Getting Organized

Those of you who know me (in real life), know that I live in a very small 3 bedroom 2 bath house with 3 (sometimes 4) children, a husband and 3 cats (they live outside). Needless to say, organization is key around here. Or, it SHOULD be. But it's not. I read a comment from someone recently that stated,

"I have a very organized person trapped somewhere in the clutter within…I hope someday to liberate her! I CRAVE order yet for some reason simply can not overcome the chaos…it’s maddening…"
This sums it up PERFECTLY. I want to get organized, but I take one look at everything that needs to be done, get tremendously overwhelmed, and decide to play on Facebook instead. (Just being real.)

My main concern is developing a cleaning schedule and a different way to organize my coupons. So, imagine my DELIGHT when I saw this post on a blog I've just starting reading. I love her Homemaking Binder and I have everything printed and ready to go for tomorrow. I even printed off new Chore Charts for Jacob and Olivia because they keep asking me when they can start doing chores again. Imagine that, kids who WANT to help...you don't see that much in kids these days.

And, I think I found an awesome new way to organize my coupons, using a binder and baseball card inserts. This is the website I found and I like their organizing tips.

I mentioned yesterday that I'm changing my grocery shopping plan and I'm so excited about it! Yes, it may seem boring to some but it works for me. Mark gets paid monthly, so I have always shopped for groceries monthly. Well, I've decided that I can save more money and cut my grocery budget even more by shopping weekly. My plan is to make a weekly meal menu based on what's on sale for that particular week. We'll see if that works and how much money I save. Wish me luck!!

4 months old!!!

I can't believe it!! Joshua is 4 months old! Where has the time gone??

I know I don't blog very often, but I'm trying. Really, I am. I need to get into a good blog schedule. I always think of great ideas to blog about but I never write them down and, therefore, forget them. Such is my life and Mommy brain. Anyway, back to Joshua...

Here are little man's (ha!)

4 months stats:

Height--26.5 inches

Weight--18lbs. 11ozs.
Diaper size--3

Clothing size--6-9 months (mostly 9 months)

New milestones this month:

Consonant sounds (baba, gaga, dada)

Engaging in "conversation" (Jacob and Olivia LOVE this!)

BOTH bottom teeth

Laughing out loud at anything (and everything...)

Eating rice cereal from a spoon (yum yum!)

His pediatrician is very pleased with his growth and development. He is the perfect size...of a 7 month old. HA! She's not concerned though because his height and weight are proportional. He was not happy with his shots yesterday and has been a total pill so far today. But I expected it, so I'm armed with infant's Tylenol and cuddle time.

Here are a couple of recent pictures of Joshua Evan.

This is his flirty, I-know-I'm-cute smile. :)

GO DAWGS!!

Today is a rainy, gloomy, yucky day. It matches Joshua's mood perfectly. So, we're hanging out at home in our pajamas until it's time to pick up Jacob and Olivia from school. I think I'm going to try Drunken Chicken for supper tonight. Oh, and I'm totally changing my grocery shopping plan. I'll blog about that tomorrow. Maybe.

And, I just realized exactly how boring my life is because I am SO excited to change my shopping plan. Yeah. Dull.

Our Year

So, I promised I would come back and get everyone updated on our past year. Here it goes...

Right after Thanksgiving last year, we found out we were expecting baby #3. This babe was planned (kinda), but we weren't expecting to get pregnant on the first try. Literally. My pregnancy was ok, but not great. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at around 6 months and that was a really hard pill to swallow. I was able to control my blood sugar by completely changing my diet so that I didn't have to give myself insulin shots. (Thank you Lord!) I felt pretty good, physically, throughout my pregnancy except towards the end. But, I don't know any woman who feels great towards the end of their pregnancy, especially in 90+ degrees in July!! My due date was August 2, 2010 and we did not find out the gender. Jacob and Olivia were so super excited! Jacob wanted a little brother and Olivia did too! So, on July 23, 2010 at 2:30am, I woke up with contractions 5 minutes apart and we headed to the hospital a few hours later. I was admitted at 5:26am. (This will hold significance later.) We thought my labor would go quickly because of Olivia's birth. (got to hospital at 8:15am and she was born at 9:33am) Well, we were mistaken. After 12 hours and MANY Facebook status updates, but only 2 pushes (!) Joshua Evan was born at 5:26pm. EXACTLY 12 hours after I was admitted. Joshua weighed 7 lbs. 7 ozs. and was 18.5 inches long. He looks exactly like Jacob! Joshua is almost 3 months old now and he is a precious addition to our family. He is a very easy going and content baby, who loves his mobile, swing, and stroller! He's smiling and laughing now. At his 2 month appointment, he weighed 12 lbs. 7 ozs. and was 23.5 inches long. So, he gained 5 lbs. and grew 5 inches in just 2 months!! Oh, we all just adore this sweet baby boy!

Now, Jacob started 1st grade in August and just turned 7 years old on October 1st. He is still the sweet boy he's always been. His teachers always comment on how well mannered and kind he is. We're doing something right! He is taking his role as big brother extremely seriously lately. He still eats, sleeps, and BREATHES baseball. He can now catch a ball in the air and he usually hits line drives into the outfield. He plays 1st base and just loves the game. The most important thing that happened to Jacob this year is that he was saved and baptized on March 21, 2010.

Olivia started Kindergarten in August and turned 5 years old on July 6th. She has really mellowed over the past year. She went from being the wild and crazy little diva that everyone loves to a cuddly (still wild) and mild mannered (still a little crazy) little girl and everyone still loves her. (She lost most of her diva attitude.) Her teachers say that she is one of the quietest kids in the class, which truly surprises us because she talks nonstop when she's home. We joke that she's making up for lost time when she gets home. She is playing her 2nd season of Tball and really enjoys the game when she's not playing in the dirt. On August 21, 2010, Olivia's best friend was killed in a car accident. This tragedy hit us really hard. Maddy was only 5 years old. Olivia has had a really hard time coping with this loss, so she gets grief counselling at school 3 days per week. Please pray for her because, as she gets older, she'll begin to understand more about death and she'll ask more in depth questions.

As for Mark and myself, we are just trying to survive with 3 kids and loving every moment of it. I still sew and embroider as much as I can in my free time. (free time. Ha!) Mark is head coach of Jacob's coach pitch baseball team and assistand coach of Olivia's Tball team. We're beginning to wonder if we should just pitch a tent at homeplate every night because we're always at the baseball field! So, that's what we've been doing lately. :)

Starting Over

Since I've been such a horrible blogger, I decided to start over. Here is a picture, only 1 picture, to catch you all up on what we've been doing. :) Isn't he the cutest?!!?!

To be continued...

Wow! 6 years old!

Six years ago today, I became a Mommy for the very first time. Jacob Nicholas was born on this day in 2003, at 3:53pm and my life was forever changed.

Dear Jacob,

You are 6 years old today! I'm having a hard time believing it. Six years have flown by and I know the years to come will also. You are truly a gift from God and I love you more than you'll ever know. I remember bringing you home from the hospital and thinking, "Did they really let me leave with this baby? I don't know what I'm doing!" I learned.

You are in Kindergarten and at the very top of your class. It's not a surprise to me, though. I'm constantly amazed by how smart you are! You are playing your first year of coach pitch baseball and you're the starting 3rd baseman. You have a natural talent and can hit and throw like 9 year old. In the past year, you have lost 4 teeth! In fact, you're missing both of your top front teeth right now. You love sports. Any type of sport, but you love watching football. You decided last football season that you're a Florida Gators fan. Since, Daddy is a UGA fan and I'm an FSU fan, it's a hard pill for us to swallow! But, we're letting you be independent and form your own opinions. (We hope you change your opinion on this one.) You love to play outside...mainly practicing baseball and throwing the football. You also love to draw. Your favorite foods are mac and cheese, cheese quesadillas, and pizza. Your best friends are Matthew, Jordan, and Noah. God is working in you and you're learning to listen. You love going to church and especially love AWANA....this is your first year in Sparks. You are such a sweet and well mannered boy. Everyone loves you and says how kind and well behaved you are. You also have a tender heart. It doesn't take much to hurt your feelings and that's hard for me, as your Mommy, to deal with sometimes....some kids are cruel.

Jacob, my sweet, sweet boy, you changed my life forever when you came into this world. I thank God every day for picking ME to be your Mommy. You bring so much happiness into the lives of everyone who knows you. I am blessed to be your Mommy!!

"I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be."

I love you forever and always! Happy 6th Birthday!!

It's a God Thing

About 2 years ago, shortly after I opened my Etsy shop, I got an order for a white pillowcase dress with a pink monogram. As I prepared to make the dress, I had an overwhelming feeling that God was telling me to pray over this dress. It was a strong urging, like nothing I had ever felt before. So, I prayed over the dress. I prayed while I made, when I shipped it, and I've prayed several times since then. I didn't know what to pray, so I just prayed for God's blessings on the baby girl who would wear that dress. It left a HUGE impression on me!

Fast forward to January 2009. I am a faithful blog stalker reader and I have a few blogs that I read daily. Well, JMom of Lots of Scotts is one of those blogs. In January, she posted about a fellow blogger, Kelly, who had just delivered a precious baby girl after struggling for years with infertility. Her baby, Harper, had some serious complications after birth and JMom was asking for prayer for Harper. So, I started stalking following Kelly's blog. I've read every blog post since January. After a while in NICU, Harper got better and went home.

Fast forward, again, to Saturday (September 12). I decided to get caught up on my blog reading and Kelly's was the first one I came to. I read this post and got chills. The dress looked familiar, so I went back to my Etsy account and shook my head in disbelief. There was an order from Kelly Stamps on August 17, 2007 for a white eyelet pillowcase dress with a pink monogram. If you read Kelly's post, she talks about how this dress was her "Faith" dress. She bought it before she got pregnant, in the midst of her struggles with infertility. I had NO idea Harper was the baby girl I prayed for until Saturday. It is absolutely amazing how God works!

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Romans 12:9-12

4 years ago...

...at 9:33am, God blessed us with our precious little princess.

Dear Olivia,

Today is your 4th birthday. I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. So, forgive me if it's hard to believe that you are 4 years old. You are our little princess. I remember when Miss Kristy (ultrasound tech) told us we were having a girl. I was shocked. I always thought I would be a "boy Mommy". Since I have never been a "girly-girl", I didn't know what to do with a little girl. I learned. And I love it.

You fill our days with so much laughter and happiness. Everyone loves you. Strangers comment on your beauty. (And, you usually respond with, "Yes, I know. Thank you.") You are a very smart girl. You surprise us daily with your vocabulary and you're even reading some words. You are a little fashionista who LOVES shoes. Any kind of shoes. And pink. Everything must be pink. But, you also love trucks and dirt. You are a well rounded little girl. You love Minnie Mouse, Strawberry Shortcake, Hannah Montana, and The Disney Princesses. Your favorite TV show is iCarly and your favorite food is pizza. Your favorite restaurant is Pasquales. You adore your big brother, even though you fight with him every hour of every day. You have a kind heart and you love animals. Especially cats. Your best friends are Sarah Beth, Emmy, and Mary Grace. You love gymnastics and you want to play tball this Fall. You love to color and draw on your MagnaDoodle. This weekend, you decided you love catching crickets.

You, my sweet girl, are a bright ray of sunshine in my life and I am so blessed and thankful to be your Mommy.

I love you "Cricket"!! Happy 4th Birthday!!