It's A...

BOY!!!!!

We Love you so much already JUDE RYDER!!

Updates! Updates!! Updates!!!

I've been really lazy lately with my posts because honestly I've been so dang tired! Lol My first update I have today is that my baby, Jaxson, is now 21 MONTHS OLD! Ahh! Where has the time gone? He's getting so close to 2 and it makes me very sad, but I love all of the new things he is doing now. He is sleeping in his bed most nights without a wake-up, still not eating too well but loves french fries, broccoli, and fruits, Loves to play in the pool, has started taking his diaper off when he pees in it (time to train??), and has learned some new words such as: ball, key (kitty), Lola or Ola (his cousin) mommy, daddy, mamaw, papaw, Crissy (his aunt Crystal), car, tree, chair, me (milk? or pick me up), and some others in between! I love his little voice it is just so precious! So far this has been the best 21 months of my life with my little love bug, and I can't wait to see him grow and change even more.  Jaxson, You make mommy's life worth living! :)

On to the next Update! I am 20 WEEKS today! Halfway there! The past month has been a lot better for me as I haven't been as sick but I still stay so tired.  I am definitely showing more and will try and post a pic with my post on Monday.  And I will be doing that post as soon as i return from my ULTRASOUND and let you all in on the big gender secret!!!

We have already booked a location and time for the first baby shower for little Lyla or Jude! It will be in Pikeville on August 21st @ 11am and we have ordered the plates, cups, napkins, etc in this cute theme (which may or may not go with the baby's bedding, we'll see!)

Lastly I want to say a very special congratulations to my wonderful hubby on being promoted to Sergeant this week!  He has worked very hard and has waited a long time for this next step and I couldn't be more proud of him!  He is such a great dad and an amazing man, we miss him so much already and cannot wait for him to come home for his 4 day pass in a couple weeks.  I am so thankful for all of the extraordinary things God has blessed me with these past few years.  I love my little family so much more than I could have ever imagined!

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend and I'll see you again on Monday when we all meet Lyla or Jude! :)

16 Week doctor appointment!

So I went to the doctor for my 16 week check-up and all went well!  I have now lost a total of 5.5 lbs since my first apt. which is not great but the doctor didn't seem too concerned.  The baby's heart rate was in the 150's today (girl?) and we scheduled my next ultrasound for July 11th! Woo hoo! I can't wait to find out the sex, it's driving me crazy not knowing!

My little Jax has been feeling crummy and had a tummy ache tonight :( but that doesn't stop him from being silly and cute! ;)

(Please ignore the fat diaper, he had just got up from a nap)

Oh and these chairs were part of mine and Neil's birthday gifts this year from his mom. I really love em!

Speaking of my hubs, he's still training...

Can you tell where my child gets his silly ways?? I wouldn't have it any other way though! I love them both so much and we can't wait for our crazy soldier to get home!

And so it begins.

The countdown to my husband returning to us has begun.  I will not be able to tell specifics about his deployment but I can share some small things.  I ask that everyone pray for all of our soldiers deploying for Operation New Dawn (there are 1300 Ky National Guard members leaving very soon), for their well being, safe return, and for their families left here at home.  If you haven't experienced it before, it's something that is totally un-nerving and not at all fun. 

Jaxson and I are doing well considering Neil is gone.  Jax has been looking all over for him and he has been very attached to me.  I was doing great until the day I came home without my hubs...I lost it when I saw his stuff still on the counter and pj's by the bed.  This is really gonna be tough, tougher than I had ever imagined.  I hope I can keep myself busy and stay strong for Jax and the new bebe.

On a lighter note- We had a fish fry today which was really great and took Jaxson down to the pool which he LOVED, pretty nice day overall!  And I promise I'll post pictures soon!

My hubby's leaving me soon :(

I've known he was leaving for a little while but I still don't want to think about it. The date is coming up VERY soon and I'm really starting to realize all the things he will miss.  Our little Jax will be 19 months when he leaves and 27 months when he comes home.  Our bundle in my belly is 12 weeks now, he/she will be over 1 month old when he comes home.  I just can't imagine missing that much time...and I'm gonna miss him, but bundle won't even know him until he/she is over a month old, and I don't even want to think about how much Jax will cry missing his poppa :( 

I don't know how I'm going to handle this deployment, I just hope I can be strong for my babies.  I will not be sharing EXACT dates that he will be leaving the country or coming home for security purposes, but this will surely not be my last post about his absence.  I am asking everyone to pray for my sweet husband and his unit to get there, do their job, and come home safely.  If all goes as planned they will be the last American Soldiers in Iraq, thus ending this horrible war.  Thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

19 Months and 11 weeks!

I have been MIA from the blogging world for a few weeks now and here's why...We MOVED! yay! We moved across town into a 3 bedroom apartment w/garage to make room for the new addition to our little family.  Things have been pretty crazy since I can't lift anything or do much of anything because I am always sick :(.  But, we're almost settled in so I figured you might like an update :) 

Jaxson is going to be 19 months tomorrow! I cannot believe how fast he is growing and changing.  He still has trouble sleeping through the night but we're working on it...He is still drinking milk from a bottle, uggggggg...he is almost ready to start potty training (hates his diapers now and being wet)...he still isn't saying much but he makes lots of different sounds when you ask him ex. kitty, cow, duck, elephant, train, car, and Darth Vader! haha...he is starting to listen a little better and knows now to hold my hand if we go outside or around stairs...they're are so many things I love about my little man, too many to list!

The nugget in my belly is 11 weeks old now! I cannot wait to know if Jax will get a brother or a sister but I already have anxiety about delivery...I had a cesarean last time but my doc wants to try a VBAC this time around, I'm terrified!  I have had no pregnancy symptoms yet except for extreme nausea, headaches, and fatigue. I have lost 2 lbs in the past couple weeks b/c I have been too sick to eat as much as I normally do, but I am definitely showing now! I have a picture but unfortunately I won't be adding it today (I'll do a post later with the pics I have missed).

I'll be leaving you with a pic of my big baby who decided to rock himself to sleep in baby's swing today (Neil set it up already since he's leaving at the end of this month) He's such a sweetie :)

You think your cooler than me...

You got designer shades just to hide your face and

 you wear em around like your cooler than me and

You never say hey or remember my name and

 it's probably cause

You think your cooler than me!



6 Weeks!

I'm 6 weeks along with #2 and I a starting to have some symptoms.  Actually, I meant to make this post on Thursday but I've been very nauseous and rally haven't moved around to much...well except for chasing Jax when necessary! I promised to start my belly pics this week so it is here! But I warn you, it may indeed look like I am 4-5 months pregnant but I'm only 6 weeks! Lol, and that is because I still haven't lost my belly from Jax.  Hopefully I can keep my weight down during this pregnancy so that I don't look pregnant permanently. (Please ignore my house, it exploded!)

5 Weeks!

I cannot believe how slow time is going now that I'm preggers again! I am 5 weeks now and anxiously awaiting my 1st doctor appointment.  So far I haven't had any symptoms of pregnancy, just a little achy in the boob area! Next week I will start the belly pics (ahhhhhh!) just for a record of my growth.  If you know me personally then you know how difficult that will be for me.  I am going to be embarrased at first I'm sure (don't judge me haha) but I really want to keep up with them this time even if I am a fat mess.  Anywho, that's something to look forward to in the upcomeing weeks right?!

I think I need rehab!

Hello, My name is Beth and I'm a SHOPAHOLIC!!!

I am currently only 4 weeks with babe #2 and I have already made 2 purchases for him/her! AHHH!  If I continue at this rate this baby will have a full wardrobe before I even find out the sex! haha

1st Purchase-Duck Hooded Towel, Babies'r'us BOGO $3.50!!

2nd Purchase-Moon & Duck Sleeper, Target clearance $5.50!!

Hopefully I can get a hold of my addiction soon or we will be broke! Hey at least they were clearance items! I cannot say the same about Jaxson's summer wardrobe....but that's another post! :)

Well...here we go again!

So here's the scoop. Yesterday morning started out like any other morning.  Hubs had the day off so we were all up and he was actually helping me clean up the twister of toys in the living room so that I could start my exercise routine.  I had been on a diet for the past few days and had already lost 3 pounds! yay! But that's over now! haha back to my story.  I knew that I was supposed to start my period that morning, but I also knew that I normally start the night before I'm supposed to so I decided to take a test at around 11:30.  I went to the restroom and did the POS song and dance.  I thought to myself, there is no way this could be positive but there it was, a VERY VERY faint line in the test area. 

I yelled for hunny to come in the restroom and told him to check it out since I wasn't sure if I actually saw a line or if my mind was just playing tricks on me.  He confirmed the line spotting but we still weren't sure.  So I broke out a more expensive test to check and as soon as I dipped the stick there was the plus sign! We didn't stop there though, I called the doc to make an appointment and we told our family and friends.  (we are blabber mouths, can't keep a secret like this to ourselves) later in the day we went out and bought a digital test just to ease my mind b/c I am so shocked.  The proof is in the Pregnant! hahaha 

I really can't believe that we are doing this again! We are so shocked but were also EXCITED! I can't remember everything I'm supposed to do and not do, but I'm gonna go pick up BabyWise today and do some light reading.  Wish me luck, I'll need it if the new babe is anything like this one! ;)

Lately...

Lately I've been reading...

An AMAZING BOOK!  This is the 4th book in the House of Night Series and let me just say I LOVE IT! Every single book has it's own new twist and is just so entertaining.  If you can make it through the first 100 pages of the 1st book (admittedly it's a little slow at first) you will be HOOKED!

Lately I've been making...

A diaper cake for one of my best friends' new babe! I love making these, every one is so different and fun! Also, I cross-stitched this bib for baby McKinlee!

Lately I've been watching my favorite shows...

Plus, I found out tonight that my hubby thinks I'm like the people on AI that think they are good but really suck! Wow! Thanks for ruining all of my hopes and aspirations! Needless to say, I was upset.

Lately I have been spending all of my time with my favorite person...

Giving him bubble baths! He likes to put the bubbles all over his face!

 

Teaching him how to brush his teeth! Haha, he does this every time I put tooth paste on the tooth brush.

And getting him to SMILE by saying CHEESE!!!!

He is such a sweet boy!

Where did you come from, where did you go...

No, no, not cotton eyed Joe! LOL! I'm talking about me people!  Anyone who knows me knows that I used to be a very driven, outgoing, fun-loving person.  I used to go to college, exercise, sing, and just plain-ole have fun.  Now that I have a husband and a baby it seems like I have vanished.  I'm not saying that I wish those things wouldn't have happened, I'm saying I wish I hadn't given up everything that I am to conform to what I think I should be.  You know??

Ok, I know this may sound a little off and out of the blue, but I've been thinking about alot tonight.  So much that I CANNOT go to bed until I get some of this frustration out of me.  I really want to go back to college.  I have talked to the hubby about this before and he agrees, but I don't think he takes it seriously.  He wants me to stay home with Jax (which I do love) and do nothing but keep up the house and take care of him.  This is all fine and dandy if you are that kind of person, which I am not.  I miss school, and homework, and work! I miss being able to have some time of my own and being able to have a conversation with an adult other than "what's for dinner tonight?" and "have you paid the cable bill yet?"  Plus he is leaving me in June for another tour in Iraq and he expects me to stay here (Indianapolis) and keep our apartment, which is exactly one hour away from anyone else that I know.  I just don't think I can be that isolated for so long. 

This brings me to the hair-brained idea that came to me tonight.  What if I just moved back to Pikeville for the school year with Jaxson.  Neil will be gone anyway and  I could leave Jax with g-pa while I went to classes and maybe I could be a Big Sandy Singer again, which would give me something to do and get me back on course with school. Remember those BSS days?...

Not a big picture because it wasn't on my computer, but you get the drift. BTW-look how skinny I was, just makes me even more sad :( I just want to be normal again. I'm totally not sure about how I'm going to talk to the hub about this, he's not very good at communication sadly, and I don't want him to get mad at me.  But I don't want to spend all of my time sitting here wishing I was there,  and then looking back later and thinking that I should have done somthing about it.  Maybe going back to the singers and P-ville isn't the answer, but then again maybe it is... I'm not entirely sure where I've gone, I just know that I need to find my way back.  I need to be me.  And I don't think that is impossible just because I have a family.  I hope I can find a way to make this work and get back to being a happy, shiny person...wish me luck!

Polka-dotted Monster!

My poor baby Jax has been sick since last week :(  We took him to see the doctor last Saturday and he had an ear infection in both ears and they gave him his first round of Amoxicillin.  I am so happy that this is the first time he had ever had to take an antibiotic, the doctor was actually shocked that he had never had any up to this point.  So, yay Jaxson!  Anyway, so on day 8 of these antibiotics my sweet little happy boy turned into a polka-dotted monster!  He is allergic to amoxicillin, great...he has bright red spots all over his tiny body, he is extra irritable, he is extra clingy, he is trowing tantrums for no reason, he is mad at the world...and me I guess.  I didn't include a picture because I figured if I took one monster man would cry so I spared the tears.  We will most likely be going back to the doc tomorrow because as of late the big bad rash is not getting ANY better.

On a lighter note, I purchased a lot of items for my dear friend Sarah's diaper cake for he baby shower! Woo! So excited to go see her and her little family for the shower...and of course meet the babe in about a month! But buying the stuff today made me want to make lots of diaper cakes! One of these days I will get my business going hopefully!  Until then, If anyone needs a diaper cake made, I'm your gal!

My Child Eats EVERYTHING....

Except for his food! UGGG! This attempting to eat paper, money, and anything else he can dig out of the nooks and crany's of my house has got to stop! And to top it all off, the only food items he will eat put in his mouth are french fries, chicken (sometimes), and bananas.  Jaxson will be 15 months tomorrow and out of all of his phases, this one is the worst!  I've come to the conclusion that he doesn't even want me to eat, or drink for that matter, because if he has the chance he spills my drinks and throws my food in the floor.  I cannot take my eyes off of him for one second throughout the day for fear that i've left something to drink on a table or dropped a penny on the floor.  Plus, he is so dirty nowadays! I don't know how, but I can bath the child 3 times a day and everytime I look at his face up close it is dirty! I don't get it! Where does it come from??  My poor baby!

Here he comes now! Look's like it's bath time...  :)