Belly Pic

Many people have been expecting belly pictures from this pregnancy again since I was so good at getting pictures when I was pregnant with Trey. Well... here is your photo! My friend Melissa took this during our shoot a few weeks ago. You can find information on her photography business here.

Update on Us

• We are 98 days from my due date for baby #3!!! I can't believe that we are getting close enough for L.C. to be thinking about getting the infant seat out of the attic and mentioning other "getting ready" stuff. I feel like we are still so far away and at times it seems like this is a never-ending, no-progress pregnancy. At other times I am shocked and amazed that I could be this close to having another baby when my (other) baby is not even 11 months old yet!
• I am no longer working! It was our plan for me to quit working in February when the baby comes. A few weeks ago I was informed that my contract would end Dec 31st. Then the Friday before last I found out the funding for the program I work for had been cut. My clients each got a budget to assist them in becoming more self-sufficient as they worked their recovery plan. With the money gone, it was pretty much useless for me to continue meeting with them since they are in treatment with other counselors already. I spent two days last week calling clients & meeting with them to give them the news and to wrap up my case files and reports. Last Thursday was my last day of work. I was not thrilled to give up the income, but I cannot contain my emotions regarding being able to be with my kids for 3 bonus months! I have so much peace with the timing of this whole process. I will be able to get the kids stabilized on a structured routine before the baby comes instead of several changes at once.
• I think I panicked a tad too soon on the thumb sucking deal. Over the past couple days Trey has only put his thumb in his mouth a few times and it didn't seem to be for sucking at all. He likes to make all kinds of noises by humming and moving his thumb back and forth or pulling it out real quick and making a popping sound. Also, I have been able to "hide" the pacis several times throughout the days and he has been happy. I love hearing his little voice and listening for new sounds that he can make. It sure does help to have that paci out!
• We believe Pheoby will be able to start K4 after the new year. We tried to get her into the Liberty Elementary program, but she did not qualify due to her lack of "need." We got a letter that says she is welcome to go to a neighboring school that has openings. We have the paperwork ready and I hope to submit our request tomorrow. It will be good for Pheoby to be back in a structured learning environment. She loved "school" when she went to The Growing Place. I just know she will love K4.
• I thought I was in the market for a new vacuum, but I was sorely mistaken! We have been using my mom's hand-me-down 20-some-year-old Rainbow for several years now. It is a great system and it works great, but to be honest I would like to have a simple pull-it-out-vacuum-and-put-it-back vacuum that would make small jobs so much easier. So... this afternoon I was all revved up for a major vacuum project and got my room 1/2 way done when the thing seemed to die. I checked the standard things real quick.... you know, the power switch, cord plugged in, assembly. I didn't see any problems so I quit, leaving all the stuff right in the middle of the floor for L.C. to confirm that it was really a goner. It took him all of about 7 seconds to determine that the cord was not plugged in well. UGH! I don't need a new vacuum after all! Now, I don't want you to think I was excited about shelling out the money for a new vacuum, but I was excited about the potential of having a new one! I guess I know what I am doing first thing tomorrow.... gotta finish the vacuuming! ;o)
• Pheoby had her first dentist appointment yesterday. She was very brave and said it didn't hurt at all. She does have one tiny cavity that we will have filled next week and she has asked that I go back with her again. I am not looking forward to this one because our insurance doesn't cover the "laughing gas" and she will have to get a shot to numb the area. I sure do hope it doesn't hurt! I am trying to be brave and I am definitely trying not to let on that I am nervous about it. I just want it to be a good experience for her. We shall see.
• Tonight Pheoby helped me clean the kitchen... the whole kitchen... until we were finished! What a blessing it is to have a helper! I am sure it helped that she decided before hand that we were super heroes. She picked two lightning stickers, one for each of us to wear, and we went about using our super powers such as super cleaner, super rinser and super lifter. It was fun! It really helps to have extra help and the company was huge moral support!
• One last Pheoby story and then I am going to end this update... We set up Pheoby's tent in the living room tonight. I thought she would play in it for about 5 minutes. Nope! She has been in there for about 45 minutes. She has some toys in there with her. She has books, flashlights, and some animals. One of the animals she has with her "talks." With the door and windows zipped closed (I think she feels she is in her own little world and we can't hear her) she squeezed the hand of the dog who said, "will you play with me?" Pheoby responded in a stern voice, "NO! It is your bedtime!"

Thumb Sucker?!

What kind of kid decides to start sucking his thumb at 10 months old? That is insane!!! ;o)

Yup. So we definately confirmed today that Trey likes sucking his thumb. We have been noticeing it over the past several days. At the beginning it seemed like perhaps it was just something to do or that he was teething and chewing on it. But, nope! He is definately sucking.

Now... to be fair, the boy does LOVE his paci and has it 80% of the time. I have been trying to take it away more and more so that he will be more vocal, but I am second guessing that choice now. I don't want to push him toward the thumb if he really feels the need to have something.

He did spend the first 5 minutes of his life outside the womb with the thumb firmly planted in his mouth. I presume he had lots of practice for several months. Perhaps he was distracted from the thumb because we have been good at supplying his needs over 9 months. Maybe now that he is getting bigger he may just remember how simple it was way back in the day when all was cozy and simple. Who knows!

What I do know, however, is that I will be pushing the paci like crazy for the next several days!!!

Moments Photography

My good friend Melissa Little came for a visit last weekend. We became friends when we both lived in Michigan. Her husband was the Youth Pastor at Croswell Wesleyan. She just moved to Wichita, KS and has officially started up her own business, Moments Photography. She offered us a great deal on a multi-location shoot while she was here. I don't have the CD with all the pics on it yet, but she offered me some previews today. I am thrilled with the results!!! Let me know what you think.

My First Kiss!

I got my first kiss tonight! WOO HOO!!!!

When I was putting Trey to bed just a few minutes ago I encouraged him to give kisses to L.C. and Pheoby. He didn't. But when I took him into his crib and was telling him "Nigh-night" he leaned in and kissed me. WOW! I am the happiest Mom in the world! ;o)

Tagged Again

I truely do have a desire to blog every now and again, but I just don't get around to it now-a-days. Blogging seems to be one of the things that I put to the side when things get too busy. Until I get more energy, this will have to keep my dedicated blog readers entertained! ;o)

4 things I love about my husband:
1. He has some interesting quirks himself (I found the sunflower seeds in the fridge yesterday!)
2. He is a great protector for me and our children.
3. He works hard to provide for us.
4. He often helps out around the house doing things I just can't manage to get done.

4 Movies I would watch more than once:
1. Wedding Crashers
2. When Harry Met Sally
3. My Best Friend's Wedding
4. Mr. Deeds

4 TV shows I watch more than once:
1. Brothers & Sisters
2. Private Practice
3. The Office
4. Scrubs

4 Places I have been:
1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. Hong Kong
4. New Mexico

4 People who email me regularly
1. Natalie
2. Jill
3. Sisters At Heart
4. My mother-in-law

4 Favorite Foods
1. Any Mexican Food
2. Pasta
3. KFC
4. Cheesecake

Places I would like to visit
1. Michigan
2. New Mexico
3. Kansas
4. Oregon

4 Things I am looking forward to this coming year
1. Trey's 1st Birthday
2. Meeting my baby
3. Learning about life with 3 kids
4. Being a Stay-At-Home-Mom

4 People I would like to tag
1. Mel
2. Jen
3. Jill
4. Shari

Look at what I found!

I had no idea this was still active. I thought I lost it years ago! Enjoy the history here.

Me, quirky?!?!? lol

Thanks, Jill... Ya know, (said sarcasticly) I haven't had enough reason to focus on my silly quirks so this will really help me out! ;o) Thanks for tagging me. I will be sure to offer the same opportunity to some of my quirky friends. I am sure they will enjoy the self-exploration! Thanks, too, for giving me a reason to come back to this blog and write. I am sorry to all my friends and family who attempt to read and discover that I am slack. I took some pictures on Monday specifically for blogging, but haven't gotten around to uploading them yet. So watch for those! It is regarding a big change in our lives. ;o)

***********
Here are the rules, link back to the person who tagged you. List the rules on your blog. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of your own and tag 6 "unsuspecting" bloggers to complete. Pretty simple, eh? Until you get to the 6 unspectacular quirks of your own.

Here are mine...

1. When I lay down at night I start off on my right side and turn to my left side when I am ready to sleep.

2. It drives me crazy to have the bathroom sink and counter cluttered up or dirty, but I don't get worked up about the kitchen counter being a mess. (This was the topic of conversation often when I was a newlywed!)

3. I hate ice in my drinks... unless I have a straw! I hate the feeling of the ice bumping against my lip/teeth. I used to stop drinking once the drink was gone so that I didn't have to drink watered down beverage, but I have gotten less particular with this in my older age.

4. I love being connected to people and relationships are very important to me, but I have a really hard time picking up the phone to make calls even to my very best friends!

5. I recently switched up my shower routine to make sure that I wash my face after the conditioner is rinsed out of my hair because it all of a sudden dawned on me that I might have a little conditioner along my hairline after my face is washed and that seemed counter-productive.

6. I love a glass of milk with cookies or cake, but it just doesn't taste good at other times throughout the day.


Alright, friends.... let's see what you've got to share! I am tagging Jen, Mel, Erica, Martha-Marie, Autumn, & Amy.

Motivated

Last Friday I had the opportunity to hang out with some of my scrapbooking friends from Foothills. They had a great time making progress in their books and I simply enjoyed the company. It has been a long time since I have had the energy to scrapbook or go out with my far-away friends. I have been trying to get into digital scrapbooking for years and haven't fully jumped in yet. I think most of my delay is motivation and energy due to being pregnant for much of the last year or two. Since I didn't take anything to work on at the crop, Jill offered me another lesson in digital scrapbooking. I took that motivation, downloaded a digi-kit and went to town today. I took further inspiration from Page Maps and am rather happy with what I was able to come up with. I was still unable to get around to playing with drop shadows. (Since my program is a tad different than Jill's.)

Update-A Month in Review

So, it's been almost a month since I posted. A lot has happened since I posted last.

First and foremost we discovered that Hayes Baby #3 is on its' way!!! We were shocked to say the least, but it is really sinking in now and we are thrilled to meet this next baby! Pheoby is most excited, it seems. Whenever I talk about having 2 children she corrects me and counts herself, Trey and then points to my belly with a knowing look on her face counting 3. She is growing into such a great big sister. In the last week or so it has become customary for her to carry Trey around the house.

Trey is growing daily. He has such a sweet personality. His current favorite activities involve standing up at the coffee table and pulling up on anything he can find. He is also enjoying some table foods. It won't be long and I think he will protest the jar food.

I am still working part-time, 3 days per week, until baby comes in February. I am enjoying it, but I am really itching to have more time at home for my family and to maintain my home. The timing is interesting because L.C. and I had just started talking about me returning to work full-time when we found out about this pregnancy. I also found out my supervisors were trying to figure out a way to work me back into full-time as well.

L.C.'s major project has been researching mini-vans. We are currently going through the debate of timing and trying to figure out when we will be able to get the best deal. I am so thankful that he is willing to be the researcher of the family.

L.C. had to head to North Carolina for a couple nights and while he was gone Pheoby and I saw that as a great opportunity to have a "Girls' Night!" We invited our friends Brandi and Arianah over. They didn't arrive until about 10 PM, the little girls had on their jammies and we had a mini-slumber party until about 3 AM. Although the girls had fun staying up late, I am sure Brandi and I enjoyed and appreciated the girl time much more!

Pheoby has taken up a new hobby. She got a real digital camera from her Uncle Andy & Aunt Anna for Christmas. She has been taking pictures like crazy! She has even started taking my camera on shoots. It is interesting to see the great images she is able to capture. Although, you have to scan through the pics of wall art, items in the pantry, furnature and toys!

My mom came for a visit a couple weeks ago. Here are a few things we did while she was visiting... visit the park, played games, read books, made special treats, played in the pool, bought stuff to make some projects and went walking. We had a fabulous time. We were a little better at keeping busy, but we still longed for a bit more time when the week wound down. While she was here we attempted tubing in Helen, GA even though we are in a serious drought. We did not make it down the entire river. It was just too difficult having to constantly pry ourselves off of the rocky river bottom. We will definately attempt that again once the water situation improves. Is it too much to hope that next year will bring higher water levels? (Pheoby took this pic of Grandma.)

Pheoby's ear is healing up great from her surgery this summer. It is hard to tell that she even has a scar. I am willing to bet that it will completely disappear as she continues to grow.

We had a fun time a couple weeks ago straightening Pheoby's hair. She was so sweet with her "long hair" as she called it. She continuously commented that she didn't think people would recognize her. We kept it straight for about 4 days. It looked really good and we were sad when it was over. I seriously considered a relaxer, but it is such a scary committment for such a little head of beautiful curls!

We were able to visit our local Zoo and noticed that there are now two lions the kids can take pictures on, in addition to the big bear we have been taking pics on for the past couple years. It will be fun to continue to take these pictures through the years as we continue to visit the zoo as the children grow.

Since the following picture, both kids have moved up to bigger carseats. Phoeby got to move into a big kid booster seat that is "girly" with pink and purple and flowers! And Trey is now out of the infant car seat and in the seat Pheoby has been using for the past 3-4 years. Gotta get these kids moved up so there is a seat available for the baby! ;o) If you are a parent who has a rear-facing child and do not have one of these mirrors you really should pick one up! They are great!

I've been tagged!

So I haven't been around her in forever, it seems. I will be getting better, I promise! For now, though... I've been tagged. Here's what Annie wants me to post...

1. Ten Years Ago- I was 21 years old. I was living in Seneca with my Chiropractor and his wife while I interned at BHS (where I work now). L.C. and I had been dating for over a year and I was itching to marry him and start my Senior year of college.

2. Five Things on Today's To Do List- Work, Attend the Advisory Board Luncheon, Convince my husband that we need to eat out, Drive some mini-vans, and Call to check on my babies who are bonding with Mimi & PaPa in GA.

3. Snacks I Enjoy- Spinich & Artichoke Dip, Candy Bars, Doritos, Butter Pecan Ice Cream

4. Places I've Lived- Croswell, MI; Central, SC; Easley, SC; Greer, SC; South Lyon, MI; Croswell, MI (again); Seneca, SC; Liberty, SC

5. Four People I'm Tagging - Jen, Jill, Mel and MM

Can I Wear Jeans?

Can I Wear Jeans is a great place you can go to list your church for free! Jon Acuff (from the ever-popular blog Stuff Christian's Like) is putting it together so that when you are looking for a church you can get a good description of the places you are considering visiting. Not quite the same as looking at search engines or in the yellow pages. And the great thing is that this is world-wide!

A Pretty Good Day

The kids and I had a pretty relaxing day today. Of course, they were both up before me. (Mental note... be sure to prep that bag of Teddy Grahams you promised Pheoby as a morning snack so you can get a few more minutes of shut-eye before Trey wakes up!)

We ran a couple errands first thing, then had a pretty lazy morning. We filled up the kiddie pool and played in that for a while before nap time. Trey had a relaxing time hangin' out in his crab baby lounger. (I have pictures to share some time!)

Pheoby likes to pretend to enjoy swimming in her pool, but spends more time and energy focusing on the bugs in the pool, on the patio, near the house or within 50 foot of her. Seriously... I am needing some feedback here... is this something that she will ever grow out of? I thought when it started about 2 years ago that it would be a phase, but it seems like it isn't. Hmm... anyway... we attempt to enjoy the outdoors as long as I can tolerate the panic!

Trey didn't sleep well this morning, so he was tuckered out by the afternoon. I put both kids down at about the same time. Trey slept for about 3 hours and Pheoby slept 4! That was a nice little break. I was able to pick up, work on laundry, develop my social calendar for the week and catch up on blogs and e-mails.

We had company over for supper and lots of play time! I have recently reconnected with a long-lost college friend who lives about 5 miles from here. Brandi (Alexander) Roper. We had seen one another about a year ago in the grocery store, but didn't think to get contact info. So when I saw her at the store a couple weeks ago we made sure to get the info! We have gotten the kids together a couple times and they have hit it off.... the girls are already planning a slumber party.

While they were here, I was comforting a fussy Trey by allowing him to grab my hand and discovered rather quickly that the boy had cut a tooth today!!! That's his first one... for those of you who like to know the details it is a bottom front tooth, not the eye tooth we were expecting first since it has been visable for a month or two. He will be 6 months old on Saturday. (That was for the detail-wanter's, too!)

Tonight I tried to work on getting the tape off Pheoby's incision. It didn't seem to be letting loose and I DO NOT want her to have to go through them ripping it off at her post-op appointment Thursday. We had a mini-surgery at home on the sofa! She applied a warm compress for a while then I massaged the tape with some anti-biotic ointment and tried my best to loosen the edges. I was able to get about 1/3 of the tape off. She laid very still so I could cut away the excess tape. I didn't want to risk it re-adhearing. I also wanted to give the new edges an opportunity to pull on the pillow a little tonight.

I hope we make more progress getting that off tomorrow! ;o) Bath time in the AM will help, I am sure. It looks like the incision may be longer than I imagined. He said one stitch so I thought one little tiny tie. It looks more like he maybe used one long piece of thread to sew up a 1/2 inch or longer incision, whereas I expected less than 1/4 inch. I took some new pictures of the progress we made, but I am not up to editing them tonight. Maybe by Thursday I will post new pics as well as find an old pic to show what it looked like before the surgery.

Well, I feel the need to apologize for rambling so long.... good thing the theme of this blog is about filling you in on my day-to-day life! ;o) Oh, and I forgot... if you didn't want to read this you didn't have to read it all since I won't know if you tune me out! You don't even have to put on that kind front that people do when listening to the longest-drawn out stories that remind me of Grandpa Tanner's story about raking leaves one fall day. If I had more time I would fill you in on how he would get them all raked up into a pile and the wind would come blow them all around the yard and he would just get them raked up again and....

But I don't. So you will have to ask me someday if you want to know more! ;o) Thanks faithful readers, for allowing me to share our lives with you!

Pheoby's Surgery

I had blogged previously about Pheoby's ear problems and that she needed surgery. (If you don't remember reading that you can find out more about the problem and the procedure here and here.)

Her surgery was yesterday. She did GREAT! And we are so thankful to the staff at St. Francis Eastside and Dr. Cooter of Greenville ENT. Everyone was fabulous and helped Pheoby to have a good experience. She didn't appear to be nervous or worried at all and faced the whole thing like it was any other day. Thankfully, they provided her anesthesia through a mask and they didn't give her an IV until she was already out. We were able to be with her up until they took her back to the operating room. And she was only gone from us for about 45 minutes.

We were informed that many times kids are quite irratable and therefore they like to bring the parents back right away. Not our girl! She was still sleeping for about 15 minutes while we were there waiting for her to wake up and finally I asked how long it should take. The nurse then woke her up by talking to her and rubbing her arm. She was still drowsy for a while, but enjoyed an orange popsicle and was ready to get her clothes changed. When asked if she wanted to be carried out or get a wheelchair ride, she cheerfully selected the wheelchair!

We had to go pick up Trey from L.C.'s sister, Jabecca's house where Mimi (L.C.'s Mom) was watching the kids. (Ironically, Jabecca was scheduled for surgery on the same day.) By the time we got there (about 15 minutes from the hospital) I had to give her instructions about how she could play with Micah and Caleb, but she couldn't be running around. She needed several more reminders while we were there.

We needed to go get her prescriptions filled, pick up pizza for lunch (Pheoby's request) and pick out a movie from Grandma (my Mom). By the time we got home Pheoby was wired! She kept going and going and going and going until finally I figured it was surely time to catch some Zs... no way! Have you ever tried your hardest to get a drugged up kid to sleep? We were laying in my bed and she kept making me laugh when I was at my most serious.

Later on we both had to ask forgiveness from one another.... me for being mean and her for being so silly when I was trying to sleep. (Actually, if you want the truth... she started it by telling me she was sorry and then she called me out for being mean!) The wild-ness continued through the evening. I got her to lay down again in my bed hoping she would crash, but she kept waiting for her movie to be done or for daddy to come to bed. Ugh! Once again, I fell asleep and she continued buzzing along to Bee Movie for the 4th time that day!

She did sleep through the night. And was up a few times this morning and fell right back to sleep. I was thankful for that. She is taking a good nap now, too. I think she is recovering well. She hasn't complained of much pain... and shouldn't really since she is on Loritab! Most surprisingly she hasn't been messing with the tape that is covering the incision. I am happy about that!

Here are some pics we took to document our day...

What a protector!

I want the world to know (or at least my 3 to 5 readers) that my husband is a fabulous protector! Of course, I always knew it, but today he had an opportunity to demonstrate just how great of a protector he is. I had a run-in with an office manager in a place of business our family frequents that sent me into a tail-spin. I felt a horrible amount of stress over the situation to the point of wanting never to return to that place of business again. You better believe when I am in a time of such crisis and stress I call my husband at the first opportunity I get. As I did today.

I left the business, had both kids in the car, told Pheoby I couldn't talk to her because I needed to cool down and proceeded to call L.C. about 3 times before he was able to answer my call at his desk. (That makes me realize one more reason he is amazing... he doesn't get mad at me for calling him and unloading while he is at work! He is available to me any time I am in need.) After I unloaded all my emotional (and factual) garbage, he said the words I marvel at... "I am going to call her right now."

Typically I would discurage L.C. from calling to defend me because of my major fear of confrontation and because I like to live by the motto "Never let 'em see you sweat!", but not this time. I felt so uncomfortable that if he hadn't called I would probably have tried my best to sweep it under the rug and let it lie and never return again. But... that really wasn't an option. This is a place we want to continue to do business with as long as everything gets worked out in a respectable way.

So he did call. He did explain how I felt I was treated. The office manager apologized to him. And she later called me to apologize. How I feel now and how I am processing the incedent is a developing story which I will probably keep to myself, but the main idea here is that it is amazing to realize you are loved enough to be protected when you are too weak to protect yourself.

Thank you, L.C.! I love you and am honored to have you as my protector! I also am thrilled beyond measure that you are the father of my children... they will be blessed their whole lives through to have you as their protector as well!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I had to bring my Broccoli Soup into work today for a shower. I am becoming famous at work for in (not to toot my own horn or anything) and have been asked multiple times for the recipe. I had to type it up to share with my co-workers so I decided to share it here, too. I like to add cheese and bacon. It really is delicious! I challenge you to try it out and post what you think about it here!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup flour
¼ tsp baking soda
1 quart half & half
1 quart water
8 chicken bullion cubes
1 bag of frozen broccoli (thawed)
salt & pepper to taste

· In a large pot, melt butter/margarine over medium heat.
· Using a metal wisk, mix in the flour gradually allowing a minute or two for the flour to cook.
· Slowly add about ½ cup of half & half mixing all the lumps out before adding more half & half. (It will be very thick to begin with, but make sure you get the lumps out every time or you will end up with lumpy soup. Taking the time to get the lumps out also allows the flour to continue to cook so you don’t have a flour flavor in your soup.)
· Once the half & half is mixed in refill the container and mix in the water slowly.
· Add the bullion cubes and ensure they are broken up. Mix in broccoli and allow to simmer on low heat until broccoli is warm.

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY, JOSH!

It is hard to believe my best friend's son is a teenager today!

Josh... I know I kid with you a lot, but I want to let you know that you are a very special guy! You have a lot going for you and I am excited to see how you grow through these teenage years. You have unlimited potential and I just know you are going to do amazing things!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSH!

In other news, Trey started babbling yesterday! That was fun! He started out with the best.... dadadadada! I can't wait to hear more of what he has got to say! We will be starting sign language soon. We just watched some video of when Pheoby was a baby (6 months-18 months) and were blown away by how much signing we did. She was amazing! Although we have been planning on starting the same thing with Trey, I had forgotten how easy it was and how helpful it was in keeping the frusteration level down. I will be pulling out the books in a few minutes!

We did a little work on learning to crawl today, but Mr. Trayzer Bazer couldn't quite get the motion. You can get an idea of what he was doing if you imagine the opposite of crawling pose. His head, feet and arms were up in the air and his belly was on the ground. You could tell he was trying with all his might! He did "crawl" backwards a few times, though... so you know I am proud!

Our Sally-Dog

It seems like forever since I have taken the time to sit down and blog. And unfortunately, my return to this comfortable venue is not on a good note. We lost our Sally-Dog last week with no warning of illness or injury. I was shocked to find her dead when I got home from work last Tuesday. I took the loss much harder than I thought I would. As I mentioned to a couple of friends, it is difficult to grieve a pet because society doesn't allow time off to grieve like if we lose a human family member. There were a lot of things I went ahead and did last week with puffy, red eyes that I probably should have been more presentable for.

Shortly after L.C. and I were married in 2000 we started talking about getting a dog. I wanted one so bad. I figured it would be nice to "add to the family" before we were ready to have children. We called on an ad for beagle puppies that were selling for about 1/2 the price of others in the newspaper. We went to look at them. It turned out the man who owned her was a hunter who pretty much bred hunting dogs for himself so he wasn't looking to get rich as a breeder. There were two puppies left. Sally was the tiniest one... she took after her mom who also was a small beagle. Even though we really weren't physically ready to care for a puppy we brought Sally home with us. Who can resist a beagle pup?

Sally has been through a lot with our family. She has made 2 huge moves across the country, adapted well to 7 new homes since we got her and didn't complain too much when she went from queen of the castle to family pet with a whole lot less freedom once Pheoby joined us.

Sally has been a sweet and loving part of our family for the past 8 years. It has been hard to let her go.

Several things to share...

Several things are on my mind that I would like to share with you now...

• MM had her surgery today. The last update I read she was out of recovery and in her room. You can keep up with the updates at http://www.eddiesmith.com/.


• If you would like to help out with meals for MM and her family please contact me. We are trying to cover at least 3 days per week.


• My new nephew, Alex, is being watched in the special care nursery. It appears he is (and will be) fine, but please pray for this little guy and his folks! I know it isn't easy to have your little one swept away from you so early.


• I have a couple meetings at work on Tuesdays so I took my little man in with me. He was fabulous! All the ladies loved seeing him and playing with him. I took a fun pic that really sums up "A day in the life of a working Mom." Scroll down to see the picture.


• Trey is cutting his eye teeth! I found evidence of one today while we were at work today and found the other one when I was trying to show Pheoby a few minutes ago.
  
• I have added a pic of Pheoby enjoying a nice, refreshing Coca-Cola that we got from the tour. She enjoyed it in her new glass!

Loving Day

My husband forwarded me this article today. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080505/ap_on_re_us/obit_loving

I can't believe that was just 40 years ago! In honor of Mildred Loving we will begin celebrating Loving Day on June 12th. (I hope I remember the day right!)

Here we are with our World of Coca-Cola 4-D glasses on. We had a wonderful getaway to Atlanta last weekend. It was a lot of fun.

Babies All Around

Babies are all around us and it makes me so happy!!! I took the kids to our little friend's birthday party today. There were 5 moms and 4 babies! It was wonderful (although, probably not so much for Jill because she didn't have too much extra help with all of us toting the little ones around).

Then on our way home we got the text we had been waiting for! Baby Alex had arrived! My older brother, Andy and his wife, Anna, got to meet baby #3 today! Alexander Lloyd was 7 lbs and 20 inches long. He looks like such a sweet boy! I can't wait to meet him in 10 days! Alex is named after Anna's grandfather (Alex) and my dad (whose middle name is Lloyd, that is also what all dad's buddies call him).

Update on Miss Pheobs

Well... we went to the ENT. The doctor basically left it up to us on whether or not to do the surgery now. We decided to go ahead with it because we don't want to risk having to do emergency surgery in the future and have to do surgery while there is infection. We believe that she will continue to have problems with this in the future if we don't get it taken care of. We have good insurance, so why not deal with it is the question we asked ourselves. There is no real good reason not to. The doctor believes that at 4-years-old and her size she should handle the surgery well without remembering much about it. He said she will have a minor incision that should heal well since she is so young. So we are waiting on his surgery scheduler to call us so that we can choose a date. We don't know if it will be in the next couple weeks or in a month or two. I will keep you updated.

In other Pheoby news... my big girl started Gymnastics yesterday! She was such a natural... as much as a 4-year-old who only went to class one time can be a natural. She even came home and showed her Daddy some of what she learned. She has been "practicing" her gymnastics skills on the futon in Trey's room during diaper changes. Yesterday she realized that Trey's crib is perfect for practicing her "pencil arms!" L.C. was not too fond of the new gym toy... he asked her not to practice there! ;o)

***Scroll all the way down to see the slide show from her first week!

Ramblings

WARNING!!! I haven't blogged in a while so this is bound to be a rambling post. ;o)

Today was a wonderful day! I got to sleep in until about 9:00. I got up and got ready while L.C. helped prep Pheoby for her day. Pheoby and I went to Weight Watchers (for the record, she is not a member!) then to deposit a check at the ATM, clothes shopping at JC Penney and picked up some pressure washing detergent for the house and some seeds from Lowes. When we went to the bank we drove right up to the ATM, but when we were leaving JC Penney there were about 6-8 cars lined up. I am so glad we did that first! And I must say I have a serious issue with whoever stocks the infant boys clothing at the Easley JC Penney. They have about 4 things in the infant section. We bought 3 of them. They have tons of infant girl stuff (so cute!!) and lots of toddler boy stuff. I guess in another year we will shop there, but for now we will have to look elsewhere.

When we got home Pheoby and I planted our Zinnias out back near the woods. Trey was sleeping and L.C. was pressure washing the house. It seemed like the perfect Spring day that childhood memories are made of. Pheoby seemed to love watering the soil, the seeds and then the entire bed after the seeds were covered. She had a little watering can that is normally a bath toy that literally sprinkled water out, so it kept her quite busy. The smart girl must have told me about 5 or 6 times the process of growing flowers and the ingredients needed (soil, water, sunshine).

Here are a few more topics I wanted to post on in the past week....

--Dr. LaBar recommends reading this parenting article from Slate. It was a great reminder to me as I struggle through the terrible-fours! I promise... four has been the hardest age so far. ;o)

--I was shocked to hear about the earthquake last week in the Midwest since that is where I am from (well, that general area of the country) and often remind people how safe it is... there is not much risk of natural disaster, no poisonous spiders and snakes to be concerned about and no worries about bears on your back porch. Here is my friend Deborah's account of the experience.




--We will be taking Pheoby to the ENT (ear, nose & throat doctor) on Tuesday. She was born with a tiny hole above her right ear. It looks almost like a Barbie earring hole. We noticed it when she was first born. Her first pediatritian, Dr. Barnes, explained it very quickly in a way that satisfied our curiosity. When we moved to South Carolina Dr. Feiste once again brought our attention to it and stated there was no reason to be concerned. He drew a little diagram on the paper that covers the exam table in his famous Feiste way that calmed any fears that may have existed and we were on our way. The understanding always was that if it began to drain stuff or if it changes or if it starts to hurt her then we will look at fixing it. Well, a couple weeks ago it got infected. It was pretty much over night. There was no problem with it and then when she woke up one day she mentioned that her ear hurt. It was all puffed up and red. We treated it with peroxide and neosporen and it did get better, but also her exema began to break out on the backs of her ears. So we took her in. Dr. Feiste quickly got to drawing on the exam table paper again and was thrilled with his ability to find the diagnostic code for the 4-5 word term for the little hole. He states that this is something that didn't close up very early in her development as a fetus. Most times they close up completely. Sometimes they still have a little depth to them, but in cases like Pheoby's there is a open channel to some other part of her head. More than likely it leads to her sinus cavity. So he referred us to an ENT to determine what needs to happen next. We are expecting that they will do some sort of simple surgery to determine where it goes and then close it up. I don't believe that it is anything too serious and I haven't talked with Pheoby too much about it because I don't want her to worry. I guess we will talk about it more on Tuesday when she asks where we are going, huh? Or maybe Monday night.
(This link provides a basic medical explaination. This is how I found the link.)

--Ok... so... when I first moved to SC for college I learned that people in SC are very proud of their state. Everyone had cups, shirts, hats, car decals, rugs, pocket books (that's purse for my Michigan friends who are reading this) and even jewelry that had a palmetto tree with the crescent moon which is on the SC state flag. Another very popular thing is to have this "logo" on items with the words "Carolina Girl" on them. Here is a sample. These items are everywhere as well. And they are cute! But what concerns me is that there is no tag or pamphlet on these items to explain the membership requirements. I mean... I live in SC and I am a girl and I love SC and I think the shirt is cute, but...

• Would I make a mockery of the whole idea if I were to buy the shirt let alone wear it outside of my house?
• And if that isn't ok... can my Michigan-born daughter be a part of this prestigous club since she has lived here longer than she lived in Michigan?
• If either of us were to wear this shirt would it in some way arbitrarily terminate our membership in the Michigan Pride club?
• Would our Michigan family and friends disown us?
• Would our SC friends scoff at us when we turned and walked away? Or worse... to our faces?

These are all questions I have been having for years and the urge to ask them has gotten stronger as the years pass and as my length of residency in this state has increased. If you have any insight on this matter please speak up! This is a very serious matter and I can only hope that even one life would be affected by your willingness to share your views!

**After finally writing out my thoughts I googled "Carolina Girl" to find some images to share with you and found a link to the Urban Dictionary's definition of Carolina Girl. There were several entries there which make it clear that we won't be picking out our shirts any time soon!

--Trey has started eating baby food! He wasn't a pro the first time like his sister was, but that doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. This isn't the greatest messy-eater pic. I am sure I will have plenty of those to add later on! We didn't have too many of these with Phoeby. She did not like messes... even this young. That was fine with me! I am glad that my boy is my second baby! So far he is loving sweet potatos, bananas and peaches. And... while we are on the topic of this baby growing up too fast.... Trey will be graduating from his infant car seat soon. I weighed him the other day and he was 19 pounds! Our infant car seat only goes up to 22 pounds. I can't believe that this boy who (it seems) just came home from the hospital a few minutes ago is already getting too big for his baby seat! Ugh.

Funny thing is that I held two new babies at girl's night on Friday and felt the baby itch for a minute! The good news is I felt that way when Pheoby was tiny, too, but thankfully it took 3 years for the timing to work out. (Shhhh!!! Don't tell our Moms about this part of the post!!!)

Autism Speaks

Please follow the link below to help raise funds for Autism Speaks in honor of my cousin's daughter, Sammy!

Here is the request I got from my cousin Missy. "Chevy is currently running a promo that everytime anyone watches this video, Chevy will donate money to Autism Speaks; which is an organization that helps with Autism. Since Sammie has an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), I would really appreciate anyone that can click on the video. I just turned it on and let it play (didn't even really watch it)."

Visit Help Chevy Help Autism (http://www.chevrolet.com/autismspeaks) and see how you can help too.

Pictures

It has been a wonderful weekend! Later I will post some thoughts I have been compiling throughout the last few days, but until then I thought I would share some pictures of my lovely family!

PRAISE -- Martha Marie

I am so happy to report that there was good news from the latest test! They have discovered that surgery is possible. Read the story straight from Martha Marie here.

Stuff Christians Like

I followed a blog-friend's advice and went to check out this blog, Stuff Christians Like. It seems very interesting so I have subscribed to it in google reader. Here is an exerpt from yesterday's post:

"if your plan for "not sinning" is eventually not "liking sin" then good luck."

I like Jon Acuff's interesting view on the simple and complex aspects of being a Christian. Quite entertaining and challenging at the same time.

Sweet Phoeby

It has been a little while since I have posted a truly sweet pic of my little girl. So to give the girl her dues... here is Sweet Pheoby!


Phoeby has grown so much lately. She is becoming a little woman. She is so dramatic (I don't know where she gets it, lol) and funny. She loves to tell jokes and is a great story teller. Although I think she has a little of my Grandpa Tanner in her because sometimes the stories go on and on just for the fun of it! ;o) She is an excellent big sister and is definately a blessing to Mommy & Daddy helping where she can. She very rarely is hesitant to get a paci, burp cloth or something else that we need for Trey.

Trey Billups

Check out this link to discover the meaning behind the title of this post! I am really loving finding so many pictures of my little ones popping up all over.

Trey's day with JJ Star!

What a sweet boy this is!!! Once again, I am approaching my bedtime. I need to head to bed, but it was important to share my boy's day with you! Oh... and we were able to meet Jill at Upstate Gymnastics, where we will be enrolling Pheoby soon! Can't wait to see her out there running and bouncing around in that gym! ;o) Thanks again, Jill!

Tired

Hey all....

I am home from Michigan after a FUN Stamp Camp! I didn't get much sleep so I set myself a bedtime goal for the week. I am pretty tired and am up later than I am supposed to be, but I did want to post a couple pics. The first two are of some wall art that I created while at stamp camp. And then an updated picture of my sweet boy! He is 3 1/2 months old. I determined over the weekend that Trey and Pheoby could have been twins! Sometime I will post the two three-month pics to prove it!

Special thanks to my great friend, Jill, who is stepping up at the last minute to help out with Trey tomorrow! And please continue to pray for Martha-Marie (Trey's sitter) who found out today the prognosis is not good for her type of aneurysm.

He Rolls!

L.C. called this morning to tell me that Trey is rolling over! He has done it 3 times so far. No one has witnessed the action, just the results. Hopefully we will have some pictures or video soon!

An airport and an angry face.

This is one of the only times in my life that I have been happy to have an opportunity to sit and wait. You see... I struggle with a touch of ADHD so I struggle to entertain myself when in a waiting situation. Often times I fidget so much that it is bothersome to even me (not just the people around me)! This time, however, I am enjoying the time at the Charlotte International Airport since I have my new laptop and am able to tap into the complimentary wi-fi connection. How fun is that!?!?! I should be on my plane already, but there is a mechanical delay. Oh, don't worry about us... it is just the bathroom! YUCK! Hope they fix that soon!!! It will be a long flight to Detroit if the toilets are backed up! ;o)

In case you are wondering, I am headed to Michigan for Thinkin' Ink Stamp Camp. My mom and I put on this event twice a year for our stamping & scrapbooking friends. It is sooooo much fun! And I am really looking forward to this one since I am not pregnant. I should have more energy.

WHOOPS! Time to go...

Ok... a day late and a picture short... I was trying to upload the "angry face" when it was time to go yesterday. Here it is!

Blog Links

As I sit here and cry in prayer for my friends and even strangers who are brother & sisters in Christ I can't help but want to share their stories with you. I know how awesome it is to have the prayers of others to rely on when going through the toughest times in life. So I share these links with you so that you can share their burden in whatever way you can...

www.eddiesmith.com -- for updates on my good friend from college, Martha Marie, who is dealing with an aneurysm and will need surgery. Martha Marie is the one God laid on my heart as the perfect caregiver for our baby when I first found out that I was pregnant. What a blessing to know that we have someone so trusted so close by. I know that God has an awesome plan for this woman of faith. She is an example to me in so many ways, as a wife, as a mom and as a Christian.

www.cfhusband.blogspot.com -- saw a link to this blog just a few days ago. This is an amazing story from a man whose wife and daughter are in the hospital. His wife is awaiting a lung transplant and his daughter was born very premature. What an inspiration they are in such a difficult time in their lives. Please lift them up for strength and sustinence while they endure this journey.

Happy Easter!

It was a beautiful Spring day today. I spent most of the day cleaning the house. I hate to admit the last time we did a deep cleaning on this house! I will though... by our best estimation it was just before my parents came for Pheoby's birthday, February 22nd. I don't remember the last time I had that many dust bunnies hiding out... well... they weren't really hiding that much by this point. You know how if you see lots of roaches you know there are hundreds you are not seeing? It was a lot like that with the dust bunnies and dirt and germs. There was so much visible nastiness all around so I can't imagine all that I couldn't see. YUCK! I am so glad we got it all cleaned up, though.

Anyway... I digress. What I was saying is that it was a beautiful Spring day. I cleaned the house and L.C. mowed the jungle. (He has been working to get our lawn growing well and I think he was successful!) While I was mopping with the back door opened, smelling the fresh cut grass I couldn't help but praise God for the great blessing it is to own a home to care for. So many times I get bogged down by all the responsability on my shoulders, but in that moment with mop in hand I was so thankful for the many blessings we have been entrusted with. Thank you God for undeserved blessings!

On a related note, with my return to work last year and L.C.'s advancements at Duke Energy we have been able to make great strides in some financial goals we've been working towards. We have definately not arrived and have a way to go before we achieve our long term goals, but we are to the point where we can day dream about our next steps without having them seem unreachable. Because of that we have been talking a lot about where we see our future, our family and our ministries.

Yesterday as we went for a road trip we chatted about the areas we would consider moving when we are ready for our next home. We knew when we moved here that this home would be a stepping stone. Actually we don't really see ourselves staying put for the rest of our lives in any home... there is just too much we want to keep ourselves open to. When choosing the next home/community we will have to consider school options for our children, business opportunities and many other long term issues.

What we settled on was that we really liked where we lived when we were first married. We were about 5-10 minutes from anything we should need on Woodruff Road, but also were surrounded by farm land. It was the best of both worlds. Country living with quick city access. The opportunities for schools, activities and business are endless.

Another thing that we didn't really discuss was the vast array of great churches that we would be able to consider. We really love Foothills and one day if the Lord does allow us to relocate back to that area it will mean leaving our friends at FCC. We already struggle to stay involved due to the 30 minute commute. And it is a blessing that we are already connected there. It is hard to believe we have been at Foothills for almost 3 years. WOW!

Ok... I am hoping that this post doesn't appear so much as rambling thoughts. The truth is, though, it is! I am just sitting in the recliner with my feet propped up unwinding from a beautiful day. What a blessed life!

Happy Easter, friends!

Wow... its been a while!

It has been a while since I have taken the time to post, huh? I have felt pretty busy lately, not sure why. It has definately been a couple weeks where I have eliminated a few things due to being overwhelmed. Maybe, too, it is because I haven't had any great news to report. Well... I have news tonight! We just got our new computer tonight!!! It is a laptop. Our desktop is one that we purchased when we first moved to Croswell. We have done a lot of living since then and the condition of that PC definately shows it. It has crashed twice and we have just been hanging on to the shreds of the systems that would run for the last several months. So it was time, definately time, to invest in a new computer. I am so excited, too, because I have just started to invest time in digital scrapbooking and my old system wasn't handling it too well. Also, I am getting ready for Thinkin' Ink Stamp Camp. (TISC is a weekend retreat for scrapbookers & stampers in Michigan that my mom and I organize.) I will get to bring the laptop to organize business on and work on some digi projects, too! How fun will that be to be able to play with my new toy for a whole weekend? Can't wait!

Oh... and I suppose I need to do some research on what the problems are with Vista. I realize it has only been a few hours, but I am enjoying it so far. If you have any ideas on this subject please post a comment... I would love to hear what you have to say whether positive or negative.

First Digi Layout

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls... I am pleased to present you with my very first ever digital scrapbook layout! It was so fun to work on. I loved putting all the elements together and manipulating them to suit my whims. I have known for a long time that digi was the way for me and today's experience confirmed it! Now that I have a tiny bit of experience under my belt I will enjoy reading my digital scrapbooking magazines, I am sure! There is so much I want to know more about. For instance, I am not sure if I made the best choices when it came to saving. (It loaded, so I did something right!)

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Oh!!! I just realized something I did wrong! I didn't add journaling to the layout! Shoot! I guess I am already needing to go back and edit!

2 months old & moved out!

Trey moved out! We moved him to his bedroom a week or two ago. I meant to post pics then, but I figure you will forgive me! Because of Trey's continuous coughing we have elevated his mattress. He scoots a little now and with the scooting and the incline he seems to have taken a little detour!

Ketchup... oh, no, I mean "Catch up!"

I logged onto msn messenger this weekend, which is something I rarely do, and lo and behold my dear old friend Amanda K. popped on! Amanda was a member of the (I'm sure) famous Jetsabillies small group from SLM @ CWC. Amanda is a very special girl. I was really looking forward to watching her (and all the other Jetsabillies) grow, mature and graduate from high school.

I started out with these girls when they were in 7th grade, followed them to 8th grade and was preparing to transition with them into high school when I felt the Lord calling us back to South Carolina. It was hard to follow God's plan and leave my family twice, but it was a close second having to break the news to those teenage girls who I had committed my life to. I will never forget the night that I told them I would be leaving or the conversation, tears and special gifts that came from that. It was a pivital spiritual point for many of us in that room. We talked a lot about faith and trusting God through it all. And my, didn't we have to lean on Him so much through so many things.

It has been almost 3 years since we made the big decision to head back to SC. My heart still hurts for the relationships changed because of our decision to move, especially for the relationships lost. But I must praise God for the amazing gift of many special relationships that have stood the test of time and many miles. My friendship with Amanda is a tremendous blessing which reminds me that God is right by my side taking care of me when I need a little extra surprise!

Thanks, Amanda, for the connection we share! You truely are a blessing and an amazing young woman! I am honored that you call me friend!!! I love you, girl!!!

Virtual Weekend Crop

I am spending much of my weekend participating in a Virtual Weekend Crop with my secret sister group. We are all working hard to get lots of paper craft projects done while checking in on one another throughout the weekend. There are also challenges. We will post pics of our projects and prizes will be given for jobs well done. It is a nice concept, the virtual crop thing, because it isn't costing any of us anything and we can come and go as we please. Actually, I wasn't planning on participating as much as I have, but since I am still sick I didn't want to take my germs to the FCC Girls Night. And now, instead of going to the UniverSoul Circus with L.C., Pheoby and the rest of the Hayes & Banks families, I am staying home with poor Trey who is coughing up a storm still.

I am excited to share with you some of what I have accomplished so far. Then I am going to get back to work and make some more progress!

75% Of Us

This Tuesday was not-so-Super for the Hayes family. In honor of Super Tuesday II a poll was taken in our home and the results are in...

75% of the human residents in this home are sick!!!

It pretty much stunk when Pheoby came down with the flu symptoms (sore throat, cough, high fever, lathargic) over the weekend, but it has gotten worse! Last night my symptoms (sinus pressure, congestion... is that the same as pressure?, runny nose, achy neck, headache) became almost unbearable so I popped some Sudafed and some Tylenol and hit the hey pretty early. Trey started developing his symptoms today. (low grade fever, runny eyes, sneezing, cough) Pheoby seems to be feeling better, but she still has a runny nose, is sneezing and coughing, and has a low-grade fever.

Because of all this our 2-times-this-week doctor visit may turn into a 3-times-this-week if Trey's fever climbs. I took Pheoby yesterday, may have to take Trey tomorrow, and they both have well-checks (including vaccinations) scheduled for Friday. How much does that stink?!?! I am so thankful for L.C.'s good insurance with a relatively low co-pay!

A survey about my main man!

Basics
Who is your man? L.C. Hayes, Jr. (I must clarify so that you don't get confused... you know... there are three of them now!)
How long have you been together? 11 years
Dating/Engaged/Married? Married
How old is your man? 30
What's his middle name? Doesn't have one!

You or your man?
Who eats more? L.C.
Who said "I love you" first? L.C.
Who weighs more? L.C. (Thankfully!)
Who sings better? Who knows! Neither of us are singers.
Who's Older? Me
Who's smarter? L.C.-- The man is a stinkin' scientist! ;o)

WAYS
Who's temper is worse? Probably L.C.'s, but mine surfaces more often.
Who does the laundry? Preferably me!
Who does the dishes? Both of us
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me
Who's feet are bigger? L.C.'s
Who's hair is longer? Mine
Who's better with the computer? L.C.
Who mows the lawn? L.C.
Who pays the bills? I actually send the money out, but L.C. is the main money-maker!
Who cooks dinner? We both do.
Who makes more money? Oh... I see I have jumped ahead! L.C. does by far! Just in case you ever wondered social workers don't get into it for the money! ;o)
Who drives when you are together? L.C. does 89% of the time.
Who pays when you go out to dinner? Um... we have a joint account, but I typically let L.C. pull out his wallet! ;o)
Who's the most stubborn? Me!
Who is the first one to admit when they're wrong? L.C.
Who's parents do you see more? Surprisingly it is not too far off balance. We usually see L.C.'s folks every 3-4 weeks and my parents every 3-4 months. (But we see my family for several days at a time!)
Who named your dog? L.C.
Who kissed who first? L.C. kissed me first. Oh, the memories!
Who asked who out? I asked L.C. out for T.W.I.R.P Night. (The Woman Is Responsible for Paying) Then about 4 months later he asked me out to the Valentine's Banquet. There was a lot of mutual hanging out between all that.
Who's more sensitive? Me, definitely.
Who's taller? L.C.
Who has more friends? Me
Who has more siblings? Same... me-2 brothers, him-2 sisters
Who wears the pants in the relationship? I say L.C., but one of my favorite professors begged to differ! ;o)

Sweet Baby

Check out this sweet baby! Several weeks ago my friend Jill came over to take some pics of our sweet newborn. Tonight I finally sat down to really checking them out. I hope you like this one! ;o)

He Smiles!

Trey has been smiling for a week or so, but in the last couple days it is really obvious that it isn't just an involuntary movement. He has loved his bear mobile from week 1 so it is no surprise he is all smiles while he hangs out on the changing table. These smiles seemed to be lasting so I took the time to grab the camera. Enjoy!