My big girl & baby boy

I know I'm supposed to do a big post on Christmas, but I'm still sorting through pictures so it will have to wait. Meanwhile, I do have a couple of things to update you on regarding my children. :) Abby is growing up way too fast! Here are her latest accomplishments that have really surprised us:

#1--She has learned to read her first sight word! She has seen it in different contexts on different items, and she reads it every time. With the Nana she has, it shouldn't really shock anyone that Abby's first sight word was...

Coca-Cola! :)

#2--We got Abby a new erasable activity table with some Christmas money she had (thanks, Grandma!), and she loves it! As she was drawing on it tonight, she said, "It's a happy face!" Casey turned around, and saw this:

What in the world?! I guess it just caught us off guard because we didn't slowly build up to her drawing a face with different parts... she just... did it! Here are a couple of other pictures from her drawing time tonight:

On the baby preparation front, we are down to the last 2 weeks! Casey assembled the crib the other night (and Abby helped... by popping the bubble wrap). :) She is very excited about sharing her room with "Baby Wogan" and changing his diapers when he "comes out." I just hope this enthusiasm continues once he arrives!

And finally, this is a week behind (I'm 35 weeks along now), but here is a picture of Mommy's new haircut and baby Logan at 34 weeks:

Christmas Card

I had every intention of sending out Christmas cards this year, but it's just not going to happen. Sooo....

Merry Christmas from the Cochrans!

Tis the *sniff cough sniff* season! *cough cough*

The past couple of weeks have consisted of a lot of illness in our family (hence the catchy title of this post). :) Abby started it all out with an upper respiratory virus, which then caused a lovely ear infection. She has been on antibiotics for about a week, and we went back to the doctor today after dealing with diarrhea and fever for the past 2 days. After ruling out other infections and severe dehydration, they determined she has another virus. Oh, goodie. Also, in case you were wondering, getting a 2-year-old's blood drawn is NOT a fun experience. Meanwhile, Casey and I have both picked up the upper respiratory garbage, and we're all just trying not to kill one another. We are not currently going to win any "Happiest Family" awards, but I'm hopeful that most of this will clear up before Christmas.

In other news, Logan is now scheduled to arrive on January 13, 2011! For those who are counting, that is only 3 weeks away--yikes! I will be 37 weeks along by that point, and the doctor doesn't want to wait much longer than that since the risks to Logan increase around the 38 week mark with this cholestasis. We are doing weekly blood tests to check my liver and non-stress tests on Logan to make sure he's still doing ok in there. So far, so good! The medicine seems to be helping with the itching--the itch is still definitely there, but I'm not completely crawling out of my skin 24/7 anymore.

I guess the last thing to mention is that Abby got another 6 inches of hair cut off the other day. That's a total of 18 inches over the course of her short little life! I had about 5 or 6 inches chopped off, too, but we don't ever take pictures of me. If we happen to get one, I'll be sure to post it. :) Meanwhile, you'll have to settle for this (you can tell by her eyes that she's sick, but her hair is cute!):

Merry Christmas!!!

Hello, December!

Sooo... I apparently missed the end of October and the entire month of November. Oops. I thought of updating the blog a few times, but I either didn't have much to say or had too much to say and didn't know where to start. I'm supposed to be napping right now, but I'm way too itchy (more on that in a minute), and Logan has the hiccups... again. So here we are. There is no telling how long this will be or what all will be covered, so feel free to skip as you see fit. :)

The main item that should be discussed, I guess, is the pregnancy. I am currently at 31 weeks, 4 days--crazy! It has been a rough few weeks, and I finally got to see a specialist in Little Rock this morning. I started having severe itching all over my body the week before Thanksgiving. It is the worst in my hands and feet, and it just spreads to the rest of my body from there. A little itching is normal with pregnancy, but this is keeping me from sleeping! I average between 3 to 5 hours of sleep at night, but that is never all in one clump--hence the need for a nap right now. :) When I first started talking with my OB about it, we tried antihistamines and topical creams--no good. The more we talked, the more convinced he was that I might have developed Cholestasis of Pregnancy--a rare, pregnancy induced liver disease that causes severe itching. Feel free to click the link for more info. He has only seen 6 or 7 cases of this in his entire career, so he wasn't really sure what to do with me. The first blood test we did was negative, but apparently that can happen and you still have the disease. After a lot of aggravation and phone calls, I was finally referred to a perinatologist at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. We just had that appointment this morning, and he is fairly convinced that I do have Cholestasis. We drew more blood (results to come later this week), and I am starting a medication that is supposed to break down the bile so the bile acids aren't overflowing into my blood stream, which is also supposed to reduce the severity of the itching. PLEASE pray that this works! I'm about to crawl out of my skin! The good news is that we also got to do a very thorough ultrasound and check out all of Logan's major systems--he is growing right on schedule and is very healthy. I'm just so thankful that none of this is affecting him so far! The bottom line: the only cure for this is to deliver the baby, and if you wait too long, it can become harmful to the baby. Since we don't want this affecting him, we will probably be having him around 36 or 37 weeks (between January 6-13) as long as there are no further complications. We'll be monitoring my bile acid levels through blood tests every week, and I'll just keep taking this medication until he is born. Whew! That was a lot of info. Congrats if you made it through all of that. :) Moving on...

I delivered a TON of coasters to Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Memphis at the end of October, which was great!... until their corporate office filed for bankruptcy a couple of weeks later. So where is my $400+ that I was supposed to receive for that order?? I might never see it. Not cool. I've been told that I might receive a partial payment after the courts get done sorting everything out, but that will be a while down the road. The store in Memphis is actually the only one staying open, but since my invoice went to corporate, there's not much they can do. Just thought I'd take a moment to whine about that. Next...

Casey is still enjoying his job at the pediatric office. He's basically the scheduling/medical records/IT guy for the office. They have been having a lot of computer issues lately, and he is always the one they turn to when they need something fixed. There is also an office nearby that was set up by the same doctor, and they have been asking for his computer assistance there, too. There has been talk between the bosses of having him do a "side job" of cleaning and reinstalling software for a lot of their computers, so that could be some extra money. It's just nice to see him being appreciated and being allowed to use the talents he has.

Since I missed a couple of major holidays, I guess I should throw in some pictures and comments on those. Abby wore a couple of different costumes for Halloween, so we have multiple pictures of that. For one party, she was Sleeping Beauty... until that costume made her break out in hives. Oops. But wasn't she cute??

After getting rid of that dress and administering a healthy dose of Benadryl, she decided to be Fancy Nancy for the other Halloween party. Again, with the cuteness (complete with red Koolaid mustache):

Other fall-ish events that took place included pumpkin carving, riding a horse that belongs to one of Casey's co-workers, playing in the leaves, and face painting at a carnival.

When asked if she wanted a heart or a butterfly on her face, Abby said, "I need a black spider on my face!" Naturally. :)

November was fairly uneventful until the end. There are a few cute Abby pictures to share, but that's about it until Thanksgiving.

I am happy to report that Uncle Peter has been trained to continue the tradition of the "Magic Mushroom" at Uncle Wayne and Aunt Helen's house. This is something my Uncle Russ used to do with us when we were kids, and it basically consists of flying each kid around the house on a stool while making appropriate "blast off" related sound effects. Sadly, the original Magic Mushroom is no longer with us (think: orange, velour mushroom-shaped stool from the 60s or 70s), but it's spirit lives on. I'm pretty sure Abby could've done this all day. Sorry, Uncle Peter. :)

Random funny story #1: Abby found my old flip phone the other day and started playing with it. When I asked her what she was doing, I assumed she'd say something like, "Calling Nana!" Instead, she replied, "I'm checking my email!" Good grief.

Random funny story #2: Nana has a child size desk at her house that she got down for Abby to sit and color in. She was ready with crayons and coloring books for Abby when she sat in it for the first time, but when Abby saw it and sat down, she said, "I need my computer, pwease!" I told Mom at least she didn't ask for an iPad. :)

So we're just about caught up. Congrats to anyone who made it through this entire post. :) Our Christmas tree is up, the apartment is decorated, and we listen to Christmas music every chance we get! My goal right now is to stay as healthy as possible through the end of the year, enjoy Christmas with my family, and get the apartment ready for Logan's arrival! Do you think I can update again before the end of the year?? ;)

The Basics

I admit it--I just have not been in a mood to blog about anything lately! There hasn't been anything really exciting going on that I think merits discussing, and we're all familiar with the cuteness of Abby by now. :) But here we are--it's been about a month since the last post--and I'm feeling guilty/pressured about updating. There isn't much to tell, but I'll do my best. Here are the basics on the Cochran family:

- I am now 24 weeks pregnant! It's hard to believe that we're only about 3 months away from becoming a family of 4. I can't imagine how cramped we will all be in this tiny apartment, but I guess we'll make it work for a while.

Mommy & Logan at 23 weeks

- Casey's job is going well, but we're still looking for other ways to get a little more income. There are a few options that are being explored, so we'll see how that plays out over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, I am cranking out the coasters for the holiday season! Davis Kidd Booksellers in Memphis has put in their Christmas order, and I am planning to sell a bunch at a fundraiser for Harding Academy in Memphis again in about a week. I have a couple of other events where I'll have a coaster table set up in November, so hopefully those will go well, too. If you need some coasters (or know someone who does), let me know while I'm on a roll!

- Abby is growing like a weed! She is now 30 lbs and 36 inches tall--big girl! She loves going to school two mornings a week, and she is getting so imaginative. She will sit and play with her doll house or Mrs. Potato Head for the longest time, and it is so funny to hear some of the things she says while pretending. She talks nonstop (wonder where she gets that from??), and we can hardly keep her from running and jumping all over the place. I think Daddy is hoping our little boy might be a little calmer... ;)

Oooh, girl.....

What in the world are we going to do with a baby boy?!

The poor kid doesn't stand a chance...

Soup Recipe

I love soup! It's so yummy and filling and (most importantly) easy to make! I found an easy beef vegetable soup the other day in my pile of recipes and decided to make a variation of it. I tend to print recipes off the computer when I find something I like online--hence, the pile of papers mixed in with my cookbooks. This one was so easy to make, and Abby even had a second helping! Here's my version:

Turkey Vegetable Soup

3 lbs. ground turkey

Minced dried onions

Garlic powder

2 large cans Veg All

1 large can tomato juice

1 can Rotel

Brown turkey meat with generous amounts of onions and garlic powder and drain well. Drain vegetables, and empty into soup pot. Add can of tomato juice and Rotel; stir to combine. If you need to dilute the tomato juice, you may add a small portion of warm water (I did). Let simmer for one hour and serve. Great with shredded cheese and crackers!

NOTE: You can add any other vegetables to this soup, just be sure to drain them first!

The original recipe called for ground beef, but we eat a lot of ground turkey so that's what I had in the freezer. Also, I added the onion and garlic powder because I almost always add those to ground meat when I brown it--I love the flavor! This could also probably be made in the crockpot, but we were short on time so I did it on the stove. I just felt so good watching Abby eat an entire bowl full of meat and vegetables at dinner. This is just about the only way that will happen! :) It does make a huge pot of soup. so get ready to freeze some, have guests over, or take someone dinner one night!

What's your favorite soup recipe??

19 weeks

I finally had someone take a picture today of my pregnant self. :) I hope it is not the one and only picture during this pregnancy, but we'll see how it goes. Here's Mommy & Logan at 19 weeks:

School Days

Today was Abby's first day of school! This morning was a little crazy, but we did manage to get a picture of Abby with her backpack and lunchbox. She was very excited to go, and she had a really good day! She keeps telling me that she needs to go back to school now. :) They just have school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so she'll have to wait a couple more days. But here's the important part: This morning I went to the doctor. All by myself. And then when I was done with that, I went on a huge grocery shopping trip to Wal-Mart. All by myself. Then I ate a very quiet lunch at home. All by myself. Isn't that amazing? It won't last long, so I'm soaking it up now... :) Here's our girl on her big day:

We also had a fun Labor Day weekend in Memphis with Mom and Dad. Mom and I did way too much shopping, and Abby let everyone revel in her fairy princess glory:

She did manage to get her first banged up knee this weekend. She scraped up her right knee pretty bad.... three times... on the same knee. And apparently she fell again at school and opened it up again today. This wound might never heal at this rate! I am pretty impressed that it's taken this long for her to get hurt, though. Here's hoping we go another two years without any bumps or scrapes! (Riiiiiiight.....)

I'm at 18 weeks in the pregnancy now, and I've recently realized.... we have no belly pictures yet! I'm pretty sure I took a picture every 4 weeks when I was pregnant with Abby. And so the life of a second child begins..... poor Logan! I'll try to get Casey to take a picture soon. For those who need a mental image, I am just as big as you imagine me to be... maybe bigger. :) Speaking of, I think it's time to get some dinner cooking!

Abby Funnies

When Abby was saying her prayer before bed last night, it went something like this: "Dear God, thank you for Mommy, for Daddy, for Mrs. Joy, for Claira, for baby Grady, for food.... and for brownies! Yum, yum, yum! In Jesus name, Amen." That's my girl!

This morning, Abby woke up and came straight to my room (where I was still in bed) with a really upset look on her face. She was holding her stomach, and this is the conversation that followed:

Abby: "Mommy, my tummy hurts."

Me: "Your tummy hurts? Oh, no! What's wrong with it?"

Abby: "Yeah, my tummy hurts.... I've got a baby brudder in there!"

Me: (laughing hysterically) "Baby Logan is in your tummy??"

Abby: (still looking pitiful, but smiling slightly) "Yes, I have baby Wogan in my tummy, and my tummy hurts! It's too big!"

I was laughing too hard to respond immediately, but I did eventually reassure her that baby "Wogan" was actually in my tummy, and she would probably feel better after she ate some breakfast. :)

Baby #2 is....

It's a BOY!!! :) We (especially Casey) are SO excited! Logan Edward Cochran is scheduled to arrive (via c-section) on January 27, 2011, at 8:00 a.m.--Woo hoo! I must admit, the slightly OCD part of me loves the convenience of scheduling my child's birthday. :)

In other news, Abby had a nasty stomach bug last week (read: puking in bed in the middle of the night, getting baths at 3:30 a.m., late night laundry sessions), but she recovered in time for us to make a trip to Memphis for the weekend. I was able to do some shopping with Mom and Tara, and I finally have some maternity clothes that fit! My seasons are completely off with this pregnancy since my first kid was born in the summer and the second will be in the winter. But, hey--who doesn't love a little shopping, right??

I also got a call at the end of last week from my new boss--I am officially certified as an Early Intervention Developmental Therapist! It took forever for the state department to clear my background check, but it's finally done. I am going by the clinic tomorrow to pick up the assessment they have that I will be using soon. I thought it might be good to become familiar with the testing tools before actually trying to administer them to children. ;) They have also ordered a new assessment, and I am excited to get that in and start studying it. I should be able to start testing kids in the next few weeks, and I'll provide therapy for those who qualify. I'm a bit anxious since I haven't done this with kids under the age of 3 years old before, but I'm really excited to jump in and get started! I'm meeting with my boss this Friday to hash out details and see what we still need to do before I start testing and providing therapy.

Abby starts her new preschool on September 7th, and she's getting really excited. It's just two mornings each week, which is when I plan to get my testing and therapy sessions done. For mom's who have done this already, I'm looking for quick & healthy lunch options to send with her--ideas? She usually just takes the insides out of a sandwich unless it's tuna (stinky!) or peanut butter. So far my main thoughts include homemade "lunchables," so I'm wide open to suggestions!

Casey's job at the pediatric clinic is going well. He has quickly become the "tech guy" of the office, so that keeps him a little busier than if he just sat and answered phones all day. We are still adjusting to him being gone all day every day. Our nights seem to fill up so quickly with other stuff, so we're trying to find more "family" time. I think we might actually all be home and free this weekend--yay! I'm hopeful it won't be too miserably hot so we can all go to the park together, or something. I am also trying to get better about staying on top of laundry, dishes, groceries, meal planning, etc. I did some organizing and meal planning today, so I think the next week or so should run a little smoother in that department.

Now you're all up-t0-date on the Cochran family! Here are a couple of sweet pictures to leave you with a smile. :)

Pretty princess

Lunch break w/Daddy--she likes to wear his ties :)

Moments of the day

I was woken up at 5:00 a.m. this morning by Abby. She wandered into our room and declared, "It's dark in here!" I, of course, explained to her that was because we were still sleeping and she needed to be sleeping, too. After putting her back in bed, she reappeared again at 6 and 6:30. I finally gave in when I heard her rustling around at 7, so I jumped in the shower. She was apparently just shifting in her bed at 7 because she actually slept until 8:15! NOT a happy mommy... I think we were both equally glad when nap time rolled around!

We made a quick trip to Wal-Mart for a few essentials today, and Abby wanted to hold the 2-pack of paper towels when we grabbed them. She squeezed them really tight when I handed them to her and said, "I wuuuuv paper towels. I just wuv dem."

Abby has been wearing big girl panties for about a week and a half now! It's been rough since she's been sick with an upper respiratory infection, but she had NO accidents yesterday and only one today! She did really well telling me several times today when she needed to go. This is exciting people.... very exciting. :)

Although I am getting really tired of hearing "No" all the time, I did notice today that Abby is getting more vocal and expansive when she doesn't want something. Instead of just "no," she has started saying things like, "I don't want to go potty wight now," or "No, I don't wike dat. I don't want dat." I don't know why, but these responses are much less obnoxious and tiring than just hearing "No!" five hundred times a day. Anybody with me??

Those are just a few things I made mental notes of today that I wanted to get down in writing. I hope they made you smile. :)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Abby!

Another year has come and gone, and I still just can't believe how much I love this sweet girl. She is a total crazy mess sometimes, and I even love that about her. :) She is two years old today, and I cannot believe how much she has learned in that short amount of time. Recent conversations have included her identifying trapezoids and describing the color chartreuse. (Links are included for those of you who aren't sure what those are... :))

Her little independent attitude is also beginning to show itself. Example: As Abby was jamming out (read: head banging) to Veggie Tales music the other day, I noticed her hair had become quite a mess. Here is the conversation that followed...

Me: "Abby, you're hair looks crazy!"

Abby: (as serious as she could be) "Stop it, Mom. Weave me awone. It's MY hair."

**pause of total disbelief and hilarity**

When did she become a teenager?! I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried....

She is Mommy's little helper around the house, and she loves to do laundry and help sweep the floors. I can't wait to see her in action as a big sister in a few months!

Happy birthday, sweet girl. Mommy loves you!!!

Exhausted

I don't know how you people with multiple children keep up with your blogs--I'm just trying to raise one while growing another, and I'm totally worn out! Add in the excessive morning (noon and night) sickness, and you have this rarely updated blog. Sorry for any and all who might still check in once in a while. Here's a quick update on our little family:

• Casey is finally finished with Uplift (he was videographer for the 5th year), and we are very happy to have him back home. It's pretty much a 24/7 job so Abby missed her Daddy very much! He has 2 weeks before he starts his new job at the new pediatric office here in town, so he'll get back to delivering for Mazzio's until that starts. He is very ready to start this steady, full-time job!
• Due to my insane morning sickness and the minor complications we had early on with the pregnancy, I worked my last day at the gym nursery this week. I kept having to find people to sub for me at the last minute and send in doctor's notes, so we decided it was best if I just stay home and rest for a while. Everything is fine and baby is doing well, but we had several scares the first few weeks! I am 9 weeks along now, and hoping this nausea will pass after the first trimester!
• Abby has hit the terrible twos (one month until her birthday!), and we are all trying to survive it. A couple of her current favorite phrases include "Nope" and "Maybe wayter (later)." She is obsessed with trying on shoes (regardless of their size or owner), and she's trying to improve her dressing and undressing skills. She is definitely turning into Miss Independent, and I'm trying very hard to give her opportunities to express that--it's hard! Potty training is an ongoing process, but I'm still not pushing too hard. She'll have several days where she goes in the potty all day, but then she'll have a few days when she forgets the potty even exists. I guess it'll click eventually. She has also moved up to a big girl bed, and she loves it! She has only fallen out once (oops), and she thinks she is big stuff because she can get out of bed all by herself. No late night wanderings so far, so we'll see how long that holds up.... Here's our big girl in her new bed:

I don't have many pictures from the wedding yet, but I think I'll be getting more very soon. In the meantime, here's a cute one of Aunt Tara and Abby dancing before the ceremony in the dressing room:

I'd like to say I'll update again soon, but I don't dare to make any promises. I'll do my best. :) Happy 4th of July to all!

Guess what...

I'm going to be a big sister!!!

[Yes, there are two tests... just to make sure. :)]

Baby #2 is due to arrive on February 3, 2011!!!

Precious moments

I have the sweetest daughter. Ever. Ok, if you would've asked me if this was true when she was throwing a crazy fit earlier today (yes, we have entered the terrible twos) I would've laughed in your face. But tonight before I get in bed, I want to record this moment so I can look back and say, "Oh, yeah. She can be a really sweet girl, too!" :)

In my routine of checking on Abby right before getting in bed, I accidentally woke her up tonight. She had already been asleep for several hours, so she was pretty out of it. As I walked up to the crib, I heard her whispering, "What is it? Who is it?" I didn't want her to get scared, so I told her it was just Mommy and she was ok and she just needed to close her eyes and go back to sleep. She smiled, sat up, and said, "Hold you, Mommy? Pwease, Mommy?" I picked her up and handed her the pacifier from her crib, to which she said, "Thank you so much, Mommy," and smiled as she put it in. I rocked her for a minute before putting her back in crib. As I covered her up with a blanket, I got another, "Thank you, Mommy." I leaned over and said, "Night night, baby. Mommy loves you." She smiled really big behind her pacifier, blew me a few kisses, and rolled over to snuggle with her blanket.

Sweetest. Baby. Ever.

Giddy

Ok, so I'm a little bit excited about THIS (<--click the link, please)!!! Even if no one orders anything, I feel extremely cool right now. :)

*tap tap* Is this thing on??

This post will be a random assortment of things that I want to remember, things that have been happening, and recent pictures that should be seen by everyone. :) I know I’m a bit behind on blogging, so here is an attempt to catch up. (And a cute picture to illustrate the point) :)

Abby has really gotten in a good routine for bedtime lately. Every night, we tell Daddy “night night” and “yuv you” with hugs and kisses before reading 2 or 3 books. Current favorites are Hush-a-Byes, The Night Before Christmas (yes, I know it is May), and The Going to Bed Book. Once in a while we will substitute with Kitten’s First Full Moon or something by Dr. Seuss. What are your kids’ favorite bedtime books?

Last Wednesday started a rough week in our house. Abby started running fever, and we found out she had strep (which I had the week before). I was still finishing my antibiotics when we got her started on hers. Her fever stayed between 101 and 103, but it climbed to 105 on Friday night—scary!! It was a long night, but we made it through, and her fever finally broke on Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day! :) I took this picture when her fever was around 103, but you can’t really tell!

One of Abby’s favorite movies right now is Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Adventure (see above picture). Remember that one?? Yeah, it was made in 1987. Classic. I got the DVD on Amazon.com, and it came with a CD of the music from the movie—yay! Now we can sing along with the chipmunks in the car, too! Haha Speaking of…

Abby has figured out that she can sing along with any and every song she hears now…. and it is SO funny! One of the previously mentioned Chipmunks songs is “The Girls of Rock & Roll,” although when they sing it, it sounds like “rock and roll-ah” because of the pop-star emphasis. So when Abby sings it, it comes out as “rock an’ roll-YAH” or “roll-DA.” Hilarious! She will also bust out randomly with “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep.” I am looking for kids’ Christian music (other than Veggie Tales—we have a ton!) that we can listen to more since she is really starting to sing along. Any suggestions?

On the job front, Casey is scheduled to do some freelance video stuff for Harding in the next few weeks and will do video for Uplift again this summer. He’s still applying for other jobs, but no hits yet. I am supposed to be starting a new (VERY part-time) job soon, but it hasn’t been finalized yet. More details on that when it’s set in stone…

In closing, here is little miss priss trying to wear Mommy and Daddy’s shoes—what a mess! :)

On Hold

There are a lot of things I have been wanting to do lately, but with our job situation being what it is, I have been afraid to commit to anything. Here are a few of my favorite excuses:

• "We're applying for jobs everywhere, so we might not even live here in a few months."
• "If Casey gets back in the army, we'd just have to leave when he's done with training."
• "I'm not sure how many hours/what days/which shifts I'll have to work next month."
• "I don't want to tell them I have to quit if things change and I can't keep doing [fill in the blank]."

Pretty good, huh? I have become the queen of evading commitment and responsibility. In lieu of this epiphany, I am slowly making plans for this fall. Here is what I am considering so far:

• Enroll Abby in Carpenter's Kids
• Join local MOPS steering team
• Complete student teaching internship for Master's degree
• Continue working at the gym as needed

I have already completed the first item, and the 2nd and 3rd are in the works. My main concern with all of it right now is scheduling, but if there is one thing I am good at, it's organizing the calendar. :) I spent this whole year saying, "I want to be more involved, but..." Nothing is certain for us right now. There is no telling when or where steady employment will come our way, and I don't want to keep putting things off that I know I should be doing.

I hope this wasn't overly boring for everyone. I guess I'm kind of taking a stand for myself... against... myself? Ha! Sometimes it helps to see it in writing--thanks for indulging my rant. To reward those who suffered through it, here is a video of Abby I took yesterday. She is currently in love with Blue's Clues and can sing along with the songs. I don't know what her obsession is with having her fingers in her mouth right now, and YES, we are going through the terrible/defiant twos (as you might notice at the end). Enjoy! :)

Need a Baby Shower Gift?

If you are in need of a gift for an upcoming baby shower, please check out my friend's Etsy site:

Baby Boutique (babyboutiquecrafts.etsy.com)

Mandy finds the cutest fabric and sews her own burp cloths, nursing covers, and diapee bags. There are still several items that will be added to the store soon, so check back when you need a gift idea or something for yourself! All of the money she makes on this site will go towards their adoption expenses. You can do your shopping online, get a really cute gift, and help fund an adoption all at once! Does that make you feel good? :) Spread the word!

Blast from the Past

Does this look familiar to anyone?? I feel like I've seen that tiny face and huge glasses somewhere before.... hmmm......

These are Casey's BCG's (read: Birth Control Glasses.... yes, the army really does call them that). We had to take the pictures fast before Abby got a headache. :) Can we say, "Mini-Me"??

Is it really mid-March??

I hate to say it already, but.... I'm back on Facebook. NOT because I wanted to be, but apparently you can't function in the social world without having access to an account. No one sends actual invitations to things in the mail anymore, I guess. Within a matter of two weeks, I was accosted by several people wondering how on earth they were supposed to let me know about their children's birthday parties or see if I was available for (insert event here) if I didn't have a Facebook account?! So all of that being said, I have reactivated my account for those who feel they cannot reach me by any other means. ;) I am sticking to my original intentions and not wasting my life away by stalking people on it. I get on quickly to check messages and get right back off! So far, so good...

Casey is working nights and weekends right now delivering pizzas, and I am working a few days here and there at the gym nursery. It isn't nearly enough to pay all of the bills, but somehow God still keeps us afloat. We're still hoping to hear back from Searcy PD soon (they can't check his background forever!). If that doesn't work out, it looks like we might be heading back to the army.... please continue to pray as we search for God's plan for our family!

I hope you had a lovely St. Patrick's Day.... if you remembered that it was yesterday. :) I would not have given it a second thought, but my friend Joy let Abby borrow a dress to wear that her grandmother had made (she had two, so we got to wear one of them). Abby loves to wear dresses right now, and anything that involves a skirt/dress and tights means that she is a "pwetty pwincess." I haven't posted many pictures lately (or taken any, for that matter), so we'll end with a few recent pictures. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Abby picked this outfit herself--she wanted to wear the "turtle" (aka turtleneck) and "pwincess dwess" (aka skirt) with tights. :)

Daddy & Abby throwing pebbles in the creek at Berryhill Park

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Goodbye, Facebook!

Well, I finally did it. I deactivated my Facebook account. I have been considering this option for several weeks, and after discussing it with a friend from church, we both decided to free ourselves from the addiction. Do you know how many hours I waste looking around that site?? I can't even tell you... it's that embarrassing. Don't worry grandparents--I will still upload Abby pictures on Snapfish (and a few on here). I just can't justify spending so much time with a pointless social networking website and so little time with God! How much Scripture could I have studied in the amount of time I spent on Facebook last month? How many hours of sleep have I deprived my body of by staying up too late online? I can't even imagine...

So here we go. I am driven to prioritize my life. The struggle that has been before me recently is this: I know what is good for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Why, then, is it so difficult to follow through and put thought into action? I am determined to transform my intentions into actions. These are the things I am currently striving to do to improve my life and that of my family:

• Get in bed no later than 10:30 p.m.
• Drink water. LOTS of water.
• Study my Bible every day.
• Pray with my child and husband every day.
• Incorporate more Christian music into our daily lives.

The Word of God speaks, and I have been spoken to:

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:17

***What has God been saying to you lately??***

Tara & Peter's Wedding Website

This is just a quick post to let you know that Tara and Peter have a website with details of the wedding. It includes the cute "About Us" and "The Proposal" sections, so check it out! (Make sure to read the "How We Met" section--it's my favorite.) :) Don't forget to sign their guestbook!

The Curtis/Snell Wedding

And for those who have Facebook, you can see their engagement pictures here:

Tara & Peter's Engagement Pics (by Amanda Kay Moore)

Catching up & Growing up

So here's the latest on the job situation:

• Casey has a part-time job delivering for Mazzio's, and he really likes it! It's usually just 3 hours a night, but he typically comes home with cash in his wallet from tips so that makes him happy.
• I was able to get my part-time job back at the gym working in the nursery. My schedule is anything but regular, but I am scheduled for at least 10-15 hours each week. The bonus: I get to take Abby with me. We've just gone once so far, but she had a good time playing with the other kids. It's amazing how much she has grown since I worked there last! She is able to reach so many toys now that she couldn't get to before. She has gotten a LOT taller in 6 months!
• Casey has been interviewing for a job at the police department here in Searcy as an entry-level officer. He has made it through interviews with the hiring lieutenant, major, and chief of police. They like him so far, so they are going ahead with the background investigation! If/when that clears (could be a few weeks), they will have him do a psychological evaluation. Then if that goes well and he fits their profile, he should begin training! Obviously there are still several hoops and hurdles to get through, but we're excited that they are considering him as a candidate!

Ok, now is the time where I ask for input from other moms who have been through (and survived) potty training. :) **If you have no interest in reading about my child's toilet habits, please stop reading now. You have been warned.** Here goes: Abby is a pro at going in the potty.... as long as we are at home.... and she is completely naked from the waist down. I don't have to worry about her having accidents around the house--she always runs to her potty in the bathroom when she needs to go. But the moment we put on a pull-up (princess, of course) or panties, she just goes in whatever she is wearing.

Question #1: Is this a developmental/she'll-do-it-when-she's-ready thing? Or is this something she has to learn and I'm just not teaching it well? I wouldn't have even messed with potty training this early, but the girl loves to go in the potty! She pretty much begged to be potty trained. So here we are.... running around the house half-naked, but wearing diapers when we leave the house. Which leads me to...

Question #2: Should I put her in pull-ups all the time now and just nix the diapers? Or do I keep putting her in diapers when we leave the house knowing that she will go in whatever she is wearing?

Question #3: What should I do if she has already figured out how to manipulate the reward system?! She will go pee in the potty, and then stand up and say, "Yay! M&M??" So we go get her an M&M. She will eat it and then go right back to the potty and pee some more! Same response--"Yay! M&M??" and she runs to the kitchen where I stash them. Seriously?! She is stopping mid-stream so she can get 2 M&Ms?!? *sigh*

Ahhh, the joys of motherhood. But I can't get too frustrated with her. Especially not when we have times like this:

Oh, and remember how I mentioned the insane increase in height? Here is Abby with her piano 10 months ago (right when she started walking):

And this was her yesterday:

I mean, really. It's just ridiculous. Also, the hair.... the hair! In between those two pictures being taken, the child has had seven inches of hair cut off! I know... I can hardly believe it myself.

I'll end here with an Abby funny of the day: I made blueberry pancakes this morning, and as Casey was helping Abby cut hers up, he said, "It's a blueberry massacre!" To which Abby replied, "Massacre da pancakes!!!" ..... I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. :)

My 18-month-old

For those who are wondering, Casey is still looking for a job. Moving on... :)

Abby is now 18 months old! Can you believe it?? Here are a few of her recent developments (so I don't forget them later!):

• Counting to 10--she'll go to 14, but she leaves out 12. :)
• Telling you her first and last name (Abby Cokwin!) & age
• Spelling "Abby"
• Naming the colors red, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and black
• Speaking in sentences (ex: "Whed Mommy go? Deh she is!")
• Finishing phrases in songs when we sing together
• Saying "no!" just because she can
• Pretending to talk with someone on the phone by saying, "Hewoh? Nana?? It's me!" She has started "calling" people other than Nana, so she's branching out. :)

Her favorite songs right now are "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "A-B-C," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and "Jesus Loves Me." She gets a little more girly every day, and I am so glad we have moved from Elmo to Disney princesses. This might speak to what a horrible mother I am, but she will sit all the way through Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid without budging. She also loves Care Bears, Veggie Tales, reading books (especially Dr. Seuss right now), and building with blocks. Her favorite foods include avacado, lima beans, cheese, yogurt, and anything you can put in "dip" (aka Ranch dressing). Here are a few of the most recent pictures, including one of the snow we got today!:

Cooking in her new kitchen

Playing in the snow (end of Jan.)

Sporting her new Disney princess backpack

Working on her "tall tower" (yes, she did choose her outfit)

Our snow! This is the view outside Abby's window--so pretty!

And Happy 25th Birthday to my beautiful sister, Tara! She was stuck driving back to Searcy in the blizzard today, so I hope it wasn't an awful day for her. To celebrate the day, we'll finish the post with a picture of Abby with "Aunt Tawa." :)