Friday, February 26, 2010

Birthday Parties!

If you read my previous post titled "I remember" then you know Mason turned 3 on Sunday.

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My baby boy is growing up. Talking in full sentences and sometimes smarter than Mommy and Daddy. He has been fully potty trained for a month now. He continued his annual tradition of getting sick 2 weeks prior to his birthday and just being better for his actual birthday.

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I remember writing this post about how difficult I thought potty training was going to be. Well, my amazing son took us all by surprise. He was obviously more than ready. He had 2 accidents that first day, both at my parents house, and I think those only occurred because he was too busy playing. Pooping took about a week to get down, at first he asked for a pull up/diaper to go in, and I let him because of all of his stomach issues, but after a few days of that he got the hang of it and we haven't had any accidents with either since! He is unfortunately still terrified of public restrooms so for now he has a potty in the back of my van, and we've had no issues when we go out.

He ended up having 2 small parties. As we don't have a house yet our apartment is too small to hold both families. So we have a party with Jere's family and then one with mine. He ended up with a John Deere party (his choice) and a Mickey Mouse party (that was a surprise to him).

His John Deere party was actually on his birthday Sunday. He was spoiled with too many toys (as always) but he had a blast.

He said he wanted Mommy to make him a John Deere cake so that's what I did!
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Ready to blow out the candles.
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Opening presents..he loves Imaginext!
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And then on Monday we had his Mickey Mouse party.

Cake my Grandmother made.
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Being silly.
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This kid amazes me everyday, from things he says, to how polite and nice he can be, to what a great big brother he is. We are so blessed to have this guy in our life.

Mason, my first born, the one who taught me how to love so completely. I love you kiddo..best friends.

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You're so amazing you shine like the stars
You're so amazing the beauty you are
You came blazing right into my heart
You're so amazing you are...
You are


Song by Janelle..scroll all the way to the bottom of my blog to hear it. This song is dedicated to my 2 beautiful gifts from God.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

7 months.

Buggy turned 7 months yesterday..how did that go so fast?

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A lot has changed within the last month..Two of those big changes? She is now sitting up and she popped her first tooth through.

Buggy you are such a joyful baby, always have a smile and squeal for the people you love the most! (Mommy, Daddy and big brother!)

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Things going on with you this month?

*You can now sit up, although you still tumble quite a bit, you are getting better and better every day.

*You popped your first tooth through Feb. 8th. I didn't notice a change in demeanor at all. And your second isn't too far away.

*Still loving the pacifier.

*Can't get enough of your soft fuzzy blankets.

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*Holding your own bottle (only when you want to).

*Growing out of your little bouncy seat.

*Still sleeping with Mommy.

*Has tried all your vegetables, fruits are soon.

*Only like squash and sweet potatoes so far.

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*Loves to be naked! Can be fussing non stop but if Mommy strips you for a bath you immediately quiet down.

*Loves to play with your piggys.

*Got your first ear infection and round of antibiotics.

*Had your 2nd ER visit (unrelated to ear infection.)

*Beginning to like tv.

*Loves stuffed animals, they go right to your mouth!

*Wants to play with everything you aren't allowed to, Mommy's cell phone, tv remote, etc! But not really into many toys unless they sing or light up.

*No one makes you laugh as hard as Mason does!

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Before/After.

Monica over at Pixel Perfect is having another before/after blog hop.

All you need to do is post a picture SOOC (straight out of camera) and then post your edited version. You can edit your picture any way you want! Please be sure to say what type of editing software you used. Be sure to check out Pixel Perfect for other edits and to link up!

SOOC.

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Edited version.

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I used Photoshop CS4 for my edit. I just messed with brightness/contrast to lighten it up some. I may have gone a bit too light!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Another blog hop I'm going to join!

Sami over at Sailor & Company has started a new blog hop..Please check out her site to learn more and also to link up!

Basically what you do is post a picture of the theme of the week without editing it in ANY way! I actually adore this theory as I rarely edit my photos.

The theme this week: doorknobs!

Sami is calling this RAW(e)!

Raw means natural, unchanged, naked, untouched, and bare.
(e) stands for EXPOSED!


Okay enough chitter chatter here is mine.

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Monday, February 22, 2010

I remember.

3 years later, I remember.

Yesterday we celebrated 3 years of being blessed with our beautiful son Mason. And in this post I remember.

I can look back at the night that I went into labor while watching American Idol and calmly walking into the bedroom to tell Daddy my water was breaking while he was playing WoW, and calmly telling him he could take his time with that quest, I needed to finish watching American Idol. Boy, that calmness didn't last long!

I remember them telling me I was in fact NOT in labor and sending us home. And how I laid in bed for the next 3 hours with contractions every 3 minutes, scared to wake Daddy up, just for them to tell me again I needed to go home. But I did indeed wake him up, and they did indeed keep me that time, telling me to walk up and down the hall, hoping to progress the labor. So happy that every time they checked me I was slowly progressing and thinking I can do this naturally, I will see my baby in a few hours.

I remember my disappointment that Mommom couldn't be there because she was sick at home, throwing up. But that Aunt Brooke and Grammy rushed to the hospital and spent that whole tiring day in the room with me, encouraging me even when I didn't think I could do it anymore. And my amazement when G-Daddy showed up, anyone who knows me well, knows we have had a pretty strained relationship since their divorce, how loved I felt by him as he sat by my side that day, how I forgave him that day.

I remember the contractions getting so strong, and thinking I have to stay strong for Mommom, she is counting on me doing this naturally. I remember that nurse coming in and saying you are at 6!! I was so encouraged and looked at Daddy and said "I can do this". Then not 20 minutes later the doctor rechecking and saying, "No Nicole, you are only at 4." I remember looking at Daddy and just breaking down, I couldn't do it, I wasn't strong enough. Some women are, I wasn't one of them. How I sat and cried, while Grammy silently cried along with me, seeing my pain and frustration was wearing on her as well. I was encouraged by Daddy, her and Aunt Brooke to just get the epidural, I wasn't hurting anyone but myself by being stubborn and refusing. So 16 hours into my labor I went ahead with the epidural.

What bliss!! I admire the ladies that do it naturally, but man oh man, if I could have another natural delivery I'd be getting an epidural as soon as I was checked into the hospital!

I remember after the epidural I got some rest and relaxed and started progressing pretty quick, 3 hours later I was at 8 centimeters. But I wouldn't get past that 8 centimeters. They were checking me every hour and I wasn't budging. Your head had begun to mold and they were concerned, my water had been broken for close to 24 hours and they started an antibiotic into my IV.

I remember the nurse coming in and saying at 8 pm the doctor would make a decision, if I hadn't progressed at all, I would have to have a c-section. So at 8, in walks the doctor, I hadn't progressed, the decision was made for the c-section, and honestly, I remember feeling relieved, relieved that it would be over soon and that I would have my baby in my arms. But also scared, this was a major surgery and I had never even been in the hospital prior to labor, so I had no idea what to expect from this.

I remember being wheeled down and the doctor joking that she was missing American Idol because of this! And Daddy having to wait outside while they got me prepped. I remember being pumped with so much medicine my whole body felt like it was on fire, I was asking, "where is my husband??" "am I supposed to feel like I'm burning up??". Supposedly, that's normal, could have fooled me!

Finally in walks Daddy and they get started, I didn't want him comforting me, I wanted him standing up taking pictures! I didn't want to miss one second of your birth, beings I couldn't see it with my own eyes, I had to trust Daddy to be my eyes, and what a great job he did too, those pictures I will cherish my whole life time.

I remember a lot of pressure, and the doctor saying "It's a boy", but he wasn't crying, I was desperately asking Daddy, "is he okay" and him reassuring me everything was fine, in between the snapping of the camera..and then the cry, how beautiful that sound, the first cry.

And I remember thinking how I couldn't love anything more than I did in that moment...

But 3 years later I stand corrected, because with every breath I breathe I love you more and more.

How blessed am I? To have experienced such a soul wrenching love. How I can never be thankful enough for this gift God has bestowed upon us. But I remember everyday to thank Him for the gift of you.

And someday, I hope you get to read this and realize...Mommy remembers, she will never forget.

I love you...

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!

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And then she was done..haha!
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Yes, I have another child, unfortunately he is under the weather and not at all up to having his picture taken. Hopefully, he starts feeling better and cheers up enough this week that I can get some birthday pictures done of him!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Before/After blog hop!

Another week participating in the before/after blog hop put on by Monica author of Pixel Perfect blog! I love participating in this, one because I like to see what new edit ideas I can come up with but I also really enjoy checking everyone else's edits out too! So join in and then link up over at Pixel Perfect!

Straight out of camera shot.

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Edited version.

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I used Paint.net to edit my picture, this was before I had any other type of editing software, but it gets the job done!

By the way, this is Mason when he was just 7 months old. How time flys!

Wordless Wednesday.

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Sunday, February 7, 2010

Boy steals little girls kitty.

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Mama M over at My Little Life is holding a week long blog hop all about you and your one and only, or if you haven't met your one and only yet you can participate by writing about you and your best friend! Be sure to check her story out and read the others who have linked up too!

I'd love to say that DH and I met and fell instantly in love, but that's not how our story goes.

We met in 3rd grade when his family moved here from Baltimore. My Mom and his dad worked together and we had a lot of outside stray cats that were constantly having kittens. I of course fell in love with every kitten and was never prepared to give them away. My favorite cat had recently had kittens and there was one that I just adored, I named her cry baby..she meowed a lot! My Mom told DH's father that they could come out and pick any kitten they wanted from the new litter, I did my best to hide cry baby, I hid her behind a cooler we had in the garage and hid myself behind a trash can in the hopes we would both stay hidden when they came. Needless to say we neither one stayed hidden, as soon as they came into the garage, cry baby, being a nosey little kitten had to investigate, she walked straight out to meet them and started meowing..DH pointed right to her and said, "I want that one". So our first meeting was more like hate at first sight!

After a while it was a big joke between my Mom and his Dad and they teased that one day we would grow up and get married...he even gave me an "engagement ring" in 7th grade I think. A ying yang. I kept it for a long time, but between moving and just growing up it either got lost or thrown away. Now that we are grown up and married I wish I still had that momento.

We were never boyfriend/girlfriend at all through school, not even in grade school..and we lost contact after we graduated..only to meet up again through mutual friends a couple of years later.

It's really funny/weird how things work out!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Before/After blog hop!

Pixel Perfect is putting on this fun blog hop, so be sure to check out her site and the other before and after photos as well!

My straight out of the camera shot.
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My edited version.
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I used Photoshop CS4 for this edit and then used photobucket to add the border!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

6 months.

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Buggy is now a 6 month old, where did the time go? I wrote a little post about this on her actual 6 month birthday but I wanted to add more pictures and share a little about what she is doing now a days. Be warned this post is going to be overloaded with pictures!

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-At 6 months you:

*still love your blankie
*still suck a pacifier
*haven't quite learned how to sit up yet
*love squash and sweet potatos, hate peas, carrots, and green beans
*fight sleep like it's nobody's business
*laugh the hardest at your brother
*are very ticklish
*love to play with your piggies
*are finally starting to enjoy car rides
*no longer throwing up the majority of your bottles
*still have the cutest, deepest dimple in your right cheek
*don't have much hair =)
*love to splash at bath time but don't like having your hair washed
*showing no interest in crawling but while on your belly you will push yourself completely up on your arms
*have the ability to make Mommy smile so big
*are loved beyond words

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Wordless Wednesday.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Birth story blog hop.

Mama M is putting on this blog hop so hop on over to her blog and link up your own birth story!


I am going to write about Mason's birth for this hop, only because his birthday is a couple of weeks away, and my beautiful boy is turning 3 this year.

I was about 2 weeks late having Mason, and I had been to the doctor that day and they ordered an ultrasound because they were nervous about his size. The tech told me he was measuring a petite 7 lbs 11 oz. I was scheduled to go back to the doctor the next day for a possible induction.

That night all was well, I felt fine, nothing was going on. I was happily watching American Idol..that was the season with Sanjaya..yuck! Remember him?? Well, it all of a sudden felt like I was peeing on myself..I got up to use the bathroom but couldn't produce anything..I kind of felt silly and gross, but when you are 42 weeks pregnant sometimes you just can't help that sort of thing. Anyway, I went to sit back down and it was happening again..after a few times of that I knew it wasn't pee. I wasn't having any pains, but my doctor had told me to get to the hospital if my water broke. Even though I didn't have the huge gush of fluid that you read about I definitely had a leak. I calmly went into the bedroom where my husband was playing World of Warcraft and told him that I thought my water was breaking. Talk about panic mode..(men.) Anyway, he's on the phone calling everyone and their Mother, while I'm in the bathroom showering and shaving.

After all that off to the hospital we went, I'd like to note I finished watching Idol first. Once we got to the ER they took me up to L&D where I was checked. I'd like to note I was only 1 cm dilated, and they did the "ferning" test (not sure that's spelled right) where they check to make sure it was my water breaking and not pee. Anyway, that came up negative..even though I was still leaking and I knew it wasn't pee!! The monitor showed I was contracting even though I couldn't feel them. They sent me home and told me to come back if there was any change. We got home about 11:30 and DH fell right to sleep, but at midnight I started having contractions every 3 minutes. Not extremely uncomfortable but enough to keep me awake, I ended up waking DH up around 3 and telling him I knew I was in labor..so back to the hospital we went...good thing we live 2 minutes from it!

By that time the ferning test showed up positive and I was 3 centimeters. So we walked, and walked..oh and walked. I'm not sure what time the nurse came in and told me I was 6 centimeters and the doctor would be back to break my water completely. The doctor did break my water and the contractions picked up and were getting very uncomfortable! A short time later the doctor was back in to check my progress, she then proceeded to tell me I was only FOUR centimeters..WTH, the nurse told me I was at SIX!!! Honestly, I was so defeated and tired and in pain, I just looked at DH and told him I wanted the epidural. Who wants to go backwards in labor??

Anyway, skip ahead a few uneventful hours and the nurse checks me around 8 o'clock. I was stuck at 8 centimeters, I hadn't budged from 8 for a few hours. She tells me the doctor was coming in and by the time she got there if I hadn't progressed further we would probably go ahead with a c-section. Honestly, by that time I welcomed it, I was over the whole situation! LoL, that sounds awful but I was exhausted and totally beat down from not progressing.

Doctor comes in and I'm still at 8, so off to the OR I went. Surgery was fairly simple and quick, she fussed at me for making her miss American Idol (she actually liked Sanjaya!) You know how Idol comes on Tuesdays and Wednesday, my water was breaking on Tuesday and she was missing the Wed episode(just so you didn't get confused with the time line).

So on February 21, 2007 @ 9:17 p.m. Mason Ross was born. Weighing 8 lbs 11 oz..exactly one pound more than they thought, and 22 inches.

He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Check out that head!! He had actually gotten himself wedged in my birth canal sideways and he had some serious molding..I have better pics of it but they might make some squeamish.
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What is this place??
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First family photo.
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So gorgeous.
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