Ethan Bryce has arrived!!

After a little bit of a roller coaster journey to get here, Ethan Bryce made his debut at 10:04 a.m. yesterday, weighing in at 8 pounds, 11 ounces and is 20 and 1/2 inches long. As you can see, he needs a haircut already! Mommy and baby are doing fabulous, and he is SO alert and is a great baby!

I have a million pictures I want to post, so I'll be posting more later. Just a little short on time right now....

waiting, waiting...

I'm sitting up at the hospital, delirious at this point, waiting on my nephew....

Serene was supposed to be induced at midnight Thursday, went to the Dr. Wednesday, found out Ethan was breech, and they scheduled a C-section for Wednesday at noon. 11:55 they did a last minute Ultrasound, and he had flipped again, so they decided to start inducing.... and the waiting has started. :) I don't mind- I know it will be worth it when he finally arrives!

And hey, the hospital is new and has family hospitality, which includes INTERNET. Yay!

Anyways, been here since about 10 am Thursday, and it's now 1 am Friday, and my bets are on a 10 am baby.... we shall see. Anyone else wanna place some bets?

For those in the know with labor, she's thinned but not dialated yet. Contractions are about 5 minutes apart.

Hopefully soon I'll have some fabulous new pictures of Ethan Bryce! Wish us luck!

a few favorite shots...

this week...

Miss Maggie... the most rockin' dog on the planet. Hands down. Even non dog lovers can appreciate this gal. Not to mention she is beeeeeaaaautiful! Miss Megs... full of life, full of sass- 100% all her with a bow in her hair and dirt on her forehead. Couldn't be more perfect. I did not take pictures of her actually eating mouthfuls of sand, because that would ruin the sweet moment I'm having...

then there's this one... my little guy smiling just like his Mama asked, showing his cute little dimples, being such a good sport, and then there's the twerp in the background giving the bunny ears... good thing it's Easter season and I can turn this one into an Easter page... ;P

Nature time with the Kellers....

So Cameron has nature week at school this week. For Show & Tell today, they were supposed to bring something from nature.

After dinner, we all go out back looking for some cool "knock your preschool socks off" item that Cameron can take. We grab cool sticks, flowers off of our FLOWER plants (this will be important in a minute) and some limestone rocks.... no.

Cameron will have none of that.

I finally give up (read: 2 minutes) and go back in to finish cleaning the kitchen. A couple of minutres later, Cameron comes in with a WEED FLOWER. Very excited. I do a quick play of "oh, how cool is that, but are you sure you don't want that REALLY cool FLOWER off of our plant?"

Nope. Of course not. I'm envisioning all of the preschool whispering about the Keller's yard of weeds.

I know. Still....

So I sigh, and tell him great, and go back to washing dishes. Not thinking about the "flower" again, assuming Brent was handling the care of prep of the precious item from nature.

Fast forward to this morning in the car pool line.

"Oh Cameron! I totally forgot! Did you and Daddy put your "flower" in your bag?"

"yes."

I go looking in his bag, expecting to find a plastic baggie, with a small little weed flower tucked neatly inside in a wet paper towel.

Nope. No flower.

"Cameron, it's not in here"

"Yes, Mommy I put in there."

I go to look again. And there it is. At the bottom of his bag, under his snack and his papers, this shriveled, wrinkled, barely can tell what it is little excuse for a flower. My embarrassment heightens for my son, as I imagine him standing in front of the class, proud as all can be of his weed....
I hold his "flower" up- although I say "up" but that was just my hand, since the wrinkled little thing just sagged sadly over my thumb.
Just so you know, I was trying really hard not to laugh at this moment.

Cameron looked at his 'flower' in disgust, "What happened to it?!?!"

"Well, honey, it kind of.... died."

"It's not pretty like it was"

"No....it's not." "BUT you can tell all your friends about how pretty it once was, and all the fun you have playing in the backyard all around it, right??" (still trying not to pee on myself)

*sigh* "I guess....."

Cameron takes the 'flower' from me, rolls down his window (at which point I think he's going to fling his sad flower out, forcing me to run from the car in the middle of the line, trying to find some nature item on the playground) and sticks the flower out the window.

"What are you doing?"

(In a very bored voice) "I'm trying to let my flower get sunshine, so God can bring it back alive"

Really. I was laughing so hard. It was so cute, so funny, and I'm if you've made it this far, it's not nearly as funny as it was to me, but it was a lesson:

Another kid in the class brought dirt. What was I worried about a dead weed for?

Here's our fabulous flower, in all its glory. I took a scale picture, so you could see:

for the record....

I was not saying that my friends are more important than my family in my previous before last post. It was really more of a thank you to my friends, and not a slam on family. I was informed by my dear husband (who I always forgets reads this until something like this comes up at dinner) that it sounded snippy..... not the intention at all. All the while though, I meant every word I said. So I'm not apologizing, just simply clarifying.....just in a different tone of voice I suppose. ;0)

Happy 16th Birthday Kurstee!!

Whoa.

When the hell did it happen??

She's 16 today. Whew. Here's a layout I did of her this summer- some pictures we took one of the times she was up staying with us to surprise Shelley for her birthday.

So proud of her. She's a fabulous, wonderful young lady. Really. Can't say that about too many teenage girls I know, but she's definitely #1 in my book. And my kids and husband adore her too- she's great with the kids, polite... ahh I could go on and on :).... I've watched her grow up, and it's been fabulous.

Although her driving does scare me a tad... there's been a curb check or two I can recall....

We met up at the Don'key today to celebrate! Most of my pics look like poo though. Should have just sucked it up and used my flash it was so dark in there. Oh well- still had a great time (other than Cameron- poor guy started running a fever :( ) Hopefully a good night's sleep will take care of it.

One little layout....

Here's another layout for Scraplover's... American Crafts is the sponsor (*so easy to do* LOVE their stuff!!)

This month's theme is about women in our lives... I thought it was a perfect chance to get a layout done about "ME" as a mom! The pictures are of when Megan was born, and one of now.

AC papers and FAB thickers, used some pop dots to raise up the other pic (which is not great by any means, but as other moms may know, getting a picture with you and your children is no easy feat. I'm just glad it proves we're all breathing at the same time.)

Journaling:

Me as a mom. I've had my doubts. I know more of what not to do than what should be. I have moments of reading every parenting book I can find. I have days I wonder. Times I wish I could retract. But in the end, these kids mean more to me than I could ever put into words, and that's how I know....

I can do this.

After doing this layout, I just want to say how much every person makes such a difference in my life. My friends here close to home, and those far away. I was just talking today to Brandy about how my friends make more of a difference in my life for the most part than my family does, and even the people who I see few and far between (or have never had the *lucky* chance to meet in person) make me feel so secure as to who I am. It's such a strange and fabulous world we live in now- we look to people we think we don't know, and yet we know them better than our neighbors at times. Friends we have that are thousands of miles away make such an impact in our lives, and yet family miles away break our hearts every day. It's so sad, and yet so wonderful at the same time. The people I never take the chance to say "thanks" to because I'm so busy worrying about the people who care about nothing about me.

I just wanted to say thanks.

A day with Megan...

by the numbers:

2: number of times she was caught standing on top of the dining room table

7: servings of fruit she had

1: number of pairs of rain boots she got to break in today because she threw a HUGE fit to go outside with her Daddy in the rain

2: number of sizes too big they are for her

3: number of times she fell down in the mud

1: number of times she got her head stuck in the rails on her way upstairs

2: number of people it took to get her head un-stuck

2: number of baths she had today

3: number of times she threw her food on the floor (one for each meal)

7:30 p.m.: time she went to bed

7:32 p.m.: time her Mommy made a drink

5,000: the number of times her Mommy thought that God was getting her back for all

those times she thought, "If they just would watch their child and tell them no they wouldn't have a problem!" *sigh* such arrogance... ignorance.... whatever... same difference....

A couple of things....

I (along with my family) made this for Ethan(future nephew)... a project over at Scraplovers as well.... I decorated the CD case, and Cameron helped me pick out his (and Megan's) favorite songs, and Brent burned the CD. Every child needs some good tunes! :)









Also made these- made a few burp cloths already, but I got the lovey and this burp cloth with his name on it (cracked me up when I was talking to Serene about multiple burp cloths she needs... "Do I really need that many?" with a surprised look on her face... rofl.. my how we forget....





Spent the day at Kemah yesterday with Emmeline and Kaeleigh, and Brandy & Dylan... good times.... went to the Woodlands Mall on Monday with them (had to keep all ages entertained, ya know). Have pictures for that, too, but it was 12 on the 12th, so you can see those when I get around to working on my collage.

blip...

there goes life. blip. blip. really? been over a week already? hmm... Blip.

Shelley is out of the hospital and well on her way to recovery. Thanks for all the well wishes. It was a scary road for a while. Unfortunately, she has now been fired from her nursing job. Yes. I know. Really crappy. :( She's been talking to an attorney about it- we shall see how it goes. Kick someone when they're down.

Other than that, been crazy with life.... Serene's baby shower (my nephew will be here in a couple of weeks- WOW!), rodeo has been in town- saw George Strait with Alisha and Kurstee and her friend, Sheryl Crow with Rita and Nancy, and Pat Green with Alisha. Good times. Social life rocks. Temporary I know, but it still rocks.
Been spending tons of time outside and at the park- gotta get it in with the nice weather while we can before we suffocate as soon as we walk outside. And my neice, Emmeline, came home from the shower along with a friend for part of the week since it's spring break here. So lots of shopping, zoo, park, lunch stuff this week for entertainment. I have two 13 year olds that have a tape worm. Between them and Megan I should be able to see the back of the pantry by the end of the week.
I've also been dying at the gym more days than not for the last 4 weeks. And no, I am not the perfect body I thought for sure I'd see by now... damn. Not giving up though. Underneath all these 'ruffles' lies a rock hard body. Hmpf.

dedicated to Shelley....

rockin' the American Crafts over at Scraplover's.... the theme this month is celebrating women... I thought it was a great oppurtunity to do a layout on Shelley... whew. Wouldn't even really know where to start with our friendship. She's been there for so many great times, and so many that weren't. Highs, lows, and everything in between. The friend you can call in the middle of the night (I know, because I have, maaaaaany times!). I've watched her daughter Kurstee, grow into a fabulous young lady to be so proud of, and Shelley has seen both my babes arrive into this world, and seen me marry the man of my dreams. She's been there through my family hardships, my job crisis', and many, many good times. I have been so lucky to have her. I really, truely, have no idea where I'd be without her in my life all this time.

Shelley's been really sick the last couple of weeks. She contracted a staph infection somehow, and has been fighting it through emergency surgery, and many, many IV's, and now two hospital stays. My heart goes through my throat to think of life without her- she's really the family I had when I had none, and she's family to my children and husband now. Please keep her in your prayers. She needs it, as does Kurstee, and myself :).

Anyways, here's my layout-