Finally, For The LAST Time!

Finally, for the last time this summer we are UNPACKING! whew!

I am exhausted. We just got home today from an amazing week at the beach with Benji's family.

I look forward to the Ladd beach trip every year. This year was especially fun because Emery is finally old enough to enjoy playing in the sand and all the beachy things.

She also adores her cousins and it is so fun to watch them play.

With two beach trips, Paris and Serbia behind us, I am ready to hunker down in my house and emerge when it finally cools down.

I have so much catching up to do, laundry, cleaning, groceries, cooking, blogging and of course baby growing. :)

P.S....today is Emery's official birthday! Happy birthday to my precious boo.

Wordless Wednesday

(Here's the dealio. Lot's of bloggers do this, so I'm jumping on the wagon.) I've been feeling nostalgic lately with all things Emery, probably b/c of this impending new bean bean.

I do realize I've just made this not wordless. Oh well, I'll try again next week.

Baby2 Update

I'm starving. But I'm also nauseous. Which is a difficult combo.

I dream all night. Which is exhausting.

My sciatic nerve is already bothering me.

My cheese stick obsession has taken over already.

BUT! I'm super excited about Emery getting a sibling. AND super excited about maternity jeans. I think maternity jeans are the best part of the whole nine months.

Which is getting me through all the other bothersome pregnancy stuff.

2 Years! Party #1

Last year Emery's birthday came the week we were at the beach with Benji's family. This year it is the same week, so we celebrated early with my family!

I can't believe my boo is TWO! She is a doll baby (most days). I love (almost) every second of every day I get to raise her. I am so blessed to have been able to stay with her during these first few years that fly by so fast.

Kathi took these pictures. My memory card filled up during the party. But Kathi seems to take the best photos, so I probably would have stolen hers anyway!

Orange Beach

Whew! Our modem and router were fried in a storm a few days ago. 36 hours with out Internet is a long time now a days!

120 bucks and 8 hours of phone time with customer service we are back online.

Anyway, here are two pics from our time with the youth at Orange Beach, Student Life camp.

David Platt was our speaker, Charlie Hall led worship. It was an amazing time. This year we took Benji's mom and dad to look after Emery. (I just couldn't bare the thought of having to leave her another week after leaving her for Serbia.) This way I got to spend a good amount of time with her, but could still be with the youth and attend all the conference sessions.

Benji's secretary took these adorable pictures of Boo!

I'll post more from the trip later as they come in on facebook. But these were obviously the best ones so far. :)

My Heart

The Boo and I are home sick from church today. She came down with a little summer cold this week, today I woke up with it as well.

She's watching Dora so I am trying to get a blog in before she loses interest, which happens fast.

These are my two favorite most recent pictures of her and I just had to share them.

Emery is such a joyful kid. I love that she smiles and giggles all the time. It breaks my heart to see babies that you can tell aren't happy.

I really feel like the emotional tone of a household is revealed in the disposition of the children that are raised there.

So maybe the saying should be, "if baby ain't happy ain't nobody happy!"

My Two Year Nightmare

Emery is definitely two.

I am seeing a whole new side of her. And unfortunately for her, I am in no mood to deal with such depravity.

She wants what she wants and she wants it NOW! When she starts to throw her fit I get a glimpse of how she's going to be when she's 13. Lord help us all.

This week she has had a little virus, which has made her not feel so good. I sure hope we can get this new attitude in check before baby2 comes along.

Benji has had basketball camp this week Weds, Thurs, and Friday nights. I have been so tired, and she has felt so crummy that we just sit together and watch DVD's.

I think she is finally feeling better today. We had some ice cream and some cheese sandwiches. Which frankly should make anyone feel better. :)

Here We Go Again

I started this blog when I first found out Emery was coming into the world. I can't believe It's been almost three years since then.

Starting over with number 2 makes me a little nostalgic. I love being able to go back and read post about how I was feeling with her. So much is different this time around. I'm definitely at a different place in life. While I was working, getting up at 4 AM!!! while pregnant with E, I also had the liberty of sleeping whenever and for as long as I needed while not at work.

Obviously this isn't the case now. But at least Emery still naps so you better believe I nap with her!

Benji has been such a great supporter. Today(Friday, his day off) he let me sleep for 3 hours. I needed that nap so much! He also folded and put up all the laundry.

I have just felt like I can't catch up around the house. We returned home from Serbia, were home for a week and left for Orange Beach.

No man will ever understand the exhaustion that comes with the first trimester. It is like no tired I've ever felt before.

I've also felt like I can't ever get full! Haha. I wake up starving at 5 a.m....I'm really trying to do better this time...the weight loss was NOT fun, not to mention I am starting out considerably heavier than I did with Emery.

Well, (this post was really for me) I'm no good at keeping baby books or preggo journals so I'll be using the blog to document my journey into being a mama of two!

Not to worry though, not all post will be about my impending whaleness. I'll still be blogging about random nothings that go through my brain.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

I really want an espresso machine. I've wanted one for awhile. But they are just so stinkin expensive! To get a good one, one worth the coffee, you have to pay a pretty high price.

But I'm starting to think about it alot. Trying to figure out how I'll get one someday.

If anyone has a good one they want to give me that'd be great.

Packin Heat

I'm nervous.

Benji has signed both of us up for a class.

A class to get our concealed weapons permit.

Yes.

That means so that I can carry a gun. In my purse.

Really.

I'm having visions of all these big redneck men laughing at me during the class. I'll keep you updated on how it goes. It's in a few weeks.

I almost backed out. I tried to, but Benji wont let me. I'm trying to do more things out of my comfort zone, so I'm going for it.

Bean Bean

Emery has found my affection for Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. She really just likes to carry them around, letting the color melt off into her hands. She calls them "bean beans". I think it is so cute when she says it that I have to give her one.

So when I saw our new little one for the first time yesterday, I immediately thought of Emery saying bean bean.

With Emery I never had an ultrasound this early. (It is standard here at my Dr. in Greenville, but it wasn't in Ky.) It was exciting to see the little one and to already hear the heartbeat.

If I'm being honest I'd say I'm a tad bit more excited this time around. Probably because I know what to expect. I adore Emery and to think that I get to have another one is just beyond blessing. I am also so excited about her having a sibling. She is such a little mother already.

I'm also still pretty nervous. It's just my nature to be anxious. I know, I know....I've been working on it.....oh my entire life. If I remember right I think the nerves got better once I could feel Emery moving. I focused on it all day, everyday.

My friend Casey and I joke about needing to stay off the Internet when we are pregnant, because all the tragic, horrible, rare disease, birth trauma stories are posted on the Internet for every expecting mom to find.

We are finally home for a reasonable amount of time. I think that when this summer is over I'll be ready for fall. We've had a blast but basically have been gone an entire month out of this summer. On top of being knocked up, I'm exhausted!

What's In A Name?

The only thing harder than naming your first born is naming your second born. Ha!

I am so stressed about naming this new bebe. I mean Emery is such a great name...I don't want to short our second child by naming him/her something second best!

anywhooo- in other news we just got back from summer camp with the youth.

We had an AMAZING time. I know I say it all the time but I am so thankful for Benji's job. My heart is so full when I think of how the LORD has brought us back to Greenville and allowed us to serve at such a wonderful church. We are so blessed. I also realize how privileged I am to be able to be involved in Benji's ministry.

It is very nice to be back home. I've been so tired and nauseous and ready to sleep and eat all week!

The only plans I have this week are to get my hair cut, see Eclipse, and catch up on DVR. Oh yeah and also plan on spending some time in the garden, as it has been sadly neglected this past week.