Last Ditch on the Right. . . .

Have you seen this movie? The Last House on the Left? 

Yeah. I think the beginning goes something like this: 


Couple at home. Doorbell rings. Knocking begins. People outside ask for help. Couple lets people in and it's ALL downhill from there. 


Last night as I was trying to sleep - nothing new, an odd thing happened. I think I had just dozed back off after a bathroom break and was dreaming. In my dream, there was a doorbell. I woke up and immediately thought it could be Avery home albeit extra early, but it's happened before. 


I woke Jason up and told him the doorbell was ringing. He said "No, it's not." 


Ding Dong.


Right at that moment, he realized his crazy, delusional pregnant wife was right! :) 


We both got up and peeked out the window. There was no one in the driveway. The knocking continued and then yelling: 


"Hello? I know you're in there. I need help! My cell phone battery died!"

We both looked at each other and were both thinking: Whatever! WE SAW THE MOVIE!


(Jason's version of this is much funnier, but probably not appropriate content to post on my family blog.)


At that moment I was thankful for 3 things: 


1. Maddie was still asleep
2. Jason, even a tired Jason, could probably take anyone out
3. Jason has a handgun that he keeps out of sight, but if needed it was available. 


He told me to go to the bedroom and call 911. I did and explained the situation. From what I could see, the driver (and doorbell ringer) had completely missed the turn by our street and the front right wheel was stuck in our ditch. What we thought was a woman, didn't look like one standing in the street, either. Weird. 


After calling 911, the police showed up. We watched from the window, peeking through a crack. I even took a cell phone picture. After an hour of the police watching and looking at the car, they left and we both tried to sleep. It was a no go. :( 


You can't make much out from the picture and I was SO hoping that the car would still be there this morning. 

Even more, I'm now wishing I had that person's address, so I could show up this morning beating on their door and wake them up so they couldn't sleep. 


So, just in case anyone was wondering - yes, we get it - we are READY to function on only 3 hours of sleep. We would really rather not have any more crazy situations wake us at  3AM though unless it's a birthing baby or an already born baby wanting a diaper change or a feeding. 


Lesson? Don't open the door no matter WHAT THEY SAY! ;) 

AB List

AB = After Baby


My due date isn't for 2 more weeks and I'm hoping to avoid the whole induction process. Trust me, I'm doing everything possible, but I know Jace and my body aren't ready otherwise those little or big "nudges" would've worked. 


I have everything washed, organized, hung, packed and ready for Jace. I'm almost crawling out of my skin, though. I have no home projects, no big work projects. 

I've shopped til I dropped and walked more than I intended. Seen the movies I wanted to - did the whole family night/day out and date nights with Jason.

So, since all I've been doing is sitting here waiting, I decided to come up with a list of things I am ready to do. This lists represents things I love to do and have missed in the past 9 months. I plan to do them all as soon as possible "after baby." 


1. Walking for an hour/Running for an hour with my fast fun music blaring
2. Have a nice cold beer/margarita/shot of tequila
3. Being able to eat a whole meal w/out getting full after a few bites
4. Being able to wait for the bathroom instead of running around finding the first one I see
5. Having a fitness plan - I cannot wait to try the Nike/iPod fitness - getting ready for Nov marathon
6. Riding a roller coaster - six flags here we come. So what if it's the kiddie coaster with Avery. 
7. Wearing my famous black, red, and brown high heels! Oh, how I've missed thee!
8. Being able to hug people normally - not that "friend" or "church" from the side hug. :( 
9. The ability to shave and actually REACH comfortably.
10. Have sushi, sushi, sushi


Last and definitely something new. . . 


11. I WILL paintball or laser tag before the summer is over! :) 


I do know that no matter what - I will not be pregnant for anymore than 15 more days (40 weeks). YAY! 
(that doesn't mean you can't pray or send labor vibes for him to come sooner.....) 


Did I mention that we are READY? ;) 

To my Jace. . . .

I am so excited to meet you! After nine long months of wondering what life will be like with a boy, it's just a matter of days until you will be in our lives, in our arms, and forever in our hearts. 


Everything is ready. Your sisters are so thrilled to see what you'll look like and who's hair and eyes you'll have. They already know what they want to teach you and do with you. Although I do feel a bit sorry for you because they will be so very protective, they already love you so much and have prayed for you for a long time. Remember that no matter how old you are, they will always feel the need to take care of you. :) 


Your dad is so proud already and you're not even here yet. He already has big plans for you to spend lots of weekends playing sports and watching basketball games together and I'm secretly hoping you'll get his singing ability. You're going to have a such a great time with him. He's like a big kid all the time but always has great advice, too. I'm so confident in his ability to be a dad and a great role model. I know that he will always put you and the girls first and do whatever you need to be taken care of any day of the week. 


I will admit I'm a bit anxious. I'm so used to pink, hair bows, and baby dolls. I'm also use to drama and crying. Getting ready in the mornings, yeah, that takes a lot of energy, too. :) I think you and I will be great together. I cannot wait to take you out and play ball and chase you around the park, but also be able to comfort you when you need it. Everyone tells me about this "special" bond between moms and sons and so I'm looking forward to being in on that "secret." 


As we wait and and have so many people ask us daily now when we think you'll come, we all remember that God's timing is appointed. We may be ready, we may be anxious, we may want it to happen NOW, but we know that since the beginning, God has been in control and this isn't any different. We know that when it's time, you'll be here. We know that He is behind the scenes putting all the pieces together for that moment.  We trust Him and it is our prayer and hope that you will learn to lean on HIm and trust Him, as well. 


We love you and cannot wait for you to become part of our family and make us complete! 


love, 
mom, dad, little crazy sister and big protective sister

What? Pregnancy Lasts 10 months?!?

37 weeks. Yep. I've made it that long. When you think that pregnancy last about 10 months, knowing that I'm literally days away from meeting my new little man, seems surreal. 

It is an exciting time in our house, but the anxieties are closing in on all of us. We've discussed the "what ifs," the "what are you most excited about", the "what are you most nervous about," and we have everything ready to go at a moments notice. 

We spent this weekend doing family things: going to a movie, going to lunch, going to the mall. . . All of us aware that it could very well be our last time doing those things just the four of us. 

I will say that being in public in general is very annoying at this point. I'm not sure what happens to people when they breathe the same air as 9 month pregnant ladies, but something odd happens. Their brains sort of become paralyzed, I think. 

At the beginning of my pregnancy, I found a Due in March message board that I frequented a lot to refresh my memory about all the pains and joys of pregnancy. It's nice to be able to go to a place and read what other people are going through at the same time. 

Some of the things that I've enjoyed reading is how many of the ladies are just as annoyed about the same things as I have been. Here's a What to Do and What NOT to Do List for those of you that maybe "forget" how to socially interact with people like "us." (all in good fun, so don't take it personal) I've gathered things from my own experiences as well as those that I have read: 

What NOT to SAY/DO: 

1. Do not call or text every few hours asking how they are feeling. Assume that they are in pain most of the time and ready to be comfortable again. We know you mean well, but . . . 

2. Do not say "Wow. You're still pregnant?" Think it. Don't SAY it. 

3. Do not ask "How's your fat?" Seriously. Would you say this to anyone who was overweight? 

4. Do not think that the "belly" is public domain. You do NOT have a right to touch just because it's out there. 

5. Do not ask a zillion times "When is your due date again?" If you don't remember just ask which month we're "shooting" for......

6. Do not say "It must be any day now." You may think this is comforting, but not for the lady that knows she still has WEEKS left. 

7. Never, ever say "You are HUGE!" Why would you do that to ANYONE? Really. Do pregnant ladies not have the same insecurities are normal people?! 

8. Don't leave an interaction by saying "Good luck with that" while pointing to the belly. Don't add "I mean that in a good way." 

9. Don't act like we don't exist when you are entering a store and let the door slam in our face.

10. Don't ask us if we know when baby will be here unless we have a scheduled section or induction. We don't know. You know as much as we do. We look ready to you? Imagine how we feel. . . .

What to Do/Say

1. Do say that said pregnant lady looks great. (even if you're LYING)

2. Do send "I'm thinking of you messages." It is nice to know 

3. Do ask to touch "the belly." Chances are most will let you - just ASK. 

4. Do talk to us about normal things. We don't necessarily need to talk about everything baby at this point. Ask us about normal things like dinner, movies, music, work. . . 

5. Do hold doors open for us. Do stop while we attempt crossing the street. We KNOW you KNOW we're obviously pregnant at this point. 

6. Do remember what your mother said about staring at people - especially 9 month pregnant people. 

7. Do offer your seat if you see us standing up waiting for a table or at the mall. 

8. Do feel free to tell funny (FUNNY not SCARY) stories of your birth experiences. 

9. Do know that even though this is the happiest time in our lives, we still have depressing days where we've cried all day. 

10. Do assume that we will call you the minute something is "happening." :) 

Lovin' Lovin' Lovin'

As you know Avery loves to make up words and phrases, love isn't any different. "Lovin' Lovin' Lovin'" is one of her favorites lately to explain anytime Jason and I hug or kiss in front of her. This phrase always makes me smile or giggle because of how much emotion she puts into it. 


Valentine's Day has never been huge in my book of holidays. Sure it was nice to get chocolates or flowers and my dad always got me something as a little girl. However, I'm not the type of girl that EXPECTS anyone to ever go all out for February 14th. I could take it or leave it, really. 


However, in honor of the day of love, I thought I would dedicate this post to the man I love. 

*********************************************

Jason - "healer"


Here are some reasons that I love him in no particular order: 
1. He is a great dad. Being with the girls for 5 minutes while they play with him makes that entirely obvious. I know Jace will be one of the luckiest little boys to have such a great male role model. 
2. He can sing. :) I love when he sings to me - he does this at least once a week. 
3. He may work a 12 hour day, but still comes home and helps out with dinner, dishes, or the girls. 
4. His favorite thing in the summer is to take the girls and I to the park and play "jailhouse" at 8 pm. 
5. He will get up early &  drink coffee with me! 
6. He really is the guy version of my personality - when we set our minds to something we see it through until the end; if we are stressed we like to exercise; we both enjoy doing "kid" things like having snowball fights. 
7. He makes me get up early so we can read our Love Dare book and pray together. 
8. No matter how I look he always tells me I'm beautiful. 
9. He makes time for us and never lets a misunderstanding go longer than a few minutes. 
10. He tells me no. Yes - this is a good thing. ;) 
11. My world could be falling apart, but having his arms around me immediately makes the world right again. 
12. He knows when something is wrong - even if he is miles away. He keeps me accountable and doesn't let me "think" too much. 
13. He will wrestle with Avery for an hour even after a long day at work. 
14. He can do the girls hair! :) :) :) This is a HUGE thing! 
15. He's a gentleman. He still opens and closes the door for me. 
16. He doesn't take life too serious. I joke or tease and he does it right back. 
17. He's great at social settings and can talk to just about anyone about anything. 
18. He will get out of bed to get me whatever pregnancy craving sets in for the night. 
19. He likes to do his own thing and definitely isn't tech savvy. 
20. He puts up with me! :) 
These are just 20 of the bazillion reasons that I love Jason. I celebrate my love for him everyday - not just once a year - and embrace every minute that I have with him. 

*********************************************

My hope for the girls is that they find a love like the one Jason and I share. I enjoy being able to show them the kind of relationship that they deserve. I'm sure they will go through as many heartbreaks as I did, if not more. However, my wish is that they continue to hold out until they share a love like this with someone like Jason. 

Happy Valentine's Day 2010! 

Conversations with a 4 year old

I don't think anyone could ever imagine a conversation with Avery unless you actually have had one before. 

Here are some funny things she's conversed with us about lately: 

Me: If you don't do what I asked on the 2nd time, you'll go back to "time out." 

Avery: That's ok! I like time-out! 

___________________________

Avery: Bubba (Jace) is growing. 

Me: Yes, he is. 

Avery: Let me see your belly button. (I do)

Avery: Mamacita! Your belly button looks crazy! 

___________________________

Me: "Maddie! The game is on!" 

Avery: Maddie isn't coming like she said she would. 

Me: It's ok, she doesn't really like sports anyway.

Avery: She is NOT minding. 

___________________________

Me: Avery, you really should do your Valentine cards for preschool. Do you want to do that tonight?

Avery: No. 

___________________________

Avery: Papi, no matter what you think I'm still a girl. 

Jason: You act like a boy. 

Avery: No, I'm a woman. 

Jason: Stop crying like a little girl, then. 

___________________________

Scene: Evil black cat creeping around the corner. 

Avery pulls out her Webkinz kitty. She pokes it out and says "Meow." Evil black cat runs away. 

___________________________

Avery: Papi! Papi! Lift me up and exercise. (Jason bench presses her)

Avery: Do it again! Do it again!

Avery: I'm gonna wrestle you for a week. 

Jason: No, fool. We need to take a break. 
___________________________
Waitress: How's the food?
Me: Great! 
Avery: This macaroni and cheese tastes weird. I don't like it. 
___________________________
After burning her mouth from hot chocolate delivered by a new waiter instead of our regular waitress, she cried. 
Me: Calm down. I put ice in your cup to cool it off. 
Avery: I am NEVER come back to this place again. 

___________________________

Avery: I smell something. 

Jason: It's your upper lip. 

Avery: No, it's YOUR upper lip. 

___________________________

Avery: Is today-tomorrow preschool? 

Me: Tomorrow you go to preschool, yes. 

Avery: Today-tomorrow? 

Me: Yes, tomorrow.

Avery: Today-tomorrow when I wake up. 

Me: YES. 

___________________________

These conversations are non-stop all day everyday.........Needless to say it's an adventure with her no matter what we are doing and she can always find something silly to laugh about, which is a daily reminder for us to not take life so seriously! 

Back Where I Come From. . .

This past week someone stated "There are 2 times in your life that you should never make drastic decisions: during a birth or a death."


Then, my friend "T" wrote about her childhood and going back home. (here) I love T's blogs. They always resinate with me. I think she and I are more alike than we even know. (love ya, T)


So, how are those related you ask? 


Well, I believe there are 2 times in life that we become the most sentimental: during the end of something and during a beginning. 


As I prepare for Jace's arrival, the closer it gets, the more sentimental I get. The more I want to see friends from long ago, the more I crave going back to the place that is most familiar to my past. 

Like, T, I too long for a trip "back where I come from." 

*******************************************
While driving on on the toll road passing the big orange "T" that charges me an arm and a leg to go through, I looked to my right and saw trees, farm land, cows, even. To my left, houses, restaurants, construction. 

I continued to drive along and listen to my new favorite app on my phone (Pandora). Then, a domino of songs came on that reminded me of "back home." 

Just to See You Smile - Tim McGraw

Back Where I Came From - Kenny Chesney

Red Dirt Road - Brooks and Dunn

Meet in the Middle - Diamond Rio

The Dance - Garth Brooks

Yeah, I'm in a country kind of mood lately. Hello?! I grew up in the country. Every once in a while I realize that you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. 

As Maddie and I sat down to eat at one of many of our favorite restaurants, I wonder if I could ever leave the "metroplex" for small town life. Granted, I live in a small town right outside of the metroplex, but this small town is so close to the big cities it doesn't really compare to the "map dot" where I grew up. 

Then I begin to wonder about all my classmates that did stay in Small Town, Texas USA. Do they wonder what it would be like to live in a place that provided organic foods at every grocery store? Do they long for the shopping options we have here? Do they wish they could experience the "busy life" that takes over everyone's lives here? 
**************************************************
I often joke with my "city boy" husband that we will move back to my hometown someday and he thinks I've definitely gone off the deep end. He thought moving here was the country. :) I guess to a Houston city boy, 30 miles from Dallas is the country. 


However, those of us back where I came from know different. 


Here are some of the things I've been missing from back home. Some are still there, some aren't, but either way like always my memory portrays them as some of the "best" things in life. 
You haven't lived until you've: 

• visited Paula's Mexican food place - I still strive to make chicken tacos like she did
• made a trip to Wal-Mart and took an extra hour to shop because you've ran into at least 10 people you know well enough to have a 10 minute conversation
• experienced a snow cone from the former Sweets with Elegance ladies - fresh lemon squeeze is my staple and not a trip goes by that I don't get one while passing through town - yes Bahama Bucks is good, and the Snow Cone Lady rocks, but nobody does snow cones like these. 
• driven on the "drag" - you would hit almost every light in town, make a stop at least once at Sonic, do the little "circle" around town that took a whole 5 minutes and start all over again
• driven on at least real dirt road. who knows where it lead, but you still thought it would be fun to "explore"
• been to a rodeo - not the MESQUITE RODEO - the small town Rodeo (yes, I even once wore boots)
• been on your way home (probably 5 minutes later than you planned) to pick up a burrito or chimichange from Allsup's. My senior year, I decided to start adding Cheetos and Mountain Dew to this order 
• been able to go to one of the TWO Dairy Queens that use to be open. Nachos with jalepenos is still my favorite. And they don't use ORGANIC cheese. ;) 
• had days from school off just because it was stock show week! 
• been to at least one Seminole Trade Days
• spent an entire weekend, sometimes every weekend either playing co-ed softball or sitting in the stands watching softball during the summer
• spotted a tornado or two a few miles out of town
• ran into a few tarantulas and/or rattle snakes. (pretty sure my girls would freak at this)

Oh, the list goes on and on.(feel free to share yours below) The bottom line, though? 

No matter how our childhoods were, what we were lacking, how much we were made fun of (yes - me with glasses and braces), how many friends we did or didn't have, if a boy ever asked us out, or what tragedies occurred during that time: 

We all have at least a few happy memories from our hometowns. 

Chances are we will reminisce about them every once in a while. 

Some say it's a backward place
Narrow minds on a narrow way
I make it a point to say
That that's where I come from

      Kenny Chesney