other one when they startled him, but everything turned out to be fine. Passed his hearing tests too. That day was pretty much just visitors and re-cooperating day. Janson was supposed to of had a bowel movement in 24 hours and since he didn't they stimulated him and boo ya, it worked. Ever since then he's been a pooping machine. While we were at the hospital, they had a "celebration" dinner for the mom and dad, so Jason and I ordered crusted tilapia with a few sides, dessert, and my favorite, sparkling white grape juice! :) Jason had never had it and it was a big hit at our Thanksgiving family dinners. It was yummy.

Janson had dropped down to 7lbs 14oz, so I was trying to feed him more often at night and throughout the day. The last day they cirumcised him :(, quick procedure adn they said he did good. Its a small plastic ring that they place around his pp and it pretty much heals on its own. So low maintenance. I felt bad for him, but its something that needed to be done. We were anxious to get home and away from the "checkups", pills, and etc. Plus we were ready to get in our own bed and try out Janson's new stuff. Kelson and Papa made us a welcome home sign. It was a great ride home. We were very excited!!!


We had to go take Janson to the pediatrician the next day to check his jaundice level and weight. He was a little jaundice so they told us to put him by the window and also they wanted to re-check his weight on Monday. So after a GREAT weekend and lots of eating, pooping, sunbathing, and sleeping, Janson had gained 8oz over the weekend and skin color was great :) Course I think anyone can gain weight over a weekend- LOL. So we were happy to know that we were done with the doctors for now. Gigi and Papa have been here since Oct 25th helping with things around the house, watching Kelson, playing with Kelson, and now helping with Janson. They have been a wonderful help. Kyle and Renee came over this past weekend too to visit and see Janson. Its been a wonderful experience so far and we are so excited to have our little family altogether.

Kelson has been a WONDERFUL help and great big sister. She loves to hold him, kiss on him, and talk about how cute he is. We brought him to her school on Friday so she could show him off, before his appt. Then we all went to Wal-Mart, all was great until it was time for lunch, we spent a little too much time in Wal-mart, but being our first family outing it went great.

I love being on maternity leave and getting family time. I plan to be on leave till Dec 12th, then take a few days vacation, with a few days virtal then it will go straight into my Boeing Christmas holiday. So I will have like 8-9 weeks off. It's gonna be really hard to go back.
My recovery has been GREAT. Only some contractions when Janson is nursing, milk came in great, and he's been sleeping about 2-3 hours during the night. Sometimes 3-4hrs. My bleeding is minimal now and I haven't had much pain. So I truely believe that Dr. Wheeler did a great job on taking care of me. Life is awesome!!!!!

When I checked into the hospital I weighed 215 lbs, so I weighed myself a week later after having Janson and I'm down to 195 :) So I lost 20 lbs in a week. Not bad! Plus I have two new enhancements- LOL!

Welcome Janson Cole Albert- 11/01/2011

Well, I couldn't believe that I was going to get my 11/01/11 date. My plan had worked (insert evil laugh here). It was going to be a great day!!! The nurse came in around 7am and removed the cervadil. She, the nurse, Dotha (we called her Mother Dothel) started the pitocin to get the labor progressing. Dr. Rushing was over at the Madison office that day, so I was going to have Dr. Wheeler deliver the little guy. I had met him one other time, I believe it was when I had round ligament pains early in my pregnancy with Kelson. I remember him being a super nice guy. The nurses do a lot of the work, so I was ok with another doctor. He arrived around 9:30am and broke my water. He was super sweet and funny. When he checked me, I was 70% effaced and 3-4 centimeters dilated. Soon after this procedure, I was having some really hard contractions. I stuck it out as long as I could, till I was 5cm, and the contractions were coming every 1-2 min, so I knew it was going to be soon. At noon, I finally got some nubain, which helped ease the pain for about 20 minutes. I immediately started laughing and asked everyone if they wanted to play charades. LOL! In another hour, I had dilated another cm so I was really starting to be in pain. My nurse advised that I start the epidural or it was going to be too late and I wouldn't be able to get one. I tried to subside on the nubain along, but I couldn't handle the back to back contractions. At 12:45 I asked for the epidural. The anestologist did an awesome job, I hardly felt anything. The contractions were stronger and so anything to help with that was better than what I was going through. After the epidural kicked in, I was freezing and super tired. I took a nap for a while, then i felt lots of pressure, so I knew it was close to pushing time. Dr. Wheeler came in around 3:30 and Janson was born at 3:44pm!!
He was 8 lbs, 4 oz and 21 inches long. The delivery went great. Dr. Wheeler did an awesome job stitching me up and all the follow up procedures. My recovery has been easier than when Dr. Rushing did it, so maybe it was a blessing I had him instead. Janson was PERFECT! He had HUGE lips- like Angelina Jolie's baby or something- LOL! Oh- and the dr said that his umbilical cord was the biggest/thickest he had ever seen. No wonder I was always so drained and had no energy. I was sooooo excited to finally have our little guy here. I requested to be able to watch him get his first bath, so I went to the nursery when everyone else did. Kelson was soooo excited about her baby brother and immediately wanted to hug, hold, and kiss him. So once we all got to our room, we got some adorable pics of our kids :) We had a few visitors and we had some pizza hut then it was time for us to be alone. It was nice and quiet. Janson did AWESOME with nursing and slept most of the night. Of course with all the pills, checking up, etc.. neither Jason or I got much sleep, but we knew it would only be a few nights. Afterall, our little man had finally arrived!!

The night before the birth.... Happy Halloween

I had my last appt with Dr. Rushing on Monday, 10/31- Halloween- the date I DID NOT want to have a newborn baby. I was still very thick and high, so Dr. Rushing advised that I go to the hospital that evening to start a process to get my cervix ripened. So after consultant my doula, Melissa Harley, she told me to do the Cervadil, vs the pill that they recommended. Apparently there have been some mothers who had a bad reaction to the pill so she said this is a safer approach with a slower progress so its safer for both Janson and I. I was happy to go in early so we would have that evening to take Kelson trick or treating. Plus all that walking around the neighborhood was good for getting the labor going. Kelson was dressed up as Dorothy and was ADORABLE! We went over to Mike and Norionna's house to trick or treat. Her and Sawyer, the ninja, went together in their neighborhood. They had so much fun together, plus it was a GREAT neighborhood. So after 2 hours or so of that, it was time to go home and get our bags and head to the hospital. Kelson stayed with Papa and the "mothers" went with Jason and I to get all checked in. We got there around 10pm and we finally got into the birthing room and cervidal around midnight (its something like a long stringed tampon that they insert vaginally and it worked great). They gave me an Ambien to sleep. Jason brought a blow up mattress to put on top of the fold out sofa. We had our King of Queens on the computer and Christmas movies ready to go. I still couldn't believe the time had finally arrived. When I woke up that next morning, it was time to have my little boy :)

Hurry Up and Wait...

Well, I had my almost 38 weeks appt with Dr. Rushing yesterday. This pregnancy has been KILLER on me. I can't say that its been awful, but I've definitely had the side effects of being pregnant. Recently mom and dad got me a massage and cold stone facial- that was WONDERFUL. I've had a lot of swelling (mostly in my hands now) and some in my feet. I am not sleeping well at all (he's gonna be a big'un). Well let's see I weigh 211 (started off at 192, so only 19 lbs isn't bad at all). I can honestly say that a lot of it is baby and the things that go along with it. Lots of water weight too. Anyways, his heartbeat was 130- Jason and Kelson got to hear it. I'm dilated to 1cm now, so that's exciting. We are still shooting for the 11.1.11 date. Although, I'm pretty much over being pregnant and wouldn't mind him coming early. But not on Halloween!!!! That's all I ask. LOL. I haven't been sleeping well at all these last couple of weeks. I thank God that my job has been so great on letting me work virtual when needed, cause between allergies and not sleeping well, I've had to take a lot of breaks/naps.

Cravings have been pretty much been sweet. Kelson and I made some fruit salad and I've been eating the heck out of that. I've had a few low blood sugar issues, but nothing some OJ couldn't fix. I just started eating smaller meals. Kelson has been a WONDERFUL help too. There are times when I remember why the first pregnancy was easier- no 4 year old to keep up with- and you could take naps whenever. Mom and dad plan to come up next week to help and be here for the birth, so I'm so excited to spend some time with them.

We've finally finished with the kids rooms and that's a big relief. I'll post some pics. We recently had the house re-appraised and it was very UNstressful. We pretty much have the house where we want it. I would like to have a few more things done, but overall its perfect. Since Janson should be born on Nov 1st (the normal time we put up our Christmas tree) we hope to get it up before we leave for the hospital. I'm excited about having 6 weeks off work during the holidays. Keri and the family are gonna come up before Thanksgiving, they still haven't seen the newly remodeled/addition to the house. Then we have all the Thanksgiving family coming up that following week. Gonna be a busy and WONDERFUL holiday season!!!!

Kelson's 4 year old checkup

Hard to believe that Kelson hasn't been to the doctor since she was 2. It was time again for shots :( At least its the last round until she's 11 years old 2018 :) Her height was 40 3/4" (75% percentile). She was most excited that she's now tall enought to ride the "thunder mnt railroad" at Disneyworld. LOL. Her weight was 37lbs (75% percentile). She did wonderful on her hearing and eye tests too. Dr. Zbell said she was in perfect health and very smart. She had her tell her some colors, numbers, and asked her about her eating habits. Kelson passed with flying colors (pun intended). Now, it was time for the shots, Kelson was so young last time she had them that she wasn't sure what to expect. She had to get 3 shots, but with daddy holding her arms, the nurses holding her legs, she did great and they did a great job administering them FAST. The first one scared her a bit and she started crying, it got even worse for the next two. Its so sad to see your baby hurting :( After they got done we immediately held her and told her how good she did. She said I don't like that, why did you let them do that to me? :( that broke my heart. So we explained that everyone has to get shots to make them feel better. I happened to bring a Halloween Lalaloopsy doll for her as a surprise for being a big girl. That was a smart mommy move :) That helped heal the pain a little quicker :) Way to go mom! Of course she got the 2 stickers and 2 lolipops too. THEN.... since she did so good we all went to Chuck E Cheese. Kelson only commented on her shot wombs a few times, but overall she did great and was relieved to know she was done for a while. Sad thing for Jason and I is that we have to start all over with Janson :(

Asbury: Kelson is LOVING her school, she is a great morning person and loves to get ready to go see her "kids". She hasn't had any bad reports or anything. She brings home adorable drawings and has really seemed to be grasping the "classroom" setting. We are talking about sending her there again next year for Kindergarten. She has chapel once a week, so she's incorporated God into her day. I love that. She already had her class and individual school pictures. They have a field trip to Botanical gardens coming up and a fall festival this Friday. Sometimes I wish I was one of the "stay at home moms" so I could go and hang out with her at school :( Overall, we are SUPER excited and happy that we found this school. She really does love it and has met some great friends.

Your gonna miss this

Since Jason and I are 80% sure we are done having kids after Janson arrives, I'm really gonna miss the "tummy movements". I love feeling that little baby inside my tummy and living off what I provide him with. What a neat experience. This pregnancy has been a lot harder on me, so that's another reason we may be done. Our lifestyle isn't your typical couples either. I work full time, he's a musician- need I say more ;) But things will happen as God allows them to. Having a little girl and boy is a dream come true. Course Jason mentioned the other day that he would LOVE to have another little girl, so well see. Ya never know.

Prego Symptoms:
-Lately I've been rather tired and find it really hard to take naps with a 4 year old running around. But if I can just get 20-30 min, I'm good.
-"Roids" are trying to come back, so I'm trying to eat more fiber
-Craving ANYTHING sweet
-Swelling of the feet and hands
-Carrying LOW and have been for a few months
-Nesting desire is there, but can't do it for long
-some back issues at the first of the 3rd trimester

Had my 32.5 week checkup with Dr. Rushing and he said that I'm measuring right on, having some swelling, so I've been trying to take it easy and keep my feet up as much as much as possible. With all the stuff we have going on, that's rather hard to do. Also, I noticed my wrists are starting to hurt- like carpal tunnel- I remember my sis got that really bad with her pregnancies. I'm sure the swelling has lots to do with that though. I've gained a total of 18 lbs now and with 6 weeks left I'm going to try and keep it at the 25lbs gained marked :) Better than the 40+ I gained with Kelson. I have to admit I'm definitely not watching what I eat, but I'm trying to do better when I can.

We are just about done with Kelson's "enchanted forest" bedroom project- its gonna be soo cute. She loves her new room and seems to be enjoying it already. Her and I are going shoppins this weekend to find her the perfect bedspread for her room. We have some mural paintings to do, but overall its gonna be perfect for our little girl.

The "finding nemo" bathroom should be complete today and ready for us to clean and use by this weekend :) Yipee! I can't wait!

Then Janson's "pirate" room is just painting and installing chair rail. That's the easy part. Our friends are throwing us a couple shower on Oct 2nd. We plan to have the house done so people can check out the progress on the kids' bedrooms.
We've already received a couple gifts from our friends. We didn't have to register for many big things since a lot of Kelson's stuff was neutral colored. Smart thinking on our part. It's so cool to see all the "boy" stuff that we have already bought for our little man. I'm really ready to hold and kiss all over him, but it will be here soon! :)Just please please please don't come on Halloween baby Janson :)

We've already talked about putting up our Christmas tree early so when we get home from the hospital, it will all be done :) But well see. I doubt I'll be going to our annual Halloween party this year since its sooo close to my due date, but I may make an appearance. Course I have NO CLUE what I would be :) Hard to believe after Halloween that our little man will be here. BTW- the weather is already turning "fall"- its awesome!!!!! So breezy and beautiful outside! Yea!