Saturday, October 1, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Goodbye Summer!
I slept in my crib all night last night. When I say all night I MEAN all night. I got tired of the 2am buffet. So now Mommy and Daddy put me to sleep at 9:30 and I get up around 4:30. A boy needs his rest after all! Last night me and Daddy gave Mommy a break. Daddy fed me one of Mommy's very special bottles. We let Mommy sleep.
This week has been really different for us! Daddy had five days off and now had another two days off. Wow! I really like having Daddy home this much! Mommy says "crunch time" is over and now Daddy gets back to his normal schedule. Does that mean he will be home more?
We had my friend Brayden over for dinner last night. Mommy should have gotten pictures of us playing but she was busy. That's because she made dinner for the grown ups. Stuffted pork chops, candied sweet potatoes and green beans. Daddy says Mommy usually cooks more and we have friends over a lot. Brayden is really nice even though he is about six months older than me. We still like some of the same toys. And he lives right next to us!
Whew! Mommy says she is happy to say bye bye to summer! For a lot of reasons. She and Daddy are even talking about opening windows today. I love being outside! I gotta go! Mommy says it's time to get going on the day. That means we are going to start having more fun!
Love,
Andy
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Homemade Dog Treats
I found this recipe on Bullwrinkle.com. I have been using it for a little over a year and all our dogs love these cookies. I have received so many requests for the recipe that I am putting it here. It is so much cheaper than buying store bought and you know what is going into your dog's mouth (at least as far as the treats go ;0). I double or triple the recipe and then freeze the extra in freezer bags. They last for about three months.
PEANUT BUTTER PUPPY POPPERS
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 C peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 C milk
Preheat oven to 375' F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. This is the original recipe, but I have found the cookies burn easily.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!
PEANUT BUTTER PUPPY POPPERS
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 C peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 C milk
Preheat oven to 375' F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container. This is the original recipe, but I have found the cookies burn easily.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Almost There!
Well, at least we are starting the third trimester. ;) Hopefully, it will go by quickly with some new things happening for our little family. I am love, love, loving AT kicking a whole lot! Another new experience is Roland got to hear AT's heartbeat through a stethoscope. I did too! Thanks to my mom loaning us one we can now listen anytime. How fun is that?
We had a terrific MD appointment yesterday. We met with a doctor who was really on top of everything. He actually read my chart before coming into the room! We were so delighted. He also measured me and checked to see where AT was. He talked to Roland and I; really talked to us! He answered all of our questions and talked about the upcoming weeks. We also started working on our delivery plan. AT is doing great. Praise God! All of this was such a relief! We both feel a lot better about this practice. I feel so much safer. Thank you for praying about this situation! We Can Not Wait until we get to hold this precious miracle!
In other news, Roland took his admission test yesterday and did well. Classes start in the middle of May and we are pretty excited to get going. He is registering for classes this morning. He will be taking mainly online classes with one on-campus class. This will enable him to use the GI bill and still work at his current job. We are so blessed that he works for such a wonderful company. Linde and Roland's supervisors have been tremendously supportive and encouraging during this process! His co-workers have also been willing to help in any way they can. We are SO thankful! He will be working all nights starting at the beginning of May.
Roland will be traveling in a couple of weeks to Indiana for Linde. He will be gone one week to get a plant in working order again. This plant has been inactive for awhile so he is really looking forward to getting his hands dirty! There isn't much of that kind of work with his desk job and a new townhouse. Of course we would rather he be going to Cartersville to work for a week! ;D Hopefully, the week will go by fast because we don't like being apart.
With this warmer weather it seems Spring really might be right around the corner. It was actually 84 outside yesterday! Yeah!! We hope that you are doing great and enjoying this favorite season. We pray everyone in your family is healthy and doing well!
We had a terrific MD appointment yesterday. We met with a doctor who was really on top of everything. He actually read my chart before coming into the room! We were so delighted. He also measured me and checked to see where AT was. He talked to Roland and I; really talked to us! He answered all of our questions and talked about the upcoming weeks. We also started working on our delivery plan. AT is doing great. Praise God! All of this was such a relief! We both feel a lot better about this practice. I feel so much safer. Thank you for praying about this situation! We Can Not Wait until we get to hold this precious miracle!
In other news, Roland took his admission test yesterday and did well. Classes start in the middle of May and we are pretty excited to get going. He is registering for classes this morning. He will be taking mainly online classes with one on-campus class. This will enable him to use the GI bill and still work at his current job. We are so blessed that he works for such a wonderful company. Linde and Roland's supervisors have been tremendously supportive and encouraging during this process! His co-workers have also been willing to help in any way they can. We are SO thankful! He will be working all nights starting at the beginning of May.
Roland will be traveling in a couple of weeks to Indiana for Linde. He will be gone one week to get a plant in working order again. This plant has been inactive for awhile so he is really looking forward to getting his hands dirty! There isn't much of that kind of work with his desk job and a new townhouse. Of course we would rather he be going to Cartersville to work for a week! ;D Hopefully, the week will go by fast because we don't like being apart.
With this warmer weather it seems Spring really might be right around the corner. It was actually 84 outside yesterday! Yeah!! We hope that you are doing great and enjoying this favorite season. We pray everyone in your family is healthy and doing well!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Baby Shower Pics
So, these pictures remind us of why I NEVER get my hair professionally styled. Please (!) don't comment on it. And for the record, I didn't ask for it, the stylist just worked her "magic" all by herself. Heehee! It was a nice thought. But still...
These are the requested "belly pictures". Yes, I chose this top because my belly looks so big in it! Haha!
Ahh, you delight me!
Two things have been a delight for me today and I thought I would share. So, here are my "happies" for today. I hope you have had many of your own!
Roland and I picked up our first cloth diapers today! I am SO delighted! These adorable little guys are just wonderful! We chose Fuzzibinz for our first dozen. I was surprised how excited Roland was upon seeing and holding them. I can't wait to try them on AT. Ohh....how am I going to make it through the next 3+ months? So pretty with bright and pale colors and amazingly soft! If you know me well enough to be reading this then you know I HATE waste so cloth diapering was an easy choice. Okay, I realize that I have just added to my already terrific laundry responsibility but I LOVE these cute, little guys! My washing machine will look like a rainbow! I have been so excited since beginning my research and now they are placed in AT's room awaiting him. I have even dreamed of diapers! And not just once either, several times. I just wake up and laugh and laugh! Imagine someone dreaming about diapers! (Roland is a heavy sleeper so he isn't bothered.) Everything is coming together and we are more ready for our precious miracle to arrive every day. If any of you have used cloth I would like to hear suggestions too.
I know I am supposed to think that my shortness of breath is annoying but girls, it Delights me! I just laugh and laugh! This evening I was picking up sticks in our back yard and carrying them while talking to my mom. I got a bit a light headed (a very little bit) when bending down and just sounded like I was running a marathon! Finally, my mom told me to stop my laughing, talking and picking up sticks and sit down before I passed out! (In full disclosure I was talking about how great these diapers are and she was heading to dinner with a girlfriend. Can't you just see her rolling her eyes? LOVE IT--let me just say!) It doesn't help that whenever I notice my shortness of breath I start laughing which makes it worse. Can't you just picture it? It reminds me of praying as a little girl, "God, please make me short and cute". Yea, ya gotta be careful what you ask for! I got the short part, that's for sure! (This is the culprit of my shortness of breath.) I am assured that it isn't a medical problem and AT is getting plenty of oxygen. I am also told it is going to get more noticeable very quickly! It doesn't make me uncomfortable and I am not getting particularily dizzy at all. So, it is just something else to laugh about!
So there you have my delights of today. I love this time! I cannot wait to hold AT but since I have to (and the alternative to waiting is not what I would ever wish for) I LOVE this time. It is so special. I know that this is a time that I will always remember as one of the best times of my life. I have my sweet son with me at all times and we just get to be together. I truly treasure it and realize I probably won't get this chance again. Haha! Good night ladies! I hope your day has been full of many precious moments.
Roland and I picked up our first cloth diapers today! I am SO delighted! These adorable little guys are just wonderful! We chose Fuzzibinz for our first dozen. I was surprised how excited Roland was upon seeing and holding them. I can't wait to try them on AT. Ohh....how am I going to make it through the next 3+ months? So pretty with bright and pale colors and amazingly soft! If you know me well enough to be reading this then you know I HATE waste so cloth diapering was an easy choice. Okay, I realize that I have just added to my already terrific laundry responsibility but I LOVE these cute, little guys! My washing machine will look like a rainbow! I have been so excited since beginning my research and now they are placed in AT's room awaiting him. I have even dreamed of diapers! And not just once either, several times. I just wake up and laugh and laugh! Imagine someone dreaming about diapers! (Roland is a heavy sleeper so he isn't bothered.) Everything is coming together and we are more ready for our precious miracle to arrive every day. If any of you have used cloth I would like to hear suggestions too.
I know I am supposed to think that my shortness of breath is annoying but girls, it Delights me! I just laugh and laugh! This evening I was picking up sticks in our back yard and carrying them while talking to my mom. I got a bit a light headed (a very little bit) when bending down and just sounded like I was running a marathon! Finally, my mom told me to stop my laughing, talking and picking up sticks and sit down before I passed out! (In full disclosure I was talking about how great these diapers are and she was heading to dinner with a girlfriend. Can't you just see her rolling her eyes? LOVE IT--let me just say!) It doesn't help that whenever I notice my shortness of breath I start laughing which makes it worse. Can't you just picture it? It reminds me of praying as a little girl, "God, please make me short and cute". Yea, ya gotta be careful what you ask for! I got the short part, that's for sure! (This is the culprit of my shortness of breath.) I am assured that it isn't a medical problem and AT is getting plenty of oxygen. I am also told it is going to get more noticeable very quickly! It doesn't make me uncomfortable and I am not getting particularily dizzy at all. So, it is just something else to laugh about!
So there you have my delights of today. I love this time! I cannot wait to hold AT but since I have to (and the alternative to waiting is not what I would ever wish for) I LOVE this time. It is so special. I know that this is a time that I will always remember as one of the best times of my life. I have my sweet son with me at all times and we just get to be together. I truly treasure it and realize I probably won't get this chance again. Haha! Good night ladies! I hope your day has been full of many precious moments.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Week 24 Review
My Favorite Thing this week...
My favorite thing about week 24 is AT kicking SO much more! He actually wakes me up occasionally "saying hello". Okay, I know what you're saying, 'yeah Shell, that's cute NOW but just wait'. Oh, but dear friends we have waited so long! I just laugh and love knowing he is happy and comfy in his temporary home! Each kick is special and just between us. When he doesn't kick for awhile I really miss it. Quite often I will see my shirt "jump" and I just giggle. I wonder if people around me think I swallowed an alien or something. Haha! A couple times over the past week a couple people couldn't tell that I was pregnant! Actually, it was just one sales person but still! I almost cried!
Funny Symptoms this week...
Well, that's not really anything special. I cry about EVERYTHING! And I mean everything. I cried watching "Beauty Shop", and two other movies this afternoon. I cried during Shrek 3 two nights ago. I cry while singing songs. Don't get me started on everything in Japan...I can't watch the news anymore. And, if anything really upsetting happens, just lock me away for at least a couple hours. Craziness I tell you! And the scatterbrain thing is in FULL swing! I drove 45 minutes into NJ recently while trying to get to Target which is 10 minutes from home. I get lost going out of my driveway! Haha! It is so pathetic that I had to share with you so you can laugh!
A Wonderful Memory from this week...
My terrific sister (in-law) threw me a baby shower at mom's house while we were in Georgia last Saturday. It was so lovely! Several of my best friends came and we enjoyed visiting and great food! I was so amazed by everyone's generosity and thoughtfulness! I couldn't believe it! My mom helped a lot with the shower too. It was such a blessing to see all the love that Marcia and Mom put into these few precious hours just for AT and I!
Our visit to Georgia was great overall. It was wonderful to spend some time with precious friends and family. We also got to spend most of Sunday with Mema and Grandpa Eagan (Roland's grandparents). It was a wonderful visit, they are just so terrific! I enjoyed spending some time alone with Mema while we cooked dinner and Roland and Grandpa did...something, I'm not sure what to be honest. Ms. Lori came to the shower and we got to eat dinner with her afterward. It was nice to get to visit. I got to spend some time with girlfriends that I rarely get to see. We got some alone time with Grami and mom too.
As the second trimester wraps up we are in full preparation mode now which is so much fun! Our home is starting to look like a baby lives here which is just incredible for both Roland and I! We are so thankful! We hope you are having a terrific week as well. Blessings to you!
My favorite thing about week 24 is AT kicking SO much more! He actually wakes me up occasionally "saying hello". Okay, I know what you're saying, 'yeah Shell, that's cute NOW but just wait'. Oh, but dear friends we have waited so long! I just laugh and love knowing he is happy and comfy in his temporary home! Each kick is special and just between us. When he doesn't kick for awhile I really miss it. Quite often I will see my shirt "jump" and I just giggle. I wonder if people around me think I swallowed an alien or something. Haha! A couple times over the past week a couple people couldn't tell that I was pregnant! Actually, it was just one sales person but still! I almost cried!
Funny Symptoms this week...
Well, that's not really anything special. I cry about EVERYTHING! And I mean everything. I cried watching "Beauty Shop", and two other movies this afternoon. I cried during Shrek 3 two nights ago. I cry while singing songs. Don't get me started on everything in Japan...I can't watch the news anymore. And, if anything really upsetting happens, just lock me away for at least a couple hours. Craziness I tell you! And the scatterbrain thing is in FULL swing! I drove 45 minutes into NJ recently while trying to get to Target which is 10 minutes from home. I get lost going out of my driveway! Haha! It is so pathetic that I had to share with you so you can laugh!
A Wonderful Memory from this week...
My terrific sister (in-law) threw me a baby shower at mom's house while we were in Georgia last Saturday. It was so lovely! Several of my best friends came and we enjoyed visiting and great food! I was so amazed by everyone's generosity and thoughtfulness! I couldn't believe it! My mom helped a lot with the shower too. It was such a blessing to see all the love that Marcia and Mom put into these few precious hours just for AT and I!
Our visit to Georgia was great overall. It was wonderful to spend some time with precious friends and family. We also got to spend most of Sunday with Mema and Grandpa Eagan (Roland's grandparents). It was a wonderful visit, they are just so terrific! I enjoyed spending some time alone with Mema while we cooked dinner and Roland and Grandpa did...something, I'm not sure what to be honest. Ms. Lori came to the shower and we got to eat dinner with her afterward. It was nice to get to visit. I got to spend some time with girlfriends that I rarely get to see. We got some alone time with Grami and mom too.
As the second trimester wraps up we are in full preparation mode now which is so much fun! Our home is starting to look like a baby lives here which is just incredible for both Roland and I! We are so thankful! We hope you are having a terrific week as well. Blessings to you!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
We got to see the baby!
We had our level II ultrasound today. We ended up not having to wait very long at all. For about forty five minutes we got to look at our baby. I must say that these professionals do not understand about hearing the heartbeat! We only heard a very strong heartbeat for a couple of seconds! Come On!! Don't they realize these pictures and heartbeat have to be remembered for weeks?! ;) But, this time we've got 'em because I have a normal checkup next week! So, we only have to wait a couple of days. Haha! Sneaky, very sneaky, I am!
The doctor who reviewed our pictures and then checked on the baby said that he was very healthy. I appreciated that the first words after "hello" were "everything looks good"! That was exactly what we were praying to hear. Praise God for keeping our baby safe and healthy! We are so thankful!
Did you notice the "he"? We've got a boy! A very active boy! We couldn't be happier. Sweet, precious little boy. His name is Andrew Thomas. "Thomas" will be his middle name technically but he will be called Andrew (Andy) Thomas. Not Drew please because I like Andy better (and it still sounds good with "Thomas").
Thank you for your prayers and love. We are so thankful that God has kept this precious miracle safe! I am kind of hopeful that I will no longer be "high risk" after this ultrasound. It seems as though everything is going beautifully now. In truth, that's what matters and not a label for insurance purposes. We hope you are having a delightful week and pray all is well. Thank you again, so much, for keeping us in your prayers!!
The doctor who reviewed our pictures and then checked on the baby said that he was very healthy. I appreciated that the first words after "hello" were "everything looks good"! That was exactly what we were praying to hear. Praise God for keeping our baby safe and healthy! We are so thankful!
Did you notice the "he"? We've got a boy! A very active boy! We couldn't be happier. Sweet, precious little boy. His name is Andrew Thomas. "Thomas" will be his middle name technically but he will be called Andrew (Andy) Thomas. Not Drew please because I like Andy better (and it still sounds good with "Thomas").
Thank you for your prayers and love. We are so thankful that God has kept this precious miracle safe! I am kind of hopeful that I will no longer be "high risk" after this ultrasound. It seems as though everything is going beautifully now. In truth, that's what matters and not a label for insurance purposes. We hope you are having a delightful week and pray all is well. Thank you again, so much, for keeping us in your prayers!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
On the Fridge
Hello sweet friends!
We are having a difficult time thinking of names for our sweet baby. I recently heard of a friend who posted a piece of paper on her fridge asking all of their visitors to write a suggestion. I love this idea! But, alas! We are new to the area and don't have visitors like we have in the past. Also, so many of our friends live far away. So, I thought I could post here and perhaps get some good suggestions.
Here are some thoughts so far. I know that our child will be called by both first and middle name so they have to flow nicely. For example: Jessica Ann, Anna Grace, Andrew Thomas, Douglas Clifton, Melanie Ann. We are also hoping that after our level 2 ultrasound (February 10th) choosing a name will be easier.
Thank you for participating! We are enjoying each and every moment of this time! How can I express how thankful we are that the Lord has answered our prayers!
We are having a difficult time thinking of names for our sweet baby. I recently heard of a friend who posted a piece of paper on her fridge asking all of their visitors to write a suggestion. I love this idea! But, alas! We are new to the area and don't have visitors like we have in the past. Also, so many of our friends live far away. So, I thought I could post here and perhaps get some good suggestions.
Here are some thoughts so far. I know that our child will be called by both first and middle name so they have to flow nicely. For example: Jessica Ann, Anna Grace, Andrew Thomas, Douglas Clifton, Melanie Ann. We are also hoping that after our level 2 ultrasound (February 10th) choosing a name will be easier.
Thank you for participating! We are enjoying each and every moment of this time! How can I express how thankful we are that the Lord has answered our prayers!
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