Lazy Ambitions

Really, Really Expecting

2010-06-28T11:36:00.003-05:00

A lot has happened since the last time I posted. My husband and I decided to have another child. We had been trying actually since about last September but just like before we weren't having much luck on our own. So in April I went to the doctor and got a prescription for Clomid. This is the same fertility drug I took in 2006 to get pregnant with my son, Jackson. I took one "cycle" (5 days) of the Clomid. Jeff and I decided that at this point in our lives we might need to postpone having another child. Jeff and I are both in school and working full time and financially it didn't make much sense to have another child until one of us graduated. I was a little disappointed with our decision because I am 28 years old and really don't want to wait much longer to have more children. And our son is already 3 years old and I don't want to have a large age gap between the kids. But my husband's reasoning made sense.

So I did not take anymore cycles of the Clomid. In May I did not have my monthly woman visitor but that is not unusual for me at all. I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. Then a few more weeks later I noticed that I was very emotional. I would cry while hearing songs on the radio. I haven't been taking my Zoloft (anxiety meds) so I thought that my brain was just malfunctioning like it does. A coworker talked me into taking another test. So at work in the bathroom stall I took a pregnancy test (without my husband knowing) and immediately two pink lines show up. I was completely shocked. After telling Jeff and both of us adjusting to the idea of this unexpected surprise I still decided to keep it quiet at work until after I went to the doctor to confirm everything. On June 17, 2010 I went and confirmed with the doctor. Since the pregnancy was due to a fertility drug they scheduled me for an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. On June 23, 2010 my husband and I go back for the ultrasound. I am only about 11 weeks at this time so I don't know why but I was expecting to just see a little peanut and nothing much more. As soon as the TV screen popped on the ultrasound technician says "There's two". WHAT?! There they were. 2 heads, 2 bodies, and 4 hands. They are fraternal twins which means they are in separate amniotic sacs and have separate placentas which is good because they will be able to have separate nourishment instead of fighting for it.

Well as you can imagine both of us were really shocked. Before the technician walked out the door she asked me "Is your husband okay, because he hasn't said a word since I have been in here?" He didn't really speak to me until about an hour later. I know it was a lot to take in. And the first things he says to me is we have to get a new car and a new house.

So within a matter of a few minutes my life has completely changed. We traded our compact crossover vehicle for a full size SUV. We have decided to make the house work as long as we can. There are 2 bedrooms and 1 bath upstairs and 2 bedrooms and 1 bath in the basement but you can't really put any of the kids in a basement. So eventually we will probably have to add on or move. So now we are just trying to prepare for what is to come next. I am already getting a baby bump and I am only 12 weeks along. I can't image what I will be like in a month or two. I guess we will see.

Prom 2010

2010-04-23T20:50:00.006-05:00

Tonight my nephew had his senior prom. Wow! He is a senior! I am getting so old. His little sister was able to go tonight because her date is a junior this year. So they get to experience this special time together. After prom they are going their separate ways because who would want to spend prom night with their brother or sister? We took lots of pictures. Everyone looked so good. I just hope everyone has a safe time tonight.

My nephew Brandon with his date Brittany

Brandon, Poppa & Brittany

My neice Brittany with her date Josh

3 Years Old

2010-02-21T21:18:00.003-06:00

Today my baby boy turned 3. I can't believe it. He has grown into such a little man. BB and Rachel came over early and helped me decorate the house. Jackson wanted a SpongeBob Squarepants party again. He had that same theme last year. But I guess whatever he wants, he gets. I wasn't able to take many pictures because I was holding the video camera. I haven't figured out how to download the video from my video camera so I can't really post anything. I do have a picture of the cake and one of him blowing out his candle. He had a good time although we were missing two important aunts. Bonnie had to work and Ashley is in Pennsylvania. We missed them very much.

2010-02-20T22:21:00.003-06:00

Jeff's cousin Alyssa got married tonight. It was a very nice wedding and reception. Jackson really enjoyed himself. He danced all night. Thanks Alyssa and Jakob for the great night and congratulations.

Jackson dancing with Allyson

The happy couple Alyssa and Jakob

Father and Mother of the Bride (Dennis and Debbie Holland)

For Poppa

2010-01-30T20:38:00.001-06:00

Here is a YouTube video from later today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2BGbKK97Tg

SNOW!!

2010-01-30T12:08:00.006-06:00

Dover got snow! It has been several years since we have gotten this much snow. And surprisingly it is snow and not ice. This is the first time that Jackson has ever really been able to play in it. He couldn't stay out too long because he was so cold, but we will go back out later.

Trying to build a snowman

Throwing snow on Daddy

Let's Go Peay!

2010-01-30T12:01:00.004-06:00

As an Austin Peay State University student and employee, I feel that I should start supporting the teams. My sister's family and my family decided to attend a basketball game. Jackson really enjoyed the game. He was shaking his pom pom and everything. Before we went he was so excited because he thought that BB was playing. He really loves to go to her games. Hopefully we can start attending more functions of APSU.

Christmas

2009-12-25T23:19:00.005-06:00

I had a great day today. I am kind of sad that Christmas is over. Jackson played really hard today. Now I have all week to straighten the house and play with our new toys.

Christmas on the Cumberland

Present from Santa

Present from MeMe and Poppa

My present from Jeff. A wonderful scrapbooking area.

2009-12-20T21:33:00.002-06:00

I finally got to have a girls night. I went out with some friends that I haven't seen in so long. It was so much fun. I didn't get home until 2:30 a.m. which I haven't done in years. I hope that I am able to do this more often. I miss these women so much.

Me, Jennifer & Nikki

Me and Nikki

2009-10-12T20:31:00.002-05:00

I was taking some random pictures with Jackson tonight and realized how much he has grown up. He looks like a boy now, not like a baby anymore. Below are some of those pictures along with some from a Halloween birthday party and Jackson's kitty cats. Jeff came home with two girl kittens a couple of weeks ago. Before we named them I was calling both of them "sister". Jackson immediately picked up on this, so now whenever we are out he tells everyone he wants to go home and play with his sisters. They now have names (Sherbert & Lola) but he still calls them his sisters.

My sister says I have a cow tongue.

I like this picture of us.

Here is my little man. He is no longer a baby.

The pirate at a Halloween birthday party.

The sisters.

A picture from the family reunion.

Zoo

2009-08-23T21:28:00.004-05:00

This weekend we took Jackson to the zoo. This was his first visit. It was a perfect day. The temperature was in the 70's and it wasn't crowded at all. I am glad it was a good experience instead of the headache I was imaging.

His reaction to the first animal we saw

He petted the goats.

He rode the carousel

We saw a yawning snake. He really was yawning!

Jackson and Daddy were able to get in the meerkat cage to get a ground view.

A picture in the garden with Daddy.

In the garden with Momma.

It was a long day and he was tired.

New Home

2009-07-08T14:01:00.003-05:00

I know I have updated anything in a while but we have been busy. We just bought a new house. We are officially in Dover for good! YAY! I love the life down here. I will have pictures to post soon. It is perfect for us. It has a finished basement which provides us with a guest room, Jackson has his own playroom, and I have my own office. I love it. Once we get everything where we want it, it will be much better. It is not a lake view but it is within walking distance to the water. Now Jeff wants a boat. It is really peaceful. I don't hear sirens or traffic. I don't hear neighbors. I do have neighbors but they are surprisingly quiet.

But we have moved so hopefully things will calm down now.

Mr. Manners

2009-05-31T22:03:00.003-05:00

I realized today that my son is very polite. Just out of habit I make him say thank you when someone gives him something. And I try to remind him to cover his mouth when he coughs. He has picked up on these and I am glad. But today I saw all the polite manners come out. He has one of those old fishing games like I had when I was a kid. The one where the fish spin around and open and close their mouths while you try to catch them with a plastic little fishing pole. Well, he dropped the game in the floor and some of the fish heads came off. He brought them over to me one by one and I fixed them. After I handed each one back to him he said "Thank you". I didn't have to remind him. Then later in the day he did something that I didn't teach him. I sneezed and he said "Bless you". This is a manner that he picked up on from just watching us. It made me so proud. I really have a great kid. Even though he is into EVERYTHING, he really isn't a bad child. He went to church today with my parents and the nursery teacher (who is a Nurse Practitioner) told them that Jackson is the most well-adjusted child she has ever seen. She was impressed with him. That means a lot because she has seen lots of children over the span of her career in health services. I just hope that I continue to be a good influence to him.

We're Back

2009-05-09T23:09:00.004-05:00

Well, vacation was fun but I didn't take a single picture. I can't believe it but every time we went somewhere I forgot my camera. We had fun and Jackson really enjoyed himself. I am going to post a few pictures from his 2nd birthday (Feb. 21st) since I haven't been able to do that yet.

Here are some pictures from today. He went to the park with his Nana and Papaw (Jeff's parents).

Vacation Is Coming!

2009-03-25T22:06:00.004-05:00

I know I haven't posted any pictures of Jackson's birthday, but things have been a little busy. I am taking 3 classes this semester, raising a 2 year old, working full time and getting ready to go on VACATION!! This will be our first vacation since Jackson was born. Boy do we need it. We have gotten away on our anniversary but nothing longer than overnight. We will be spending one full week in Gatlinburg with my entire family. This includes my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, neice, husband, and son. It is going to be so great. We have done this once before about 3 years ago and it worked out pretty well. Everyone got along and there wasn't any fighting that I could remember. Once we get back I will try to post some pictures of Jackson's birthday and our vacation. I can't wait to see how he acts at the aquarium. I just know that I am soooo ready to relax and not think about anything. My professor is going to let me take my midterm late so I won't have to stress about anything while I am gone. I might even be able to read a non-school book. If you can't tell I am really excited.

2 Years Ago...

2009-02-07T21:10:00.004-06:00

This time 2 years ago I was on early maternity leave, sitting at the house waiting to have my baby. It is hard to believe, but my little boy will be 2 years old in exactly two weeks. These past two years have been very different but wonderful. When he entered my life everything changed. I have forgotten what silence sounds like. I can't leave a room without hearing crying or having someone cling to my leg. I can't go to Walmart without coming home with a new bouncy ball (Jackson's favorite toy - I have about 45 balls lying around the house). Until recently I haven't been able to sleep in my bed without his feet sticking into my back. Thankfully this past week he started sleeping in his own bed. There are a lot of things I miss but there are also a lot of things that I am thankful for. I love his smile and the way he calls me "Momma". I like to watch how excited he gets when he sees a dog. I love how he wants to hold my hand when he walks outside. I like how he wants to wear his hat just like his daddy. There are so many good things that have come from having him. He has really made my life better. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

2 weeks old

23 months

Christmas is Over

2009-01-15T20:54:00.009-06:00

Well it was a good Christmas. Everyone was good this year and we all got presents from Santa. Jackson was very excited.

Everyone else was "plum tuckered out".

Santa

2008-12-19T21:39:00.004-06:00

This year Jackson did so well with Santa. I have posted below his picture from today and also his picture last year. See what a difference a real beard can make.

TODAY

LAST YEAR

A Sad but Inspiring Story

2008-12-07T20:42:00.004-06:00

Back in 2007 I was told about a website. It was a carepages website which is known as a website for terminally ill people. It is a place where they can vent about what is happening to them and also to keep in touch with others while they are in the hospital. This particular story was about a 16 year old boy named Miles Levin. He was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. What makes his story different from any other person diagnosed with this disease is that he has the most positive attitude about it. He blogs for 2 years about his life and how precious every moment is to him. He believes that he was put on this earth for the very point of showing people how to live positively in the face of adversity. I, a healthy person, was inspired by him to be grateful for everything we are given. I eventually printed the entire blog and made a book out of it. I encourage anyone to read this blog as it is still available online. Go to http://www.carepages.com/ and sign up. Then type in LevinStory to find the blog. Unfortunately, Miles lost his battle with cancer in August of 2007 but his message is just as clear today as any other.

Lots of Pictures

2008-12-02T21:01:00.004-06:00

We have had a lot going on lately.

Jackson got his 1st haircut.

We went to a party at Cousin Jenny's.

My sister turned 40. (HAHA) I made her a tombstone cake.

This is the view from our front porch I was talking about in an earlier post. Unfortunately I missed the fall colors. But you can imagine what it looked like.

My Little M&M

2008-11-02T20:37:00.002-06:00

Funny Face

2008-10-29T21:02:00.006-05:00

Jackson makes the cutest face when he is trying to do something and it doesn't work out. In the video below he has a phone that has an attachment that he doesn't want on it. He is pulling so hard that he strains himself and shakes. He does this a lot at restuarants when he is trying to buckle the belt in his highchair.

If you look real close you will see a bump on his head where he just slammed it into the DVD stand. He is such a clumsy kid.

Fall Is Here

2008-10-25T21:14:00.005-05:00

I am glad Fall is here. It is time for falling leaves, sweatshirts, pumpkins and parties. Here is Jackson with his pumpkin.

Here is our family photo.

Serious Boy

2008-10-16T08:10:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to show off my baby again. This blog site will mostly be about him. I was keeping a website at babysites.com (the link is in the corner of the page) but I have used all the space and don't want to delete anything just to add more pictures. So from now on this will be his as well as the family's official information page.

The picture below is a "serious" picture. He has so many different expressions now since he is getting older. It is so entertaining to watch him.

Relaxing in the Country

2008-10-09T20:18:00.003-05:00

We love that we have a front porch. Though we don't do it often, it is really relaxing to sit in the swing and enjoy the peace and quiet. Once the trees start to change colors we will have a beautiful view. I will have to post a picture of it soon.

Family

2008-10-09T20:04:00.005-05:00

In the past few months we have been able to see a lot of our family. In September we had our annual family reunion.

Then a little bit later my Aunt Joyce and Cousin "Pete" came in from Lousiana and Texas to visit.

Jackson really enjoyed that LSU football from Aunt Joyce and Cousin "Pete".

Welcome

2008-10-08T21:18:00.006-05:00

Welcome to our new website. I will try to update this blog with pictures and information about the family. We are a small family consisting of Mom (me), Dad (Jeff), and Baby (Jackson, 19 months old). We live an uneventful life, hence the title of the blog. But on occasion we do have some fun. My first picture posted will be my two favorite guys. This picture was taken a while back but I love to see Jackson's smile.