4th of July Weekend Pictures!

We had a great 4th of July weekend in Spartanburg! Grand bought Jackson a kid size putter and we took him out to the putting green for the first time. He did surprisingly well. He loves watching golf and he knew immediately that the ball went in the hole and picked up the ball and put it in the hole. He seemed to really enjoy the whole experience. It was so great to see my sister, and celebrate Gigi's birthday.

I had a major allergy attack Friday night unfortunately. I have found out recently that nasonex is a category C drug for pregnancy and I am not taking it right now. There has been no birth defects in babies, but there has been low birth weight and birth defects in mice that were tested (I do not think they have tested pregnant women with it yet). I really do not like to take any medication during pregnancy, you just never know the effects. So, I am just taking claritin and Benadryl as needed. Just wanted pregnant ladies out there to know the dangers of this drug while pregnant since it is a steroid.

Some Major Praises!

With Me:

• I am feeling so much better now that the doctor said it was ok for me to take Nasonex for my sinuses. If God ever blesses me with another child, I hope I read this post and know that it is safe for me to take Nasonex when I am pregnant. I have not had a sneezing attack in almost a week! I was not able to do much of anything because I was constantly sneezing. I was even waking up in the middle of the night sneezing. God is so good! Even if I just feel this good for 5 days, I am thankful!
• We bought a blood pressure machine (a very cheap one) and my blood pressure has been normal
• I have been actually cooking. Saturday night a cooked Party Chicken. It was so good and saved us major money because we mad 2 meals out of it

Here is the recipe:

• 6 Boneless Chicken Breast
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 “…”of mushroom soup
• 2 cups of Sour Cream
• 1 package of dried beef
• 6 slices of bacon
• Ball up chicken-wrap dried beef around-wrap bacon around with toothpick- Cook for 2 hours Pour soup over rice. *First you mix the cream of chicken soup and mushroom soup and sour cream together in a bowl and spread it out on a the bottom of casserole dish. We like to mix the soup with rice 10 minute instant rice (the ones that come in the bags)
• I also cooked Hamburger Helper one night and Charlie and I made egg salad for sandwiches (he is a much better cook than I am)
• Finally, I am still able to do my Body Step and Body Combat classes. It is getting harder ever week, but I am feeling so great! I am in great shape unlike when I was pregnant with Jackson

With Jackson

· Jackson is doing so well! Pray that he does not get Charlie’s sinus infection. When Charlie had a fever and we did not know it, he picked up Jackson.

· Jackson goes to bed at 8:30 and sleeps till 7:45 am. I feel like a new woman!

· He was a ham at the Celebration Liberty pageant. He went up in the parade with the preschoolers during the 7:30 pm performances (Charlie carried him in). With Jackson’s personality we knew he would either love it or hate it (and be scared with 4,000 people clapping) and cry. He loved being on stage and he just happened to be in the center of the stage, then on cue he waved his flag clapped his hands and cheered. I think he thought everyone was there to clap for him. He was hilarious. I got it on video but I had to use my video camera to zoom in since I was in the back of the room. I usually take video with my camera but I cannot zoom in with the video. I have no idea how to upload the video from my video camera on the web. I have to download some software that I have tried once but it did not work. Does anyone know how to upload videos from their video camera? Unless I get some help, unfortunately there will be no video of Jackson at the Celebration Liberty Performance. It happened so fast I did not even get any pictures.

· Jackson’s ears are all cleared up now! He is still only saying about 10 to 15 words, which is a little frustrating but I know boys are not as verbal as girls. He can build tiny blocks up to the ceiling and is advance when it comes to his motor skills, but he is still speaking his own language. The doctor is not concerned about it at all. He understands everything we say, and when we ask him to go get something for us he always does. The doctor said it is more important that he understands what we are saying.

· We are going to Spartanburg for the 4^th of the July so be on the look out for some much needed pictures! I am so excited about seeing my sister, I have not seen her in forever.

16 Week Doctor Visit: Some Firsts

Thursday I had my 16 week doctor visit. There were some firsts during this visit

• The first time my blood pressure has ever been up in my entire life. It was just slightly elevated (I think the number was 146/86). The doctor was not concerned about it at all since it has never been high only low so I am not concerned yet. We did go by a very cheap blood pressure machine tonight since I have been having bad headaches recently.
• Secondly, it was the first time they could not find one of my babies heart beats. But again, I was not concerned because I had just felt him that morning. There was an old ultrasound machine in the room so she just started it and I got to see my little baby. He looked great! His little arms and legs moved all around and his heart beat was 140. I am referring to the baby as a boy because usually 140 heart beats means boy and usually 160 heart beats means a girl. It can change a lot but the heart beat usually stabilizes around 16 weeks or so. I will not know for sure that it is a boy till July 20th. She could not tell on the old ultrasound machine what the sex of the baby was. We are so excited! I cannot wait to meet this precious gift from God.
  

Have any of you had any blood pressure issues during your pregnancy? I do not think there is anything you can do when your blood pressure is high during your pregnancy. I read somewhere that it can just have to do with the baby and his blood flow with the placenta and all. Have yall heard this?

Getting Back to Spending only $75 on Groceries and Out to Eat Food Weekly No Matter How I Feel!

I cannot wait until I start to feel better again to get back to not overspending on groceries and dining out. I have to just accept that I am going to feel bad and sneeze my head off every other day during this pregnancy. Since gas and grocery prices have raised dramatically it is now even more important for me to be focused on being frugal with our money. I have been feeling bad sneezing all the time, and just have been so exhausted that I actually have been getting in the bed at like 9:30! I have no idea how much we have been spending on groceries and dining out recently. Monday night I cut coupons (while watching John and Kate plus 8) for an hour. I got some amazing coupons on diapers, deodorant, yogurt, hamburger helper (we will have one night for dinner), spray and wash, cereal, Lysol wipes, Benadryl, etc. I cut about $50 worth of coupons since I have not cut any coupons the last 3 weeks. The key is to not cut coupons for snack items or items that you would not normally buy. You are always going to need deodorant, diapers, etc.

So, I am going back to the basics which is not cutting coupons, but meal planning!

Some accomplishments since I have been reading moneysaving mom’s blog daily beginning at the end of January 2008.

1. I have spent $340 at CVS and according to them I have saved $320…wow
2. I have a stock of toilet paper - maybe 3 to 6 months worth - just buy buying it at CVS when I could earn money for it. Many weeks if you buy $20 worth of Paper Towels or toilet paper you will earn $10 to spend anyway you want in the store
3. I rarely buy an item that is not on sale or that I do not have a coupon for (most people who use coupons have at least a college degree according to moneysaving mom)

Goals for this Year:

1. Have 3 to 6 months of income in savings that I do not touch and to be debt free (we have little to no debt).
2. Start saving for a car that we can hopefully one day just pay for. I do not want to have a car payment while gas prices are this high. If anyone knows how to get the best deal on a used Honda Odyssey I am all ears! We might have to wait another year or two until we save up at least half of the total cost of the car.
3. To only spend $75 on groceries a week - not the $150 we always seem to do
4. To have 3 to 6 months of supplies of items we always need like detergent, toilet paper, etc.
   
5. Read some money saving books. Anyone have any recommendations? My first two choices are Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace and Miserly Moms

What I am going to do This Week:

1. Meal Plan!
2. Buy $20 worth of paper towels and batteries at CVS and earn $10 back that I will buy milk, Desitin, deodorant, etc. I also have coupons for the new ALL detergent and Lysol wipes that are on a great sale at CVS.
3. Get creative when the $75 runs out

What we are NOT willing to Give up:

• Our soft drinks! But we have gotten creative. Right now Walmart has soft drinks for $2.50 for 12 pack. Also, I do enter cokereward points every month and last month I got this awesome grill cheese machine maker (and it makes omelets as well) for FREE. When soft drinks are not on sale at Walmart or CVS, Kroger has great generic brand soft drinks for like $2.30 for a 12 pack always.

Changing Our Mindset

• This has been the hardest for me. We have to make sacrifices like not going to restaurant to be debt free and have an emergency fund. If you are not willing to make sacrifices then this will never work.
• Maybe you do not go on a vacation this year. Is the concept of a vacation even Biblical? It is nice to have a vacation but not a necessity. To save money means to live and budget under what you actually make!

I would love to hear any advice on how to cut back more on our grocery/out to eat budget! Anything been working well for you recently?

Here is the tentative Meal schedule:

Friday
B-Cereal
L-Bagel Bites
D- Party Chicken

Saturday
B-Pancakes?
L-McDonalds
D- Barbeque $18

Sunday:
B-Nutrigrain bar
L-Zaby’s $10
D-Cereal/PJ sandwiches or Breakfast food

Monday
B-Charlie has breakfast at the church
L-Leftover Pizza
D-Hamburger Helper with Salad

Tuesday
B- Pop tart
L-Roman Noodles
D-Chicken Pasta

Wednesday
B-Nutrigrain bar
L- Egg salad sandwiches made the night before
D-Dinner at church

Go here for more meal ideas for this week (Menu Plan Monday): http://orgjunkie.com/2008/06/menu-plan-monday-june-23rd.html

Mimi Redid Jackson's Table and Chairs!

Here is a picture of the table and chairs after the fire:


Here are pictures after Mimi redid them:




Charlie's mom (Mimi) is so talented! After the fire, Jackson's table and chairs (that my aunt worked so hard on) had a few burn marks and some smoke stains on them. She came over one day and saw them outside and said that she could redo them! We are so excited and they look great. We are so blessed that someone in the family is talented in this area and someone who enjoys doing it. She also redid Jackson's bookcase. Thanks so much Mimi!

1st Sinus Infection

I have the first sinus infection of this pregnancy. With Jackson I had about 4 total sinus infections. I have sinus issues anyway, but when I am pregnant it seem like I am always sneezing. For the last couple months about every couple days I have been having a massive sneezing attacks. Today, my head hurt really bad. This pregnancy I have sneezed way more than with Jackson (as far as I can remember...I did not blog until Jackson was born).

I went to the Doctor's Care on Friday, and they took some blood and said my white blood cells were up, and so I did have a sinus infection. We do not have a doctor here in Columbia yet, so if you know a great doctor for Charlie and I to go to please let us know! The only doctor that has been recommended to us does not really work on Friday and that could be a problem.

Jackson had to go back the doctor last week as well. He cried and cried on Monday and was holding his ears, so we took him to this Pediatric Urgent Care in Spartanburg that was great and so quick! They said he still had fluid in his ears and one ear still looked red, so he is on his second round of antibiotics. We are both on antibiotics right now. He keeps covering both his ears with his hands so we might be back to the doctor again this week.

Being pregnant is not easy for me by any means, but it only lasts for a season of my life and the result is an eternal blessing. I already cannot wait to meet this little one! I cannot believe I am going to be 16 weeks pregnant this week, and we go back to the doctor this week for my 16 week check up. I am taking Jackson with me so pray for us....that should be interesting.

We are in Spartanburg This Week

I have been missing in action this week because we are "roughing" it this week in Spartanburg while Charlie is at Centri-Kid Camp in Georgia. We are missing Charlie very badly but having a great time here in Spartanburg. It is so nice to have a week off and to not have to really clean anything...Gigi washes clothes everyday! Today, we went to the pool and Jackson had a blast with many cups in the baby pool. Hope yall are having a great week!

Happy Father's Day!

I am so blessed to have a great earthly father, and a great father of my child. My parents came down Saturday night and spent the night with us. It will not be much longer till they cannot stay with us because soon the guest room will be turned into a baby's room...sad. We went to California Dreaming for lunch (I could not believe that they took reservations for father's day), and we had a wonderful day. We are so blessed.

Proverbs 31 Women . . . A Motivation for Cooking?

Today in my Bible reading, I listened/read Proverbs 31 (NIV dramatized version). I have to tell you since I am pregnant and rather lazy, the Proverbs 31 woman was very overwhelming to me. I have read this passage a million times, but I guess I am usually trying 110 percent in all areas of my life so this passage has not been as convicting as it was today.

The Proverbs 31 women is a hard worker! Ladies, if you are ever feeling lazy, just read this Proverb.

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her task."

"She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family."

"She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night."

"She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness."

She provides food for her family, and she sells items that she makes and makes a profit.

If you know me at all, you know that cooking is not my strong suit. I guess I am so obsessed with not wasting time, I just really feel like cooking is a waste of my time. I have two picky eaters in my house so I would just rather Charlie and Jackson be satisfied at night. If they loved food that I cooked, and I could slave for 2 hours and then they would eat it up, then I would be all about cooking more.

Instead of cooking, I think I could better save time by cutting out coupons or figuring out how to save us money (or cleaning) instead of cooking. Then I could just let Charlie go get a Sub sandwich and then I would make Jackson some eggs. I really want to provide food for my family like the Proverbs 31 woman. Lord, help me not see cooking for my family as a waste of time! Does anyone else feel this way? If any of you all have any advice on how to enjoy cooking then I am all ears!

I have been blessed by listening to Dave Ramsey's podcast this week, and I am learning so much about how to save money. God has really blessed me by stumbling across Money Saving Mom's website and learning how to save us a tremendous amount of money. To get Dave Ramsey's free podcast go to: http://www.daveramsey.com/

I definitely believe part of being a Proverbs 31 women is not to buy everything we want and go into debt. It is learning how to stretch the money God has so graciously given us!

Proverb for the Day

Warning ladies you do not want to be this wife. It is strange when I am pregnant I am a lot more laid back and rarely argumentative. Sometimes I feel like I am on some sort of laid back drug, but these Proverbs are always a good reminder.

"Better to live on the corner of the roof
than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife." Proverbs 21:9

"Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." Proverbs 21:19

Loving Two

I have to warn you this poem made me cry. Maybe it is just because I am pregnant and about to go through this. I have not really had a lot of time to think about how it is not going to be just me and Jackson soon, but I need to start thinking of ways to prepare my son's heart. I am not sure who wrote this poem, I just read it on a blog recently. If you know the author please let me know so I can give her credit.

I walk along holding your (almost) 2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship.
Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited. And I wonder: how could I ever love another child as I love you?
Then he is born, and I watch you.
I watch the pain you feel at having to share me as you’ve never shared me before.
I hear you telling me in your own way, “Please love only me”.
And I hear myself telling you in mine, “I can’t”, knowing, in fact, that I never can again.
You cry. I cry with you.
I almost see our new baby as an intruder on the precious relationship we once shared.
A relationship we can never quite have again. But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached to that new being, and feeling almost guilty.
I’m afraid to let you see me enjoying him—as though I am betraying you.
But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity, then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection.
More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine.
The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast.
But something else is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just we two.
There are new times – only now, we are three.
I watch the love between you grow, the way you look at each other, touch each other.
I watch how he adores you — as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of his new accomplishments.
And I begin to realize that I haven’t taken something from you, I’ve given something to you.
I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with both of you.
I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are, but equally strong. And my question is finally answered, to my amazement.
Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you—only differently. And although I realize that you may have to share my time, I now know you’ll never share my love.
There’s enough of that for both of you – you each have your own supply. I love you—-both.
And I thank you both for blessing my life.

Proverb for the Day

Just in case any of you get like me, and get haughty and think that you are ultimately in control of everything major in your life, here are some humbling Proverbs for the day. Praise God that He is in control!

"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps." Prov. 16:9

"Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Prov. 19:21

What a blessing it has been to be reading through Proverbs right now in my reading through the Bible in a year plan!

Top 5 Reasons I think We are Having A . . .

BOY!

1. I now feel exactly the same way I did with Jackson. I am not nauseous at all, and I could eat all day long. The first trimester I did feel a little different than when I was pregnant with Jackson.
2. The circumstances of us getting pregnant are exactly the same as when we got pregnant with Jackson (you will have to ask me personally about that).
3. I no longer have an acne on my face
4. I am craving hot dogs again like I did with Jackson (gross).
5. Finally, the most convincing reason is that I did buy that intelligender test (http://www.intelligender.com/index.php) because it went on a mother's day sale. I am not the most patient person in the world, and I really want to move Jackson's clothes either in the next room or in the attic. My cousin's wife did have a friend who took this test and it ended up being wrong, and it is only 80% accurate with boy result. However, it turned green very quickly meaning boy. All I had to do was urinate in a cup first thing in the morning and then mix these chemicals/crystal looking things all together. Ah! If you had told me I was going to have two little boys when I grew up, I would have laughed very hard at you. I did want our first child to be a boy so he could be the protector of the other children, even though I grew up with just a sister and have no idea about boys. I also majored in women's ministry and had nothing but girlfriends growing up. But, we are real excited because Jackson will have an instant best friend and we will have so many cute clothes for this baby. We do want another child, but I think we will wait to try the next time till Jackson is in kindergarten. I do not go to get the big ultrasound test till July 21st, and if they say it is a girl I will probably not believe them! We are having a hard time with names. Right now the number one name is John (after my grandfather and great-grandfather) David Wallace, and call him John David. I love double names! Here is a picture of the test I took.

Proverb for the Day

Right now I reading through Proverbs in my reading through the Bible in a year, and today I read one of my favorite proverbs.

"When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise."

Proverbs 10:19

So if you are in an argument or counseling someone, sometimes the best thing to do it is to hold your tongue. With many words, sin is not absent. Boy, do I need to read this proverb everyday!

The Anniversary of the Fire

Today marks the one year anniversary of our fire. It really seems like it happened 3 years ago since so much as happened in the last year. For the last two years this week in June has been some of the most difficult times I might ever have to face. June 6, 2006 my Mama passed away (my mom's mother). I had not gotten to see her that year because I was pregnant and finishing up my last semester of seminary. Needless to say I was very upset that I had not seen her in a long while, and that she would never get to meet my son here on earth. Being 6 months pregnant, I was an emotional wreck. This year I bought ice cream sandwiches in honor of her since she always would give me one at night. I think this will be a tradition from now on and my children will be sure to get ice cream sandwiches during this week while I tell them all about her love and grace that she gave to everyone.

Then last year on June 5th, was the night of our fire, and I night where I could have lost my son. I am not going to go into all the details again here but for details and pictures go to Charlie's blog: http://firstkids.wordpress.com/

Charlie writes:
"My wife and I have never looked back at that night and wondered, “Where was God? We lost so many items from his room and our house (there was soot damage throughout the entire house).”

Instead, we have always said, “Praise God. Praise him for his divine sovereignty over all things. Praise him for his mercy and grace and love. Praise him for him waking Jackson up and praise him for giving him a peaceful feeling about letting my son sleep with us that night. Praise him as not only the creator, but the preserver of life. Praise him to all the nations. Praise him because he does hold the entire world in his hands. Praise him that in his infinite plan he did not have to spare my son, me or my wife. Praise him that he still has a plan for our lives here on earth. Praise him for smoke alarms. Praise him for smoke alarms that work. Praise him for batteries. Praise him for family that let us stay with them Praise him for insurance. Praise him for church members that gave us much money to help us get through the losses. Praise him for Jesus. Praise Him for dying on a sinner’s death on a cross for our sins so that had we of perished in the fire, we would not have to go to the eternal fire which we all deserve. Praise him for firemen. Praise Him because He is God - the great I AM."

Thankful, that is what I am this year, just so thankful.

Jackson Has a Double Ear Infection and Now Hand Foot and Mouth Disease!

The verdict is finally in, Jackson has been waking up so early because he has had an ear infection. Thursday night he ran a little bit of a fever, and this morning his fever rose to 101.8. Since tomorrow is the weekend, and they charge more for weekend appointments, we went ahead and decided to take him in today. He actually slept till 8 am this morning...go figure. Anyway, he screamed bloody murder when she checked his ears. She said the left ear looks pretty bad, and is probably why he has been waking up so early the past week. I am just glad to be able to treat this with antibiotics, motrin, and numbing ear drops. He has not had an ear infection for a while, and believe it or not he has only had about 5 total ear infections. This time, he did not wake up in the middle of the night and he just started pulling at his ears bad today. Hopefully, it will not be much longer till he can say "ear hurts." Oh that blessed day. He is repeating many words I say, and he love to try and say "Giraffe" when he sees picture of them (he loves giraffes and we will be going to the zoo soon to see them in person...I am so glad we have a great zoo here). Can't you tell he is so sick in this picture taken tonight... his energy level amazes me.

*Added later* Friday night he got a huge blister on his tongue and he did not sleep well at all that night. He woke up every 2 hours and then Saturday he hardly even had a nap. Needless to say, it was a rough time. Praise God that he slept all of Saturday night (he woke up once but we did not have to go get him) and he slept till 8 am. I felt like a new person this morning and he actually let me do some laundry. He is doing much better but he is not eating at all just drinking bottles with his milk in them. If you have any advice on how to deal with hand foot and mouth disease I would love to hear it! The nurse said that we could give him anbesol but basically it was a virus and had to let it run its 5-7 day course. It has been very difficult to get the antibiotics in for his ear infection because his mouth hurts so much. Today he broke out in little red dots that look like bites around his mouth. The nurse did say that the blisters are very painful....although Jackson only has one huge blister on the side of his tongue that I can see.

We have not had to miss Sunday morning in months, but of course yesterday was promotion Sunday and we got new very large class of 4th grade girls (not to mention a nice teacher appreciation luncheon), and I really wanted to be there to meet all of our new girls. It was my week to teach so we had to scramble to get the material to Minge on Saturday. I hate to miss Sunday so just pray that Jackson's blisters are gone and he is well before next Sunday when I am suppose to teach again. I am dying to meet and to get to know all of our new girls.

Jackson Slept Till 7 am This Morning for the First Time in 3 Weeks!

Woo Hoo! I could not believe it this morning when I heard Jackson for the first time it was 7 am! It was raining this morning and the workers were not working on the houses on our street so maybe that is what has been waking him up. Also, yesterday we did not get back from church till late and he did not go to bed till 9 pm after eating a good bit of food. I definitely wore him out yesterday going to the gym and church. Thanks for your prayers. If Jackson had been waking up early his whole life, this would not be a big deal. Just being unprepared for him waking up before 6 am, is hard to deal with. If I had known that he was going to wake up at 5:55 am for almost 3 weeks, I would have tried to be asleep by 9 pm. If you know me or Charlie at all you know that we need our sleep. Also, with me being pregnant, unfortunately, I seem to be getting more tired as the weeks go on. I went the doctor for my 12 week (I forgot that you go to the doctor every 4 weeks for a long while even though it seems like I just did this) visit this week and they said everything looks perfect. They were able to find the heartbeat quickly (unlike with Jackson) and it was a strong 160 again just like last time. What a blessing!

Jackson is Waking up anywhere from 5:55 am to 6:30am....HELP!

For the last two weeks, Jackson has blessed us with his energetic self anywhere from 5:55 am to 6:30 am. Nothing really has changed with his schedule and he is not upset when he wakes up, he is just ready to go!

Here are some reasons I think he could be waking up so early:

1. He just does not need as much sleep now that he is less than 4 months away from 2 years old. He is the energizer bunny!
2. He has teeth coming through right now
3. The sun rises at 6:15 am now, but we have black out curtains in his room
4. He is going through a growth spurt and is just hungry
5. We live in a new neighborhood and they are starting to work on the houses around the time he is waking up.

*We do not go and get him till he is upset, we let him talk for a good 30 minutes, but since his room is right next to mine, I do not get back to sleep.

Solutions: Please let me know your solutions or what has worked with your children

1. Move back his bedtime till 9 pm like it used to be. His bedtime is 8:30 right now and he takes a nap from 1 pm-3:30 pm. I do not offer him 2 naps at all anymore. We have been blessed and Jackson has always been a great sleepier. At like 3 months old, he was sleeping till 8:30 am so this is a rude awakening for us. He is still at great napper right now! I really do not want to move up his bedtime because I have always thought "early to bed early to wise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise"...haha.

2. Feed him more for dinner. He is eating a ton right now though

3. Make myself get in the bed when he gets in the bed and pray I can get everything cleaned up and done throughout the day (I usually do not do the dishes till he goes to bed).

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR SUGGESTIONS!

These are really my only solutions. I know this is not that big of a deal, but with me not having hardly any caffeine right now and being pregnant, some mornings I feel like I am going to pass out or throw up because I am so tired. I just cannot get to sleep before 11 pm. If I could just have coffee right now to get through this phase then I would be ok. Maybe the Lord is preparing me for 2 little active boys 2 years apart.

Jackson's first USC Baseball Game

Jackson had the best time at his first USC Baseball Game. He cheered very loudly, clapped, and basically went wild. The Crowsons went with us, and finally we just strolled Jackson back and forth because he was so overly excited and this calmed him down a good bit. He just loved hearing everyone clap and yell, I think he helped the crowd take it up a notch.

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

I was listening to John Piper's sermon, "I am Sending you To Open Their Eyes" and he opened his sermon by praying this Psalm...it was very powerful. If you like to listen to sermons I would strongly recommend listening to his sermons and you can get it through your podcast by going to: http://www.desiringgod.org/

Happy 3rd Birthday Millie Boo!

Today is Millie Boo's third birthday. She was the first living being that God entrusted us to be parents over and by God's grace and mercy she is still alive with us. I will not go into the whole almost dying incident here but I am very thankful for Millie Boo every day.

Here are the top 3 Reasons I am thankful for Millie Boo since she is three years old today.

1. She makes Jackson laugh uncontrollably some days which is priceless (and she puts up with him pulling her hair some days).

2. She loves us unconditionally

3. She always knows how to cheer us up by licking our feet (it is very relaxing) or by cuddling up next to me. And now since I am pregnant she loves to sit on my stomach...maybe she knows there is a little person in there now.

10 Weeks Pregnant and 10 Things I am doing to try and have a Healthier Pregnancy!

I cannot believe I am already 10 weeks pregnant. This time has really flown by, probably because I really do not have time to really think about being pregnant.

I thought I would make a top ten list of things I am doing different this time since I am a little wiser this go around and since I am 10 weeks pregnant today. If any of you have any sort of advice on how to have a healthy pregnancy I am all ears!

1. I am working out this pregnancy three times a week. I am going to Gold’s Gym and I take their Body Step and Body Combat classes. They have the best childcare ever! Last pregnancy the hunger was so intense and I struggled with being a little depressed (only while I was pregnant) and so I knew a goal this year was to have an exercise plan that I enjoyed before I got pregnant again. It has made a huge difference and I am really not as tired as I was last time. With Jackson I gained fifty fun-filled pounds and my goal this time is not to gain that much weight. You can work out while you are pregnant if you continue to do whatever you were doing before you got pregnant. If you struggle with weight issues I strongly recommend having a plan. I have already gained five pounds but I feel so much better!
2. Along with Life-Finesses Prenatal Vitamin, I am taking a DHA supplement that helps with all of the fish that I do not eat and also helps with brain development. I get this supplement at Walmart and they have a coupon in the box for $2 off your next purchase. I think they are about $9 for thirty pills. Last pregnancy I did not really understand what the DHA supplement did but my new and wonderful doctors explained them to me fully at the Women’s Physicians Associates (yes they are all women doctors there and a woman will be delivering me) I love this practice so much! They do not think any of your questions are stupid and are very loving women. I will be delivering the baby at Palmetto Richland Hospital. What is even more cool is that I could have Dr. Painter (a woman) deliver me and then her husband take care of the baby (if he is on call) at Palmetto Pediatrics of which we already go. There are only four main doctors at Palmetto Pediatrics and Dr. Painter is one of them!
3. I am drinking two 32 oz glasses of water a day through my water jug and I drink it through a straw so it goes down quicker.
4. I am also having one diet coke in the morning and one caffeine-free diet coke at night. With Jackson, my sugar levels were real high so they said it would be better for me to risk the diet sugar thing than to have my baby have too much sugar. I know, I know, diet sugar can be unhealthy, but anything in moderation is okay.
5. I have a SlimFast chocolate shake in the morning for breakfast. Last time I wanted a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit like every morning which is ridiculous and not good for me or the baby. I think slimfast even has their pregnant plan online.
6. I eat a ton of fruit - mainly because I crave it real bad. With Jackson I craved veggies and beef more. I also crave Popsicles and have one every day.
   
7. I take a nap when Jackson takes a nap. The doctor recommends eight hours of sleep at night when you are pregnant plus a nap. I am just blessed that Jackson is at the age where he still takes one long nap.
8. The only strange thing this pregnancy is that when I get something in my head that I want to eat, I refuse to eat anything until I get that something (such as a McAllisters club sandwich). I would not recommend this and with Jackson I could eat anything at any time….I guess every baby is different.
9. This is off the subject, but many people have asked me if I think I am having a boy or a girl. Whatever gender the mom thinks she is having studies show that she is right seventy percent of the time. I know many moms say this, but I really do not care what sex I am having but I just pray for a healthy baby. I do however pray for a less energetic child! Jackson is a wild man. The heart rate is already 16 beats less with this baby one week earlier than with Jackson (the earlier on in the pregnancy usually the higher the heart rate). This baby’s heart rate was 160 at 8 weeks and Jackson’s was 176 at 9 weeks. I already know that this baby has a calmer spirit than Jackson... If it is a boy, we will be set with clothes, and since we probably want three children this is not my last chance to have a girl and Jackson will have a brother to play ball with. The Chinese Lunar Calendar says girl, but the science of it (trying only one time), would say 100 percent boy. If I had to say one way or another I would guess girl (but this is strictly a guess) just because my stomach has been more upset and I have acne on my face (extra hormones) which I did not have at all with Jackson, and I did that silly ring test and it went in a straight line, not in a circle like it did with Jackson. Ultimately, you can try to do all the tricks to have one gender, but God completely controls what sex you are having and he knows what is best for you…praise God! Just like with Jackson, I am dying to know what gender the baby is and one of my friends told me about this “intelligender” test that you can order for about $35. Supposedly you can tell what the baby is as early as 10 weeks by doing a test that is similar to a pregnancy test. They say it is 82% effective. Go here for more info: http://www.intelligender.com/index.php Have you heard about this? Do you think it is a waste of money? Since this pregnancy has gone by so fast, I am not to that point yet, but I do not know if I can wait until July. With Jackson we did go to an ultrasound place, We See Ultrasound on Two Notch Road in Columbia and paid for a package there and we might do that again but we will see. I just cannot wait to get his or her room all ready (I really do not like surprises since I am a huge planner).
10. Lastly, I have not thrown up at all this time (I did with Jackson) and I have had a pretty easy pregnancy. I have felt nauseous though about every day but I know that is normal. I have been able to fight off the nausea and I guess since I just had a really bad stomach bug a couple months ago it really does not seem that bad. For the moms out there that throw up constantly I pray that God will give you supernatural strength to get through you days, and remember this affliction will pass! For me, it is a lot easier not having to go to school and work like I did last pregnancy. God is so good!

Ps- I enjoy the book Pregnancy Week By Week the best (it is the least overwhelming book for me)

Video of Jackson Playing on the Beach

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Video of Jackson Looking out on Our Balcony at the Beach

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Beach Trip to Sea Island for My Dad's 60th Birthday!

Jackson kissing "KK"

Jackson loving "KK" before she had to leave
In 2004, the G8 Summit was held here at Sea Island, Ga in this room!
Here is Charlie sitting in President Bush's chair!


This is the best family picture we could get with Jackson being so active
Jackson playing in the baby pool
Here we are on the beach (Gigi got him this Georgia shirt and since USC beat Georgia last year, he was permitted to wear this shirt...haha!)



Jackson chilling out in our bed in the morning
"KK" and Jackson out by the pool

Last summer we had the fire so we did not get a vacation. I guess this year I was very appreciative of a vacation and we had the best time. I definitely went picture crazy. I think I took about 40 picture and some video. The weather was perfect every day! Be on the look out for some video of our trip.

Survey!

Big News from the Wallace Family!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have some huge, life-changing, great news

Drum Roll Please……

We are pregnant!

We are so excited! The due date is December 9^th and we went for an ultrasound last Tuesday (8 weeks) and everything looks great. He or she looked like a 1 inch teddy bear.

I was stressing a little bit on when we would start trying to have another baby. We thought December would be too stressful of a month, but God’s plans and His timing is always so much better than your own plans! We are so thankful for this miracle. God is so good! Jackson and the baby will be 2 years and 3 months apart.

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me
were written in your book before one of them came to be.

*I might have the tiny ultrasound picture posted up latter on