I want to wish my parents, Nana and Tata, a wonderful 39th Anniversary! You have been an amazing example to me of what marriage should be like, and I thank God that you are in my life. I love y’all!
Happy Anniversary!!!
It's been a rough week around here with Jeremy's stomach bug (he's all better now, thank goodness!), and I've already had two really long travel days, and I have another 320 mile day ahead of me today.
So today I'm calling in tired to the blog. I don't think I could come up with something blog worthy if I tried. I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow!
Having a big brother was bound to catch up to Anderson sooner or later.
The other day I was laying in bed with Anderson and Jackson got onto the bed and started talking silly to him. Jeremy walked through the bedroom around that time and sat down beside us and enjoyed watching Jackson play with Anderson. I was taking it all in, enjoying a sweet little moment of us spending time together in bed as a family of four, when Jackson asked to hold Anderson. Jackson was standing square in the middle of our bed, right between Jeremy and I, and we made sure he was holding Anderson right and we passed him over.
Looking back I realize the “standing” part was where the problem started!
Jackson had the biggest smile on his face and then he said the words that will forever be etched in my memory: “Anderson is going to love this!” With those words he proceeded to drop Anderson on his bottom right in the middle of our bed. It was one of those moments when as a parent you are completely aware that something bad is about to happen, but there is no way to stop it.
I’m not quite sure what Jackson was expecting to happen; whether he thought Anderson would bounce and have a great time in the process, or what.
So after Jackson said his infamous words, Jeremy and I watched Anderson fall from Jackson’s arms in slow motion, no more than a foot down, onto the middle of our bed. We were both in shock, and I think as soon as it happened Jackson realized the seriousness of what he just did and started getting upset. To our credit, neither Jeremy nor I freaked out, and Anderson was fine, not even aware that anything happened!
We checked Anderson out, and then Jackson and I had a good little talk about why dropping your brother is not a good idea, and I made sure to stress to him about how dangerous it could have been if he had hit his head on the hard floor. I told him that we had never dropped him as a baby, and that we need to be really careful with Anderson because he’s just a little baby.
After we hugged and he apologized to Anderson, I left him with these parting words, “Next time you think of something that you think Anderson will love, run it by me first!” Both Anderson and I will appreciate that in the future!
I’ve been up since 4:00 this morning…
I got ready for work…
Jeremy got ready for work…
The boys got ready for school…
I took the boys to their schools…
I went to work…
Jeremy went to work…
Jeremy came home from work with a really nice stomach virus…
I worked all day…
I came home to pack my car for work tomorrow, clean the house, wash clothes, put clothes away and Lysol everything Jeremy has touched today…
I picked up the kids from school…
I filled the car up because I have to drive 300 miles tomorrow to do a presentation three hours away…
I went to Wal-Mart to get Gatorade and soup for Jeremy….
My Mom watched the boys so I could have a belated birthday dinner with Miranda…
I got the kids back home, Lysoled some more and Mom and Dad helped cover one child while I bathed the other child…
I read, “Make Way For Ducklings” to Jackson and put him to bed…
I moved the bassinet to the living room so Anderson and I can camp out…
I laid down on the couch and propped my feet up for a few minutes…
And now I’m waiting until 10:00 to try to feed Anderson one more time so maybe he will sleep through the night…
It’s been a very long day. Jeremy is still sick, and I feel emotionally and physically drained right now. Can someone please pass the toothpicks so I can prop my eyelids open? Wish me luck tonight, and pray that Jeremy gets to feeling better soon, and that the rest of us don’t get it. I’ll catch up with y’all again soon.
That's it for today. Do y'all have anything you need to confess?
We got our pictures from our amazing photographer, Lydia Wolfe, today and I am thrilled with the pictures. She did such a good job, and I’m absolutely loving the black and white shots. The pics of the boys together didn’t work out great, but it definitely wasn’t Lydia’s fault for lack of trying. Somebody, ahem Jackson, didn’t want to be particularly cooperative after Anderson pooted on him! Oh well. I have plenty of other shots to work with, and I just spent way too much time on Shutterfly ordering pictures. Thanks Lydia! Y’all enjoy the pictures!
Y'all have a great day!
Y’all have a great weekend!
We had Anderson’s 3 month photo shoot on Friday night and our amazing photographer Lydia got some wonderful shots. There aren’t so many of the boys together because Jackson’s patience was just about gone, and then Anderson had to go seal the deal by pooting on Jackson’s leg one too many times. At that point we were done! Enjoy the pics of a few of our proofs!
A few weeks ago I told y’all that I was trying my hand at making my own laundry detergent. We’ve been a liquid Purex Free and Clear family for as long as I can remember. With Jackson’s eczema problems, I’ve always had to keep things with no dyes or perfumes, and the Purex seems to work pretty well for us. When Anderson joined the family I noticed an issue in the laundry department; it never ends!
Seriously, y’all, I can wash two loads of laundry a day. It is never ending, especially with bibs and burp clothes. With the bottle of Purex running almost $6, I was intrigued when a friend from work (Hi Susan!) told me that she was making her own laundry detergent and that she loved it. I got the recipe from her, and I gave it a shot. Her recipe was for powdered detergent, which I’ve never used, but it was easy enough to make and very cheap, so I figured I didn’t have much to lose. Here goes!
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (Not to be confused with baking soda)
1 bar of soap finely grated.
I used our regular bar of Dove unscented soap, even though I had read that it was a “beauty bar” and not a bar of soap. Jackson’s skin does fine with it, so I wanted to try it out first. Most people use Ivory.
I bought a cheap cheese grater and grated the entire bar of soap as finely as I could. I mixed the soap shavings with the Borax and Washing Soda in a container and then ran the entire mixture through my Magic Bullet. Don’t run the soap through the food processor or magic bullet unless it is mixed with the borax and washing soda. Susan learned the hard way that it does nothing other than make the soap clump together. I learned from her mistake!
When you get the mixture processed enough, it will look exactly like store bought powdered detergent. It only takes 1-2 tablespoons of powdered mix per load, and I also add a bit of Oxyclean because we always have something that is stained. The soap will not bubble up like store bought detergent, but it will definitely clean your clothes. I have been super pleased with the detergent, except for a few times when I found oily spots on some of Anderson’s onesies. I think it’s because Dove soap has oils in it that Ivory and other bar soaps don’t have (and I had been warned about using Dove), so I’m pretty sure that’s what is happening. I’ve still got plenty of my first batch made, so I’m going to try it again when I’m finished with a bar of Ivory soap and see how I like that. Until then I’m washing my towels, bib and burp clothes with the homemade stuff, and the clothes with the store bought stuff since I had some left over.
Overall, I would definitely recommend giving it a try. It hasn’t caused any problems with Jackson’s skin, and we’ve used it for several weeks. The ingredients cost me around $7, and I can make at least 4 or 5 more batches before I run out. And it only took about 5 minutes to put the stuff together!
So there you go! If you give it a try let me know what you think. Y’all have a great day!
Since everyone else in the entire blogosphere it seems is doing the Accent vlogs, I had to jump on board since it looked like fun. So here goes!
If you can't see the video, try this link.
If you want to follow along or do the Accent Vlog yourself, here are the words/questions: Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught
What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?
My Vlog In Review:
1. Yes, I know I speak way too fast. Or perhaps you just think too slow. Just a thought.
2. Yes, I'm totally aware that I say "spittin image." I do it all the time.
3. I could say, "y'all" 800 times a day and never get tired of it.
4. I definitely need to do this video with Jackson, beause oh my word, the child has a major southern accent.
5. I know that at times my accent is thicker than others, but Jeremy's family (from southern Mississippi) say that I sound like I'm from up north. I bet all y'all Yankees love that!
6. Please don't hate me if you drink "pop" or "soda." I just think "Coke" sounds so much better.
7. I completely forgot about Anderson when I talked about Jackson's grandparents. It's funny how my 2 kids would share grandparents, right?
So what do you think? Do I have an accent or say things completely different than you? Did you do an accent vlog? If so, I would love it if you would post a link so I can go check it out. I hope y'all have a great day!
As the anniversary has come up again I have such a heavy heart. I’ve not watched much of the coverage replaying the attacks this year, mostly because I don’t know how to explain it to Jackson if he were to walk into the room. I just can’t wrap my mind around trying to explain the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen to a five year old, and I don’t dare turn on the news for fear that he’ll see the horror of that day. I know that one day we’ll talk about what happened, but for now I’m just not near ready to cross that bridge.
In the ten years that have passed much has changed in my life. I’ve gotten married, finished college, had 2 kids, 5 jobs, bought a house and got a dog. My heart is heavy for those that lost their lives, and those that lost loved ones on that tragic day, and for all the things that they were never able to experience because of an act of war. I pray that God grants our country safety in light of the new terror threats, and I pray for peace for those affected by September 11, 2001.
We Remember…
Where were you when the world stopped turning?
I’ve made no bones about the fact that, politically speaking, I’m about as conservative as one can be. I’ve told you about my top 5 political people that I would love to meet, I wrote an open letter to President Obama, and I even confessed my crush on George W. Bush. I’m pretty forthcoming about my conservative stance, and I’ve even been known to delete some extreme liberals from my Facebook page during election times because their status updates were ticking me off.
With that being said, I’m just dying to know if there are any liberals reading out there in bloggy land that can help me understand where y’all are coming from:
1. If you voted for Obama in 2008, are you happy with the job he has done?
2. Will you vote for Obama again? Why or why not?
3. In your opinion, how has Obama changed this county for the better?
4. How do you feel the economy has done since 2008?
I’m not trying to stir up a hornets nest, or maybe I am. I guess I’m just baffled as to why people supported him in the first place, and why people continue to support him when our entire country is circling the drain. You definitely won’t change my opinion of Obama, and the fact that I’m counting down 425 more days until we can throw the guy out of office proves that. However, if I happen to have a liberal reader out there that wants to share their viewpoint, I’m open to hearing it. Consider it a one time opportunity!
Have a great weekend, y’all!
Anderson turned 3 months old on Wednesday. Where, may I ask you, has time gone? I know I’m biased, but I think Anderson’s just about the cutest thing since his big brother!
We have been majorly blessed with such a sweet and easy going baby, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for my baby boy.
Read more about Anderson at his blog, Every 5 Days, where I post a picture of him every 5 days, hence the name! Have a great day y’all!
I got this meme from We Are That Family, and in honor of labor day, I just had to share. Although I don’t get a day off of work for this kind of labor day, it’s still so completely worth it! I hope you enjoy, and I would love it if you would leave me a comment with your answers!
How long were your labors?
Jackson: 6 hours of labor with 10 minutes of pushing.
Anderson: 4 hours of labor with 5 minutes of pushing. Here is Anderson’s birth story.
How did you know you were in labor?
Jackson: I was induced a week early, so I technically didn’t go into labor until the pitocin was kicked on, although I was dilated 4 cm for almost a month before he arrived.
Anderson: I was scheduled for an induction and my blood pressure started to go up. I was induced 1 day early, and I was dilated 3 cm for 3 weeks.
Where did you deliver?
In a hospital bed. Like a normal person.
Drugs?
Uhhh, yeah! Epidurals are a gift from God! With Anderson I was given a “perfect epidural” because I still had complete control and movement, just with no pain. It was amazing!
C-section?
Thankfully,no.
Who delivered?
Both Jackson and Anderson were delivered by Dr. Lawhon, as well as my nephew Luke and several of the kids at our church. I seriously love that man! How can you not love someone who takes such good care of you, brings your child into the world, and honestly cares about you and your family? He is an amazing doctor!
How about you? What are your numbers?
That’s all for today. Hope y’all have a great weekend and super Labor Day Holiday!
1. Palmolive Baby Dish and Toy Soap: We had been washing bottles and were having the hardest time getting the milk residue out of the bottom of the bottles. I happened to spot a sample bottle of this and figured it was worth a shot. We love it! It’s made to remove milk and formula residue off of bottles and toys, and we have yet to be disappointed with it. I don’t normally buy “baby” products (like Dreft), but this is one product I will definitely get again.
2. The Help (Book and Movie): This was the first book I actually paid for on my new Kindle, and I finished it in 2 days. It was so good. Having lived in the heart of the deep south for my entire life, I've grown up knowing that stuff like this happened, but this book brought it to life for me. I watched the movie Monday night and fell in love with the cast. They perfectly nailed the characters, and stayed relatively true to the book. I highly recommend both the book and the movie, but the book is better like always!
3. I need a Pintervention from Pinterest. This website is great. It lets you search for creative ideas, and “pin” them to your wall in different categories. It’s so addictive!
4. My new Kindle. I’m loving it. I’ve downloaded tons of free books and one free word game, and it’s great to be able to have something so small and portable that lets me read wherever I go. I just throw my Kindle in my purse and it takes up practicaclly zero space. Technology is amazing!
5. Munchkin Bottle Brushes: Just great at getting the bottles clean, especially with the new dish soap. The bristles are hard, but not so hard that they scratch the bottles up. I also love the lime green color.
6. And last but certainly not least, my new couch and loveseat! It's being delivered today and I’m so excited. Our old couch and loveseat had served their duty and it was well past time to send them off into the sunset! Jeremy wasn’t a huge fan of the color of the furniture, but I love it! It’s a walnut shade that isn’t too dark and will hide stains. Except for spit up. We got the couch made into a queen sized sleeper, so I’m sure Jackson will want to do an occasional spend the night on the couch. I’ll post pictures when we get everything in.
That’s all for today. See y’all tomorrow!
