Blog addiction

Well hello blog readers! I know what you're thinking.....she still blogs??? Well, no. But the itch to write has returned and I can't seem to calm it. So here we are. And I'm full of "stuff" to say. Facebook posts just aren't long enough. Life became very normal and busy after Sherri's arrival. But in the normalcy, three littles demanded a lot of my time so first to go was the blog. So sacrificial, us moms. Someone needs us so we give up what we love to give them what they love.....us. I love this blog, but I love my littles even more. Kids grow, though, and you find more time for the "me" things. I've finally arrived at that place. Maybe not "go to the gym for 2 hours" time, but definitely time to write in my own personal blog. And let's be real, I'm not a 2-hour gym visit kinda girl anyways. So I'll start with just that: I'm back. You're welcome to read or not. It's really kind of a diary for me.....that I'll share with anyone who wants to read it. I have a lot of updates to share about me, my family, my littles, our life and plan on doing that. Starting with Part 2 of Sherri's birth story. But this really is just a welcome back....to anyone out there. I've missed you!

And Then There Were Three. Sherri Grace's Birth Story: Part 1

I am so sorry this has taken so long to post, but I will thank you now for giving me the time to adjust to three. I can't believe it...still. I am the mother of three.....THREE! And honestly, it's not too bad. It helps that our little girl is just heavenly, but I skip forward.

I went to the doc at 40 weeks and 3 days to find out that our baby wasn't going anywhere. She was way too snug and had no plans of coming out anytime soon. I really, really, REALLY wanted to try a v-bac and was so blessed to find a doc willing to do one. But at 40 weeks, even the doc was getting a little uncomfortable with the idea of a v-bac and suggested we just get her here(although, at the time we didn't know if she was a he or a she). With our experience with Chase, I didn't hesitate. I was ready to have her in my arms and know that she was a-okay. So we planned to have her the next day. But come to find out, the OR's were booked for the following day, but they did have an available room that night! All I could think was: "Alright, here we go." So November 3rd was going to be our baby's day....her birthday.

We had time to go home and pack, prepare the boys, and just settle into the fact that our little was going to be here in just a few hours. I packed the baby's bag with the going-home outfit and realized I never got an outfit for a boy because I was so confident it was a girl. But when I realized this, I started getting nervous. How terrible of a mom would I have been if it was a boy!?

I gave my boys some good-bye sugars (okay. A lot.) and realized this was the last time it would be just my two boys. It was really gut-wrenching for me. The last two and a half years were all about them. They were my life source. They were my everyday, my whole world. What was going to change now with a new baby? Would I be able to give them all the love and attention they so very much deserve? Would one feel left out? I felt like I had to give them a lifetime's worth of loving in that one little moment.

We got to the hospital and the prep and waiting flew by. I couldn't believe how fast it was going and how calm I was. Mom, Dad, and Nana all got there right before they rolled me in.

They rolled me into the same operating room Chase was born and emotions began to just flood my mind. This room was such a bittersweet, intense memory for me. The same room my new little would be born.

I had prepared a playlist on my iPod with all these emotional, meaningful songs to listen to while my third child was being born, but it turns out you can't bring your own iPod into the OR. The moment Chase was born, Shania Twain's "From This Moment On" was playing on the OR's radio. Such an appropriate song for him. Such a dear song to us. I wanted the same for this little. So I asked them to turn the radio on, just waiting for the "right" song to play as she was being born.

My husband came in after they put in the epidural. At this point, all the motions were becoming sluggish. I didn't remember it taking this long with Chase. I was nervous, but as soon as I saw my husband's excited face all the nerves went away. My knight in shining armor had arrived. I still don't know what goes through his mind during these moments, he doesn't much talk about it, but the bliss is written all over his face. He sat down, held my hand and asked, "are you ready for this?" with a smile on his face that would match that of a child walking into Disneyworld for the first time. You'd think this was his first rodeo....not the third!

They started the surgery, which again seemed to take a lot longer this time around. Randall never let go of my hand. He would look down at me, look over the curtain, look back at me, kiss my forehead, ask me if I was alright, with that gentle part of him that I love so much. The doc said she was almost done and I reminded her to tell me immediately what it was. She said, "how 'bout we let your husband tell you." This really got Randall pumped.

I heard her cry before she was even all the way out and I heard Randall yell, "It's a girl, baby!!! It's a girl!!!! We got our girl!!! Sherri's here!!!!" I didn't have words. I knew it was a girl. I always knew. But to have the confirmation was too much, and then to hear that name. That name. I couldn't speak. All I could do was cry. I knew this feeling. I've felt it two other times before. Just never to that name. I've been waiting for her, and she was finally here. Sherri's here.

To be continued....

Seriously...when is this going to happen???

Alright, I'm officially 40 weeks pregnant. For the record, this is the longest I've ever been pregnant. I. am. miserable. exhausted. In pain. Anxious.

And yet, I keep asking myself....am I ready for this??? Three kids all under the age of 4?

Whoa.

We've settled into our new home. Randall is still adjusting to the loooong drive to work and I'm adjusting to the extra time without his help and realizing I depend on him sooooo much. Can I handle three kids for 12 hours a day without him?? hmm.

Some random thoughts I've pondered on lately:
Boy or girl??? (obviously)

Will we get ANY sleep?

How will the boys adjust?

Will they still get the love that they so much deserve? Not just need, but deserve?

Will I remember how to have a newborn? Because the last memory I have of bringing home a
baby, he was 4 months old, had a permanent IV(central line), a mic-key button, and 15 poopie diapers a day. Will I know what to do without all the "extras"?

Will I lose the baby weight? And I mean all 3 babies, not just this one! Cause let's face it. I'm not one of those cute preggos. Nope. Not even close. I get huge. Like really huge. Too huge to mention a weight. Is it worth it?? Of course, that's why I've done it 3 times :)

Will I still have the energy to be a good wife? Because my hubby is important too! I still want to have a warm meal on the table, a clean house, and good kids for him to come home to. But lets face it, I'm lucky if I shower before he gets home.

Will we ever have a date again? Let's be real, no one really wants to babysit 3 kids under the age of 4.

Can I be a good mom to 3?

Was that a contraction?

Will today be the day?

What day will she/he be born on?

What's taking so long?

Can I do this naturally?

Was that a contraction?

and so on, and so on, and so on...................

I just want to make sure ALL my kids get the best. That's what I'm here for, to guide them. Guide them and pray that they make the right decisions as they grow up. And gloat. But I've got that one down. Almost everything they do makes me a proud momma. Almost. Just the other night we were out to dinner (which, can I mention is a challenge with two parents and just two kids. I imagine will be impossible with the third.) and my boys bowed their heads and we said our prayer before our meal. My eyes filled with tears. Sooooo proud. Or the fantastic manners they have. Really. My kids are pretty polite. *gloat*

Anyways. My stream of consciousness is just all over the place right now. But ultimately, I'm just sitting here thinking "will the contractions start now? What about now? What about now?"

Anxiously awaiting our baby beetlebug......

Baby Playlist!!! Need Help!!! What songs would you use?

Okay bloggers, I really do have an excuse for not keeping you all updated....well actually, many excuses. Let's just say, renovating a house, starting homeschool with the boys, starting swim lessons with the boys, still maintaining a liveable home at our current house (which I'll admit has been at the bottom of my list so the house is a DISASTER!!!), and being seven months pregnant isn't the easiest thing to do in the world. But I'm not complaining, because I'm actually REALLY enjoying it.....ALL of it!!!! The biggest pressure is getting our new home complete before the baby gets here....and we are at T-7weeks!!!!!! But we're so close I can taste it. I seriously don't know what I will do with all my left-over time when the house is done......decorate???? I think I should've been an interior decorator in another life (watch out Sarah Richardson. She's my fave!). But fortunately, I chose to be a mommy!!!!! Definitely my life's calling!!!! That, and I don't think everyone would like my taste in design!!! :)~

And speaking of, I will let you all know that the laundry room chosen was laundry room #1 and I am currently working on it!!! Painted the walls and got the new washer and dryer in (which I LOVE!!!!) Now just need a few added touches and the laundry room will be complete (and pics will be posted!). Thanks for all your advice!!!! It really did help me to choose! And, wow, some of you know me all too well!!!!

Which leads me to this post. I'm trying to create a playlist on my I-Pod so that I can play it during labor and delivery with our little beetlebug! In hopes that it might help in the whole "process." So naturally, I want all of your advice!!! Of course it needs to be a long playlist because who knows how long I'll be in there, so the more recommendations...the better.

So let me start by telling you what I'm looking for: of course anything soft and serene and songs that focus on babies, or children, or family, or just pretty much loving a human being beyond words....is good! My fav type of music is christian because it is ALWAYS inspiring and ALWAYS has a message. Second choice would be country because....well, that's just MY PEOPLE!!!!!But I am open to lots of other stuff, just remember, I will be having a baby so let's keep it kinda chill!!! No 80's hairband music would be good, even though Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar is one of my all time favorites of all time!!!!

But do feel free to throw some songs in there that might make me smile, or better yet, laugh!!!! You're gonna find this strange but I'll tell y'all anyways!!! The song by Blaque "8o8" is also one of my all time favorites that I will put on full blast in the car, dance my toosh off, and literally jam every time I hear it. Why you ask? It's soooooo my sister and I's song. We would literally drop everything to jam to this song, and after her accident, I would continue that tradition on my own and it was like she was there everytime. So yeah, you better believe that song will be on my playlist. It's like a little nod from Sherri. (Well, more like a laugh, like literally laughing AT ME.)

I hope to hear from lots of you cause I have like maybe 10 songs on my list right now! HELP!!!

God's Inconceivable Love

I lay next to Colton the other night, running my fingers through his hair (upon his insistance!), and I was overcome. Overcome with love that fills every cell in my body and just taken a back by how it was possible to love something or someone so much that you actually ache, emotionally and physically. If you are a mother, you know what I'm talking about. Where I become as soft as bubbles when he needs loving, or as tough as a mama lion if something threatens him. Where my nerves are physically jittery when they are trying something new (like swimming) and pride that literally beams from my cheeks when they "show off" their "smarticles." And just when you think you can't possibly fit anymore love in there, they look at you and smile at you like you hung the moon. Oh, it's pure bliss.

Well, it took Colton a while to fall asleep that night (and yes, I will run my fingers through his hair for bedtime as long as he wants me to because one day he won't want that anymore!). So as I sat there overcome with joy, I started thinking, "if I can't grasp how much I love these children, then it is inconceivable how much God loves us. Inconceivable. Because he loves us so much more. How do I know?? Because He said so. Actually, Jesus said so (Literally. The red writing in the Bible....Jesus said!!!)

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11

And so I thought to myself, would I be able to sacrifice my own son for the sake of others so that they may benefit??? In all reality......ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! Not my baby!!!!! And that alone tells me that He loves us so much more because He DID sacrifice His own son so that we may be saved. That's some serious love. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to give that sacrifice and the thought alone was too painful. But He did it. He did it so that we could ALL be saved.
So that, if we accept Him as our Savior, we can spend eternity with Him. And that's what He wants, to spend eternity with us. With me. With you. Because He loves us with a love that we can not understand. What a gift!

Sorry to get all "preachy" on you, but this was a "deep" moment for me where I realized how loved I am by our almighty God. And how being a mom has giving me a small understanding to how much I'm loved.....how much we are all loved. And I felt compelled to share. It's the least I could do. Seeing as He made the ultimate sacrifice with His son for us, I could at least tell others about it. Maybe somebody needs to hear it. Maybe they needed it to be told from a mother's perspective so that they can better understand......I don't know. But I do know love. And I know this love because I am blessed to be the mommy of three. And that God loves us all so much more. That alone is reason enough to serve Him more. Therefore, I will serve!

God bless!

WANTED: HELP DESIGNING MY LAUNDRY ROOM

HELP ME DESIGN MY LAUNDRY ROOM!!!!!!

WHICH LAUNDRY ROOM DO YOU LIKE BEST:

LAUNDRY ROOM #1:

LAUNDRY ROOM #2:

LAUNDRY ROOM #3:

OR
LAUNDRY ROOM #4:

So we are in a mad rush to get our new home ready for us to move in before our Baby Beetlebug gets here. I've pretty much got an idea for every room.....except the laundry room. I'm stuck. And if you ask me, the laundry room is important. It should look and feel like a room that MOMMY wants to be in. Otherwise, why would I do laundry?!?!?! And, let's face it, with a growing family of 5 (and who knows how many more we'll add to that) laundry is gonna be an everyday thing!!!! So, I'm coming to my friends, family, and followers for help. What do you think I should do???

Here's a little bit of info. that might help in OUR decision-making for the laundry room. It's a small room with one small window for natural light. It is the room you walk into from the garage and is connected to the kitchen. It has a sink and the washer and dryer will be side-by-side under countertop. Cabinetry will be white. As far as what I like: the whole house is fairly light and airy so I'm going with it. Lots of light colors. Lots of natural light. I also like a lot of storage for organization. And I'm all about "pretty" containers to put stuff in and hide stuff. I picked a few pics from the internet of laundry rooms that I like and wouldn't mind mimicking up above. (that's how my design works.....I copy!!!!)

So any type of help would be tremendous. Give ideas, suggest places to get things, definitely help with paint color selection (biggest problem I'm having), or just tell me which laundry room from the above pics you like best. I think this will be a big help. And when I decide and get the room done, I'll post some before and after pics for ya!!! Thanks in advance for your help!!! Gotta get this done before baby gets here!!(and for the record, that's in 3 MONTHS!!!)

Longest post ever!!! And lots of pics!!!!

I've been meaning to post a blog for weeks now, but didn't know really where to start, there's so much!! So let's start with the most important: CHASE TURNED 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And boy did he celebrate! He had, not one, but two slices of cake. No need for a fork or even cutting up the slice into little pieces. No, no. I got this mommy!!!! He ate cake like a champ. To be honest, this was the best part of his night. Most of the time throughout the party he looked like this:
I feel like I must explain, though. Chase is scared of a lot of people. And yes, I'm partly to blame for this. I sheltered him tremendously his first year. I didn't want to expose him to any germs while he had a central line, so we just stayed home........A LOT! That and he's afraid mommy and daddy are going to leave him and some mean ol' doctor or nurse is going to take him and poke him or put him to sleep and he'll wake up all achy. He hasn't forgotten. But I'm hoping "this too shall pass." So for now, we'll hold him when he needs to be held and love him more than a little two-year old can handle :)
But otherwise, the party was a success. We had big plans to celebrate his birthday and the 4th of July with water balloons, a slip-and-slide, and fireworks. But with all the chaos, we only got to the fireworks. And by then, most everyone had already left. But Chase turned 2, and that's all that matters!!

Randall made homemade lemonade (his daddy's recipe!)

Lexi like!!!!!

Randall made some homemade ice cream, too. He's so good!!

(needed LOTS of citronella candles...the mosquitos are ridiculous!)

Birthday hug from big bubba (tears!)

The day ended on a good note, though. Celebrating the life of this little boy is something we will do forever (thank you, Lord)! Two years ago, we thought our little boy wouldn't make it. That we wouldn't get to do this kind of stuff with him. No firsts, no snuggles, no little brother, and no birthday parties. But God's plan is always better, and with His grace my little man was healed. So now we have MANY birthdays to celebrate. Something I will always try not to take for granted. Thank you Lord for the healing of this little miracle. Thank you for revealing Yourself in Him so that others may believe in Your almighty power and love. (Bear with me)

It's still very hard to look at these pictures of Chase's first few days of life. But I have to remember how awesome God's miracle really was and these pictures tell a thousand words. It is only by God's grace that my son was healed and went from this......

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.....to this in just two short years. He's definitely kicked short gut's butt!!!!!!

PRAISE GOD!!!!!

(my cup runneth over)

On June 11th my smokin' hot hubby and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. It wasn't really a big day for us, considering our whole house had the rotavirus on our anniversary, but it's still a day worth recognizing. Four years of bliss (okay, well, most of the time it was bliss). :)~
How did I get so lucky????

It's crazy how much I love this man!!!! Sometimes I have a hard time believing it myself!!! :) I love him more today than I did that beautiful day in Pennsylvania 4 years ago. What we've been through together could either bring us closer or tear us apart. We're happy and proud to say that it has definitely brought us closer. He's my man!!!!

We've started a little tradition here in our house. The night before our boys' birthdays, we take a picture of them. Kind of a way to capture their last moment as a two-year old......

......or one year old.

It's heartbreaking because it's the last time I get to hold them and snuggle them at that age. But we capture it on camera so we can remember it forever. So hard to watch my babies grow up so fast!

This is just a random pic, but I am IN LOVE with my Granddaddy so I had to include it. (That, and I just found these pics) We celebrated his 86th birthday this past year. How awesome is he? And lil' Chase is going to look like him........just a coincidence that his middle name is Roberts (Grandaddy's last name).

Four generations!!!!!

Oh, I forgot to mention, I was the coordinator for VBS at our church. VBS is always a rewarding time, despite all the really hard work you think you'll never get through to get it started. I mean, look at those kids......priceless!!! (Colton was jammin' all week to the music but froze when they performed for the church on Sunday). It was still a difficult week cause our whole house was battling the rotavirus that week!

We went to Cattlemen's Convention for the first time in years in June. Luckily, I had my two cousins (but they're more like nieces), Cassidy and Braiden, there to help with the boys. We had a blast!

Floaties never looked so cool!

Pappaw helping out! He loves swimming with his boys!
Meemaw was there too, but I'm pretty sure she'd kill me if I put a picture of her in a bathing suit on here (love you mom!!!).

Wouldn't part with his Toy Story sunglasses (or as he likes to call them, "woody glasses").

Love this pic. Check out that smile and those "totally cool" scars!

They swam the whole time we were there. Thank goodness for my cousins!!

Pictures from Colton's Birthday (just like I promised):

He's a big, bad bullrider!! Meemaw and Pappaw got him this for his birthday.

This pic is kind of blurry, but I still love it! The boys loved Pump It Up!!

Oh my gosh, isn't he just the yummiest?!?!?

A pro at blowing out the candles.

All Colton's buddies.

And of course, Daddy being the wonderful man that he is. Couldn't get through this pregnancy without his help. He really is the World's Greatest Dad (well, tied with my dad that is!)

And just some random pics for your enjoyment:

Colton's ghetto look!!!! Peace out, homies!!!

Chase gettin' some love from Aunt Bethie at the Botanical Gardens in Naples

Our family, Colton and Chase with cousins Gaige and Ryleigh, at Disney for Colton's birthday.

Chase was throwing a fit until he got to Minnie. He was soooo happy to see her. Think he might have a little crush!

And my little peanut writing his name for the first time. That's right, he's a genius!!!!!

(So, so proud!)

I hope this catches everybody up, at least for a little while. Until next time, God Bless!!