Day 19-Nicknames

My family was not a nickname family. I was just Tiana growing up. I became T-Bird to some of our dear friends in Italy. I will always love that name b/c of the people who call me it. Brian & I have little terms of endearment, but I wouldn't call them nicknames. You know the typical babe, sugar, etc.

Kennedy & Jameson on the other hand have plenty of nicknames. Kennedy is Kenners, Booger, Sweet Pea, Boo, Kenner Benners, & Crazy. Jameson has become Bubba, even though I hate it, because Brian calls him that. I have coined my own name, Bubby, which is the combination of Bubba & Buddy. I can guarantee that Jameson will never be J.T. or J.D.

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Anyone who knows me knows I have a plan for just about anything. God & the Army like to laugh at my plans. I struggle on a daily basis to control my frustration when plans don't go my way. So, our current plan to live happily as a family of 4 for a few years has been crushed. Brian will be leaving us again, and we will once again be separated by 1000's of miles. Future plans of cruises, home buying, moves, and just being together have been put on hold.

Growing up I had a plan to get married & have children at certain ages. I haven't followed that plan, but I'm so in love with my life. I dream to be the best wife to Brian that I can be. For me, that means sacrifice, unending devotion, prayer, homemaking, being a mother to his children, and loving God.

To Kennedy & Jameson, I plan on being an awesome mom! God has blessed me with children, and I will raise them to love Him. I want them to be happy & healthy, but most of all know they are loved by Brian & me.

Due to Brian's pending departure, I'm back to planning some fun trips for Kennedy, Jameson, & myself. On the horizon is a trip to Washington & Illinois. After the holidays, I'll be planning one last family trip for February. We are thinking a trip up the East Coast to the New England States & NYC would be fun. Yay, for planning vacations!

My when I "grow-up" dream has always been to be a wedding planner. I know I'd be really good at organizing everything, and weddings are just beautiful fun occasions. I actually know that I'd be a perfect event planner! I could totally be a travel agent, but Brian has a plan to open his own BBQ business once he retires from the Army. If our plans come to fruition then I'll be organizing his catering events & managing his business. Who knows, maybe we'll cater weddings ; ) Well, let me get back to my researching & planning because right now I can't think of anything else I want to share with the world.....

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Oh my goodness this is hard! When I was younger I wanted to be Miss America so badly. Now, I don't have any desire to be apart of that beauty pageant life. It seems like that those women are followed by scandal these days. It feels weird imaging my life different from what it is now. For just one day, I'd like to be the President of the United States. As Americans we are quick to judge & complain about our government, but we are so blessed to live in this amazing country. I think it would be awesome to experience the life of the most powerful person in our country. The experience would be more about the emotions, stress, frustrations, etc. vs making laws. I'd like to fully comprehend the frustrations & satisfaction our president feels.

Day 16- Another pic of yourself

Sorry that I've gotten behind on the blogs this week. Life has been crazy the past few days and computer time has been non-existent. Now, to get back on track.....

Two of the best days of my life.

Me with Jameson

Brian & Kennedy

Day 15- Put your ipod on shuffle- first 10 songs to play

1.) I Love You-Sarah McLachlan
2.) American Saturday Night-Brad Paisley
3.) Backwards-Rascal Flatts from the Hannah Montana Soundtrack...Yes, I have lots of kids music
4.) It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year-Harry Connick Jr.
5.) What's Left of Me- Nick Lachey...No, I'm not embarrassed by this. I used to love me some Nick & Jessica
6.)Angel in the Night-Basshunter
7.) Hey Ya- Outkast
8.) The Upsetter- Jack Johnson
9.) Never Grow Up- Taylor Swift
10.) Love Like Crazy- Lee Brice

I'd say I have a wide variety of music to fit all moods & events in my life.

Day 14- A pic of you & your family

Our family is complete...Brian, Tiana, Kennedy & Jameson

Brian & I met in December 1999, got married in August 2003, Kennedy was born in Feb. 2005, & we just welcomed Jameson in June of 2010. We look forward to the years ahead as a family of 4.

Day 13-A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

I have chosen not to do this day since no one has hurt me recently. Also, I don't really think its beneficial to anyone to air their dirty laundry on the internet. I will say that life has trials to create mature people, James 1:2-4. It is our job to seek God and learn from life's challenges.

Day 12- How you found out about blogger and why you made one

I jumped on the blogging bandwagon after reading several friends blogs. We had just moved overseas, and I thought it would be a great way to keep in touch. My blogging history has been hit or miss over the years, but I'm hoping to get back on a regular schedule after this 30 day challenge.

Day 11-Another Friend Pic....

These are from our last few days in Italy. They are silly pics just for some fun = )

The Awesome guys who love us crazy girls...we wish Sean could have been there.

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, hyped, mad

I think I mentioned in my Day 1 blog that music speaks to my heart like nothing else. For me, songs are memories, and memories have songs.

This could be a really long blog, but here are just a few of my favorite songs.

-Right now, my hyped/exercise song is courtesy of my friend, Andrea...B.O.B's Magic.

-I have a song for Kennedy & Jameson; its Matthew West's "Safe & Sound" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEGDLJinzDE)

-When Brian & I first started dating the song "Good Morning Beautiful" by Steve Holy came out. We where traveling back & forth from Austin to Louisiana, and we'd sing & sing this song. I love the memories that come back with a song. Brian & I still sing this = )

-I don't have a mad song.

-My sad song is Casting Crowns "Praise You In This Storm." When Brian was deployed the first time I heard this song, learned the lyrics, and sang it often. As a military spouse you try to be strong & independent, but there are times when everything seems to fall apart. Even when life seems too difficult I know God is there.

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

Day 9- Something you are proud of in the past week

The Army has put a kink in our plans like only the Army can. Brian & I were initially very hurt by the news. I am so proud of Brian for keeping a positive outlook despite our impending separation. He started his new job like a champ today, and seems excited to proceed on this new journey. Obviously, not excited to leave us, but if he has to go he's going with a good attitude. I've wanted to be angry, and I've been anxious. Brian has kept me calm & eased my anxiety like only he can. From the beginning of our relationship, Brian has been able to get me out of my anxiety funk. So, to my one & only, I'm proud of you!

Day 8-Short term goals for this month and why

dddddrrrrruuuuuummmmmmm rrrrrrrrooooooollllllllllllllll..........

Are you ready? These are going to be some exciting goals ; )

1.) Join the church, and become active in it. After 9 months in Fayetteville, we've finally found a church that we like. We've gone the past 2 weeks, and now we just need to join. Its the same church I go to MOPS at, so I feel like I'm ready to jump in.

2.) Get back to my workout routine. Yeah, I was really good about working out while pregnant & even since Jameson's been born, but the past month has been hit or miss. Most days, I'm lucky to get a 30 min. jog in.

3.) Get Jameson to sleep through the night. Now, this isn't really under my control, but he is so close right now. I think with starting cereal this month it will happen.

4.) Get my winter & summer clothes switched out in my closet.

5.) Continue to teach Kennedy about the real meaning on Christmas. She thinks its all about presents even though she knows its Jesus' birthday. I'm hoping she understands gratitude & thanksgiving by Dec. 25th.

Day 7-Picture of someone or something that has the biggest impact on me

The Bible and Christianity has always played a major role in my life. I was blessed to have been brought up in a Christian home. I didn't always appreciate or understand how important my beliefs and morals were. My parents kept taking me to church, and I'm sure kept praying. While I always believed in Jesus & that I needed to be saved, I didn't always act like it. I can call my behavior immature or childish, but there was really no excuse. I was brought up to know & love Christ. As an adult, I've learned to love God in a different way than before. Now, Brian & I are raising our children to love the Lord.

Day 6-Favorite Superhero & Why....

hmmmmmmmmm....Superhero? If we're talking a fictional character then that's not really my style.

To me, a superhero is someone who recues those in need & protects the innocent.

I do have a real life superhero. The Superhero in my life would be Brian. For some reason, he loves me. I know he'll say that he's the lucky one, but I am so blessed to have him in my life. We have come so far from a young couple in the late 90's to the husband & wife we are now. There have been many trials, and many joys. Mostly, he's just amazing because he's there for me, loves our kids, provides for us, & is a Godly man.

If I had to pick a fictional superhero it would be Batman from the old 1960's TV show. Its not because I like his hero style or anything, but I remember watching those shows as a kid. No, I'm not old enough to have watched the originals, but my Mom introduced my sister & me to them. I loved all the BAM, POW, CLANK, etc. sayings on the screen. I think they are occasionally on Nick at Night to the day; I may need to find out and do some DVRing.

Day 5 (a day late)-A pic of a place I've been too

We were blessed with the opportunity to live in Italy for 4 years. While we were there we got to travel to several countries and lots of famous cities. Most of our trips were taken with friends, and that made them so much more memorable.

The Crowder's joined us on our trip to Paris. We quickly found out that Paris in February is COLD!!!!! We had a blast seeing all the sights, and acting like true tourists. Our craziness extended to our Eiffel Tower visit. We had seen it during the day, but had heard that we had to see it at night too. We ventured to the tower around 9PM, but by the time we waited in line & enjoyed the view it was almost midnight before we came down. The view was worth the late night out in the cold. Yes, I was 'that' parent with her 3 year old out in the freezing cold at midnight. There are so many good memories associated with the pictures above. So, please go to Paris to enjoy the majestic Eiffel Tower at night.

Day 4- A habit I wish I didn't have....

I really wish I could relax more. Everyone who really knows me knows that I have a schedule or plan for everything. When things don't go as planned it really frustrates me. I am making progress in this area, but still have a long way to go. I used to get so anxious that I'd get an upset stomach.

Day 3- A pic of your friends

Well, most of my pics are on an external hard drive, so I can't do this post justice. Really, who has one picture with all their friends? Maybe a non-military woman? My friends are spread throughout the world. The ladies below were my everything in Italy.

Brian is not only my husband, but my best friend. Throughout this past year, we've been everything for each other as we adapted to our new life in N. Carolina.

Day 2

Well, our blog name is pretty boring & self-explanatory, The Darling Family, because I'm not very creative. I don't think it takes any explaining. The verse underneath our name has changed several times based on what was going on in my life. This verse " Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! -Rev. 19:7" hasn't been updated since Brian's last deployment because I'm a slacker. At the time, I needed a constant reminder that God deserved glory & honor despite the craziness of life.

Day 1

15 Things About Me:

1.) I always wanted 3 kids, but Brian only wanted 2. Then after moving to Italy & Brian deploying we were only going to have Kennedy. Right before Brian deployed the 2nd time we both decided we wanted another baby. So, from 3 to 1 to 2 kids...our family is now complete.

2.) My food cannot touch on my plate. I used divided plates for messy, runny foods until the past few years. I will still get a small bowl or plate to put sauce or a runny side, so it doesn't touch my other food.

3.)When I was younger I got pulled over lots of times for speeding, but only got 1 ticket.

4.)As a teenager, I always wanted a Ford Explorer, and finally got one when I was 23.

5.)Grew up in a Christian home, and went to the same church from 3rd grade until I left for college. I wasn't always receptive to God's word, but I'm so grateful for my upbringing, now.

6.)Brian & I met when I was 19 & he was 22 at a bar in Austin, TX. I wanted nothing to do with a guy in a bar, so he worked hard to get me on a date.

7.)I have a very sensitive nose. When a person walks into a room with too much perfume or strong body odor it usually makes me nauseous.

8.) Became obsessed with exercise after gaining 45 lbs when I was pregnant with Kennedy. Now, I exercise in moderation to stay healthy.

9.) Don't like shoes to be worn in my house. They track in so much dirt then the dirt sticks to the bottom of my bare feet.

10.)Vacuum & clean my floors daily due to my #9 issue.

11.) I'm extremely independent & self-reliant, but its mostly due to the fact that I don't trust many people.

12.)I research every major purchase I make. I can spend hours reading product reviews on-line.

13.)I never planned on being a stay-at-home mom. Once Kennedy was born, I couldn't put her in daycare. Going from 2 incomes to 1 was a big change, but it was the best decision ever. I'll continue to sacrifice shopping & going out to eat to be home with my kids.

14.)My favorite food is Chinese. PF Chang's is my favorite, but we don't have one in Fayetteville.

15.)Music speaks to my heart more than anything; it can bring a smile to my face or a tear to my eye.

Are we still alive?

Well, life since Jameson's 6 week birthday has just been life. I have been horrible about blogging, but I'm starting again. Since I come up with these great blogs in my head that never get written, I'm going to copy some friends. We are doing the "30 Days of Me" series. So, check back tomorrow, and get Day 1.

If you have not heard of this yet, here are the rules. Each day, for 30 days, you enter a short blog about yourself. Each day has a specific title you follow, so not to worry about having to think of 30 different things to talk about! Basiclly this is just a way to learn a little more about your friends and spend some time focusing on yourself for a month.

Here are the 30 titles:

Day 1- A recent pic of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

Day 2- Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3- A pic of you and your friends

Day 4- A habit you wish you didnt have

Day 5- A pic of a place you have been to

Day 6- Favorite superhero and why

Day 7- Picture of something or someone who has had the biggest impact on you

Day 8- Short term goals for this month and why

Day 9- Something you are proud of in the past week

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, hyped, mad

Day 11- Another pic of you and your friends

Day 12- How you found out about blogger and why you made one

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

Day 14- A pic of you and your family

Day 15- Put your ipod on shuffle- first 10 songs to play

Day 16- Another pic of yourself

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Day 19- Nicknames you have and why

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying, being with in the future. Or about your spouse.

Day 21-A pic of something that makes you happy

Day 22- Something that makes you different from everyone else

Day 23-Something you crave for alot

Day 24- A letter to your parents

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

Day 26- What you think about your friends

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

Day 28- A pic of you last year and now- how have you changed?

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned?

Day 30- Favorite song

6 weeks

Whew, so much has happened in the last 6 weeks. Here's a quick recap:

-Jameson's first week of life was spent running around to one Army appt. after another. The Army doesn't understand stay home, and enjoy your baby.
-Brian had 3 weeks off work for paternity leave.
-Grandparents left when Jameson was 1 week old.
- We spent the first 3 weeks of Jameson's life just hanging out, and getting used to being a family of 4.
-Jameson grew and grew during his first 2 weeks of life & was 7 lbs 13 oz and 21 in. at his 2 week check up.
-When Jameson was 3 weeks, our good friend's came to visit. We enjoyed having Maggie, Isaac, & Ryann here, but wished Nate could have joined them.

-Kennedy started Kindergarten on July 14th

-Our friends left July 19th

-July 20th was my first day at home alone with Jameson. This is also the day he started intentionally smiling at me.

-July 23rd, Jameson turns 6 weeks.

Kennedy tidbits...

*She is doing really well in kindergarten, but hates getting up early.

* She is growing up so quickly. In the past 6 months, she has gone from pre-schooler to kid.

*Her favorite show is Phineas & Ferb; she watches it with Brian.

*She is totally cool with her new Sketchers Twinkle Toe shoes. They are bling!

*Her favorite toys are Zhu Zhu pets and build-a-bears

*Her favorite song is "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

*She has already made a new school friend.

Jameson....
*is growing too quickly. We think he's about 9lbs now.
*has decided he doesn't like to sleep in his bed for naps, and will only sleep in his swing, stroller, or car seat.
*has mastered the eat/play/sleep schedule during the day. He seems to understand bedtime since he sleeps in his bed at night without a fuss. Well, occasionally he decides I should hold him for a period of time while he sleeps.
*is really smiling and laughed at me today.
*still wants to nurse twice in the middle of the night. I really wish we could drop one of the feedings since I'm oh so tired.
*had his first trip to the beach at 5 weeks.

On the horizon is a trip to Myrtle Beach in August & then a Virginia/D.C. trip in Sept.

Jameson's Birthday!

To our friends and family throughout the world:

Jameson Thomas Darling entered the world on June 11th, 2010 @ 7:04 AM. Many of y'all have asked about his birth details, and this seems to be the easiest way to distribute our exciting news. And, let me tell you 6 days ago was one of the most exciting days of my life!

Our birth story really began almost 2 1/2 years ago when we decided to have another child. At the time, Brian was getting ready to leave for Iraq, and we knew that we'd be waiting until he came home a year later to get pregnant. Well, September 2009 brought Brian home and a positive pregnancy test. From the positive test and every day since, our love for Jameson has grown everyday. Our pregnancy journey was uneventful despite an overseas move & a change of doctors. Pregnancy really seems to agree with my body, but for the record I'm done with being pregnant.

Me, being a little obsessive, had tons of plans for this pregnancy. Usually, God laughs at my plans, but He really provided in every way for our family during the past 40 weeks. I had been praying that Jameson would stay cozy in my belly until at least June 7th when my grandparents would get to N.Carolina to take care of Ms. Kennedy; Kennedy's care during my hospital stay was a major stressor for me. My prayers also included a negative group B strep test (meaning less time in the hospital), the strength to have a natural delivery, and a healthy baby. I'm sure I prayed for tons of other things, but these were constantly on my list. All of my prayers were answered in the way I had wanted, and therefore, my life was somewhat stress free.

My grandparents arrived on June 7th to a very happy, pregnant grand-daughter. Kennedy was ecstatic to see them, and I was very relieved that my girl would be taken care of. My grandparents were excited to be part of their great-grandson's birth, and were anxious for his arrival. Brian's work schedule was crazy and required him to be outside all week. He hoped that Jameson would arrive and allow him to start his paternity leave. (The temps were in the upper 90s, and Brian would get home just miserable.) We all know babies come when they are ready, but Thursday night everyone in our house was praying for Jameson to make his debut. Brian was dreading the 4 mile run in the 80+ degree temps on Friday morning, and I was starting to think I might go past my due date (6/13). Little did we know that Friday morning would be so exciting.

On Friday, I woke up about 3:30 AM feeling nauseous, but didn't think anything of it since this was 'normal' for me these days. I laid in bed hoping to fall back asleep, but around 4:30AM I just didn't feel right and went downstairs to watch TV. By 5AM I was having contractions, but they weren't painful. Brian was up getting ready for PT, and asked me if he should call in to work. I told him I didn't know, but when he said he wouldn't available from 6:30 to 8AM, I told him he better stay home. He called work, and I went to take a shower. I used the bathroom, and thought my water broke. I wasn't for sure, so I go on with my shower. As I'm getting dressed, a puddle of water is on the floor. I'm thinking ok, this is serious. 30 min. later we are on the way to the hospital. At 6:40AM we are sitting in L&D triage waiting for someone to get me hooked up to monitors. I was still feeling good, and the contractions were manageble as long as I was walking. Well, now I'm laying in a hospital bed, and everything goes downhill quickly. I start feeling nauseous, and I'm telling Brian I can't just lay in bed. The nurse finally comes in at 6:55, and Brian tells her I feel like I need to push. I wasn't going to say anything because I knew she was busy with another patient, and didn't want to be a bother. The nurse comes back with a doctor I've never seen, and the dr. checks me. I'm 10cm & ready to push. I couldn't believe it! Labor isn't supposed to be this easy. The craziness begins. They break down the triage bed, wheel me into the first available L&D room, & a few moments later I'm pushing. I'm still in my clothes, I have no IV or monitors. I pushed through one contraction, and my sweet boy was born. I don't know who delivered Jameson. I'm sure the dr. told me, but it was all too fast. He is perfect; my labor was perfect!

Jameson's birth was the most incredible experience! Yes, the 1 min. of pushing felt horrible, but I would do it all over again. I had prayed for an easy, natural birth, and God provided like only He can.

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

Life at the Darling house is pretty busy during the week, but our weekends are full of down time. We make sure we have plenty of time to do two of our favorite things: swim & BBQ. We have great neighbors, and we are always hanging out at one of our pools. Brian has mastered a few new grilling specialties; often our Saturday night dinner is cooked entirely on the grill. I'm pretty sure that Kennedy will have fins & gills by the end of the summer. Its pretty typical for her to spend at least 5 or 6 hours in the pool on Saturday. Despite SPF 50, the girl has the best tan...I'm jealous. Here are some photos from our last weekend as a family of 3.

The Darling girls & baby J

After a day long day in the pool...sweetness!

Brian doing his grilling thing. I think he's wondering why I'm taking his pic.

Our first squash.

Fun

We are expecting our boy sometime in the next 3 weeks, but when will it be, how much will he weigh, etc. Join us in our little game for bragging rights to knowing it all!

Jameson's Game
Game name: Jamesonarrival

Here's a little info. to help your guess:

As of Sunday, the ultrasound is showing Jameson around 7 lbs 5 oz, and measuring right on target for 38 weeks. His estimated due date is June 13th, 2010. I don't want him to come until June 6th or later when my family arrives.

Coupons

Well, I never thought I'd be one to clip coupons, but I am! A few weeks ago, I found this awesome website (couponing) that tells you where the deals are, what coupons to use, and when the sale starts. This all started with CVS extra bucks & diapers. I really can't believe how much diapers are! I keep asking myself if I really spent $X.XX a month to cover Kennedy's booty for 2 years. This has now spread to getting other grocery items for free or nothing. Really, the addiction began this week when our local grocery store was doing Super Double Coupons, this used to mean nothing to me, and I got $40 worth of groceries for $8. I felt like I was stealing from the store! I think my 'beaver' personality let me get easily trapped into this. I love researching & organizing, so this is right up my alley. I hope I can keep up with this because I hate paying full price for dry goods & paper products. 70% of our grocery bill will always be fresh produce and meat, but if I can get the boring stuff for free that makes me HAPPY!!!!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary...

how does your garden grow?

With tomatoes, squash, zucchini, carrots, jalapenos, & herbs all in a row.

(K & I in our work clothes looking oh so lovely)

(my dirty girl)

3 weeks ago, Kennedy & I started prepping for our first little garden. We weeded, turned the old dirt, added new dirt, added fertilizer, and finally the time came to plant our plants. Our plants were little tiny things, and then we had seeds for our carrots & herbs. We wanted to plant cucumbers too, but all the seeds and plants were sold out at Lowe's. Who knew that cucumbers were the "it" vegetable.

This garden has been a learning process for me. My parents always had a garden, and I knew that I loved tomatoes off the vine. Once we got back to the States, a garden was a must. My goal is to have a chemical free garden, so I spent lots of time researching how to keep pests away naturally. I don't really see the point of a home garden if you are going pollute it with pesticides. My natural pest deterrents seem to be working good, but you can judge...

(this is the garden 2 weeks ago)

(This is it now)

It has been great spending time with Kennedy as she learned about how plants/seeds grow. We are obsessed with checking on the growth daily. Honestly, the plants seem to change overnight. I can't wait until I'm eating my first tomato in about a month.

Oh my, my belly is huge!

Here I am at 34 weeks pregnant...Yay! Technically, Jameson could make an appearance anytime after May 16th, but I'd really like him to wait until at least Memorial Day weekend. I have no reason to think he'll be here early, but at my last Drs. appointment they made sure I knew to be ready as soon as May 16th or as late as June 20th.

I have been blessed with an amazing pregnancy, or pregnancies since Kennedy's was great too! My biggest aliment has been tiredness. I had it bad for about 3 weeks in the first trimester and it started again at about 30 weeks. I have been able to keep working out 5 days a week. It isn't my normal crazy routine, but its something to keep my heart & body strong. Running is quickly coming to an end. After last Thursday's run, I could barely walk. Darn hip pain! According to random strangers, I definitely look like I'm having a boy.

Brian & I talk about Jameson all the time! We try to figure out what his personality is going to be like, who he is going to look like, and all that other new parent stuff. We aren't first time parents, but in many ways it feels like it. I don't remember Kennedy moving so much in my belly. Jameson is definitely growing stronger all the time; I can tell by all the crazy jabs in my belly. I haven't changed a diaper in 3+ years, been woken up for a middle of the night feeding since Kennedy was 5 months old, or had to carry an infant seat in years. Its going to be a whole knew world having to take care of a sweet, needy boy! We are so ready to cuddle our Jameson! He is already loved immensely!

Kennedy has been using Jameson's baby gear for her doll. She's practicing for when she gets to help take care of baby brother. Mimi, B's mom, bought her a Big Sister shirt, and she wants to wear it so badly. She says she can't wait to teach Jameson all the things she knows.

Some of y'all have asked about Jameson's room theme, so here is a pic of the fabrics...

We'll have one of these Wall hanging with his name monogramed on it.

My good friend, Lexi, is making his bedding. We are doing vintage circus theme with old circus prints as wall art & vintage toys as decor. There will be no freaky clowns. We won't be setting up his room until after all our June visitors leave since we'll be using his room for guests.

Look for our next Jameson update on May 24th when I go for my next doctors appointment.

What's been going on?

Well, we've been super busy over the past few month. We've had a few visitors, and now we are getting ready for our vacation to Florida & Disney World. It was so nice to have family in our house! After living overseas for 4 years, and having only 1 visitor it was long overdue. Even though we are still quite far from Texas, it is so much easier for people to fly over.

Our first visitors we're Brian's brother Aaron and his family. We got to meet our niece, Sadie, for the first time. She is absolutely adorable! It was so good for Brian to have Aaron around for some brotherly love, Cynthia is one of the best sister-in-laws I could ask for, and Kennedy loved having the company. You see, Uncle Aaron is a real artist, Kennedy is a budding artist, and those two could draw together for hours. Our main goal was to hang out & catch up. We did one touristy thing while they were here, but other than that we just relaxed. Its such a blessing to have awesome extended family! Our few days together will be cherished until we see them again.

Our next visitor is really great at spoiling little people with lots of play time, hugs, and treats. I'm sure its not hard to guess that Mimi came to visit. Mimi is Brian's mom who flew in for a week. We hadn't seen Mimi in almost 2 years, so she was getting to know Ms. Kennedy all over again. Kennedy did get spoiled with some dino pjs that I would have never bought, not to mention other things. Even Jameson was spoiled with several outfits from our day trip to the outlet mall. I always enjoy my time with Mimi, Ms. Debbie; our time together is always fun.

My sweet girl took to all her March visitors like we'd seen them everyday of her life. She was sad to get back to our normal routine, but in just a few days we'll be living the good life in FL!

Thursday Thoughts

(I'm really trying to get back into the blogging grove.)

As I'm putting laundry away, I'm thinking about how blessed our family is with everything that's happened to us over the past few months. Decisions that we made in the summer of 2009 were definitely God's work. I remember praying for His guidance on where we should move. Brian & I both wanted to stay in Europe for numerous reasons, but that wasn't transpiring. Our wants were obviously not what God had planned. We ended up with 2 choices that would allow Brian to be home for longer than a year, Korea or N. Carolina. Korea was in immediate "NO", and Ft. Bragg, NC, was a place Brian said he'd never bring his family to. If I couldn't be in Germany or San Antonio, I wanted to go to Virginia so badly due to friends & location. Ultimately, God "knew the plans He had for us"-Jer. 29:11 This is a verse most of us can quote, but I know I often only refer to it in times of trouble. In the mist of what we wanted God provided us more than we could imagine.

Here we are in Fayetteville, NC! We are together as a family! We have a wonderful 5 year old daughter, I'm 6 1/2 months pregnant, we have a nice house, being on the E. Coast provides great travel opportunities, and God has given Brian a new job as an instructor. This could have him home for 2 1/2 years; this is almost unheard of in the Army these days. God definitely knew what he was doing! This morning, I'm thanking Him for all of our blessings!

Fabulous Five

On February 25, 2005, our world was forever changed. Brian & I welcomed the sweetest, baby girl into this world. Little did we know how blessed we'd be by her everyday. At just a few moments old, she amazed us with her coos & expressions. Now, she amazes us with her personality & intelligence. She has grown up way too fast! I can't even imagine how much she is going to change during her 5th year of life.

We've spent the last 2 months thinking of ways to "ring in her new year" since we couldn't have a party with her friends from Italy. Well, this girl has had 2 days of non-stop Kennedy celebrations. Here is her 5th birthday documented in pictures....