The McCreary's

Baby's 1st Christmas

2010-01-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is part of my problem with this blogging thing!!! I always forget to post the picture you want first in the last slot! O well, the next several pictures are all Christmas festivities and such. Enjoy!

Josie's 1st snow.

Dressing up in camo with Daddy.

The smile that makes our day!

The Holiday Express.

Fantasy of Trees (and 1st visit with Santa)

Thanksgiving

2010-01-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was a blast as usual! We spent time with Joel's' family in Rockwood, then spent time with my family at my Nona's house. Josie got to meet her Uncle Gentry for the first time the week of Thanksgiving!

I'm just not good at this stuff...

2010-01-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

I thought blogging would be an easy and quick way to keep friends and family up to date on our little family...wrong! I have the hardest time posting and trying to figure this thing out! Therefore, I am way behind because I just can't find the time to get on here.

BUT....

I am trying something new with Josie tonight...thanks to my sister-in-law's advice! She has 4 children, so I figure she has a few helpful tips!!

Josie is still getting up once in the night to nurse. I was hoping she would be sleeping through the night by now, but she's not! There for about 8-9 weeks, we were getting up 2-5 times a night to give her the passie. We let her cry it out one night and it lasted all of 6 minutes. She hasn't gotten up more than twice since...once to fuss and once to nurse. Anyways, I put her down earlier tonight to see how she does, so I have time to post some cute pictures of Miss Josie!!

Josie turned 6 months old last Sunday!! I can't believe she is already 6 months! I took her to the Dr. last Wed. for her 6 mon. well visit and shots. She weighed 16 lbs. 7 oz. and was 25 inches long.

A new tradition...

2009-11-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

For the past several years, Amy and I have walked in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk in honor of our Mom. It was great to have Josie participate this year as well! What a great tradition to begin with her!

Even Bruce Pearl walked!

Josie's Nona carried her through the survivor line.

We love you Mom and are very proud of the fight you put up against breast cancer!

These apples won't keep the Dr. away...

2009-11-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

but they are so worth it!

Cameron invited us to his Monster Bash Halloween party, so we decided to take carmel/chocolate covered apples for the Mommies and Daddies to enjoy!

Ready to help Mommy...

(This didn't last long...she was asleep in 10 minutes.)

Carmel...

chocolate and sprinkles!

Wrapped and ready to give out!

Our apples were a big hit! They were delicious!!

Unexpected 4 month visit...

2009-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

I got a call at work today from Josie's nanny, Ms. Sondra. She has NEVER called me at work so I knew something was wrong. Josie was constipated (She'll kill me when she's older for putting this on the Internet!) and had been screaming and crying in pain. So I left work and took her to the Dr. to make sure everything was ok.
Josie is just fine...just constipated!
She was due for her 4 month shots in about 2 weeks, so I wanted to get it over with while we were there..so we did. She cried...
Miss Josie now weighs 13 lbs. & 7 oz. and is 24 inches long. I forgot how big they said her head is, but it was good too!!

Thank you Gran-Nona for going to the Dr. with us today!

2009-10-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Josie and her Gran-Nona

How precious is this?

Nona got Josie a new toy and she loves it! She has figured out how to spin the wheel on the top.
Poor Amos...he's so jealous of the new little person that comes to visit him every Sunday. He just can't figure her out! He has to be everywhere she's at!
This is her new favorite way to sleep. I find her like this a lot now in the mornings.
Josie has recently discovered her hands...and how yummy they taste!

Happy Birthday Kaden

2009-09-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Our best friends' little boy, Kaden, turns 2 on Sept. 22. We celebrated his birthday at "Kaden's County Fair". Mandy always throws a wonderful party and everyone had a great time.

Mandy made shirts for all the kids to wear. Josie looked adorable in her party outfit.

Joel, "Emmy" and Josie got Kaden a dinosaur piggy bank from Crib & Carriage and attached $10 in quarters to it. He loves the first piggy bank we got him and it's about full.

We love this boy as if he was our own! (And he loves Josie..."my girlfriend" as he says!)

Playing Catch Up

2009-09-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday morning and I am at home with Miss Josie. We NEVER layout of church, but we made an exception today. I am terrified that Josie is going to get sick so we decided to keep her in this weekend.

C.C.H.S. (my work place) is said to have 8 confirmed cases of the Swine Flu and all the other schools in the county have had hundreds of students out daily. Joel and I are doing everything we can to stay "clean" and keep Josie well.

So with that said, I decided to update everyone this morning with several pictures from the past few weeks. I have been slacking and will try to get better.

We got out the tummy time surfboard to see how she would do...

She doesn't quite have the hang of it yet.

I don't know what it is about putting a child's feet in their mouth, but it seems to make them laugh. We had so much fun listening to her laugh and coo!

We went to the lake on Labor Day and Josie wore the onesie we got Pops last Christmas.

Joel and Adam were playing video games on Adam's phone and insisted she join them...

Gran-Nona's Great Grandkids

(There is a story behind the sign...My Uncle Kevin has the most unusual houseboat. It is a houseboat with a pontoon attached to the back...to make a 60 ft. or so contraption. The title fits!)

Oh, that smile! This is what makes my day!

Cougars Fan

2009-09-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Check out that face!

Josie and my dear friend and co-worker, Sandi, the cheerleading coach.

I am completely taking advantage of the fact that Josie has no say so in what she wears right now! For those of you who don't know me that well, I love clothes and shoes! Last time I counted I had over 100 pairs of shoes...a bit ridiculous! I have gotten rid of SOME of them and actually cleaned out my closet today during my "season shift." Josie's closet is starting to look like mine.

Last night, Joel and I took Josie to the C.C.H.S. ballgame. My mom and I had her outfit planned out and it came together just as we had hoped! Take a look at the cutest Cougars fan you'll ever see...

*I ALWAYS forget that you have to upload pictures before you write! I decided I was not fixing it this time because it is time for a little girl to get her bath!*

6 Weeks Old

2009-09-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Miss Josie is 6 weeks old! I can't believe it! She is growing up so fast and changing every day. I took several pictures of her on her 6 week birthday. I wanted to show everyone what we did yesterday.

This is her favorite things to do!

She loves to watch her monkey and fish! She even has one of these in her bed at her Nona's house.
We went to the C.C.H.S. ball game. I couldn't wait to show her off to all of my co-workers.

Joel and I are completely in love with her...as if you couldn't tell!

She is still getting up only once in the night and only cries if she is hungry.

*We went to the Dr. on Thursday to see about a rash on her face, neck and back. Although everyone told me it was only a heat rash, I had to get the "professional" diagnosis. Luckily, she only had a "baby rash" and everything else looked great! She weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs. and 13 oz.!
We go back to the Dr. Sept. 21 for shots. Hopefully she will do better than her Mommy when getting them!

Yummy!

2009-08-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Josie has been the perfect baby! Yes, that's right, I said perfect!

I was very worried and nervous about breastfeeding, but gave it a try anyways. After about 2 weeks she got the hang of it, however, since I have to go back to work in a few weeks, I decided to introduce the bottle as well.

Mom and I made a trip to buy Polly...Polly the Pump that is! After two days, Josie was using a bottle too! She is now eating from a bottle and nursing...making Mommy's life much less stressful!

Last night we decided to try a little cereal. Here are a few pictures from her first time eating cereal with a spoon!

She began her dinner with her bottle of course.

Those eyes melt my heart!

This melts my heart too! This is the reaction we get EVERY time we take the bottle away to burp.

She did really well and seemed to enjoy the cereal.

A few more pictures from our girls trip

2009-08-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

Josie enjoyed the beach just like her Pops does...in the shade and snoozing!!

Josie had each of us wrapped around her little finger!

"Leave me alone and let me fall asleep!"

Happy girl!!

Hey Daddy!!

2009-08-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying our beach trip, but Josie misses her Daddy! She wanted to post a few pictures of to show him all the fun she's having on her girls trip!

Me and Mommy before going out to dinner. I already love being outside and hearing the ocean!

Nona was not able to fit my swing in her car, but Mommy found a swing for me! It's much bigger than mine at home, but with Mommy's supervision I am able to enjoy it. Mommy tells me I have one of these at home too!

Daddy, will you swing me in the big swing when I get home??

Look Daddy, I have my toes painted like a big girl!

I went to bed last night at 10 and slept until 4! Mommy was very thankful for the sleep!

*Daddy, your girls miss you and look forward to seeing you Sunday! We love you!*

A look at the past week with Josie.

2009-08-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took Josie to the lake for the first time. Mommy and Daddy spend lots of time on the lake and can't wait to teach Josie to swim and wakeboard! But for now she will just hang out on the houseboat and pontoon in her diaper and shades!

Aunt Jenny, Kiah and Ann Elise came to visit Josie last week! We are so glad we got to see all of them. We missed seeing Chip, Eva and Sophia and hope to get to see them soon.

Aunt Jenny made Josie's new blanket! It is so precious! You should see the dresses that she can make...she's amazing!

We finally got to give Josie a bath in her bath tub. She hated the "sponge" bath and screamed at Mommy the whole time I tried to bathe her. She loves the new way of bathing!
Isn't this a face that just screams "I'm lovin' this!"

8-8-2009

Happy Birthday Pops!!
We went to Red Lobster for Pops (my Dad) birthday. As you can see, she was so happy to be there!

Our Pride and Joy

2009-08-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Josie loves her swing!

Our first trip to church.

Gosh, she's cute!!

I think we may have a drama queen on our hands...

I have to post a picture of the proud grandparents!

Josie is doing great! She is sleeping well, eating...a lot, and of course wrapping us around her little finger each and every day!

I will try to do a better job at keeping the blog updated!

Since Friday...

2009-07-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

As Joel bounces around the room with Josie, I am going to take a minute to catch everyone up with all that has been going on...

Thursday...

Joel and I spent the day together and headed to Knoxville to eat a wonderful dinner that my Mom made for us. Then we headed to the hospital and were checked in by midnight.

Friday...

By this time, the anticipation of what we were having was killing us! Our family and friends began to show up and claimed their seats in the waiting room. Around 2:00 they ran everyone out of my room and told me it was time to get started. I had Joel and my sister, Amy, in the delivery room with me.

Joel was so worried about passing out during the delivery, but he was phenomenal! He coached me through everything.

My labor and delivery went great! Miss Josie Inez arrived at 3:08 p.m. She was perfect!

Sunday...

After waiting on Miss Josie to give us 2 "wet" diapers, we were finally able to head home that evening. Josie slept the whole way home. She also slept from 11:30 that night to 6 or so the next morning!

We are the proud and blessed parents of a BEAUTIFUL and HEALTHY baby girl!!

2009-07-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Josie Inez McCreary

7 lbs. 12 oz.

20 in.

Born at 3:08 p.m.

The two most precious people in my life.

Daddy's Girl

Mommy's Sweet Pea

Isn't she beautiful?

38 weeks

2009-07-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is the two things I brought back from Guatemala last Summer. (A dress and a t-shirt) I knew we would be having children at some point, so I had to get him/her something from Anitgua. Will I have to pack the dress away??? We will know by Friday!!

I am officially counting down the DAYS now until my little bit gets here. Joel and I can not wait to meet him or her! We have waited 9 months to see if we will be going to clogging lessons or baseball games! (Either way this child will fish and hunt!) My mom took a few pictures of me the other day while we were working in the house. It's amazing how much dust a new house can hold! The nursery is the only room that seems to be staying clean. I needed to rest so this seemed like the perfect place to be. I'm sure I'll be in this chair many times a day come next week..and the next and the next...

These pictures aren't great because I left the blinds open and the sun is very bright. Sorry!

Little Bit's Nursery

2009-07-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

My parents got me this glider for my birthday. It is wonderful! Joel has been sitting in it at night to read his Bible, so I have a feeling we may be fighting over who gets to sit in it.

There's really not a lot of gender neutral bedding, but my mom found this months ago and I loved it!

Once this baby has a name, we will do something above the crib to add some more color.

UPDATE

2009-07-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

So Joel and I moved into our new home last Friday, July 10. (By the way that was my twin nieces 2nd Birthday, so Happy Birthday Eva and Sophia!) We still don't have stair or balcony railing (long story!), but it should be finished this week. With all that said, we are completely moved in and are trying to get settled.
So what do you do when you move into a house much bigger than your last? Well, you have to stock all those cabinets...right? Last night Joel and I left a funereal and headed to Wal-Mart to get a few things. As we were walking to the cosmetics section, I informed Joel that my belly did not feel the same. ( I hadn't felt right all day.) He calmly asked it I was having the baby. We kept going and by the time we got to the produce, I had changed my tune! I was hurting and pretty sure that I was having contractions. We went to the hospital and they kept me for 4 hours. My contractions were every minute to every 8 minutes. After 4 hours and only dilating 1.5 cm they sent me home.
I had my regular Dr. appt. today. I have dilated to 2 cm. Dr. McCauley scheduled to induce me NEXT Friday the 24th. That's if he or she doesn't come before then...
Wow! We were thinking ok, that's cool with us...Then we realized that is 10 days away! We are very excited and very nervous.
Please keep us in your prayers. I do not like unscheduled events, so the idea of going into labor at any time terrifies me!
This is all I have for tonight. I need to post pictures of the house and the nursery, but now that I have a new sofa, I'm going to rest with a bowl of ice cream!

Good night everyone!

Last baby shower

2009-06-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

Jenn and Rachel hosted a shower on Sunday. It was so sweet and I got to see a lot of people that I haven't seen in a while.

The ladies were to cut string the size of my belly. My sister's string could have wrapped around me twice! We all can't be a size 0...forever!

"My Dad Is Cooler Than Your Dad"

Thanks Jamie for the bib! Joel really liked this one!

Baby J Update

I went to the Dr. last week. Again, everything looked great! Strong heartbeat, growing belly (No stretch marks!!) and at that point the babies head was down. My next appointment is July 7. We will have our last ultrasound and more blood work.

2009-06-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

Amy and I spent Saturday afternoon putting together the stroller and highchair. It was much easier than I thought! I love our red Chicco travel system! It appears to be very handy and easy to use.

Aunt Amy was great at putting this stuff together...much better than I was!

The high chair matches all the colors of the Fiesta Ware we are using in our new home!

This will have to serve as my 35 week picture.

The belly appears to be dropping just a bit!!

Baby Shower and Birthday

2009-06-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

June 27

My birthday! And the day my sister (Aunt Amy!!), my Aunt Debbie and Aunt Kay and my cousin Mandy gave me a baby shower. And even though my Mom didn't have her name on the invitation as a hostess, she helped tremendously!

The shower was perfect! Everything was so cute and "gender neutral"! The shower was at 10 a.m. so they had cheesy grits, breakfast casserole, french toast casserole (which was wonderful), muffins, mini lemon cakes, fruit and dip and a birthday cake. Did I make you hungry?

The cake was from Mag Pies and it was so cute!!

I was so happy to see everyone that came, but I love seeing Kristen. We have been best friends for 26 yrs. now...we took swimming lessons together at 9 months old. She is such a joy to be around and always makes me laugh.

We got tons of gifts....too many to mention, but I did love this one. Our friends Jonathan and Mandy and Mandy's parents got us a Radio Flyer wagon full of goodies. This wagon is great! It comes with a canopy, fold down seats with seat belts and cup holders!

Joel and Baby J will spend lots of time talking walks around our new subdivision.

I had a few requests for my Aunt Debbie. She can make anything! I asked her to make the gown for the baby to come home in (gender neutral of course) and another hospital outfit. Both of them were so cute and I'll always remember those special outfits. She also made this blanket that matches the colors of the nursery.

Aunt Kay is not pictured because she was "hosting" from Arizona. These four ladies did a fabulous job and I couldn't be more thankful! Baby J has a wonderful family to come home!!

My parent's bought me a glider for my birthday...not your typical birthday present, but I'm sure I'll love it at 2 a.m.

House Update

2009-06-30T17:12:00.001-07:00

Our dragonfly Tiffany style foyer light.

Downstairs "guest" bathroom
(Not completely decorated)

Master bathroom

These past few weeks have been very busy for the McCreary family. We (ok Joel) have been working very hard on the house and the inside is starting to look at bit more like a home! Yesterday, I spent 13 hours, along with Joel my mother-in-law, and my mom and dad, moving things in, hanging pictures, building closet shelves and finishing other small things. We finally have water so we were also able to move in dishes and kitchen appliances. We made so much progress, BUT we did not pass our final electrical inspection. NO BIG DEAL! A few small changes and we should be good to go.

All of our bathrooms are decorated. All doors are hung and in the process of being painted. And the stair railing and balcony railing should be done in a week or so. (But if the electricity gets turned on, I'm moving in with or without the railing!)

2009-06-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

32 weeks

33 weeks

*Congratulations to Corey and Danielle! They were married at Whitestone on June 14.*

Me and the baby are doing great. I went to the Dr. last Friday. The heart rate was between 147 and 153, the bump measured 33 cm and I had not gained any weight.

Joel is still convinced we are having boy! (To be honest, I kind of think it's a boy too!)

As far as the past few weeks go, I have felt great!

I miss my cute Summer clothes, riding the waverunner, wakeboarding and tubing, highheels, running and comfortably painting my toenails.

I do, however, love waffles, ice cream, Sprite and Sierra Mist and asking for my feet to be rubbed and getting it every time I ask!

Joel and I have put the house in the hands of the finishers and hope to move in about 2 weeks or so! We are very excited about moving and finally being able to rest...for a few weeks anyways!

Finally in the single digits...

2009-06-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

I have 9 weeks left now! Wow...where has time gone? I am growing at a rapid rate of speed and I am staring to slow down...just a little. I still have a little trouble with the fainting episodes, but other than that I feel great!

I am going to the Dr. every two weeks now and I am getting good reports.

Here I am at 31 weeks.

As far as the house goes, we are making great progress. Joel is working on some project everyday. I think he has surprised himself as to how much he can do...and succeed!

We now have all of our kitchen cabinets in and should get to the counter tops in a day or two.

2009-05-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

The house is starting to take shape on the inside! Thanks to the help of family and friends, we have came a long way in the past few weeks. We still have a long ways to go, but we are making great progress!

The orange master bathroom.

The man room.

The flooring upstairs is now complete. Joel and some of his friends worked two days straight to get this done. The floors are beautiful...just a little dusty right now.
Joel and Adam hard at work.

WARNING!!
This next picture may offend some people!!

On Memorial day, I went to the lake with my parents and sister. I had decided that I would not wear a maternity swimsuit. I thought this would be a great view of what I look like at 30 weeks pregnant.

I use to be the same size as Amy!

Amos loves to ride the wave runner. Dad takes him for a ride every time he goes to the lake.

Weekend of Showers

2009-05-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

May 16 & 17

Joel and I had two showers over the weekend. Joel's Aunt's had us over for BBQ and homemade desserts! They got one of our car seats and a bunch of books! We got other things too...too many to mention them all!

On Sunday, we had a shower at Laurel Church of Christ...our wonderful church. Joel and I absolutely love our church family. They have been such a blessing to us. We look forward to raising our child in such a wonderful church.

My Momma, Aunt Amy and Nona went with me.

Baby J received so many great gifts.

Do you think my Mom will spoil this baby??

Now we just need a home to put all these gifts in!!

2009-05-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 27 weeks.

P.S. I have no idea why my words are underlined! I really have a hard time posting.

28 weeks

*And the underlining is gone...go figure!*

We don't have much to show on the house. It is currently being painted. Joel and I have been painting doors and hanging light fixtures. Our painter, Gary Seal, is doing a great job! We are so very thankful to him and all the help he is giving us!

This is the nursery. Our bedding has that color of red in in.

Yes, that is a pink wall! A very pink wall. I pulled that pink out of my china. So this is our formal dining room.

Our dining room set is black. I can't wait to put it all together!

Kaleb Hoyt Chadwell

2009-05-02T14:24:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Jonathan and Mandy

Our second Godson was born this morning. Mandy was unable to make it to the hospital, so Jonathan had to deliver Kaleb at home! Dad did a wonderful job with the help of a friend, Emily Ragland. Both Jonathan and Emily kept their cool and brought precious Kaleb into the world with a perfect delivery.

As for Mom...she is superwoman! She was perfect then and is doing great now! Both Mom and baby were taken to the hospital by ambulance about 20 minutes after Kaleb was born. Mom, Dad and Kaleb are doing great! Kaden (the big brother) isn't sure what to think about the baby or why is getting so many presents today!

Kaleb Hoyt Chadwell

8 lbs. 9 oz. 20 in.

"Unlce" Joel looks like a natural!

The very proud "Aunt Emma"

Our two precious Godchildren

26 weeks and counting

2009-04-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about being a high school teacher is chaperoning prom. It's a great excuse to get dressed up and go out to eat.

Here's the bump! It just keeps growing and growing...

I can't believe I am posting this picture. We went to the lake last Sunday. I never burn...NEVER! I decided I would try to get sun on my belly and let's just say that later that night I was hurting...bad! I looked liked a lobster for 3 days!

Joel obviously hasn't put on any sympathy pounds!

Joel's Hard Work

2009-04-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

For the few of you who are following the progress on the house, I am sorry it has taken me so long to post. I have been told my someone (Mom) that I need to post more often. I have found it very difficult to build a house, work, get ready to have a baby, go to school and prepare to graduate a week before my due date...all at the same time.

Anyways, Joel has worked very hard on our porch railing (with the help of our dear friend Jonathan)! He did an excellen job and I am so proud of him!

Isn't he cute?

We plan to stain the front door and porch railing the same color. The railing must "weather" before we can do that.

We now have the drywall completed and the painting process starts tomorrow. I can't wait to show off my hot pink wall...

2009-04-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Our stacked stone is now complete!

The baby's room. We now have sheet rock hung.
The upstairs.

Easter and More

2009-04-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Easter!

Thank you Mom and Dad for the Easter basket. Joel and I have enjoyed the candy and Baby J will love all the books.

I used to be the size of Amy! Needless to say, I can't borrow her clothes anymore.

Belly Update

24 weeks

(I skipped week 23.)

Baby J News

Joel and I went to the Dr. today. Dr. McCauley did not seem to be worried about the problems I had a few weeks ago. He actually has the same heart condition as I do and told me that I would be fine!

The baby's heartbeat was strong, but he didn't tell me what the heart rate was. I do know that my belly measured 31 cm today and I have gained 9 lbs. over the last 4 weeks.

YES, THAT'S CORRECT....9 LBS!

For those of you who may be keeping up with my weight gain, that is a total of 20+ lbs.!! I hate to think I have already gained that much, but I feel great and look great too...right? (Agree with the big girl!!)

Spring Break and all it's excitment!

2009-04-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

I loved this creek.

Here I am at 22 weeks. Can you see the Grand Canyon behind that belly?

The top of Mt. Lemmon.

First let me start by letting everyone know that Baby J and Mom are doing fine! If you are not sure what I am referring to, let me catch you up...

Joel and I went to Arizona last week to visit my Aunt and Uncle. We had plans on visiting the Grand Canyon, Sedona and anything else along the way. We had a wonderful trip and enjoyed most of it. On Thursday morning, we left Williams, Az. and were headed to Sedona. I passed out and got sick while riding in the vehicle. My family took me to the ER in Flagstaff. I was put in Labor and Delivery and then later moved to the ER. I spent 8 hours in the hospital! (Not fun!) The Dr.'s determined that Baby J was perfectly fine!! The Dr.'s seemed to think that I was dehydrated and that the baby was possibly laying on an artery, therefore not giving me as much blood flow as I need. This was causing me to faint...multiple times.

Once we got home, I followed up with Dr. McCauley. He suggested I make an appt. with my cardiologist.

Dr. Cox informed me that Baby J was more than likely laying on an artery. My prescription: to drink lots of Gatorade (for the sodium). That's it...it's that simple!

Please keep me in your prayers. I am still having episodes at times. A last resort will be bed rest. If you know me at all, you that the bed is a place to sleep...at night...only!

The pictures above are from our trip. We had a great time and got to see some many of God's beautiful creations. We were reminded of just how blessed we are to have such a wonderful Creator.

More on the house

2009-04-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the progress with our house. The siding is almost complete and we are waiting on the stacked stone for the front and the side. We now have our electrical work and heating and air completed!

Everyone warned us that the "construction thieves" would be keeping their eye out on the place. Well they were doing their job! We were robbed while we were in Arizona last week. The idiots had the nerve to pose as a clean up crew and take things in the middle of the day! Needless to say, thanks to our neighbors description, they were caught!

This house building process has been quite an experience and to think we are only half way there!

a few more updates

2009-03-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

20 weeks

We now have some windows and porches!

Mommy's Nose and Daddy's Feet

2009-03-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this beautiful face!

Me, Joel and Nona (my Mom) went for our 20 week ultrasound today. Baby J was fantastic...he/she kept its little legs together the whole time! We think that Baby J has my nose (very distinct) and Joel's long feet.

Everything looked great today! The heartbeat was 152 and the baby weighs approximately 15 oz.

Now that you can see our sweet baby's face, vote on what you think the sex will be!!

2009-03-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

This picture doesn't show much, but today was the first time we were able to go upstairs. This is taken from the man room, overlooking the living room, kitchen and our bedroom.

This room will be Joel's pride and joy! I am so glad we will finally have a designated room for him to display all the stuffed animals that are currently hanging on my living room wall!

As of today, we are about a week or two from having the house in the dry and all the siding put on.

Baby J News

Baby J has been very active the past few days! I love feeling him/her squirm around. We are 20 weeks today! It's hard to believe we are half way through the pregnancy. Now the pressure is on - only 20 weeks to get this house finished! (Keep your fingers crossed!)

Amazing progress!

2009-03-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

19 weeks

I have become very "plump" in the last week!

We did not have an ultrasound last week because we weren't 20 weeks yet. We go March 18 for our next ultrasound. Dr. McCauley said that I was doing great! I have gained a total of 10 lbs.

Can you tell?

Now for the house...

They have made so much progress! Check it out!

Master bedroom, bathroom and walkin closet
Back porch

(part will be covered and part screened in)

Front door/foyer

Garage side of the house

Front of the house

Roof trusses going up

Man room/Loft area

One of the bedrooms upstairs and balcony

Well that's it for now! We should have the house in the dry within the next 10 days or so. Stay tuned for more updates.

2009-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, my Mom and her brothers threw their mom, Nona, a surprise 80th birthday party. The party was a great success! Here are a few pictures from the party.

Kenny married Joel and I. He wanted to compare bellies.

Here we are at 18 weeks. We got to the Dr. for an ultrasound on Thursday the 5th!

Joel can still get his arms around me!

My Uncle Bill flew in from Arizona last Wednesday. On Thursday morning, he surprised Nona on our way to the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg. We haven't seen him since our wedding.

*If you've never been to the Pancake Pantry, it's a must! I recommend the French Toast!

Nona was so surprised! There were family members, church family, old co-workers and friends there to party with her!

Nona with her grandkids and the money umbrella we made for her. It had 80 one dollar bills on it! Rachel did a great job fixing it up!

2009-02-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Looking more like a home!

2009-02-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY NONA

My wonderful Nona is 80 years old today! She looks as though she's in her 60's and acts like she is 21! Today we took her out to eat pancakes and surprised her this morning with a special visitor. My Uncle Bill flew in last night for the weekend. She was so happy to see him! I couldn't think of a better person to have such a wonderful birthday!

2009-02-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

The block is finished today!! Yay!! We spoke with the builder today and they should start framing the house on Monday.

*We are so excited to finally be building our own home, so I am posting pictures right and left. Please forgive me!

More on Paradise

2009-02-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

Here you go Fran! This is what we are so excited about...well this and Baby J! (We have so much going on right now!)

The block should be completed tomorrow. Joel works about a mile away from the new house, so we are checking up on the progress everyday! The men are working rain or shine! Keep checking the blog for more updates on the house!

2009-02-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

The process on the house is moving right along! As of today, almost all of the block is laid! We should start framing the house next week.

This is the bump at 16 weeks. Can you see it?

I challenged Joel to a few scrabble matches on Valentine's day. He tried so hard to beat me (all 3 times) and just couldn't do it!

I was so happy to finally beat him at something!

We had a great Valentine's day! We had a wonderful dinner at Ye Old Steak House and went to Market Square to walk around and eat custard at Rita's. It was great spending time together!

We had a Valentine's party with our Heart 2 Heart group from church. We had a great time! I really enjoyed the chocolate fountain and all the dippables. (I spent most of the night there!)

And yes, that's sparkling grape juice!

Paradise Cove

2009-02-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Joel and I have had property in Jacksboro for 2.5 yrs. About a month ago, we decided it would be fun to see what it would be like to be pregnant and build a house. So let the race begin!
Our goal is to be in the house before Baby J gets here. (Keep your fingers crossed!) I am going to do my best to keep everyone updated with the growth of the belly and the house.

Here are a few pictures of the property with the stakes in the ground. Weather permitting, we break ground on Monday!

Our dear friends Jonathan and Mandy live just behind that brick house in the background. We can't wait to be neighbors!

This will be what we will see looking off the front porch. Norris Lake is right over that hill.

This is where my front door will be!

15 weeks

2009-02-07T10:18:00.001-08:00

2.2.2009

2009-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today's visit went great. The heart rate was 162 and I have gained almost 2 lbs. since my last visit. More Baby J updates in March.

14 weeks

2009-02-01T08:15:00.001-08:00

Here I am at 14 weeks. I have gained about 7 or 8 lbs. We visit Dr. McCauley tomorrow...more updates to follow!

Today's visit with Dr. McCauley

2009-01-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

We had our second Dr.'s visit today. The nurse was nice enough to have the ultrasound tech do an ultrasound at 10 weeks! Baby J looked so much bigger than he/she did 4 weeks ago. We also got to see the 3D view. He/She wiggled the whole time!
Today we are 10 weeks and 3 days, but Baby J is still measuring a week ahead.
Dr. McCauley said everything with me looked great. They wanted to know how I managed to only gain a pound over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays!
More updates in February...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

Joel took his favorite Christmas present to AL with us...the Wii. He and our nephew, Kiah, played it every time they got together.

We got 3 Cracker Barrell rocking chairs for our new home..when be build that is! The UT covers are a must during football and basketball seasons.

And what would Christmas be if Baby J didn't get something? Books, onesies, shoes, diapers and passie clips!

My nephew Kiah.

One of my identical twin nieces. I'm not sure which one this is. My sister-in-law has 4 children - Kiah - 4, Anne Elise - 2 and Eva and Sophia - 1.

I have been so far behind on posting and to be honest I haven't gotten the hang of how to post on here. Now maybe everyone will understand the complete randomness to these pictures. But as you can see, we had a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

What a mess!

2008-12-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

Joel and I live in his grandparents old house. The house was built around the 1950's. The house is very tiny, outdated and only has 1 closet. When we moved in, we updated what we could and left the rest as is. We plan on building our own home in about a year! So, with that said, now that Baby J is on the way, something had to be done. Joel and I are remodeling the extra bedroom in the house for the baby.

Notice the paneling on the walls (which is one every wall of this house!) Joel has worked so hard on destroying this room! Baby J will have the most up to date and best looking room in the house!

I will post more pictures once we have made more progress!

H2H Christmas Party

2008-12-30T17:13:00.001-08:00

Joel and I have been attending Laurel Church of Christ for a few years now. We have become friends with so many young married couples our age and really enjoy doing things with them. On Sunday nights the church splits up into small study groups for what we call Heart to Heart sessions. Here a few pictures of our H2H Christmas Party at Chris and Regena's house.

We decorated cookies...

played games....

and ate the cookies! I'm not much of a cookie decorator, but I made this one especially for Joel.

C.C.H.S. Living Skills Christmas Party

2008-12-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

We went to Twin Cove Marina for our Christmas Party this year. My students really enjoyed their lunch and Christmas gifts from "Ho-Ho" as most of them called the jolly man in the red suit!

Big News!!

2008-12-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

We finally get to share the wonderful news!! Joel and I are pregnant! We went to the Dr. today and everything looks perfect! We are 6 weeks and 3 days...that makes our due date July 31. Baby "J's" heart rate was 152 bpm and measured at 7 weeks 3 days.

We found out about 4 weeks ago. Joel and his best friend were in Missouri on a hunting trip. I knew something was wrong when I left my hour long aerobics class and went to buy a pint of ice cream. (Which I devoured in less than 30 minutes...very unusual for me!)

The test read positive immediately! I called Joel and he announced it to the entire gas station he was at in Missouri.

After saying all that, we are absolutely thrilled and are so excited about the next 7.5 months. We have decided to not find out the sex of the baby so that makes this journey much more interesting!

Why I love my job...

2008-10-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am often asked why I want to teach the population that I do. Take a look at these pictures. The children are awesome and so much fun to be with.
On Thursday, my class, along with all the other Living Skills classes in the county, went to the corn maze. This was probably a first for many of the students.

27!

2008-10-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

My parents took Joel to Ye Ole Steak House for his birthday.

Atomic Man

2008-09-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

6:30 a.m. - Registration

The race was scheduled to start at 7:30, but because of the fog on the lake the first swim wave started at 8:00.

1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike/13.1 mile run

Mom, Dad and Amy came out to cheer us on. My mom had tried to convince me that I should swim in a life jacket!

Jay and Jennifer Norris

Dan and Sarah Watkins

We had several comments on our shirts!

The fog was terrible! I am in that mess somewhere. The fog made the swim very difficult.

Almost to the finish line!

Passing the timing chip to Jay.

I was so happy my part of the race was over!

This was the half way point. 28 miles.

Joel was such a great supporter! Check out that shirt! I have the greatest husband!

Passing the timing chip to Dan.

Only 6-7 miles to go!

I couldn't forget Joel's birthday!

We finished just under 6.5 hrs.

Team Tri for Him ...

and the greatest supporters we could ask for!

5 weeks of training and now...

2008-09-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, two friends from church and I are competing in the 1/2 Iron Man Triathlon at Melton Hill Park. I don't know why I am doing this or what I have gotten myself into, but I am very, very nervous. I am worried about the temperature of the lake water. I hate being cold!
Anyways, we are competing as a relay team. I am swimming 1.2 miles, Jay Norris is biking 56 miles and Dan Watkins in running 13 miles. I have the easy part!! I have trained for 5 weeks and am feeling pretty good about the swim!
Tomorrow is Joel's birthday and he is stuck at this race all day. What a great husband I have! He could be doing so many other things on his birthday.
Stay tuned...pictures and results to soon follow.

5th Annual Marine Mud Run

2008-09-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I from church decided to run this race today. We had no idea what to expect, but we had so much fun!

Sara and I stuck together through the entire race. She wouldn't let me walk...even though I wanted to a times!
Rusty and Kyle were there too.
Here's Sara and I making our way through the last part of the race that is in the lake.
We were muddy, but not like we had expected.

Clinica Ezell - Guatemala

2008-09-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

On July 12 I left for Guatemala for a week to do medical mission work. I went with two great friends from church, Sara Watkins and Jennifer Norris. The mission team perfromed eye surgeries that week. I have about 600 pictures, so I decided to post only a few.

Greg and Rachel's Wedding

2008-07-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

The four of us went through Undergrad. and Grad. school together.

We are all going to school this Aug. to get our EdS!

Finally!

2008-07-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I want to get into this blogging thing! I'm not going to try to go back and play catch up, I'm just going to start with the most recent events in our lives. So here goes...

Halloween 2005

2008-01-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

On Halloween night, Joel picked me up at my house to go to a party at a friend's house. Once we left the party we headed home. He offered to drive my car and for some reason we took the long way home....we actually thought it would be faster. Joel grabbed my hand and started playing with the pearl and diamond ring I wore on my left hand. He asked me to close my eyes. He turned up the radio really loud (as he got the ring box out of the glove box). He took the ring off my left hand and asked me what I would do if he made that ring a "special ring". He then slipped a ring back on my hand and told me to open my eyes. And there it was....the most perfect diamond ring. He asked me to marry him as he stopped at a stop sign in the road. Of course I said yes!
He later told me that he has asked my parent's permission earlier that night. He also said that he had planned on proposing in a much different way, but that the thought of waiting drove him crazy.
It was a great night and I don't think either one of us will forget the day we became engaged! Happy Halloween!

The Beginning

2008-01-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

I'll do my best to catch everyone up to where we are now. So here goes...
Summer of 2004 - I was taking summer classes at UT. I had two classes during that mini term. The first class has let out for the day and I was waiting for the next to begin. Shortly before class started, the handsome man walked in and caught my eye. Not only was he very good looking, but he had on pink pants (my favorite color)! I should also mention that I came to school everyday in khaki shorts and a Kids Place T-shirt.
As always, we had to introduce ourselves and what we were studying. When they got to "the boy in pink pants" he said his name was Joel and that he wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher! It's terrible to admit, but I immediately thought "Well, he's gay!" So long story short, for 3 weeks I didn't speak to him. However, there were many times we caught each other looking and smiling at one another! I eventually figured out that he wasn't gay. Around 3 days before class was to end, I walked up to this man and handed him a note that read "Are you single?" and had my phone number on it. As I approached him, he asked me how I was. I asked him to read the note when he got the chance and walked, very quickly, to my car. Once to my car, I checked my cellphone and noticed I had a missed call from an unfamiliar number! Guess who?
Joel asked me to go to lunch later that week. Needless to say, I came to school that day in a cute skirt and top! Our first date was to Ruby Tuesday's. I immediately knew that I liked this guy when he asked if he could bless our meal! Our first date was great! We had plenty to talk about and felt very comfortable with each other.
It only got better from there!

Just figuring out this Blog Spot thing!

2008-01-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

Pictures and posts will come later! My other computer is messed up and that's where most of my pictures are! Post will come as soon as I have time to get them on here!