The Clamors.....Our Life in Nebraska

soooo frustrated!

2011-11-07T21:49:00.001-08:00

Soooo Frustrated w/Blogger!!!!!

Preston Lee turned FIVE

2011-07-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Our precious baby boy turned five on June 26th. There is no way to prepare for just how fast the first five years of your baby's life is going to fly by. But I can honestly say it has been the best five years of my life. From the moment Preston was born he has given me a special happiness that I never had before. He is everything to me. I love the way he "still" sucks his thumb and will say to me "Mom, do you wish God gave you a boy that didn't suck his thumb?" I love how much he cares about me to ask me the day after I've been sick "Mom, how are you feeling this morning?" I love how he will be walking through a room and while passing by he says "Mom I love you." I love and admire his interest and passion in so many areas of life. I love how much my son loves God and acknowledges Him almost daily. I love how he says to me "Mom I love you more than Cabelas!" I love when we are at church on Sunday mornings and our Pastor asks if anyone has a prayer request or testimony and Preston Lee always raises his hand and says out loud his request or what he's thankful for. I am grateful that he respects, loves and fears his father. There are a million reasons I love our baby boy, but most of all I love him because he's our Preston Lee.

Preston Lee I hope you had a very Happy 5th Birthday. It was a day that I will treasure forever. Thank you so much for being you Preston and I love you with all my heart.

Here are a few pictures from Preston's special day:

Preston Lee @ 5 y/o

2011-06-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Preston Lee @ 5 y/o....well these pics are a few days early ;) And I have to tell y'all something sooo sweet that my soon-to-be Five Year Old said this evening....
We were working on getting everyone out of the Yukon and Preston said "Mom I'm going to be married one day and I won't live with you" I said "Oh really? And just who are you going to marry?" And Preston points to Addison and said "Sissy" then immediately he said (so seriously with worry) "Mom what if I pick out the wrong ring for her?" Oh My Goodness!!!!!!!!!! Yep, I could have just lost it right there, sat down on the curb and started crying...BUT instead I smiled at Preston, gave him a big kiss and said "Preston the ring you pick out for your wife is going to be the perfect ring, and you are going be a perfect husband to a very lucky girl." Once again this little guy of mine tugs at my heart strings. I'm so in love...forever Preston Lee.

Addison Myrna-Jane @ 15 m/o

2011-06-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

the Joy of summer

2011-06-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

The joy of summer is finally here, thank goodness. The kids have been enjoying backyard playing, camping, the park, going to the circus...and anxiously awaiting for the community pool to open.

Last week Justin had 4 days off work so we took advantage of that, loaded up the camper headed north and camped 3 days/nights on Angostura lake. We all loved every minute of it. It was so beautiful watching Addison walk everywhere screaming and having fun, while watching Preston learn to skip rocks. Preston did learn to skip them quite well too!

The community pool's heater is out of order so we've had to make do by setting up Preston's pool in the backyard. Give kids a few inches of water and it really makes no difference to them.....it's a pool!! Preston had a friend (Lawson) over the other day and they had a blast playing together in the pool and at the sand/water table.

Monday evening the kids and I went to the Circus, along with Laura Bagley (our pastor's wife) and her five girls....yes I said 5 girls....lol! Those girls are so well behaved, anyway.... we had a great time. It was Addison's first Circus and I forgot my camera to take pictures! Afterwards we treated all the kids to McDonalds and then to play at the park. It was a great evening.

We hope everyone is doing great and God Bless.

my sweet babies :)

2011-05-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Evening of Fishing

2011-05-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last week we went fishing, when we pulled up at the pond and started to get out of the Yukon Preston said "Mom, you forgot to strap me in" I said "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry Preston" And he replied "It's ok, everyone makes mistakes" Gotta love that litttle boy of ours!!!!

Then while the boys were fishing I was trying to take care of Addison and Preston said to me "Mom, please watch me!" I told him I was trying to and he said "well turn on your back eyes please". (I have him convinced I have eyes on the back of my head and that I can turn them on/off. Preston calls them my "back eyes")

A Wonderful Mother's Day for Me

2011-05-08T20:21:00.001-07:00

I had the most wonderful Mother's Day today. My Mother's Day celebration started yesterday when Preston Lee and I potted flowers while Addison played on a blanket in the yard. Listening to Addison talk/holler at us while we were getting more and more dirt all over us was perfect. Preston being the typical 4 year old, he was ready to play in the dirt forever. This morning we all got up and headed to church. After church we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Fort. Justin was home today, it was nice having him home on Mother's Day, the RR has been keeping him VERY busy. The highlight of the evening was me and Addison enjoying soaking "our" feet together. I was sitting in the rocker soaking my feet and Addison crawls over to see what the noise was coming from the foot bath. Then my little buttercup stands up and puts a foot in....and laughs! Yes I thought for a moment I went to heaven and back. One year ago on Mother's Day I never imagined Addison would be sitting having foot soaks with me today.....the best gift ever.

My children each have a special way of making me feel like the world's best Mom. Thank you so much Preston and Addison (and Justin) for such a wonderful Mother's Day. I love you both.

a favorite from today...

2011-05-07T23:21:00.001-07:00

Had a WONDERFUL day with my kiddos. I took a few pics and I'm thinking this is one of my favorites....don't look too close, Addison has soda on her face (reason for the black/white, but turned out great).

The kids and I had a picnic in the park, came home and potted flowers. I will treasure this day forever. Thank you Preston and Addison!

****Oh!!! Addison is standing and taking a step! Happy Mother's Day to Me :)

Gorgeous days here to stay? I hope!

2011-05-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today was just gorgeous here in Mayberry, I sure pray it continues. I tried taking Addison on a bike ride today, I got the trailer hooked up, strapped her in it, got Preston all set with his bicycle.....Justin comes out to air up my tire and sure enough, my luck, the valve stem is broke. Preston decided then he didn't want to go if I couldn't ride my bike too. So Preston and I worked in the yard a little enjoying the warm weather AND sunshine while miss Addison took a little nap. Then shortly after Justin and Preston went fishing, they caught 6 trout. Every day Preston asks if the pool is open yet, ahh that will be so nice when it is. Here's a couple pics from the past few days. LOVIN' my new Nikon 18-200!!!!

Preston getting his bike ready for a ride (yes in his jammies!)

Little miss buttercup waiting for her ride, that never happened :(

An old (obviously) church that I have been patiently waiting to get pics of ;)

Vroom-Vroom!!!!!

A bridge down at our park....love this picture!

A tree and some steps...but check out the bokah!

My favorite pic of the day!!!

Easter anyone?

2011-05-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Easter anyone? I know I'm a little behind posting Easter pics, but that is kind of how our Easter went, a little behind. When you're married to a RR'er that's how most holidays go. That's ok though, Preston and Addison had a wonderful Easter celebration spread out over several days. We started reading an Easter Story weeks before Easter and Preston can now tell you why we celebrate Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Here's a few pics from our Easter.

I'll take ya for a ride Sissy

2011-03-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

A couple mornings ago Preston was asking to ride his tractor (he knows he's not allowed to ride the dirt bike when Dad's not home). He then asked me if he could take Sissy for a ride. I thought it was a wonderful idea, and so did Addison. Preston was so cautious pulling her, he never left low gear. Thanks Preston for being such a wonderful/protective big brother to Addison.

** I'd say you're right Preston, your seat needs adjusted! QUIT growing so fast!

Preston's 1st Tumbling Recital

2011-03-28T12:14:00.001-07:00

Preston Lee had his first tumbling recital last Saturday evening. I am so proud of Preston, he tumbled just great! The recital was held here at the Community Building, and there was a huge turnout. Preston is in the preschool/beginner class. There is a total of 6 students, 4 girls, 2 boys. The other boy is Jaxon, one of Preston's best friends. Preston and Jaxon have been taking tumbling class together for only a couple months. The boys (and girls) are so much fun to watch. They try so hard and listen so well to their instructor, Donna. Preston always looks forward to the sucker that Donna gives them at the end of class :) Before Donna could even introduce the group Preston Lee took center stage, literally! He stepped out of the line and walked right up to the front center stage and smiled from ear to ear! It was so funny/cute! I love you Preston Lee! Addison had a great time watching all the beginner to advanced tumblers. We are very proud of you Preston and love you so much.

Our latest happenings....

2011-03-22T20:06:00.001-07:00

Well since I blogged last Addison was diagnosed with RSV, she's now over that and back to her happy little self. She started out with a cough, congestion and a fever. By the weekend she was getting no sleep at all and just miserable and lethargic. I took her to the clinic on Saturday and was told she had a virus. I was doing everything I could to keep her hydrated and make her comfortable. Three days later was her scheduled 1 year well child visit that turned into a sick child visit. Dr. Guerue heard Addison cough and immediately said "that's an RSV cough". After listening to her lungs Dr. Guerue said she knew Addison had RSV, we could test her, but it wasn't necessary because she was treating her for RSV regardless. Thank goodness! She started Addison on an antibiotic and breathing treatments every 4 hours till cough subsides. After two days of breathing treatments Addison was feeling much better. She is now back to her busy little self, crawling around the house as fast as she can go, and constantly getting into all of Preston's toys because they are the best toys in the house :)

Not sure if this happened since my last blog post, but Preston managed to scratch the cornea of his left eye in three different places. He was playing at Jaxon's house and ran right into a chair. I guess his eye was WIDE open when he ran in to it, and the fibers of the chair material scratched his eye. Justin was headed out to work and that left me to take Preston (and Addison) to the ER. It was quite an experience. It took 5 of us to hold Preston down numerous times over a 2 hour period to instill eye drops. The next day Preston bounced back pretty well from it. His eye was feeling much better, but we still had to instill eye drops every 4 hours for the next couple of days. Honestly, I was NOT successful at getting them in his eye every 4 hours....more like once a day, lol. His eye healed just fine.

Oh I almost forgot, while driving to the clinic on that Saturday to have Addison seen, Preston pukes everywhere! He had the stomach flu that was circulating through our community.

Yep LOTS of fun around here! But I do think everyone is well now and we're soooo ready for spring!

I hope everyone is doing well. God bless.

Addison Myrna-Jane turned ONE!

2011-03-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, Addison has already turned one year old. Tomorrow she will be 13 months old.
Yes I am a little behind on posting birthday pics, better late than never though :)

Addison's birth weight was 2lbs 15oz and 14&3/4"
Addison's current weight is 15lbs 8oz and 28"

Addison had a tough time her first 3 months of life. Her first 3 weeks was in the NICU at Sweedish Hospital, the next 7.5 weeks was spent in the NICU at SB Hospital, and her last 1.5 weeks of NICU stay was back in Denver at Presbyterian St. Lukes. I cannot even describe how wonderful it felt to bring her home. It definitely was one of the best days of my life. We are blessed.

Our community, friends and family supported us in so many ways while Addison was in the NICU. So for Addison's 1st birthday we decided to celebrate at the Eagles and share this celebration with our community. We had a great turn out (a total of 45, kids & adults) despite the freezing cold weather, and when I say freezing I mean freezing! There was probably a good 1/2-1" of frost on the trees ALL day. I'm not sure what the temperature was but I know it was in the single digits. The frost was beautiful and I wish so badly now that I would have taken some outdoor pictures of mother nature.

Thanks Deb for coming and taking pictures :)

Peanut Butter & Jelly anyone?

2011-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Preston made his own pbj today for the FIRST time :) I'm so proud of him. Not so proud of the mess he left for me.

**Yep, that would be my Blackberry sitting there with jelly all over it!

Lover Lover

2011-03-11T22:46:00.000-08:00

This song Lover Lover by Jerrod Niemann is one of Preston's favorites and has been for quite some time now. During Preston's one of many stays with the Lyne family, Steve played his guitar and sang this song. Preston was sold on Lover Lover. And if you ask Preston who sings Lover Lover he will say "Steve Lyne". Seriously. Even when it's on the radio, it's Steve Lyne singing it, not Jerrod Niemann.

The Lyne family is one of many families here in Mayberry that has gone the extra mile to help me and Justin many of times. Brandy and Steve are so special to us, and especially to Preston Lee. I'm certain if I would let Preston, he would move in with the Lyne's, as long as he could see me every now and then, lol.

We met the Lyne family (Steve & Brandy, Alex, Blake, Natalie, and Chase)when they started coming to our church. Brandy and Steve provided security & stability for Preston Lee while me and Justin were in Denver during and after Addison's birth, and while I was traveling back and forth to SB for 7 weeks while Addison was in the NICU. Brandy made sure Preston made it to preschool every day, provided his snack for the class on his snack day, she washed his clothes, made sure his teeth were brushed and his bottom was clean :) provided his meals, and most importantly he had a BLAST hanging and playing with Alex, Blake, Natalie and Chase. Anytime Preston wanted to call and talk to me Brandi would let him. Brandy was a life saver for me and Justin. Brandy and I have a very special friendship, she has a heart of gold and I honestly think she would do anything in her power for anyone. Steve has the best personality, Preston even said to me just here recently "mom, you need to be funny like Steve". I knew exactly what he meant. Steve is always making Preston laugh and did a fantastic job of making Preston feel at home anytime he is at their house. Thank you so much Steve for being you. The older boys Alex and Blake both took Preston under their wing. Preston looks up to both and is grateful for all the good times they have had together. Preston still talks about going on a Geo Hunt with them.

Unfortunately, The Lyne family will be moving soon to Minnesota. Steve has advanced in management with BNSF. We will miss them so much. I pray only God's will for them.

Lover Lover will forever be a favorite for Preston and me. Thanks again Brandy and Steve. We miss you guys already.

A beautiful, busy day

2011-03-10T21:49:00.001-08:00

What a beautiful, busy day we had. Up bright and early this morning, because my son chooses to be an early bird, we were busy around the house doing the everyday things we do. Then it was time to get Preston ready for preschool, and we realized it was his snack day....crud, I had forgot! On the way to school we stopped at Absalons and got a jug of apple juice and some Kudos granola bars. Thank God for Absalons :) So after dropping Preston Lee off at school Addison and I headed to Chadron to run some errands. While checking out at WalMart I realize I have left my wallet in the Yukon....crud again! So Addison and I run out to get it as fast as we can, I am pushing the unlock button on the remote, standing at what I think is our Yukon and the darn thing wouldn't unlock!!! I'm sweating at this point, thinking something is wrong the truck won't unlock, AND I need to get back inside to pay for our stuff. Hmmmm, what the heck is sitting on the dash of "our" Yukon? OH MY GOSH, it's NOT "OUR" Yukon! I was so embarrassed, so Addison and I run a few isles over to unlock "our" Yukon. LOLOLOL! We get back in to WalMart, get our stuff paid for and head back to pick up Preston from school.

After school the kids & I stopped by to check out Becky's dream in process. Becky is turning a rental house she owns into an art gallery/coffee shoppe. It is looking great! Preston had fun playing with Meagan while Becky shared all her ideas and plans with me. I'm excited for her and inspired to never give up on dreams ;)

After our stop at Becky's art gallery, we came home, had a bite of dinner and headed to MOPS. MOPS was great tonight! Thanks Aimee for all your hard work and dedication.

While getting the kiddos ready for bed I notice Addison is running a low fever. She has cut one tooth and is working on another, I hope that's what the fever is stemming from.

It's 11 o'clock and way past my bedtime (big yawn). I will post pics from Addison's birthday party soon, promise. Night everyone and God bless.

bu-bu...

2011-02-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

When my sister was here visiting this past summer for Preston's 4th Birthday and to meet and spend time with Addison, she started calling Preston "bubby" when talking to Addison. And this is what my sister always called our brother Eli when we were kids. Well sure enough it stuck, and now when we are talking to Addison and referring to Preston, we alays call Preston "bubby". A couple days ago Addison started saying "bu-bu" when wanting Preston's attention. It makes my heart melt, and I think it does Preston's too. The VERY first time she said it Preston heard it and said "Mom! Did you hear that? Addison said bu-bu!"

It's going on 11 and Addison is up for her "1st" time tonight, crying for Momma....so I guess that's it for now. Later :)

A Cake Smash for Addison

2011-02-03T17:45:00.000-08:00

In preperation for Addison's ONE year Birthday, we decided to let our little princess get in some practice....smashin' the cake! Addison had a blast & LOVED the cake. Worrying about her being sick later, Daddy stepped in and put an end to the fun. Preston was a great sport about it all & even helped his sister eat some of her cake.

Lil' Miss Addi is now 11 Months

2011-01-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Lil' Miss Addison turned 11 months on the 19th. She is one happy, energetic baby. She now walks pushing her baby doll in a buggy. Her favorite room in the house is still Preston's bedroom :) She now enjoys teasing me when I want her to say Momma, she says "dada". To her, brother is still the funniest person that walks the planet. She enjoys eating Mum-Mum crackers, and I really don't think she has a favorite baby food...she eats pretty much any of it we give her :) We are slowly letting her try some table foods. She is still up every night 1-2 times, eeek.

I took these pictures of Addison the other day....VERY quickly while Preston was at school. Yes I know she is in a Christmas/Santa dress...I had to get pics in it. These are a couple of my favorite shots out of about 48....LOL, seriously. Wow, lighting/shadows is a booger! Maybe some day I'll have my own lighting, that will be nice. I'm trying to learn Photoshop so bare with me ") If my teacher wasn't 15 hours away it might be a lil' easier to learn! Anyhoo...Addison is darn cute with or without photoshop :) Enjoy!

(you can click on the picture for enlargement)

Video clips of the kiddos :)

2011-01-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here are a few video clips of the kiddos. In the second video take note of Preston's thumb-sucking and other hand in his pants. LOL, I don't think he will ever outgrow this :)

A post a week?

2011-01-06T22:46:00.000-08:00

I know I feel the same as many others do, there's just not enough time in a day...and if there ever is, I'M TOO TIRED! So my goal is to at least blog weekly, surely I can muster up enough time & energy to do that. Much has happened in our lives in the past year and I have recorded so little of it on blogger. If Addison ever reads my blog someday she's definitely going to feel she was a little neglected on blogger :) I have also got to get back into the routine of printing my blog. I can do it!

Before I forget, I have to tell ya about our dinner at Pizza Hut a few nights ago. The waitress brings four saucers to the table. Preston takes the saucers and starts passing them out to us. He stops and says "Why did she give us four plates, Addison can't eat pizza. I guess it's for Jesus." How sweet is that? I know the Lord had to be smiling too just as Justin and I were.

Addison Myrna-Jane is now crawling. She "seal" crawled for about a week or so, then off she went. She crawled for a couple days, then in ONE day figured out how to pull herself up on her knees, how to pull herself up to her feet, and how to go from crawling to sitting on her bottom. The next day she took a 3 hour nap....I guess she wore her little self out. She is a VERY busy girl, and she loves to play. I will be surprised if she isn't walking in the next month. She is already taking steps when holding on to furniture. She says Momma all the time, I just love it! Her favorite room in the house is Preston's bedroom. And Preston is such a great brother, for the most part he lets Addison in his room any time and lets her play/chew on whatever she wants. Preston's room is very organized and now that Addison has taken a liking to the room, Preston helps keep all the "small" toys picked up.

Preston is enjoying Preschool and continues to learn at a speed I can hardly keep up with. I am so proud of Preston for the interest he has in writing. Last week him and I were drawing, I was drawing a triangle and he says "that triangle looks like Auntie's letter". The triangle looked similar to the letter A, which is the letter his Auntie starts with :) When we wrote out thank you cards for Christmas gifts, Preston had to "write" the thank you's and sign his name.

I cannot believe that another Christmas has came and gone. This was Preston's 5th Christmas and Addison's 1st. We had a blessed Christmas, though we did miss our family very much. This was the first year since living in NE that we didn't get to be with any of our family. I do believe that Preston was dissapointed that he didn't get to see and visit with "daddy" Santa this year. The past two years Justin has dressed up as Santa, delivered the presents and spent some time visiting with Preston. Last year we realized that Preston was figuring it all out when he says to Santa/Justin "Daddy, why do you have on that Santa suit?" Oh that was so funny, and we do have it recorded on video :) So this year Justin decided not to dress up as Santa. But I think next year he has no choice!

Here are just a few pics from Christmas.....Enjoy and God bless :)

Ho-Ho-Ho...Santa Clause I LUV You!

2010-12-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Santa Clause made a quick stop at our house, just for me! He delivered the one and only wish (monetary wish that is) on my list. He delivered the Nikon D90! WooHoo! Just in time for me to take our own Christmas pics, and in time for me to get to know my new camera a little before Christmas day. And WOW do I have a LOT to learn. I am so excited! Shana you will be so proud of me, I've been shooting only in manual mode :) I'm not sure if I'll EVER get the whole manual mode figured out, but I'm going to give it my best. I haven't got to spend much time "alone" with my camera yet as I do have a 9 month old, and a 4 year old. BUT they are great subjects :) This evening while getting dinner together I did get to take a few shots of the kiddos. Our kitchen lighting is the worst (seriously), but overall the pics turned out ok. I'm trying to read as much as I can to familiarize myself with this awesome camera and ALSO start learning post processing (editing). Thanks Shana for getting me started :) Anyhoo...here are a few pics I snapped tonight while getting dinner together.

Momma?

2010-11-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

Momma? Did you say Momma? Yes she did! Yaaaay! I'm so exited (in case you can't tell by allll the exclamations). Addison was swinging, and as I was walking passed her she looked up at me and said "Momma". Oh how I love my babies. Thank you Lord for our beautiful blessings.

Preston has been outside today, helping Daddy put new running boards on the truck. It is so cute, Preston has to get his tools out too (Melissa & Doug Tools), he puts on a pair of Daddy's safety glasses...and he's good to go :) Preston LOVES helping Justin with just about anything.

Last night I STARTED putting up the living room Christmas tree. Preston was a HUGE help. Once again, he went to his room, got out his tools and made sure the tree was straight and sturdy. Thanks for all your help and inspiration Preston!

A Letter to Santa? Forget that.......

2010-11-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

A letter to Santa? Forget that! My son has it ALL figured out. The QUICKEST way to reach Santa, is to reach Jesus first! My heart smiles as I tell you all the sweetest little story about Preston.

Last night Justin and I were sitting in the living room watching t.v., Preston was in bed (his room is right off the living room). I thought for a second I heard Preston talking but then quickly realized his t.v. was on in his room. Once again, I heard him talking. So I called in to his room and asked him if he was talking. Preston hollers back to me "no Mom, I'm not talking" A few seconds go by, he's talking again! "Preston come here" "what Mom?" "Who are you talking to honey?" "I'm not talking Mom, I'm praying." (My heart melted!!!!!) I then asked him "What are you praying for Preston?" "I'm praying about Christmas" Justin then asked him "What about Christmas?" And Preston then tells us "I'm praying to Jesus to tell Santa to bring me Batman Lego's"

Wow! Preston is only a small child, but has already learned the quickest way to Santa is not a letter, but through Jesus Christ. What a humbling lesson from a four year old. Never again will I ask Preston to write a letter to Santa, it will always be a Christmas prayer to Jesus.

Thank you Preston Lee. I love you.

Riggs' Family Photos

2010-11-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics I took of my friend Lisa and her family. I took pictures for them year before last too and both times we've came out with some pretty good shots, me being an ameteur photographer with just a digital camera :)

I have been working on learning PhotoShop (Thanks Shana for all your help and future help), and I've asked Santa for a DSLR camera, we'll see if Santa can pull that one out of his bag :)

Anyhoo, always fun taking pictures! Enjoy the snow everyone, and if you don't have any yet....hahaha!

Happy 9 Months Old Addison

2010-11-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

Today our precious Addison turned 9 months old. Unfortunately she started her morning with a visit to the doctor. Addison has had a runny nose for about 7 days now, and has been running a fever off and on the last few days and not wanting to sleep AT ALL. So to be on the safe side, Preston and I took her to Chadron this morning since her pediatrician couldn't work her in. Thank God, no ear infections! It seems she may just have a sore throat from drainage.

Addison and I were playing in the floor this evening and I was telling her a little about her "heroic" birth story, I glanced up at the clock and it was EXACTLY 5:29pm! It was the perfect time to sing a little Happy Birthday to lil' miss Addison since she did enter this world at 5:29pm.

Addison was born weighing a whole 2lbs, 15oz. This morning at the doctor she weighed 12lbs, 13oz. Yes she is still VERY tiny :)

We are so proud of Preston Lee. From the day Justin and I told Preston we were expecting he has shown nothing less than unconditional love for his little sis Addison. Justin and I get so tickled when Addison laughs at Preston. Justin or I can do the same thing Preston does and Addison looks at us like we're aliens, but when Preston attempts to make Addison laugh, it's always a hit! She LOVES her brother so much and finds everything he does nonstop hilarious.

The pictures below are of Preston giving Addison a piano lesson on his baby piano. I will try and post a picture of Preston sitting at this piano, him and Addison look so much alike.

Happy 9 months baby girl, we love you!

Pickle Spitting Contest

2010-11-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

Friday evening our church had it's 3rd annual Fall Festival, consisting of a chili and pie cook off, a carnival for the children, AND our 3rd annual Pickle Spitting contest. Yes you read that correctly :)

I entered an Apple Crumb pie and a crock pot of Chili into the contest. My chili took 2nd place! WooHoo! Brooke Heine's chili took 1st place. There were 9 chili contestants and I believe the same for pie.

After enjoying chili and pie with all our church friends/family, the children headed upstairs to enjoy their carnival. Laura Bagley provided LOTS of games and prizes. Preston Lee loved the games and enjoyed helping too.

The close of the evening was our 3rd annual Pickle Spitting contest. It was hilarious to say the least. And yes you will only find people having a pickle spitting contest here in Mayberry :) If I get a hold of some pictures I will be sure and share with ya! Preston Lee scored better than me and Justin. Way to go Preston Lee, way to spit those pickles!

Today (Saturday) I spent the day doing laundry, cleaning the house (upstairs and downstairs) and taking care of my little peeps.

I think I'm getting close to dragging out the Christmas stuff, although I will not put up a Christmas tree this year till after Thanksgiving, due to my son being 4!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

This was Addison's FIRST Halloween and Preston's FIFTH. Preston dressed as a Sand Trooper from Star Wars, and Addison was a lil' Lady Bug. We had a very enjoyable Halloween with Daddy being home this year. Saturday we enjoyed being a part of the annual Costume Contest. Preston won "scariest" in his age group, and Addison won "most original" in her age group. After the costume contest we spent the afternoon/evening with Deb & Jeff Kennedy and their clan :) It was such an awesome evening Deb, thanks for the Chili, the pumpkin carving, Preston had a blast playing with Jaxon and all the other kiddos. And thank you Jeff for making sure Addison stayed warm :) Sunday evening Justin and I took the kids trick or treating, then came home so Preston could give out candy, Preston thought it was so cool. Every kid (which wasn't many) Preston would say "do you want more?" It was so cute. Anyway...we had a great Halloween and we are now already thinking about Christmas :)

Halloween/Fall pics of the kiddos

2010-10-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

Thank You Shana for the WONDERFUL pictures....I think you're the BEST!!

Oh Preston, you make Mommy smile :)

2010-10-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Preston is on a kick of carrying around books/papers/pens and pretending he's a doctor. This evening Addison and I were sitting in the living room and Preston walks in with some papers in his hand and says "so, how is your baby feeling?" Well I just assume we're "playing" dr. and this is how it went:

Preston: So, how is your baby feeling?
Me: Well, she's been really fussy.
Preston: Uh-huh...
Me: And she's been running a fever.
Preston: OK...
Me: And her nose has been runny.
Preston: I see...
Me: Oh, and she coughs a lot.
Me: What do you think is wrong with her Dr?
Preston: I don't know, I'm the Dentist.

OMYGOSH!!!!! I laughed soooooo hard! My son rocks! I love you Preston Lee!

Me and My Babies :)

2010-09-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

Preston's 1st day @ Preschool

2010-09-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Preston is now in his second year of preschool! And he LOVES it! His first day was August 18th, and every morning since then all I hear is "Mom is it time to go to school yet?" Preston has a passion for writing his ABC's, for now anyway. He can write the letters T, O, X, and U and tries so hard to write others till frustration takes over :) Here is collage of his first day:

Me Again, Yep ALREADY!!!

2010-09-03T20:57:00.001-07:00

Yep, Debbie it's me, blogging again already! I knew this would make ya smile :) A loving reminder we fly outta Denver on the 24th!!! WootWoot!!! Soooo excited to come home for 25 days! God is good! Ok, enough exclamation marks, lol.

Today was just a boring/lazy day for me and the kiddos. I just didn't have much getup-n-go today. I guess I should have had my coffee this morning. It NEVER holds Preston back though. He was dressed for turkey hunting today, after roller skating that is. He came inside and told me he was going turkey hunting, had to get dressed. So he gets his camo gear on (and I'm surprised he didn't put his face paint on), gets his gun (play gun of course) and tells me he can't go yet. I asked him why and he said "I have to wait for Uncle Rob." Ahhhh how sweet he is. Well he didn't wait for Uncle Rob too long, out the door he went and turkey hunting he did all the way out in the yard, for most of the day! He didn't bring a turkey in, but lots of rocks. Maybe next time Preston ;)

Addison had a Physical Therapy appointment yesterday. It went well. Her Pediatrician advised we see a PT for her, just to help her along with rolling and sitting up without assistance. Yes, she is a preemie, but sometimes our little preemies need some extra help along the way even once they're home. It was a good experience, Addison cooperated well, and I got some good pointers. The PT said Addison's physical development is between 3-4 months.

Here are a few August pictures:

Addison watching tv with brother. Brother couldn't walk
because he had 3 shots that day :(

Wanna go? Turkey hunting? Of course Daddy!!

It's "Peter Parker"

Peek-a-Boo!

Soooo Behind on Blogging :(

2010-09-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have ever been this far behind on blogging....lol. BUT I'm going to work on getting caught up! So much has happened in the last few months that has put blogging on the back burner. My blog is my diary to Preston and Addison, so therefore it's a MUST to get back into the habit of blogging. Working on getting caught up on printing this blog too, wow is that ever a chore.

Preston is now in his second year of preschool. Last year he went to the morning session, this year he is in the afternoon session. He LOVES it! He just told me today "mom, I love school". It was wonderful to hear those words. He's been impressing Mrs. Miller (his preschool teacher) with his ability to write many of the letters of the alphabet and enjoys trying to write.

Addison is now 6 months old. She weighs 10lbs, 15oz. And 23" long. She is a blessing. Addison has found her voice and enjoys being heard. She is a happy baby. She started eating cereal/baby food Monday. We are so proud of her. Her eyes sparkle and her smile is captivating. Thank you God for our beautiful children.

Justin is working, working, working. He works so hard to provide for us. We are blessed to have such a wonderful daddy/husband.

It is now 11pm and off to bed I should go. Have a wonderful day tomorrow everyone and God bless.

Momma's Sweet Baby Girl

2010-07-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

A Bike Ride To Fort Rob.....

2010-07-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up with what I thought was a bright idea of taking a bike ride on the trail out to Fort Robinson. From here to Fort Rob it's about 3 miles, by trail I believe it's closer to 4 if I'm not mistaking. I've done this bike ride several times before & have always enjoyed it, it's a great workout! It's not too far, but far enough when riding on a trail made of gravel. So I get the bike trailer hooked up, oh-yes both kiddos have to go too b/c Daddy's at work. I get the trailer hooked up, put Addison's car seat in, Preston gets all sqwished in, we've got our water with us, we're sunscreened up, and we're off! I get onto the trail down by the park & I'm thinking what on earth is going on here, I can't hardly peddle, and I'm only in 1st gear!! Yes the trail is tiny gravel, but that didn't matter last summer, or the summer before. So I get off my bike, check all the tires, they're fine, so I get back on. Off we go again, but still in 1st and major resistance. It only took about another 10 reps of turning those bike peddles when it hit me like a rock!!

1. This ol' gal aint what she used to be! My extra pounds isn't making this any easier!
2. Preston Lee now weighs 42lbs!
3. I also have the xtra weight of Addison & her carseat, probably about 15lbs right there!
4. And of course the weight of the bike trailer!

So this ride is going to take me a liiiiiittle longer than what it use to, it didn't matter, I was going to do it. Preston saying "please Mom, you can do it" did give me some encouragement. Well guess what, we made it! I made 3 brief stops to drink some water & to catch my breath. Addison was a trooper, she didn't fuss at all, and Preston kept hollering to me updates on a butterfly that was flying along beside us. As we turned the corner off the gravel and onto the pavement at Fort Rob Preston says "I knew you could do it Mom" Thank you Preston Lee!Preston played at the park while Addi & I sat under a shade tree and watched. We made a stop at the activity center so Preston could enjoy an ice cream while I fueled up on some nachos with cheese :) We then got back on the trail and headed home. It was also only about 10 reps of turning the bicycle peddles when I glanced back & Preston Lee & Addison are sound asleep. I just smiled, then prayed my tired legs would get us home! And they did. I didn't stop once coming back home. There is a little bit of a decline coming back and that does help.

WoooWeee.......NEVER again, that's what I say today.....we'll see ")

What's New?

2010-07-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

What's new? Not much here, and I LOVE it!

Preston is finished with tball, moving right along with swimming lessons, or maybe I should call them getting used to the 2.5' lessons :) He's doing great! Mommy & Daddy are very proud of him! He's been busy playing with friends, wearing himself out, and going to bed early, yes I said early. Once again, Mommy is proud of him :) The other day Justin heard him saying "oh man it!" then realized Preston was really meaning "oh _amn it!" Oooops!!! He DIDN'T learn that one from me! LOL! Preston has outgrown his Diego Roller Skates so I ordered him some new ones, big boy skates. The skates arrived today but he had no idea b/c he was too busy playing & swimming with Caitlynn all day. Tomorrow will be an awesome day for him.....he LOVES to roller skate.

Addison is ALL smiles :) She is so happy she can hardly get through a cry without breaking into a smile. Oh she's so precious. She will be 5 months old this Monday. While in the hospital with her I thought her being 5 months would never come, every day felt like 5 months itself. And now it's here, my baby girl is going to turn 5 months old. It's still so amazing to me that we have a baby girl! Oh Addison, you are such a blessing to Mommy, Daddy and to Preston.

Justin is now using Face Book, yep he's a facebooker! It cracks me up! He is staying busy with the RR and loving it. God is Good.

Me, well I'm just holding down the fort 24/7 :) I'm doing great! Taking care of Preston & Addison takes up much of my time & I love it. Well it's going on 11pm and I need to get some sleep. Have a good night sleep everyone & continue enjoying summer! God Bless.

Swimming Lessons for Preston Lee

2010-07-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today was Preston's 1st swimming lesson. He did really well. When I take him to the pool he always stays in the baby pool (2ft) because that's what he's comfortable with, and the baby pool has a bench with an awning and now that we bring Addison that really works out best for us b/c I can't get in the water with him quite like I did last year. Well today at his 1st swim lesson they had the kids in the 2.5ft pool. Preston had a lot of fun & really enjoyed it. The lessons are for 30 minutes and go for 2 weeks. The class size was perfect....2, Preston & Adrianne. Preston & Adrianne each had their own lifeguard/instructor :) Here are a few pictures.

Preston's 4th Birthday :)

2010-07-09T12:49:00.001-07:00

Preston Lee had an awesome 4th Birthday! His Auntie & Rob were here to celebrate with him & that just made it perfect. We sure did miss the rest of our family & friends that couldn't make it, but we understand how busy the month of June is for most, and driving 15 hrs is not always feasible either :) This birthday was sure different for me, for the 1st time I didn't make Preston's cake myself, nor did I make or have Shana help me make Preston's invitation. I know we're not supposed to pass the blame, but I'm blaming Addison :) I just felt I didn't have enough uninterrupted time to do either, so rather than stressing myself out, I chose store bought! And guess what, Preston didn't mind at all :) I've promised myself both will be Mommy-made for his 5th birthday, wow 5th birthday, don't even want to talk about it :( My baby is getting growing up way too fast!

Well here are a few pxs from the party, etc. Thanks everyone for the gifts, cards, phone calls, and coming to the party. God Bless!

REALLY messed up!

2010-07-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

REALLY messed up! MY BLOG! Blogger had to go and put in some new "design" tab, and I believe they did away with how we "used" to change/adjust our blog. And of course, I had to start messing with this new tab & now I have REALLY messed up the way my blog looks!!! OH WELL! I'll get it figured out, I promise. Just not sure when, I hardly find the time to blog now days :)

Preston Lee brought tears to my eyes once again. He was taking a bath while Addison & I were keeping him company. Preston asked me: Mom, when are you & daddy going to die? I asked him why he was asking such a question & he says: Because I want to die when you guys die so I can always be with you. WOW!!! It was hard to hold back the tears! We talked about the subject of dying and he then tells me: Well, I still don't want to get older because I don't want you & dad to ever die. He is so concerned about me and Justin dying. He talks about it quite often.

Addison is doing great. She's been sleeping through the night (5-7 hrs) and has passed the stage of being fussy between 7 and 10pm. She smiles all the time. She is working on putting sound to her smiles, I cannot wait to hear her giggle :)

Justin is working hard & LOVING it! Praise God for the Railroad. We now have our insurance again, through BNSF and it is such a good feeling. We are so blessed to have a Daddy that works so hard to take care of his family.

I hope everyone is doing well & enjoying summer :) God Bless!

Happy 4 Months Old Baby Girl!

2010-06-19T21:54:00.003-07:00

Mommy/Preston & Addi :)

2010-06-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Girl

2010-06-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

LOL! Preston you make my heart smile!

2010-06-11T20:26:00.001-07:00

Thank you Lisa (Syd & RJ) for inviting Preston to stay the night last night. And thank you Lisa for getting Preston to TBall practice this morning :) Love you guys!

OK, so I show up at Preston's TBall practice this morning and they've already started. Preston is playing 3rd base, well sort of :) He's turning circles, hollering hi to me (once he realized I was there),sits down, stands up, hollering to his coach "Irene, I need to go ask my Mom something!" And then what made me laugh hysterically was when his coach told him to get ready the ball was coming to him and Preston turns his back to her and says "K, I'm ready". LOL! I LOVE watching TBall! The kids are so cute & try so hard to play their best. The games for tomorrow have been cancelled b/c of all the rain :(

The other night Preston & I went walking, he rode his tricycle, I walked. When we got back to the house he says "Oh Mom I was hoping to go on another expedition". Expedition? Where did he learn that BIG word & the meaning of it? I'm sure it was Dora the Explorer or The Backyardigans :) Thank God for educational cartoons!

Preston asked me what the name is of these pesky red bugs that are just everywhere right now (no, not the box elder bugs), I told him I had no idea what they are called, he says "well I guess I need to call a bug professor". LOL!

Preston got in trouble with Daddy last week. Preston cried & cried saying "Daddy is just a mean, mean person".

I can't believe Preston is going to turn 4 this month. He has given Justin & I the most wonderful, memorable, and the most precious last 4 years. Mommy & Daddy love you Preston Lee!!!!!!!!!

Addi Smiling At Mommy Video :)

2010-06-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Praise God, everything is coming together :)

2010-06-03T21:29:00.001-07:00

Praise God, everything is coming together for this household :) There are many friends and family that know what I've been going through & have helped me out in many ways including prayer. I cannot thank you all enough.

And I also want to post a thank you to Deb Kennedy for graciously helping me & Justin out with transportation while we're working on getting another vehicle. Deb & Jeff have always been so good to us & we appreciate them both dearly. Thank you!

Addison had her second eye exam to rule out Retinopathy of Prematurity (being born prematurely interferes with the development of the retinal blood vessels, which can sometimes lead to blindness later in life) last Friday. Everything looks ok still, but her retinal blood vessels still have to be monitored. The Dr. wants to see her again in July. Please pray that her blood vessels continue to develop normally.

Addison is already smiling & laughing. And of course the majority of the time it's at her brother :) She is sleeping well through the nights. She usually sleeps 3-4 hours at a time. Mommy loves the 4 hour stretches :)

Preston Lee has his 3rd Tball game this Saturday. He's doing great & really enjoys it. I cannot believe he's old enough to play tball, wow! He has practice on Friday's and games on Saturday's.

Our community library is having a Summer Reading Program for the next two weeks. The children are having lots of fun. Tuesday started the program off, it was a sign up day. Wednesday we took all the kids out to the Water Plant for a tour with Scott, the manager. Today we had a speaker, Chuck Humphries, from The Bait Hut come in & teach the kids about fishing, fishing lures, etc. Preston LOVES going everyday to the Library & Addison does too.

We have spent a lot of time outside the last few days, the weather has been beautiful. On Memorial Day, me, Justin and the kids (wow that sounds funny saying kids) went out to Fort Robinson. We took a stage coach ride (Addi loved sitting on Mommy's lap & looking around), had an ice cream & enjoyed walking around looking at the horses & soaking up the sun.

I will try and post some pictures here in the next day or two.

We hope everyone is doing well & enjoying the weather. God Bless :)

Preston's 1st tball game...running the bases.mov

2010-05-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

3 Month Check Up, 1st T-Ball Game, etc.....

2010-05-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

** This song playing, Baby by Justin Bieber, is mine & Addi's song. It was playing while we had our first dance around the house together :)

Wow, have we ever been busy! 1st t-ball game this morning & 2 birthday parties today. Plus all this....

Addison:
1. Addison has now been home for 1 week and 4 days :)
2. Had a 3 month check-up with her Pediatrician in SB yesterday, she's doing great!
3. Weighs 7lbs, 15oz. Length 20 & 3/4"
4. Last two nights has slept 5 hour stretches. Good girl Addi!
5. Went to Preston's 1st T-Ball game today & was a perfect little Angel, slept in her car seat the entire time :)

Preston:
1. Had his last day of preschool Monday. They spent the morning at the park, enjoying playing, going on a walk, story-time, and lunch. I'm so glad Daddy was home and I got to spend that morning with Preston Lee and his class.
2. Had his 1st T-Ball game this morning! Oh it was soooo cute to watch all the kids play. Preston did great, he hit a single the first time up to bat, then a triple! Woo-Hoo, go Preston Lee! Lil' sis Addi enjoyed being at the game too :)
3. Preston has been saying some pretty hilarious things lately, here are a few:
- "Mom, I don't feel your boobie buttons!"
- "Dear Lord, please let all my friends come to my house."
- "Mommy, have you seen my water pen?" No. "well I guess I'll have to call the police."
- "Daddy, have you seen Santa around?"

Mommy:
1. Pumping breast milk every 3-4 hours for miss Addison.
2. Changing/feeding miss Addison every 3 hours
3. Trying to get miss Addison to breast feed every 3 hours (not going the greatest)
4. Tube feeding Addison every 3 hours when she doesn't eat all of her feeding.
5. Change Addison's G-Button dressing every day
6. Taking care of Preston Lee
7. Keeping up with everything else too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8. Trying to get used to having 2 kids!

**We did find a home for Katy. A family from Hot Springs. The couple has four children ages ranging from 2-12. They live on 5 acres, have a pontoon boat & pretty much live on the lake in the summer. PERFECT match for Katy. Katy LOVES the water & loves kids. I called to check on her & the Mom, said the kids had Katy on the trampoline with them! LOL! So glad God worked that out for us :)

Happy 3 M/O Baby Girl !!!!

2010-05-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

A Home For Katy?

2010-05-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't even had a SECOND to blog since bringing Addi home on Tuesday :) I have pictures to share & MANY thanks to give (including Brandi for the Enchilada dinner, Becky Chubb for the Chicken Noodle Soup dinner). So MANY people have done so much for us over the past 3 months, I have soooo many thanks to give & promise to get them all delivered :)

The subject of my post, our chocolate Labrador Retriever, Katy. We are trying to find Katy a good home. Katy is 5 years old, AKC registered (I have her papers), she has champion bird hunting in her blood line, she is spayed, is current on her shots and house trained. All we are asking for is Katy a good home, where she will be well taken care of & loved. Katy is great with kids & LOVES the water & to play fetch. If you are interested or know of someone that might be, please please please pass on the word & let me know.

Thanks Everyone ;)

Addison's Surgery

2010-05-04T15:09:00.001-07:00

PRE-OP

POST-OP

As most have heard, little Addison ended up needing surgery for severe acid reflux. We were transferred back here to Denver on Friday & she went through surgery this morning. All went VERY well. She is still on a ventilator (ventilated b/c babies her size do not typically breath on their own after being under anesthesia), she just had a dose of morphine, still has an I.V. and all incisions look great.

She had a Nissen Fundoplication & a Gastrostomy Tube. The Nissen Fundoplication is basically where the surgeon takes part of the fundus (the upper part of the stomach)and surgically (with a laproscope) wraps it around the esophageal sphincter, to tighten the sphincter so that the reflux does not occur, at all. The G-Tube was put in so that we can feed Addison. Addison is going to need some time to allow her Esophagus to heal from the damage of the refluxing. After she begins to eat on her own we will only use the g-tube for the remainder of her feedings. She will still be able to nurse & bottle feed.

I thought I'd be a train wreck right now, but actually I'm holding up very well. I'm so relieved to know that we are FINALLY coming to an end of Addison living at the hospital. Thanks everyone for all your thoughts & prayers, they have helped more than you can imagine. Here are a few pics. and I will keep you all posted, the best that I can ;)

Addison's Blood Transfusion....

2010-04-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

*** Video @ bottom of post.

Hi Everyone, Addison's blood transfusion went VERY well yesterday, thanks for all the warm thoughts & prayers. We started the transfusion yesterday (Tuesday) morning at 8am and finished at 11am. Addi was awake & alert the first hour, and rested peacefully the last two hours. The blood transfusion was the infusion of only red blood cells, not whole blood. She received 2 ounces, and the donor blood was shipped in from Denver the night before. The process was fairly simple. The blood was infused through an I.V. Addison's body tolerated the process very well. The reason for the infusion was Addison's blood has been anemic for a while now. She had already received a 10 day regimen of Epogen injections, that her blood responded to well, but she still continued to have some problems with generating her own blood cells, her count continued to drop. After her transfusion, her blood pressure began rising (which is not uncommon). Her highest reading, that I know of, was 138/113. WAY TO HIGH FOR HER. So the Doc ordered a dose of Lasix(a diuretic to help rid fluid from the body) It worked perfectly. Today (Wednesday) her blood pressure is within normal limits as is her red blood cells count (hemoglobin & hematocrit). Praise God! Today Addi has ate 3 full feedings by her self (no tube feeding) and half of 2 other feedings. Yay Addi!!!! Here are some pics Mommy took during her transfusion. Thanks again everyone for all the prayers :)

P's 1st Turkey Hunt & an Addi Update :)

2010-04-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Daddy has been enjoying doing some Turkey hunting with Chief & Preston Lee. Daddy took Preston on his 1st turkey hunt last week. Unfortunately they didn't come home with a turkey, but they did come home with LOTS of stories to tell Mommy & memories that will last a lifetime. They did get some turkeys called in, but as soon as daddy could get Preston's ear's covered, tell him shhhh there's our turkey, Preston Lee says "WHERE DADDY, WHERE ARE THE TURKEYS?" LOL! Preston LOVED wearing face paint. In fact he now thinks he's needs to wear it daily.....just great! Chief did get his turkeys & made us some DELICIOUS turkey soup & a turkey pie.....yummy! Wow, this guy can cook, guess we'll keep him as Chief :)

Ok, an update on lil' Addi. She's doing GREAT! Addi has started turning the corner :) We changed her Axid (reflux med) to Prevacid on Monday and that has made a HUGE difference with her refluxing. Her refluxing and desating (oxygen saturation decreasing) is very minimal now. Addi now only requires her oxygen while feeding. This week she has also decided to start eating more vigorously from the bottle!!! She's been averaging a full bottle feed (56 ml's/cc's)every other feeding! Addi turned 40 weeks old last Tuesday.

Thanks everyone for all your support & prayers. Here are some pics. from Preston's turkey hunt(Pics. taken by Daddy. Thanks Daddy!) Enjoy everyone & God Bless.

Hi/Bye/????

2010-04-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a short clip of Addi saying hi/bye/and what almost looks like her giving us all the "middle" finger :) Just now able to get this phone video from 4/11 uploaded, I hope the clarity is ok. Enjoy!!

Happy (2 Months) Birthday Baby Girl!

2010-04-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday baby girl! We have now made it TWO months....yay :) The last two months with you sure has taken Mommy on a roller coaster ride, but I know this is only the beginning:) I long for the day when I get to take you home & hold you tightly in my arms. I long for the day when your Daddy & I get to tuck you in at night after a bedtime story. I long for the day when I get to hear your big brother, Preston Lee, say "Mommy, Addi smells poopi!" :) I know the day is just around the corner. Mommy, Daddy & Brother are so proud of you, we love you Addi. Happy (2 months) Birthday baby girl!

A Few Pics :)

2010-04-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today Would Be "The" Day

2010-04-13T10:47:00.001-07:00

Today would be the day that lil' missy would arrive by scheduled c-section. Except things didn't go as "scheduled". Funny how life takes turns that we truly never foresee happening huh.

It's been a tough past 5 days. I've been an emotional roller coaster & have cried at the drop of a hat. Everyone here at the hospital tries to remind me that Addison is still so young & that she will eventually turn that corner & just take off. I've been expecting that now for weeks. Why I build my hopes up & even try to guess when "I" think she'll go home I will never understand. NEVER do that to yourself when you have a preemie. It doesn't matter how much the baby weighs (well, to a degree it doesn't) how old they are either gestational or from when they were born, it doesn't matter when the Jone's baby went home & how much it weighed or even how close your little preemie's weight is to a friends baby that went home at "that" weight. I have learned it all comes down to when the little one is ready. And Addison is just not ready yet.

She is still having a lot of problems with refluxing. Several times a day while refluxing it becomes hard for her to catch her breath, and many times she ends of holding her breath & therefore her oxygen level takes a nose dive. Most times she can get her oxygen level back up on her own, but about twice a day the nurses have to give her blow by (oxygen with a mask) to get it back up.

Also, she still has a VERY low drive to eat. She has her times, about twice a day where she will eat an entire feeding from her bottle & they do not have to tube feed her. But even then she usually doesn't really "wake up" for that. I usually have to coax her into taking it all. Dr. Guerue says it's human instinct to want to eat regardless of being tube fed and when Addi turns that corner she'll have that instinct/drive, and will wake up crying to eat, and enjoy taking her bottle/breast.

Many days it seems so discouraging, but then I try & remind myself that regardless of when all the other babies in the NICU go home (and believe me, I have seen a ton of babies come & go.....very discouraging let me tell ya), Addi will go home when she's suppose to. And I honestly don't want her to go home too soon, I'm just anxious for her "turn" to come.

Please say a prayer for me. Loneliness & exhaustion has really been trying to take over. Though I do know, the Lord is always with me.

To the Farm We Went!

2010-04-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

What an adventure! What fun it was going to the Farm with Preston & his preschool class. Preston & I really did appear as City Slickers!! Yes I knew the corrals were going to be VERY muddy, but I thought, ah an old pair of tennis shoes will be fine, as I own not one pair of muck boots. Well let me tell ya, my tennis shoes were MUCK shoes when I left :) We first get there & we go to check out Regen's (a little girl in Preston's preschool, it was her farm) horse. Preston starts screaming, scared to death of the horse! Everyone took a ride on the horse, except Preston. Then to top that off, Preston points to the horse & very loudly says "What is THAT?" Oh how embarrassed I was. As IF my son doesn't know what a darn horse is :) BUT, I don't think he has ever been that close to a horse before, so I thought I'd let that slide. UNTIL, we go over into the barn & Mrs. Miller is holding Regen's cat, and Preston says to Mrs. Miller "What is THAT?" Oh-My son, you really know how to make us look silly....that is saying the least, I know. Then Preston goes on to ask Mrs. Miller what the cat eats. I suppose that is an intelligent question b/c on the farm they don't just eat cat food, they go for the big fat juicy RATS! But Mrs. Miller tells Preston the cat eats cat food....lol! All the kids, if they chose to do so, could feed the calves with a HUGE bottle. My son, nope not going to. That's too scary! All the other preschoolers, yep, this is too much fun! Is Preston too sheltered or what? Maybe it was just one of those days huh :) It was a lot of fun. I have several great pics. and will post them as soon as I can. The kids did great, they all behaved so well & really enjoyed the farm. Oh, I almost forgot...Preston also kept asking me the entire time if it was time to go home!!!!!

Addison is hanging in there. She's still not too thrilled about eating (wish I could say the same). She did polish off a bottle for me today. I'm hoping she'll do the same tonight. She is still being tube-fed every other feeding until she becomes more vigorous with the bottle or breast.

I realized yesterday that little Addi has a umbilicus hernia (herniated belly botton). The Doc says it probably protruded from her grunting & stretching so much. While being a premature baby, hernias & such happen fairly easy. It should correct itself by the time she is 2 y/o.

Tomorrow morning we will get the results of her blood work to see if her blood count is still where it needs to be.

I guess that's about it for now. Have a great day everyone & enjoy the beautiful weather :)

Off To the Farm We Go!

2010-04-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm home today & Preschool is going on a trip to the Anderson's farm. And I get to go too! I'm really excited & P is too :)

I have so much catching up to do on Blog reading & leaving comments, I promise I'm working on it! Love & miss y'all. Have a great day everyone :)

Perfect Lil' Ears

2010-04-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

God has blessed Addi with lil' ears that hear perfectly! Addi's hearing was tested this morning & she passed like a pro. She is so halarious, yesterday I was making funny noises at her & she raises her eyebrows as high as they will possibly go & opens her eyes the size of a quarter! It's soooo cute, lol. I wish I had a picture so you could see just how funny it looks :)

Where did our spring weather go? It snowed on Easter, Monday it was in the high 60's (here in SB), now tonight we are suppose to get 1-3 inches of snow!!!!!!!!!! CRAZY!

More GOOD news....Addi nursed last night for approximately 30-40 minutes!!

I gotta go, everyone have a great day & pray for spring weather ;)

NO more EPOGEN!!

2010-04-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yay, praise God! Addi's RBC (red blood cell) count is within normal limits! Yay, Yay, Yay!!!!!!!!!! Woo-Hoo...what a wonderful day :) No more injections! Soooo....in order for little missy to head home she has to go for 48 hours without being fed through her feeding tube. I'm guessing it will probably take another 1 to 1.5 weeks to get her home. So just pray that Addi begins REALLY enjoying her bottle & nursing too. She does great though, she bottle feeds every other feeding right now, but doesn't always finish the bottle off. The other feedings she nurses & finishes up the feeding through her feeding tube, so that we are sure she continues to gain weight. I'm so excited! Thanks everyone for all your support & prayers. Have a great day & God Bless!

I'm A Big Girl!

2010-04-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a big girl! I now weigh 5lbs 6.5oz. I am 18 & 1/2 inches long. Today I ate about 3/4 of my bottle for Mommy & I did a pretty good job at nursing this afternoon.

Sunday will be my first Easter. I'm so excited! Mommy & I was singing Hear Comes Peter Cottontail today, I love that song, it makes me feel Hoppy :) Mommy, Daddy & my brother Preston Lee will be here on Easter & will bring me my Easter present from the Easter Bunny. Brother is going to an Easter Egg hunt tomorrow, good-luck Brother.

Mommy was here with me Wednesday, Thursday & most of today. She had to go home & take care of Brother for a while. I can't wait to see her Sunday, I already miss her.

Happy Easter everyone & the words to Here Comes Peter Cottontail is posted below. Enjoy!

Love,
Addi Jane :)

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Easter's on its way

Bringin' ev'ry girl and boy
A basketful of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter
Bright and gay

He's got jelly beans for Tommy
Colored eggs for sister Sue
There's an orchid for your mommy
And an Easter bonnet too. Oh!

Here' comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity
Happy Easter Day

Look at him hop and listen to him say,
"Try to do the things you should"
Maybe if you're extra good
He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

You'll wake up on Easter morning
And you'll know that he was there
When you find those choc'late bunnies
That he's hiding ev'rywhere, Oh!

Here' comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity
Happy Easter Day.

Laughter or Tears?

2010-03-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

I guess both at the moment. Oh how I laughed as I caught up on Deb's last two blog posts'. Deb, I didn't see any spurs? (hehe.....you know what I'm talking about :) Also Deb, I love ALL the pictures, thank you sooooo much, I was so in need of a smile tonight.

Sitting here now, blotting tears so I can blog, I can't help but feel so helpless. I know God is in control & we've came a very long way with little Addi in only 5 & 1/2 weeks, but I just need her home. While home with the boys I can't help but miss her like crazy. My heart aches. All I see is her lying in her crib, in the hospital, by herself. While at the hospital with Addi I become so homesick for the boys that I count down the hours to the next trip home. I feel so torn. I cannot wait to have what I feel is quality time with Preston Lee again. Just a day or two at a time is just not the same. Especially when during that time with Preston I'm trying to catch up on things here at the house so that I am ready to head back down to the hospital.

Almost a week or so ago Addison seemed to be more interested in nursing & bottle feeding. Then it all came to a screaching halt. She wasn't even interested in waking up. The Nurses told me, it's normal, she's a premie. After several days of myself knowing something just wasn't quite right, the Dr. ordered blood work. Addison has a pretty severe case of anemia. They are now giving her daily injections of Epogen. She has been receiving these injections for 4 days now & seems to be doing a little better. She is less lethergic, her color is much better, but still hasn't gained much of an interest in trying to nurse or nipple (feed from a bottle). I guess I should say not as much interest as I would like to see. The Nurses & Dr. reassure me that once her anemia is corrected we will see a big change in her. I'm just ready to see that change now! I know there are much worse cases than ours, but it doesn't minimize how hard it is not bringing home your baby girl. Every time I leave her it seems so unfair. She looks so beautiful and overall she's so healthy, she weighs 5lbs now, but I STILL can't bring her home.

I know tomorrow will be a brighter day. God has this way of finding the most miraculous ways of lifting my spirits. I thank God each day for being with my family & carrying us through. Justin and I, Preston and Addi, we have received some of the most incredible blessings. I have no words to express how thankful we are to our friends, family, church family and community. I am so glad I know & love the Lord.

Sooo Blessed

2010-03-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

Baby Addi 4 Weeks Old

Hi Sister!

That's MY Sister :)

Addi's Lil' Foot in MiMa's Loving Hand

Just The Beginning of Hanging On to MiMa!

Big Brother, Addi, and MiMa

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

2010-03-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my little angel, Addi Myrna-Jane. You are 1 month old today! I am so proud of you for being a fighter from the moment you were born. Before you were delivered the Dr. told me to be prepared that you may not let out a cry, most likely you would not have enough air/strength to cry. That was not the case....the moment I heard you cry I was relieved of so many fears & I knew you were going to be a fighter. And that you have been. You now weigh 4lbs., 2.3oz. and continue to make huge strides. There are no words to describe how much Mommy already loves you. Happy 1 month Birthday baby girl!

Love,
Mommy :)

We Are Now In SB....Yay!

2010-03-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today is Sunday, we made it here to Scottsbluff Friday. Addi was flown from Denver to SB via jet/then helicopter. Justin, Preston & I drove. Addison has settled in here @ SB very nicely. She is still doing marvelous. She now weighs 3lbs. and 14oz. Can you believe it? Wow does she enjoy Mommy's milk :) God has been so wonderful to us, just unbelievable things have happened during this journey that have reminded me of how God's grace never fails as long as we believe. Addison will probably be here @ SB NICU for approximately 3-4 weeks. She is so beautiful, I just can't wait for you all to see her. It is just amazing how much she has changed in just 3 weeks.

**Justin's parents are planning on heading back to Missouri Saturday the 20th. My plans (at this point in time) are to stay here in SB every other day/night. My reason behind every other day/night is that this may be easier on Preston and Addison. As most of you know, Justin works nights, and sleeps "some" during the day. If anyone is willing to help us out, once again, and let Preston stay a night or two with you over the next 3-4 weeks (starting next week) that would be wonderful. Thanks everyone for giving this thought consideration & if you have any ideas at all, I'm open to ANY suggestions. I'm trying to not stress about this b/c through experience I know that God will work this out too. Thanks again everyone :)

a few more (and an update "from" Addi)

2010-03-09T16:20:00.001-08:00

Shana again. Here are some more pictures. I'll post the rest soon!

Addison next to Daddy's hand:

This little piggy:

Mommy's hand and Addi's foot

*****Shana, Thank you so much! They are just beautiful! I love & appreciate you so much.

*****Update "from" lil' Addi: The docs/nurses are working on transferring me to Scottsbluff this week! Yay! I'm not sure why I'm so excited, but Mommy seems to be, so I guess I'm excited too! Mommy says I'll be closer to home (wherever that is) and closer to my big brother Preston (that's what I'm looking forward to). I feel great, though I was completely exhausted today. I just couldn't sleep enough after my busy evening with Mommy yesterday. Did she tell you guys about our evening yet? Oh wow, let me....I latched on! Yep, I did it! I took Mommy by surprise, she wasn't expecting it at all. But darn it there really wasn't anything in it for me to eat, what's up with that? Mommy said she had already pumped, whatever that means, so there wasn't anything left for me to get out of her fridge. I'm going to keep trying though because the docs say it will just help us get home sooner.

I am now eating (if you want to call it that) a full ounce through my NG (nasogastric) tube. A whole ounce! I eat that every 3 hours. And I'm gaining weight like crazy, I now weigh 3lbs, 8.7oz. Pretty soon I'll be big enough to wrestle my brother :)

I no longer have a Central IV line, I'm off antibiotics, and off caffeine (which I kinda miss :) I am on very little oxygen, almost at room air.

The docs say in order for me to go home I'll need to:
1. Maintain my own body temperature without the incubator/isolette.
2. Feed from a bottle/breast.
3. Off the oxygen.

Mommy says I probably have approximately another 3-4 weeks to go before going home. This Friday I will be 3 weeks old (34 weeks gestation).

Thanks everyone for all your prayers/phone calls/texts and donations, they have really blessed my Mommy & Daddy. And thanks MiMa & PaPa for taking care of my big brother ;)

Hugs & Kisses,
Addi Myrna-Jane :)

a sneak peak

2010-03-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Shana here. While I was visiting Angie and Addison in Denver I brought along my Camera. I took over 200 pictures, which my computer apparently can not handle! Talk about slooooooow! I've been busy getting ready for my son's 3rd birthday party, but I've been sneaking in a few edits whenever I can, and whenever my computer allows it. Here are just a few of the ones I've been able to finish. I will post more next week :D

A Prayer Request for Miss Addi

2010-03-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

A small bump in the road today....

When Addi's stomach is aspirated before feedings, they are finding the residual to be a green color. The green color is usually indicative of infection. So, prophylactically they have her on a couple I.V. antibiotics & have been doing x-rays to monitor her G.I. system. At this point all looks fine, but we are still waiting on some blood work that is being cultured. We should have the results in the morning. Today it was very obvious that Addi was not feeling herself. She usually looks like she's lounging in the sun, but today she was guarding her stomach & grimacing most of the day. I am claiming God's promises & believing that He is taking care of this situation too. Addi is now down to only 2 liters of oxygen, almost at room air. She was taking 18 ml's of breast milk through her N.G. tube, every 3 hours. But now with this bump in the road Addi is NPO for a while, meaning NO MOMMY'S MILK :( When she can start having milk again, we will have to start back @ 3 ml's at each feeding & work our way back up. BUT I do have some awesome news.....the eye exam that Addi has to have done @ 4 weeks, it can be done in Scottsbluff. So, if she is well enough by 4 wks, she will be transferred to Scottsbluff, vs. staying here in Denver.

I hope my rambling made sense to you all, if not, sorry ;) Well it's time to get back upstairs & do some pumping :) Thanks again everyone for all your thoughts & prayers. Gods grace is sufficient for me!!

*** My friend Shana, from Missouri.....she flew here to Denver!! She SURPRISED me by showing up Saturday morning. She flew back home this evening (Monday). Thank you God for awesome best friends. I love you Shana & Clayton (& Mary, Shana's Mom-n-Law)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Quick Update:

2010-02-24T11:47:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! A quick update: I am still here @ Swedish Medical Center. I'm hoping to be discharged tomorrow. My BP has not been cooperating & the Docs are working on getting it under control. As for lil' miss Addi, well......SHE'S PERFECT!!! She is still on a C-Pap, has a PIC (central line) Line and receives her Momma's breast milk either through her NG tube or IV. Today she is weighing 2 lbs and 10 oz. She is so fussy, just love it! Everyone says it's better that she is as fussy as she is, she has a drive. I get to hold her a total of 2 hrs. each day. Every 3 hrs. I get to help change her diaper, clean her face, take her temperature & clean her cord. Well, I guess I need to get back to my room, starting to not feel so well. Again, thank you to everyone for all your calls, texts, and prayers. A special thanks to Cathi Reno, my new best friend in Denver, Colorado. I will share that story later ;) Thanks everyone again & God Bless.

Addi and mom

2010-02-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

Ang texted this picture to me last night. I'm so happy that she was able to hold her!
If this is the first time you've visited Angie's blog in a few days, check the post below for more pictures and videos.

Another video

2010-02-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Shana here again. This video was just passed on to me, so I'll pass it on to everyone else. isn't she adorable? Her little wiggles? she looks like she wants to snuggle with her mommy :)

Baby Addison Jane

2010-02-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

Hi, this is Angie's friend, Shana. Angie asked me to make a post for her. If you haven't heard by now, Miss Addison Jane arrived last night weighing in at 2 lbs 15oz. Angie tells me she is doing really well and is absolutely perfect. Angie has quite the birth story to share, but I'll let her do that.
so without further ado, here are her first pictures and her first video:

I'll post any new pics or video when/if I get them!

I Have To Brag :)

2010-02-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

I have to brag on a REALLY great friend of mine, Shana. Like most Moms, Shana LOVES taking pictures of her little ones. She's the Mother though that has their kiddo's picture taken each month the first 12 months, then every 3, and so on. Well I think Shana decided to take matters into her own hands & got herself a nicer camera & software. Shana has done AMAZING! I look forward every month to seeing Camryn's monthly photos & Carter's pictures too. Here are just two of this months pictures:

Yes, she will be my personal photographer when we do move back home :) Love ya Shana & so, so proud of you!

Wow how time is just flying by, Tuesday we will be 30 weeks into our pregnancy! Can you believe it? Just doesn't seem possible to me. But my poor body is definitely feeling it, but I honestly haven't slowed down a bit, have only kept myself busier. Stupid, stupid, stupid I know :) But I feel that I just spin circles everyday trying to keep up with just the every day things & trying to get Preston into his "Buzzlight Year" room, keeping up with Whitlee, and a million other things. Anyhoo, I guess it will all get done eventually, I'm just hoping it's before Addi gets here.

OK, it's 10:00 p.m., my son is still awake calling my name. I must go. I hope to blog more later, we'll see ;) TTFN & God Bless.

Monday, again? Yep!

2010-01-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Wow how the weeks just fly by! It doesn't seem possible that we've already had a full Monday - Friday week home from being in Missouri. I have definitely kept busy that's for sure, probably too busy. So busy that yesterday when I woke up it seriously hurt to walk. My legs & buttock muscles where so sore I didn't even make it to church. I stayed in bed & slept off & on all day yesterday.

Thursday we had our OB appointment in Scottsbluff. All went perfect! I tested negative for gestational diabetes, a blessing b/c I had diabetes while pregnant with Preston. I was borderline, so therefore I do still have to watch my diet pretty close. I can handle that :)

I now have mine & Justin's bedroom moved downstairs. That was a chore! Probably why I couldn't hardly walk on Sunday. I still have a few things to do to complete it, but for the most part it's done, Wheeewee, thank heavens!

My next project is to start Preston's Buzzlight Year bedroom. I'm not looking forward to all the painting, but he has been so excited about having this bedroom for months now. I will probably start painting the trim/ceiling this week, then the walls next week.

Preston's at preschool this morning, Whitlee is playing as always & Justin's watching Duck Commander. I'm getting ready to clean out some closets downstairs....yuck!

Have a great day everyone & remember to pray for Haiti.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

2010-01-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

We made it! Wow what an adventure coming back to Mayberry ;) We left Missouri Wednesday morning @ 7:30 & pulled in to our driveway @ 8:30 Thursday night. After driving only 7 hours on Wednesday Justin decided the safest thing was to get a room. So we did, us & the 2 Labs! Thursday morning we were back on the road & made it home safe Thursday night. Once again Preston Lee was a little trooper!

I have LOTS to post & LOTS of pictures. Not sure when I'll get all the pics posted b/c our laptop has decided to have a mind of it's own & is now out of working order! And MOST of the pics that I want to share are of course, on the good ol' laptop. I do have a few others though I can post.

We had a VERY blessed Christmas, one I will never forget. God is so good :)

TTFN & I'll post more later.

a SHORT update

2010-01-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

Still in Missouri, staying longer than anticipated, only by a few days. The weather is BEAUTIFUL! VERY cold, and we have about 2.5 inches of snow & still snowing, Yeah!!!

Preston's spending the afternoon @ his Auntie's, so probably no sledding today but possibly tomorrow :)

We are heading back Tuesday evening so please keep us in your prayers.

I can't wait to blog & get caught up on reading blogs. God Bless & stay warm everyone!

My Little Angel

2009-12-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

As most of you know (because I sent out about 50 text messages today :) God is blessing our family with a baby girl, Addison Jane. We are gestationally at 22 weeks in our pregnancy & little Addison is measuring at 20 weeks. The entire ultrasound looked perfect. The ultrasonographer whispered in Preston Lee's ear the good news & he announced it to me & Daddy. In a little voice we heard "it's a girl", I raised up from the table as quickly as I could and said "Preston, did you say a girl?" Preston immediately stomped his foot and replied "I want a boy, I want a baby brother, I'm a boy!" We told him we take what God gives us :)

This was my heart's desire, a baby girl. This will be our second and last child, so a girl is a perfect gift from the Lord. Caring and praying more about the development of the baby vs. the sex, it was such good news every time the ultrasonographer would say "that looks/measures perfect". What a blessing. I cannot quit smiling!

When my biological mother (now deceased) held me in her arms for the first time, she said "my little Angel". I know when I hold Addison for the first time, my mother will be watching from above & saying with me "my little Angel."

Addison's middle name will be Jane, named after Justin's mom's middle name. Justin's mom is such a wonderful woman & has been so much more than a mother-n-law and friend to me, she has been a mother to me. For this reason I gratefully give Addison the middle name Jane.

During the ultrasound today Addison would not hold still. She was extremely active & it took a VERY long time to complete the ultrasound. There were several times when it felt as if an elephant was moving inside my abdomen, seriously. It was such a wonderful feeling.

I just began feeling her move inside me about 1 & 1/2 weeks ago when I started letting her listen to music. I did the same with Preston Lee too. Classical, Pop, Piano Classics, Country..... a little bit of everything, but we focus on the classical music...Bach, Beethoven, Chopen, etc. Preston LOVED it, and she seems to also.

The picture above did not scan very well. The actual ultrasound picture is much better but this will have to do until the next ultrasound which will be in 10 more short weeks. Someone today asked me if the picture was 3d. The picture is 4d Real Time. Is that the same as 3d? I have no idea. Anyhoo....thank you all for your prayers & text messages. This was a wonderful day for me, thanks for sharing it with us :)

P.S. Lil' Addison has been moving the entire time I've been sitting hear blogging :)

ohhhhh sooooo tired :)

2009-11-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Oh I'm soooo tired. Tired & stuffed. My feet hurt, my belly is full. My back hurts, oh how I could use a massage.

Preston & I was up @ 6:30 this morning, nothing unusual. But by 7:00 I was baking/cooking away. Justin was up at 4:00 this morning to go duck hunting, crazy guy! Our dinner menu was the following:

1. Turkey
2. Mashed potatoes/ turkey gravy
3. Apple/Sausage Stuffing
4. Sweet Potatoes with marshmallows
5. Scalloped Corn
6. Rolls
7. French Silk pie (made 2, one for us & one for the Eagles Club)
8. Pumpkin pie

Everything turned out DELICIOUS!! My apple/sausage stuffing was the BEST I've ever had! It was superb! And the French Silk Pie, well let's just say it melts in your mouth :) Yummy! My turkey was a little dry, I didn't get to watch it as close as I should have b/c we went to the Eagles Club for lunch & ended up staying a couple hours visiting & hanging out with Frank & Marietta.

Today is my sister's 39th Birthday! Happy Birthday Sis! Don't know why I'm even typing Happy Birthday to her, b/c she rarely reads my blog ;)---- She's just not a email/bloggin' type person. She's on a computer all day at work, and says when she gets home it's the last thing she wants to do, be on the computer. I don't blame her a bit. Though at times I do call her & tell her she better read a post I wrote (usually consisting of pics of Preston) and she does :)

This was the first Thanksgiving in a long time that Justin was home. Before the RR he was a police officer & I honestly don't think he ever had a Thanksgiving or Christmas off during that career. So I am VERY thankful today that Justin was able to spend Thanksgiving with us.

I'm also very thankful today that Preston got to spend some phone time with Auntie, Uncle Eli, MiMa & PaPa, Granny, Great Aunt DeeAnnie & Nanna.

Well it's time for me to relax & get ready for a busy, busy day tomorrow of decorating the monster (christmas tree).

Happy Thanksgiving everyone & God Bless.

Ahhhh....it's Friday :)

2009-11-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

This week has been filled with more coughing, sneezing, blowing the nose, than I've experienced in a LONG time! Last week Preston had strep, got over that, then this Tuesday he developed this horrible cough that just will not subside. Just to let ya know how bad the cough has been, Preston will ask for cough syrup a couple times a day :( Justin has the same cough, but worse and I've been fighting sinus symptoms & the cough all week. We are all so sick & tired of coughing, sneezing & nose blowing!! I am praying that this wknd we all three kick this crud.

Preston had a VERY exciting morning today. Mrs. Miller, Preston's preschool teacher came to our house for a parent/teacher meeting. Preston thought it was so neat having her here. She sat in the floor & Preston was all over her. I think he was enjoying having Mrs. Miller to himself. Preston asked Mrs. Miller to read Happy Birthday Moon, which is becoming a favorite book of his. I wasn't sure if she would, b/c it's a pretty lengthy book & I know she was on a time schedule, but she did & Preston listen to every word & sat as still as I've ever seen him :) Thanks Mrs. Miller for your visit.

Last night we had our first practice for the church Christmas program. It went so well. It was very exciting to see the kids and teens excited about the program & their parts. I even had a couple of the teens ask if they could sing a special song for the program. Wow!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Preston feeding Whitlee applesauce :)

Do You Hear What We Hear?

2009-11-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Tree Up or Tree Down?

2009-11-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

I always have my Christmas tree up by now. It usually goes up the first week of November, crazy I know, but I like to have plenty of time to enjoy my tree, wreaths, and decorations. This year is the beginning of something a little different: Preston. The last three years I did not have to take him into consideration about "when" my tree went up. His first two Christmas' I did only get to decorate the top half of the tree...that looked pretty funny...hehe. But this year I have to take into consideration the fact that he now understands Christmas. Of course to him it's all about Santa, and presents. So the sooner my tree goes up, well the sooner IT'S Christmas, to Preston Lee anyway. I don't want Christmas to seem too far away for the lil' guy, I don't want the anticipation to become "yeah right Mom, it's never going to be Christmas". So what to do? And also, we are probably heading back to Missouri about a week before Christmas, so therefore that takes a week out of my enjoyment of the tree. Although, Justin's Mom has the most beutiful trees you will ever see. They are gorgeous, her entire house looks just gorgeous at the holidays, inside & out. Anyhoo....I guess I'll ponder on when to put it up a few more days. We'll see how long I can hold off :)

Our first Christmas program practice is this Thursday night. I'm really getting excited about it. It's going to be a lot of fun :) I'm proud that this will be my 2nd year of directing the program for our church. This year I wrote the first & last half of the program, and the middle portion of the program comes from the Bible. The setting is kids playing on a playground while sharing their own ideas of Christmas. It then goes into the classic setting of Mary/Joseph/Baby Jesus, which will be performed by the teens. Then it goes back to the park setting where a few children give their hearts to the Lord, after learning the real meaning of Christmas. Isn't that just awesome?

Tuesday?

2009-11-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday already? It seems like yesterday was Friday. I guess not.

Friday afternoon I went to RC to spend some time with Lisa & her family. Kathy made it through surgery just fine :) Kathy has the best personality of anyone you will ever meet. I'm sure that will only help speed her recovery.

Friday night Lisa & I and her brother/sis-n-law went & had dinner together, then Lisa & I went to the movies. Very relaxing but a strange feeling when your child is not with you.

Church was a lot of fun on Sunday. Laura & I have started an FCC kids choir. It was so cute! I think only 2 of the kids sung & Preston stood the entire time holding his shirt up to his chin, showing everyone his lil' belly. I'm ejoying getting the younger kids involved.

As of right now my focus is on getting the church Christmas program together. It's going great.

It's time to get my critter to bed. Goodnight to all & have a great Wednesday everyone ;)

Heading to Rapid City

2009-11-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready to head out the door for Rapid City. Please pray that Lisa's Mom's surgery goes well today & for a quick recovery. The weather is just beautiful! TTNF :)

16 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-03T18:39:00.001-08:00

Wooooooooooo-Hoooooooooooo, we are @ 16 weeks!!!!!!!!

LOL.........yesterday Preston was sitting on my lap, I was rocking him. We were just talking about this & that and he asked me if I had any milk in my "boobs" yet. I corrected him, like always when he says that word ;) and told him no I don't have any milk in my "breasts" yet but when the baby gets here I will. He says "oh good Mommy, can I have some too?" LOLOLOLOL!!! Oh my goodness, he's so hilarious.

He has seen my scar many of times from my c-section when I delivered him. And of course he's asked questions & I've explained it. Now if he happens to see me dressing & he sees my scar he'll say "hold on Mommy, let me see if the baby is coming out yet".

Just reminiscing through photos, here's a few.

Happy Halloween Pics.

2009-10-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

** The date on my pictures show
1-1-05....Darn it! If anyone knows how to edit that out I would be sooooo grateful :) I did crop it out as much as possible.

What a great Halloween for Preston Lee. Yesterday, Meagan came over in her Halloween costume & talked Preston in to putting his on. So I had the cutest little whimsical witch & a brilliant Buzz Lightyear running around my house. Together Preston & Meagan decorated cupcakes, made a paper pumpkin, ate lunch, enjoyed snacks, and played until Preston just could not hold back the thumb sucking & rubbing ears :) Preston was crashed on the couch just 10 minutes after Meagan left. They had an awesome play date that was well over due. Here are pictures from Preston's & Meagan's day.

"trick or treat", "can I have another piece of candy", "no, I don't want to go to that house, it's too scary". Those are the words from Preston tonight while trick or treating. He had a lot of fun riding around in his stroller & getting out at the houses of his choice. I'm glad the snow was melted from the sidewalks & streets. It did make it a little messy, but that was ok with Buzz Lightyear ;) Here are pictures from tonight. Happy Halloween y'all. Night ;)

A Productive Day for Ang :)

2009-10-29T12:39:00.001-07:00

Today has been a GREAT day! This morning the boys played with trains while I went downstairs & cleaned the office. Wow, it looks soooo much better! A couple weeks ago I also did a spring cleaning on the rest of the basement, even put the baby bed for downstairs together. Justin says I'm already nesting, he's probably right, but I "nest" a lot anyway :) After eating lunch I came back downstairs & almost stepped right in to a HUGE puddle of dog pee!!! GRRRRRRR!!!! How I would LOVE to get rid of our dogs!!! Not really. They just do the wrong things at the wrong time. For example, this past week while Preston was sick, Preston had an accident in his bed in the middle of the night. So half asleep I stumble downstairs to the spare bedroom for extra blankets & STEP RIGHT IN TO a puddle of dog pee!!!! OMGosh was I ever furious!!! Justin & I both think Katy is the "Urinator" & does it when she's pouting over not getting enough attention. So I had to mop the basement floor! Thank God we pulled the carpet up from down here when we moved in. The carpet was nastier than our dog pee actually ;)

This snow is just crazy!!! Love it!!! Our dogs are so cute running through it. Katy, the snow is up to her chest & she still just barrels through it. Here are a couple pictures from this afternoon. Preston still hasn't got to go out & enjoy it yet. Maybe tomorrow, just don't want him to have a set back. He still has an ugly cough. He asked me this morning "Mommy, what's my cough trying to tell me?" Oh how sweet he is.

Tomorrow it is suppose to be 38 degrees so maybe we'll get out & play a little in the afternoon. This weekend it's going to be in the 50's. Craziness.

I'm getting ready to do some scrap booking while Justin's gone shoveling snow with Frank & Preston's upstairs taking a nap. Enjoy this wonderful day everyone. ttyl.

Hello Winter!!

2009-10-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello winter, never really got to see ya fall :( I love, love, love the snow....but also enjoy the orange/red hughes of fall. I think my camera only saw 1-2 pictures of fall and the colors were not really all that pretty. Oh-well, I guess I'll take what the good Lord is giving us, after all He knows best. This morning snow is just beautiful, it is to me b/c I don't have to get out in it :)--- And it's still falling as I type. Whitley's sitting here eating lunch, and Preston's running around talking with a little hoarse voice.............................................................I'm back. I had to clean Whitley up, straighten up the kitchen, give Preston a bath, fold a load of laundry, start a load of laundry, change Whitley's diaper and I'm sure I did a couple other things during that 40 minute time span.

Preston is feeling MUCH better today, his cough sounds a lot better & he's just acting more like himself. Justin's feeling fine & I am too. I sure hope things stay this way for a while. Not a whole lot going on here. We hope everyone's doing well. TTFN & God Bless

STILL SO SICK :(

2009-10-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Preston is praying for a better day tomorrow, poor lil punkin :( Tomorrow will be day #5 for Preston, surely it has to get better, right? He did eat a small bowl of oatmeal this evening & sipped water with honey in it. He is still running a fever, not as high though thank God, horrible cough, sore throat, he doesn't do much but rest, which is best I suppose. Breaks my heart to see him so sick.

I did get out of the house this morning for church. During church it began snowing like crazy! It was so beautiful. Didn't last long enough though.....hopefully more this week ;) I can't believe Halloween is THIS Saturday! Yay! Sure hope Preston is well enough to go. If not, our porch light will be on :)

Justin is MUCH better. Thanks everyone for all the thoughts/prayers. We are still praying for all who are sick.

Tonight I started putting ALL of Preston's cards he's received over the past 3 years into a 3 ring binder for him, what a project. I find baggies full of his cards all the time & thought a binder would be an awesome way of organizing them. I found a total of $35.00, just in the cards that I sorted thru :) And yes it went into his piggy bank :)

Have a great night/day everyone and stay well....if possible.

My Poor Sick Boys :(

2009-10-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Justin started catching the bug Monday, then while in Scottsbluff on Tuesday he just continued to get worse & grumpier :) He's been in bed since Tuesday evening, and only comes out of the bedroom with permission :) Thursday morning at 3 am Preston woke up with a 103 fever, coughing, and very scared. It took Justin & I forever to get Tylenol & Motrin down him, he was so scared. As of today, Friday noonish, both boys are STILL VERY SICK. Preston consistently runs a fever of 101 to 103, sore throat, and cough. Justin has the 101 fever, muscle soreness, chills, aches, and cough. I have called the clinic & they say STAY HOME!!! The clinics only want to see you if you are having trouble breathing, or cannot move. They are not putting anyone on Tamiflu b/c they do not want this H1N1 strain to become resistant. Makes sense to me, just tough to live with.

Yesterday I started having a sore throat, fever & soreness in my chest. I've been taking Tylenol & Sudafed & I'm not getting worse, just not getting better. Anytime I get sick I always end up with an Upper Respiratory Infection. So glad Dr. Painter gave me the H1N1 immunization. I'm constantly running around the house trying to keep things wiped down with Chlorox, coaxing Preston to take tylenol/ibuprofen, checking in on Justin, covering the boys back up with blankets, taking nasty kleenex's out of Justin's room, keeping Justin medicated, hydrated & soup in him. Oh, and keeping linens's washed and on the beds, making sure Toy Story is STILL playing for Preston, trying to get Preston to take sips of water here & there. Jeez...what else, oh yeah...yesterday I went to Chadron to stock up on groceries, and cold medicine. I HAVE been making time for a shower, hehe :)

I have had the chance to do some online Christmas shoppping for Preston. So glad I have too, b/c I'm already seeing a lot of Toy Story stuff hard to get at a reasonable price.

I know so many are sick right now & I've been praying for everyone. Please say a prayer for our lil' household too, thanks so much.

Praise God!

2009-10-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Praise God for the Bagley's! Cherish (their youngest) was tested for Turner's Syndrome yesterday in Lincoln NE and the results were negative, NO Turners Syndrome. So many of us were praying for the Bagley's, thank you Lord again.

Today we had our second appointment with Dr. Painter (our OB dr.) and everything went great. Thank you Lord. We are now 14 weeks along, time to start letting the wee lil' one listen to Mozart (yes I did the same thing while pregnant with Preston). I was a little concerned about getting to our appointment on time though. We left the house this morning early enough to go by the bank & fill up with gas. Sure enough we ran into some problems at the bank, throwing us behind by about 10 minutes. No biggie, so we thought. As we're heading out of town we begin driving into fog so thick we could barely see the end of the hood of the truck. And it didn't get much better as we continued driving, we then get behind a semi-truck. Realizing we are going to be late to our appointment I pick up my cell phone & try calling Brandi to get Dr. Painter's phone number. NO CELL PHONE SERVICE...imagine that! So finally about 10 minutes out I get ahold of Brandi, call Dr. Painter's office & they tell me to come on in, not knowing if they can see us or not. Thank God AGAIN, Dr. Painter worked us in & we got to hear our little Angel's heartbeat for the 1st time. The sound was quite precious. Preston was excited to hear it, but didn't think it sounded much like a heartbeat. Understandable, it did sound more like a swish-swish :) We have a appointment Nov. 17th, then Dec. 15th we will find out if our lil' Angel is a boy or girl.....yay, I'm so excited! I'm so ready to start working/decorating the room.

Right now my son is running around the house jumping off everything he can climb on pretending to be Buzz Lightyear. He has loved Toy Story since summer '08. That was his first time watching the movie's. He is now a fanatic! So glad that it's became popular again.

Say a little prayer for Justin, he's caught the crud. We sure hope it's nothing significant.

I suppose I should get Buzz Lightyear to bed..........To Infinity And Beyond!!!

Is It Possible?

2009-10-17T19:07:00.001-07:00

Is it possible to ever "catch-up"? I'm certain it's IMPOSSIBLE! We had such a busy summer this year & I did not get to post pics. of much. So to start getting caught -up, here is a flic from Preston's 3rd. Birthday. More catch-up later.

Happy 30th Birthday Daddy!

2009-10-10T21:15:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy! Today was my Daddy's Birthday. Mommy says Daddy is 30 now, Daddy says he's 29. Today Daddy was up at 4:00 am getting ready to go out & set up for the opening day of Duck Hunting. Daddy & some guys from Chadron went together. Together they shot 17 ducks. Daddy says it's the first time on opening day that he's ever had to break ice. Poor Riley, our hunting lab, didn't get to go with Daddy today. Riley has had some really bad ear infections the past month, and he has to go back to the Vet. on Wednesday to see if he's allowed to go hunting yet. Riley was not happy this morning when Daddy left without him. Mommy & I baked Daddy a cake today. I sung Happy Birthday to Daddy approximately 5 times today. This evening the three of us went together and cleaned our church, then headed to Chadron. We had dinner at Angela's, then took Daddy to see Toy Story 3D. I had so much fun! Thanks Daddy for your AWESOME birthday!

Oh My!

2009-10-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Oh My, what do you say when your 3 y/o asks you about dying? I was not exactly prepared for this conversation at nap time yesterday.

Preston: Momma where did you come from?
Momma: From my Mommy.
Preston: Who's your Mommy?
Momma: Myrna.
Preston: Who's Myrna?
Momma: Myrna was my Mommy. Remember the picture we were looking at the other day?
Preston: Where is your Mommy?
Momma: She's in heaven.
Preston: Did she die?
Momma: Yes she did, she became very sick, died & went to heaven.
Preston: Am I going to die Momma?
Momma: Not for a long, long time sweetie. We all die eventually & then live with Jesus.
Preston: I'm going to die tomorrow Momma. And everyone is going to be soooo sad
because I died.
Momma: Oh no Preston, you are not going to die anytime soon, I love you too much for you to
die & go to heaven just yet. You're going to live a long, long time. Now let's take our
nap. Momma loves you sweetie.

*** Wow, talk about a conversation that was beginning to feel very strange. I know toddlers are very inquisitive, but when dying becomes the subject sometimes it's very hard to know what to say & what not to say. Then when Preston said he was going to die tomorrow, I could have cried my eyes out right then & there. I cannot even begin to imagine what parents go through while & after losing a child.

God please grant me the gift of enjoying Preston's life for many & many years to come. I accept the fact that Preston first belongs to you Lord, then to Justin & I. Thank you Lord for giving us this beautiful opportunity to raise Preston Lee in your ways & not the ways of the world. Please give us the help & direction that we need as parents each day. Thank you Lord.

Thanks Auntie & MiMa

2009-10-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

** Preston asked me tonight "where did Jesus get you Momma?" Yes I melted.

Preston sure is a lucky little guy. A month or so ago MiMa sent Preston a big fat package full of clothes & goodies. MiMa sent 2 pairs of Levi Jeans, a dinosaur outfit, a pair of sweat pants, and a couple long-sleeved t-shirts. Yesterday Preston got a "heavy" Halloween package from Auntie. The package contained 6 books, fruit flavored twizzlers (yummy), caramels and a musical Halloween card that plays the song Ghost Busters. Preston LOVES the card & sings "I aint 'fraid of no ghost". Thanks so much Auntie & MiMa/PaPa....don't know how he'd survive without ya :)

I LOVE this weather today. It's cold, rainy & yucky outside. Perfect weather for baking 2 apple crumb pies, fixing a chicken meal in the crock pot, cleaning house & doing laundry. That has been my day since we woke up this morning. And we may go see a movie tonight. We didn't go to church this morning, shame on us I know :(

Yesterday we helped Heath & Lisa get everything loaded & felt VERY sad watching them leave. Lisa & I spent quite a few evening's together this past week, trying to prepare our selves :( I'm missing her already. We do everything together, gosh what will I do? Yikes! I am going to start babysitting Whitley tomorrow, just until JJ finds a full time sitter. So probably a week or two. Preston's excited about it, he enjoys Whitley a lot. In fact he used to tell me "I want a Whitley Momma".

I had such a busy week! Tuesday I removed all the wallpaper in Deb's kitchen. Wednesday I cleaned house for Deb. Thursday I painted Deb's kitchen, about 6 hours. Friday I finished painting Deb's kitchen & put her kitchen back together, about 5 hours. My back is in need of a massage sooooo bad ;) I really enjoyed transforming Deb's kitchen for her though. It looks great I must say. Her kitchen was decorated in tulips, pink/white. It is now decorated in a Tuscany theme, creme/dark green. I need to get some pictures to post. I'm sure Deb will post some soon.

Hope y'all had a great weekend. TTFN & God Bless :)

Oh my sweet lil' Preston Lee...

2009-10-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Oh my sweet lil' Preston Lee, you're so precious.

This evening Preston asked me if my belly was ripe yet, I told him no not yet. He then says, so the baby's still green Momma? I can't quit smiling.

When we're at Wal-Mart the first thing Preston asks for is usually a banana, so we let him eat one while we're shopping. If the banana's are too green, we explain that to him & tell him we have to wait till the banana is ripe to eat it. He understands that very well. I now understand that he thinks we're waiting for the baby to ripen! Hmmmm, I wonder if he thinks we're going to eat this baby. LOLOL!

Preston has also been telling me that he is Dad when Daddy is gone.

Anyway, just wanted to blog that before my small mind has a chance to forget it.

Lil' Punkin Pics :)

2009-09-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

While outside this evening, deciding what to do with the pumpkins, Preston wanted his "own" pumpkin. So I cut him off the smallest one we have. It wasn't the brightest orange but Preston did not care, he just wanted his own pumpkin :) I had NO idea that this pumpkin was going to end up in the bath with him & right now it's IN BED WITH HIM! LOL! Preston carried it around everywhere tonight and demanded it had a bath with him too. Here are some picture's I took of Preston Lee and Lil' Orange (that's what we named it). Enjoy :)

Love The Weather :)

2009-09-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this weather! Tonight the low is 33 degrees...brrrr. Should we cut our pumpkins off the vines this evening? Guess I'll have to research that today. Preston & I walked to church this morning, Justin didn't get to go, he's helping Frank roof a house. We have a new family that is joining our church, they are from Alliance, and have 2 children. We are so excited to see how our church continues to grow.

Last weekend R.J. and Sydney came & stayed with us while Heath & Lisa went out of town. We all had a lot of fun. Justin took all 3 kids fishing. That was ALL R.J. talked about while at our house...he says it is now his "2nd favorite sport" After fishing I went on a bike ride with the kids & we ended up down at the park, we played for a good hour or more then headed home for a movie & snack. After Preston's nap we went on another ride....wow they kept this pregnant lady busy! That night all 3 kids had to have baths for church in the morning. I saw Sydney in a dress for the 1st time!!! She looked just gorgeous. Preston told her that her shoes were "fancy". The kids had a great time at church. That afternoon they wanted to go fishing again, but when Justin & the kids got to the ponds it was too windy. Lisa & Heath picked the kids up Sunday evening. We sure do enjoy R.J. & Sydney, they're great kids & VERY well mannered. Preston absolutely loves Sydney. There is rarely a day when Preston doesn't asks to see "his Sydney". Not sure what Preston's going to think when Sydney moves 4 hours away from us :(

I am very sad that Lisa & Heath are moving but know they are making the decision for the betterment of their family. Money is not everything, but it sure does help put food on the table....darn railroad! I completely understand your move guys & will be praying for you all the time. Oh, and missing you too :) Wow, I am now going to have to learn to go to Wal-Mart by myself. Lisa & I usually don't see a trip to Wal-Mart without each other. And we usually spend at least one day a week together. I sure will miss ya sweetie.

Riley, our black Lab, has to go to the Vet tomorrow for a minor surgery. He has to have an epulis removed from his gum, have his teeth cleaned & have his ears deep cleaned. Poor Riley, we have been treating him for a SEVERE bilateral ear infection this last month. His ears are now cleared up, so tomorrow morning we head to the Vet.

Preston & I went to MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) Thursday night. We had a GREAT time. Preston was reluctant to staying downstairs with the other kids until the Bagley girls showed up, he was then more than happy to stay with the kids & play.

Preston's doing great with Preschool. He enjoys going & always has a story to tell us when we pick him up. He has already been put into time-out :( My poor lil' baby boy :) Justin had dropped Preston Lee off & later that morning Preston decided to go look for his Daddy, so Preston just leaves the room. Of course that's a big no, no so he had to sit in time-out. Preston didn't seem bothered by it at all, in fact he was so excited about telling me the story that I was beginning to worry that he may have enjoyed time-out :)

I hope everyone is doing well & enjoying the beautiful weather. TTFN & God Bless :)