Life Contented

Tag from Emily

2009-01-21T11:06:00.001-08:00

I wasn't going to do this but I know Emily knows I read her blog and I don't have anything interesting to say so...

This is about Ty. I will try to remember the answers for all the others but NO promises.

1. Were you married at the time? 3 years (July 2004), 4 years (January 2006), 5 years (October 2006), 7 years (August 2008)

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? I am always excited to know there is a new baby coming. I was pretty much shocked when we found out Bryce was on his way!

3. How old were you? 24, 26, 27, 28

4.How did you find out? EPT, baby.

5. Who did you tell first? Randall knew that I was pregnant before Josh (with Ty) but Josh knew first every other time.

6. Did you want to find out the sex? Yes

7. Due date? July 26th, February 26th, November 19, September 7

8. Did you deliver late or on time? 1 week early, 6 weeks early, 4 weeks early, 4 weeks early

9. Did you have morning sickness? YES, Yes, Not so much, YES

10. What did you crave? Corn

11. Who/what irritated you the most? Being uncomfortable

12. What was your first child's sex? a boy

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout pregnancy? 35, a ridiculous number that I will not share, 25, 20

14. Did you have any complications during pregnancy? Just morning sickness. That was debilitating for me.

15. Where did you give birth? Renaissance for Ty, Mercy for everyone else.

16. How many hours were you in labor? My longest labor was 8 hours with Ty.

17. Who drove you to the hospital? Josh

18. Who watched? It was me and Josh for Ty and Brett. My mom and Katie joined us Bryce. Katie, Mom, and Celice were there for Lainey.

19. Was it natural or c-section? Vaginal but medicated

20. Did you take medication to ease the pain? Yup

21. How much did your child weigh? 7 lbs, 13 ozs, 4 lbs, 4 ozs, 6 lbs, 4 ozs, 6 lbs

22. Did your child have any complications? No, Yes, Slight breathing problems requiring oxygen, No

23. What did you name her? Ty Allen, Brett Andrew, Bryce Anderson, Lainey Jean

24. How old are they today? 4 years, 6 months; deceased; 2 years, 3 months; 5 months

Questions for Ty

2009-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

I found this on another blog and was interested in what Ty would say.

1. What was your favorite part of your birthday? The part where I get the toys.

2. Do you like stay up late or get up early? Stay up late!!

3. What is your favorite food? mac n' cheese

4. What is your favorite thing to do at school time? Play at with my friends

5. Do you have favorite book? yes. What is it? Magic School Bus

6. Can you read yet? I can only read my name words. Do you like to read? Yes but only to look at pictures

7. How high can you count? one, two, three, four ... 10. That's it.

8. What do you think you will be doing when you are seven years old? Cleaning my room up for good.

9. Do you have a favorite number? yes; 4

10. Who is your best friend? Umm...Carter

11. Would you like to have any more brothers or sisters? Yes. What kind? A brother or sister? All of them.

12. What kind of job do you want to have when you are twenty? Put toys up at the store and then I can get money for toys.

13. Is there one thing you cannot sleep without? my toys

14. If you could do anything you wanted to right now, what would it be? play a video game.

15.What is your favorite TV show? Star Wars: The Clone Wars

16. Your favorite sport? Soccer. "Did you see that coming?" he asked me.

17. Do have any jobs to do around the house? Yes. What are they? Clean up all of the rooms.

18. How are you the biggest help to our family? By cleaning up my room together with team work,

19. Have you found who you are marrying yet? Lainey. But she's not big enough yet.

20. Do you worry about anything? Noises.

Shhh...

2009-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

Don't move. My boys are *gasp* playing together. Without fighting. Without pestering me. THis makes Lainey and I very happy!

Motherhood...the best of times and the worst of times

2009-01-05T11:41:00.001-08:00

So, I have this friend who just had a baby. She is feeling all kinds of overwhelmed and just really wondering when all of the loving, mothering feelings kick in. My sister is also expecting baby girls (2!) in April. I think it is time to bare it all. What are the good and bad things about being a mom. It isn't all sunshine and roses but it isn't all poop bombs, either.

My big thing that no one told me (and, consequently, the one my friend, Jessica, is struggling with) is that you don't always feel instantly connected to the baby. I told her that I think the first six weeks is ridiculously hard because it is thankless. Not one smile for all of the work that you are doing. If the baby is a screamer (think Ty), then forget bonding because not throwing them out the window or selling them to the gypsies is your #1 goal. I think that once you get past that part and they start acknowledging your presence, it is much better.

Also, I didn't realize that everyone would be an expert on my kid BUT me. It seemed like no matter what I did (with baby 1, 3, or 4) I was doing it wrong. At least according to every random stranger in WalMart, Target or Lowes. I think new moms become queen of graciousness out of necessity.

All that being said, I also didn't realize that I would ever love someone with such depth of emotion. Even when I am hating being a mom (dragging a fit-throwing four year old and screaming 3 month old out of the mall while trying to convince my 2 year old that he is not, in fact, a dog and crawling around on all fours while barking is inappropriate), I love these 3 little kids more than life itself. It doesn't get to that point immediately but it does get there.

Now, add your good or bad things that you didn't know or realize were coming with motherhood.

Thanksgiving and Other Stuff

2008-12-05T18:58:00.001-08:00

Less words, more pictures. Maybe that will become my signature style.

Christmas Wreaths with the girls: Mom, Celice, Melaina, and Katie

The Cousins: Can you feel the love? Reagan, Audrey, Ty, Bryce, and Lainey

My kids. Three kids looking three different places.

The girls (Audrey was mad at Reagan)

Tim's Family

Katie and Jason (She's showing already - twins!)

Randall and Celice

After Thanksgiving, we crashed.

Then it was off to Abilene for bowling, kittens and Christmas Parades! It has been a fun week!

Uncle Jason is a sore loser...

I should probably update.

2008-12-04T20:18:00.001-08:00

Never, ever say that you can't believe that your baby hasn't had an ear infection yet. Never. Because they will get an ear infection about 20 minutes later. And you'll be out of state. That will result in an Urgent Care visit where the co-pay is $40 instead of $20. Then the nurse will ask if you dropped your baby and could that be the reason that she won't stop crying. When you tell her that dropping the baby would be an important piece of information that you probably wouldn't forget, she will then ask if she has older siblings that could hurt her. This will go on for a long time while they examine your baby for broken bones and they will eventually conclude that she does, in fact, have the ear infection that you told them you suspected in the first place. So, really, don't ever say that you can't believe that your baby hasn't had an ear infection yet.

Bryce is now saying that his ear hurts. Josh is out of town on business. I think that I am ready to take my week-long business trip where I hang out and go to dinner with my friends while my spouse stays at home with the kids with ear infections. Sign.Me.Up.

Why I might say bad things about children...

2008-11-18T23:02:00.001-08:00

It took 7 hours to clean up the games that apparently took 10 minutes to dump ALL over floor.

NOTE: See how the books are still neatly on the shelf? I swear their room is usually fairly neat.

FOCA

2008-11-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Currently driving me crazy

2008-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

The thing that is (at this moment) driving me nuts is the commercial that claims that the View is a news show with tough interrogating questions. Puh-lease. I love watching Joy and Elisabeth go at it as much as the next person (though I do wish that the Conservative viewpoint was a little more intelligently represented), but there is no hard-hitting anything going on there.

I mean all they did when Barack was on was talk about sexy he is and they asked McCain if they should be worried about instituting slavery again. Yes, that is what you should be worried about. Grrr...

The second most irritating thing in my life is my beautiful daughter who got shots today and WILL.NOT.STOP.SCREAMING. I feel really bad for her but the Dr says it is a normal reaction and I am losing my mind. She needs to stop. For reals.

My Bryce is Two!

2008-10-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Today my baby is two. He woke up, toddled into my room and (after a brief segment of the birthday song) said, "No Happy Birthday." That sums up Bryce. He also, though, sang (to the tune of the Wiggles "Yummy, Yummy"), "Mommy, Mommy, Brycie wub you." That also sums up Bryce.

He is the most loving baby that I have ever seen. He loves to rub your face when he is sleeping and he snuggles right in. He is quick to say that he loves you and he always wants hugs. He also is boy through and through. He is the first to wrestle and rough-house. He loves bugs and rocks and puppies (Poor Baxter almost lost his life this week due to the Bryce love). I am constantly apologizing for his temperament because he is quick to anger. I will say that he was two before his time.

I love my Bryce. He is my miracle baby that I couldn't have known if not for tragedy. He helped me through a crazy time in my life without even knowing it. He is sunshine and compassion and sympathy and just a mess!!! Happy Birthday Bryce!!

For Melaina and Katie

2008-09-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Here is Lainey after church yesterday. The dress is from Melaina and the cardigan is from Katie.

In more funny news, I begin training to run a half marathon today. HaHaHaHa!

Oh my goodness!

2008-09-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

A month has passed so quickly!! We are loving having Lainey as a part of our family. She fits in really nicely and the boys LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her.

Ty started soccer this month and it is entertaining to say the least. I would love to say that he always looks like this:

but he generally looks like this (Yes, this is a member of the other team) :

Bryce is doing well adjusting to Lainey. He still is a little off of his sleep schedule so this is a common face:

He does love soccer, though, so we have a few happier times:

And, last but not least, some pictures of LJ:

Who needs a doctor?

2008-08-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well.... it is hard to believe, but we have a baby girl!

And we did it without a doctor!

Serious contractions started around 2:00 this morning, so I woke Josh up and we packed the bags (and cleaned the house a bit more). After waking all the family up with phone calls, we headed to drop Ty and Bryce off at Tim and Melaina's place (thanks guys!) and headed to the hospital. We basically got right in, because it was a slow night with very few people. They had the epidural stuff waiting in the room for us after we were admitted, and I wasn't feeling too much pain after 5:30 or so.

The nurses kept calling my doctor, but he wasn't available, so we knew we would get the on call doctor instead. They called her several times, and told us that she would make it because she lives across the street. The nurses tried to slow things down so that she would make it, but after a couple of minutes (without me pushing), it was clear that Lainey was coming without the doctor. So the nurses basically caught her, and she was here just like that! Funny that my folks from Texas can make it, but the doc across the street can't...

A couple of notes: The boys didn't go back to sleep, so they have been up with Tim and Melaina since 3:00. We are in the same room that Preston and Sara used at the hospital. She looks like Bryce, but has a full head of dark hair. Ty already asked where her tee-tee was. Lainey Jean is 6 pounds even, and 17.5 inches long!

We're having a baby...

2008-08-16T04:24:00.001-07:00

That's all!! More info as we have it!

OK, I have to share...

2008-08-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

While it is no FAIL Blog (which is oh so funny), this cake website is really great for laughs.

My personal favorite? The edible baby. Because, really, there is nothing wrong with baby for dessert. Or this one. Read the story. It made me laugh.

Progress

2008-08-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't been a very good pregnancy blogger this time around. I think it is because I have "been there, done that" so often that it isn't really new or exciting. Until now. I had a Dr appt this morning (35 weeks, 4 days) and had to get a GBS test. While they were occupied, they decided to check for any progress. Ready? 3 cm and 25-30% effaced. YAY! The Dr said that it was a little early to have so much progress and that the baby could come at any time. First he said that he wouldn't stop labor and then he said he might half-heartedly try to stop it. To me that just means I will labor at home for a while so they can't stop it.

Anyway, that is all that I know. Life is boring around here lately. The boys are good and I will put a picture up so you can have something to look at. Hopefully the next time I write there will be a Lainey picture to put up!

A baby shower X 2

2008-07-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

So, I had a girl's night out last night that we were terming a pre-baby party. We all went to the Melting Pot for lots of chocolate, friends, and NO KIDS!! It was so much fun. There were a lot of people there (I think 14 or so) and we just ate and ate. I was also given presents! We have a no-shower policy for 3rd babies so I was pretty excited to get showered with bows, clothes, shoes, a picture book, a car seat cover, lovies and more clothes! I think that everyone knew that I was really not prepared for a little girl!

*I might add pictures if my camera ever cooperates*

I am sad, though, because Melaina had planned a surprise shower for me (She knew about the no-shower policy) for this weekend. When she heard about the church shower she had to cancel because I have a limited number of friends and they brought gifts to the Melting Pot. I'm sad that she had to cancel but am so touched that she thought about me to do this. Isn't that so nice? I just can't believe that she was so thoughtful! I love my family and am really blessed to have so many that love me and Lainey and want to take care of us!

Work in Progress

2008-07-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't put anything up here in a while. I am going to blame it on being super busy trying to get all of the things that I don't have to get done finished before Lainey makes her grand entrance.

The first task was to get the boys moved into one room. It is a little tight but, hopefully, Bryce will grow out of the crib eventually. Ty wanted a Pokemon room and Bryce loves "Chu" so that is what we did. I free-handed all of the pictures and the letters on the wall!! I actually felt really crafty. I feel like it needs more but this will do for now.

The next job was Lainey's room. We bought bedding to match the pre-existing paint color. I painted the letters and we were off. This room is NOT done, but it is close. I am only putting up one picture to give you a brief idea of what it looks like.

Finally, I painted my kitchen cabinets blue. They are also not done but they are looking really good - but that is a story (and pictures) for another day.

And so it begins...

2008-05-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Ty ran in and handed me his red blanket (his FAVORITE) and told me that it was time to wash it. I asked him why and he informed me that he had an accident and so it needed to be washed. Now, I start laying in to him about how he knows better and accidents are unacceptable. I am telling him haw disappointed I am that he didn't use the potty. Since he still had his undies on, I checked to see if he was sitting in nastiness. Nope -dry as a bone. I asked him if he changed his undies. Nope. I was so confused. I said, "Ty, did you take off your undies and pee on your blanket?" He nodded. I saw red. I was so mad at him. I walked over to him to spank his bottom because he knows better and he breaks out in to a huge grin and tells me, "It was just a joke, mom. I didn't go pee pee yet." A quick check of the blanket revealed no wetness. What a goober.

Can you believe that kid? He is funny and smart and devious. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. He kills me!

What could inspire me to post?

2008-05-22T17:37:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I need to sit down and write about ALOT of things that have happened in the last long while. Did my cute children inspire this blog? No. They are cute and I am downloading pictures from the camera to blog about but that was not my inspiration.

My inspiration was my Dr's appointment today. I am 24 1/2 weeks pregnant. I went to the Dr last month (20 wks) and he basically said, "Hey, Fatty McFatterson, stop eating. You gained 6 pounds last month and 7 pounds this month. This is not okay and your cottage thighs are begging you to STOP!" Okay, he may have said it more nicely than that but that was the gist. I didn't fight and argue even though 13 pounds in 20 weeks didn't seem awful to me.

What did I do? I started eating salads - covered in Ranch dressing. That might not have been my healthiest choice but it is better than a fried chicken sandwich or a double cheeseburger. I obviously was right because I LOST 2 pounds this month!! Yay! Of course they weren't jumping up and down like I was. Oh well.

Oh, Come On!

2008-04-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

EDIT - Josh says that writing about the pregnant "man" fuels her publicity. I am editing so that I am not aiding the madness.

Jen

We might have a name

2008-03-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

I think that this kid is gonna be named Lainey Jean Foster. I think I like it. I am having a really hard time committing, though. For some reason it seems much harder to name a little girl. I mean, who really cares what a boy is named? They all go by their last names anyway. Give a name that sounds mature enough for an adult and tough enough for a sports star and they are good to go. Girls need a cute name that can sound smart (for an attorney) or cute (for a cheerleader). They need a name that will go with most last names since the name they start with isn't the name they generally wind up with. They need a name that doesn't remind you of the girl in school that had no friends at all (not even dorky ones). It is hard, I tell you.

Thanks to all for all of the suggestions. I love a lot of the names that were recommended. Josh, however, is a different story. Several times I was told that I was free to use a suggested name as long as Josh had passed away first. Grrr.

Anyway, I will be sure to post again Monday because my husband is turning 30! I never thought I'd be married to a 30 year old! Ack! I am firmly entrenched in my 20's... forever.

PSA

2008-03-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Quick public service announcement:

Peach and Love are one syllable words. They are not, however, one syllable girl names. That is all.

It's a GIRL!!!

2008-03-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

How's that for an upbeat, exciting post? Now, when I say that it is a girl, I mean it is probably a girl with a chance that it is a boy that is taking his time to, ummm, develop. We will hopefully go back in a couple of weeks to confirm the gender. I am very positive that it is a girl since we were able to see boy parts with Bryce at this age.

Now it is a new ball game. What do you do with a girl? Besides buy lots of cute dresses and really big hairbows? What to name her? A cute girly name that could be a cheerleader or a tomboy would be great. Any suggestions?

Blogs are for griping, right?

2008-02-25T05:57:00.000-08:00

I have recently realized that I use my blog (generally) to post about the negative things that are going on with our family. Random ailments, prayer requests, sleep issues are all featured here. I have decided that I do this because misery loves company. I will try to be better about posting more positive things in the future, but today is another bummer post.

I am sick. Not just baby sick (which still SUCKS, by the way) but honest to goodness sick. I am hot. I am tired. My stomach is in knots. My 1 year old is running a fever of 101 and my 3 year old is running 103. My husband is at work. Bless his heart, he offered to stay home if I would just say the word, but I couldn't do that to him. I just want out of my house. Is that too much to ask?

That's the end of my pity party. The next time I write I WILL be upbeat. I swear.

What did you do?

2008-02-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

So, did we all have a great Valentine's Day? I did! We did nothing and it was really nice. Josh got me a great picture frame that I LOVE and I also got some loungewear (since all I do lately is sit on my couch in my PJs and puke) from a great friend. Ty got Mickey Mouse ears and a Transformer and Bryce got a stuffed Mickey and Mickey Mouse ears.

I surprised Josh and cleaned the kitchen and made Lasagna, salad, peas, and yeast rolls. We finished off with heart-shaped cookies. It was really nice and a lot less hassle than getting us all out to dinner. After dinner, Dax came over and we watched him while Court and JC had a date. Dax was perfect and slept the whole time - even with Ty hugging him every 2 seconds!

Today, though, is a new day. We are all tired and grumpy. I am betting that it has to do with the cold and whatever germ of the day is running its course. In good news, we paid off our credit card! That thing has been a monkey on our back for years. We are SO happy to be done with it and to be living the Dave Ramsey lifestyle again. Unfortunately, our next debt is a student loan that has a balance of 17,000 or so dollars on it. I am thinking it will be awhile before we pay off (completely) anything else.

I can tell you now...

2008-02-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

that I am having a baby! I couldn't post it before because I think that some of Josh's family reads here and we hadn't told them yet. Anyway, I am 9 weeks pregnant and due on September 7 (6 days before my birthday). I would be really excited if I weren't throwing up all of the time. I have already done the IV fluid thing in the hospital (SUCKS!) and am heavily medicated at all times. BLECH!

I am holding my breath that it is a girl because this is it, I am done with babies! So, for all of you that pray, pray for a happy, healthy little girl to enter our family this fall!! I would love to see a little Ty/Bryce clone with pigtails!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Brett!!

2008-01-14T04:48:00.000-08:00

Today is a big day in the Foster house. It is Brett's birthday. We want to celebrate and have a good time and make sure to remember the blessing that Brett was to our family. I think the plan is to watch the video of his birth (we haven't seen it before) and go to the cemetery for a balloon release. After that, I think we are going to go to Jenks, OK and take the kids to the aquarium. We want the day to be very special and let the boys do the things that they normally do not get the chance to do. I will try to update with pictures later.

I need advice

2008-01-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, I need you all to tell me what you do on a daily basis. I ask this because I am currently sitting on my couch while Ty watches Pokemon (again) and Bryce wanders about aimlessly. How much TV does your kid watch? What do you do so that they aren't watching TV/ playing XBOX all day?

I tried playing with Ty in his his room yesterday but I only get to be bad guys and none of them stand a chance against LarryBoy's Super Suction Ears. You can only get defeated so many times before it ceases to be fun.

Help me make a schedule so that I don't ruin my kids!!

Need a Laugh?

2007-11-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

moar funny pictures

Oh, Halloween!

2007-11-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. Why? I love Halloween because I get candy. Candy (that I don't pay for) in large quantities is always a good thing. Even better? There is so much candy in my house that there is no accountability. What, Josh? Want a Peanut Butter Cup? Sure, here's 7 of them. Huh? Did I eat any? Of course not. I know they're your favorite *slyly kicks trash bag full of wrappers around the corner*.

But really, this Halloween was actually fun. Ty is old enough now that he gets it. We went to a great neighborhood off of Bryant where the cheap houses cost 3X more than our own. We did that because these people have more money than they have uses for it. That means full size candy bars, my friend. We then unleashed our children on said neighborhood. Ty would run up to the doors with Bryce close behind. After a knock on the door or a ring of the bell, the door would open and Ty would say, "Trick or Treat. Halloween," and Bryce would turn and run away. Ty would grab a piece of carefully selected candy and Momma would grab a piece for Bryce (I swear he LOVES Almond Joy). After a quick thanks, we'd be on our way.

Ty says that Halloween is the best day ever. How quickly they forget Christmas. It makes me wonder why I buy so many toys that will just get lost. Maybe I will just buy a bag of candy.

If you have paranoia, don't look here!

2007-10-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, I HATE it when people get all worried and worked up about stuff for no good reason. This is funny because I constantly get worried and worked up about stuff for no good reason. The latest and greatest...Autism.

I used to be worried that Ty was autistic. He still has shades of it, I think. He is VERY sensitive to loud noise and to white noise. He covers his ears and cries (still) if he hears a vaccuum cleaner, blender, mixer, or any noise that could be considered loud (including yelling). As time has gone on, though, I think that we are in the clear with Ty. He maybe could be on the spectrum, but if he is, it isn't by much.

Now, I have Brycie to worry about. If it isn't enough to just have the worry in your head, Autism Speaks has put out a video glossary ( http://www.autismspeaks.org/video/glossary.php ) that shows warning signs of Autism. Now, I am afraid Bryce has Autism. He doesn't respond to his name the majority of the time, he gets hyper-focused on one thing, and he hand flaps when showing distress or anger. That being said, he is super-affectionate, can make eye contact, and does show me things/ ask for help - all of which point away from autism.

The moral is that there is always something to worry about, I guess. First, it is birth defects which moves to Autism and that gives way to late developing mental illness. I am going to resolve not to worry about this anymore...

Please Pray

2007-10-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is a letter that I just forwarded to me. I was in club with Brianne.

Please petition God for Baylee Banning. She is the 6-month-old daughter of Aaron and Brianne (Lytton) Banning, who are friends of mine and Ben’s. Yesterday Baylee was diagnosed with 6 areas of cancer in her little body (3 in her brain). It appears to be fast-moving, but they did a biopsy today and are still waiting on results to find out what kind of cancer they are dealing with and what the treatment plan will be.

We KNOW that we serve an amazing God who CAN heal Baylee. Please pray for his healing power to be on Baylee and to just remove these tumors from her so she won’t have to go through chemo.

Thank you for your prayers!!
Kelly, Ben and Sophie Tyson

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph 3:20-21

What makes me feel old?

2007-09-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

It's not my birthday. I will say that Sara is right, though. 28 and 29 are linked to 30. For instance, it isn't, "Wow! You are 28!" It is, "Only 2 years until 30. How are you holding up?" Please. I am still in the prime of my 20's - firmly entrenched in my 20's and not going anywhere...

What makes me feel old is going out for a night on the town with a bunch of 21 year olds. My sister's bachelorette party was this weekend and I planned it. I have been super stressed out about it because I just wanted it to be fun. I think it was fun.

We started out at Celice's apartment for a lingerie shower/ dinner. Katie got lots of good things. One of the ice breaker questions was, "If you are married, how many times a week do you have sex." Now, I won't answer that question on here because I am not so much sure who reads this, but, suffice it to say, I have been married 6 1/2 years and have 3 children - 2 of which sleep with me half the night. My answer was probably disheartening to those newlyweds who are fooling around more than once a day. Ha!

After the dinner, we went to a pole-dancing class. Not to brag, but I am a pretty good exotic dancer. I mean, I might quit my day job as a stay-at-home mom. No, really, I fell on butt after trying the fireman spin on the pole. Not good. I did, however, give both of my sister-in-laws pretty good lap dances. AWKWARD but fun!

Finally, we hit the bar scene. This was my first bar experience (I was the Designated Driver) and it was fun. I am pretty sure that I was the only person in our group that didn't get hit on - so sad. I did, however, have 2 drinks dropped on my feet and get complements from 3 drunk girls in the bathroom.

All in all, I realized how old - and bland - I am. I had a great time and I loved getting to go out with my sister and sister-in-laws, but *almost 30* is too old to just be starting the whole bar/club thing. I guess I should be starting bingo and slots...

Scott Baio is 45 and single...

2007-08-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

...and if you want to know why just watch his show on VH1. We have been on vacation so I have been unable to watch my Jr High crush on TV for the last 2 Sundays. Catching up on these shows makes me realize that Charles in Charge is just an *small curse word here*. I mean, really? Really? The man is almost the same age as my Father (gross that he was my crush once, huh?) and he is just a loser. It makes me sad that the life portrayed on TV is not fiction but is really his life.

Just take some time to think about Cha-Chi today and be happy that you don't have that life (but you are allowed to covet his money).

A Diaper, A Straw, and a Map!

2007-08-16T20:57:00.001-07:00

What an odd list, huh? That is what kept Bryce completely entertained while Josh debated whether or not he should keep his iPhone or take it back.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could be so easily entertained??

Foster Vacation - Day 6

2007-08-16T20:41:00.001-07:00

Foster Vacation - Day 5

2007-08-16T20:40:00.001-07:00

Vacation Video - Day 4

2007-08-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Vacation Video - Day 3

2007-08-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Vacation Video - Day 2

2007-08-12T20:03:00.001-07:00

Vacation Video - Day 1

2007-08-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

How about a Honda Pilot?

2007-08-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

Any opinions? I am pretty sure that I am going to bail on the mini-van and move up in coolness to an SUV. I am doing this mostly so that hot guys will look at me at stoplights. I mean, when I was young and cute guys looked at me all the time. Now, they pull up and don't look at all. They're all, "Dude, min-van." I miss the visual appreciation.

I am, however, a little worried about this decision. There is 10 - 20% of me that wants that storage space in the Odyssey. Can you believe that this is really a tough decision? What do you think?

100 Things about Me

2007-07-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am going to do the 100 things post because Sara tagged me to do it. In no way do I really think that this will be interesting to anyone but me. Here it goes!

1) I am the oldest child of four.

2) I have car fever right now.

3) I don't even care what kind of car I get as long as it is new to me.

4) I have 3 little boys.

5) When picking their names, I try them out together. If it doesn't flow, it has to go.

6) I really want a baby girl.

7) I may have already picked her name - Lainey Jean or Lainey Jo.

8) I LOVE TV!!

9) My husband (Josh) is the love of my life.

10) I have fantastic friends.

11) I am not great at maintaining long distance friendships.

12) My house is never clean, but I am always cleaning it.

13) I am not as organized as I want to be.

14) I would love to be a domestic goddess, but can't find a place to start learning.

15) I'd love to have an *accident* baby so that I don't have to stress about whether I am ready

16) My love language is quality time.

17) I used to think my love language was gifts until Josh got a promotion and was never home.

18) I love teen movies like Bring It On.

19) I have long periods of depression that no one knows about.

20) I am very insecure about the way my body looks.

21) I am the "fat" bridesmaid in my sister's wedding.

22) I love my kids with all of my heart.

23) My favorite time of day is nap time because we all snuggle in together.

24) I have internet friends.

25) I am always afraid that I will die young.

26) I am TERRIFIED to fly.

27) I like to shop.

28) I feel guilty if I buy stuff.

29) I can't cook.

30) I am always worried that I am not a good mom to my kids.

31) I want to be a better Christian.

32) I like to do crafts.

33) Josh thinks I look good no matter what.

34) I wish I could buy my kids the world.

35) I think Ty is a genius.

36) I also think he is a deviant.

37) I grew up in Texas.

38) I don't think that Texas and Oklahoma are really all that different.

39) I am a singer.

40) I want to be trendy.

41) I struggle with the notion of a loving God.

42) I hate doing laundry.

43) I wish that I still looked 18.

44) I don't like paying to watch a movie at the theater.

45) RENT is my favorite Broadway musical.

46) My brothers and sister have all found significant others that I adore.

47) I struggle with being judgmental.

48) I am indecisive to a fault.

49) I love Taco Cabana taquitos (which they no longer make).

50) I no longer like Taco Cabana.

51) Josh thinks I should become a wedding planner.

52) I love my boys' smiles.

53) I think Bryce is the best baby in the world.

54) I don't know if my friends want to hear about my son that passed away anymore.

55) I paid $180 for knee PT that didn't really do much.

56) I am looking forward to vacation in Padre/San Antonio in August.

57) I graduated as an Electrical Engineer in 2002.

58) There were only 2 other people in my class.

59) I struggle with gossiping.

60) I feel like I have gotten better about gossiping lately.

61) I worry about terrorism.

62) I used to watch the news every day.

63) I had to stop because it was giving me panic attacks.

64) I love Will and Boogie from BB All-Stars.

65) I hate coffee.

66) I am addicted to caffeine (Diet Coke)

67) I tried to be a cake decorator.

68) I sucked at it.

69) Josh supports every wild hair that I get (see Cake Decorating and Wedding Planning)

70) Josh falls asleep on the couch every night and it drives me CRAZY!

71) I just woke him up.

72) I used to buy new bed linens every 3 months.

73) I had to quit that when I became a stay-at-home mom.

74) I helped my sister register for her wedding last week.

75) I now want all new dishes, bedding, bathroom stuff, and appliances.

76) I never knew I wanted a Fry-Daddy until I went registering!

77) I love talk radio.

78) I feel guilty that I don't listen to music in the car with my kids.

79) Ty ruined my car CD player by shoving money and a pool key into it.

80) I want to hire a landscaper.

81) I could spend hours in Hobby Lobby.

82) I lose cell phones.

83) I have a great cat.

84) I would like him to have a great home somewhere else.

85) I worry about what Ty will repeat when I'm not around.

86) I am a worrier.

87) I am a blog stalker.

88) I just woke Josh up AGAIN!

89) I start Bible Studies and never finish them.

90) I WILL finish them.

91) When a plane takes off (that I am in), I pray for forgiveness of my sins just in case.

92) I pray for the forgiveness of everyone else's sins too.

93) I want to be a millionaire.

94) I don't want to have to be disciplined to get there.

95) My mom and dad are fantastic and we have a great relationship.

96) I love Brownies and Ice Cream.

97) I hate being pregnant.

98) I love new babies (for the 1st 2 weeks).

99) I can't decide if I want to move back to Texas ever.

100) I am proud that I was able to think of this many things about me!

I tag Josh and Shannon.

Tonight

2007-07-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we did not buy this beautiful car. I am sad but proud. I WANTED this car. I NEEDED this car. I sat in and SMELLED this car (Okay, not this car, but one just like it). There is nothing like leather. Ahhh, the intoxicating scent of a minivan. It had the sunshades built in to the windows. It had a moon roof. Alas, it was not to be.

I was sitting in the dealership with my stomach in knots. Josh was great and would've bought me the van in a heartbeat. We just couldn't do it. Our guilt was too great (and our trade-in was not). So thank you, Dave Ramsey (and Mary and Neil who helped talk us out of it). I don't have a car payment that is double tonight because of you.

...And that makes me happy :)

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2007-06-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

Or I am going to spank your butt (That's the song as sung by an almost 3 year old)! No, really, I am so very sick of the rain. I was actually sick of it last Wednesday when the weathermen SWORE that we were at the end of the rain and summer was here. It has rained EVERY DAY since they said that. I hate them.

I would say that we had a lot going on here, but, due to aforementioned rains, we don't. I am bored. I am whiney. I will write tomorrow when I am in better spirits.

Filet O' FIsh

2007-06-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Okay. This is the funniest commercial that I have seen in a long time. Josh and I were deep in conversation last night and both stopped (so, I guess it could be argued that we were not THAT deep in conversation if we were both semi-watching the TV) and turned to watch this commercial about 30 seconds into it. Then, we spent the rest of waking time interjecting our conversations with...

"Filet O' Fish"

"No"

HAHAHAHAHA! If you watch and don't think that this is funny, you may have figured out why you think I am crazy. This probably speaks volumes about my sense of humor.

The year has gone SOOO fast!

2007-05-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

What in the world? Where did the time go? It is the end of May and I haven't posted since January! You may think that this is because I am incredibly busy, but you would be oh-so-very wrong. I am just a little on the lazy side.

Anyways, I am coming off of two GREAT weekends and am really dreading starting real life all over again. Last weekend, I (and about 13 other ladies) went to Allen, TX for a lot of shopping and food. It was very fun and I got all of the inappropriate discussions that I wanted to have out of the way -everything from S-E-X to "other things." I mean, really, I was told that you can't talk about a Va-Jay-Jay on a blog. I think that is so very untrue but I won't mention those conversations just in case.

This weekend, we went to DFW for wedding dress shopping and anniversary fun. My mom, Celice, Katie and I went shopping for the perfect, over-the-top, romantic dress for Katie and we found it. She had to order it w/o ever seeing it in person, though, so let's hope that it is as beautiful in real life as in the picture. Don't think she didn't try on every dress in the store(s) because she did. None of them were quite right, though. This one is PERFECT and she will be beautiful in it. Then, I grabbed Josh and it was off to the W for our Anniversary (6 years!!!).

Now, we aren't the hippest people you'll ever meet, but we sure thought we were when we were at the W. Talk about posh! We felt really trendy (and REALLY out of place). It is such a cool place and we will definately be back. We got to eat at the Outback Steakhouse which was nice w/o kids. We got *gasp* an appetizeer and a dessert. Then, I slept from 10:30 - 9:55. Life is GOOD!! Thanks so much to grandparents who willingly watch our children so we can do things like that once a year. Of course, Ty slept all night in his bed and Bryce only woke up once. They NEVER do that for us!

Pictures later! Gotta go to a graduation party.

So, it's 2007

2007-01-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

I guess I should post on this and let people know how we are doing, huh? We are doing good. Ok, talk to you again in three months.

Just kidding. We are going stir-crazy here in our house due to (drum-roll) ICE STORM 2007. I have left my house one time since Thursday evening at 7 pm and that was to take Ty and Bryce to see Charlotte's Web at the mall. The movie was really cute, but I am a sucker for Charlotte's Web. I think I am the only one in the theater that cried to see the spider die.

Well, Bryce is doing well. He is 13 lbs, 8 oz and 23 inches long (short and fat, if you were wondering). We spent New Year's Eve and the following 3 days in the hospital in Fort Worth because he had RSV and couldn't breathe. He is MUCH better now. You don't really realize how bad they are until you see how much better they look when the sickness is over.

Ty is a handful, but I think this is really my favorite age. I think he learning to guilt-trip me and I hate that. He's always saying "You don't make me cry Momma" in his really sad voice when I upset him. When I kiss him, he tells me that I have made him so very happy : ) He has started Day School 2 days a week and he loves it. He especially loves his Carter and is so glad that they are in class together on Thursdays.

Anyway, that is all that is going on here. Hope you are all doing well and maybe I'll see you if I ever get to leavev my house.

So, I guess I should update...

2006-10-30T14:51:00.000-08:00

So, it has been a pretty good week or so. Last Friday, we went to Preston and Sara's house for a rousing game of Phase 10 (which I love, by the way). It was a lot of fun, but I think some people got a little bored with it. It probably has to do with the fact that it is a game for 2-6 players and we had 8. That makes for a long game.

Then, on Saturday, we went to the Orr Family Farm with Preston, Sara, and Chase. We had a great time but it was so cold! I went without a jacket because it didn't seem that cold, but it went downhill quickly. Fortunately, Josh knows me really well and brought my coat. Gotta love him!!

On Sunday, WE HAD A BABY!! Bryce decided to bless us with his presence on October 22, 2006 at 11:12 pm. He weighed 6 lbs, 4 ozs and was 19 in long. I only labored for about 5 - 5 1/2 hours and after the epidural, it wasn't THAT bad. He has a little jaundice and is a sleepy newborn (He was 4 weeks early). Things are going really well, except that Ty is acting out more than I expected. I don't even know if he knows that he's doing it. He loves Bryce and tells us about his baby, but he acts very rotten.

Anyway, that is all that has been going on here. What's up with ya'll?

Bryce Ultrasound

2006-08-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

In case you don't check Josh's blog, here is a link to Bryce's Ultrasound video. It is about 5:30 minutes long and he is sooooo cute!

http://web.mac.com/joshfoster/

He's a cutie!

2006-08-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Just got back from my last ultrasound of this pregnancy. Everything is looking GREAT. Bryce is measuring right on (28 weeks, 1 day) and he weighs 2 lbs, 11 ozs. He is head down and everything is ready to go. I will say that he looks just like Ty and Brett. The big question is whether he will have a head full of hair (like Brett) or not so much (like Ty). Here are a couple of pictures that they gave us. They also gave us a video tape. Now we just have to get a VCR :)

Herpetic Stomatatis

2006-08-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

That would my son's current issue. In case you are wondering what that all entails, I will fill you in. It is the Herpes virus (not anything sexual although I had to work surprisingly hard to convinve my mother of that - She is so weird). It is accompanied by a high fever, blisters in the mouth, sore and swollen gums that bleed easily, and sore throat. He has just really had a crummy week.

Long story short, we are in isolation. Apparantly this virus is really contagious and it doesn't just affect kids so we can't really go anywhere or do anything.

I get to go to the Dr tomorrow at least. Hopefully, I will have some really good ultrasound pictures for you all.

Eye, Mom.

2006-08-25T08:40:00.001-07:00

You have got to be kidding me! We finally have Ty's eye looking relatively normal - still red, but he can open it. What does he do? He takes a nose dive into the coffee table and hits the corner (I mean, right on the corner) with the SAME eye. What did I do? Freak out, of course. I just knew that we were headed for the emergency room or that his eye had popped out or something equally bad or gross. Nope. It just looks kinda bad. He may or may not have busted a couple of blood vessels in his eye. I can't tell because he isn't opening it all the way yet. Most importantly, I want you all to know that I did NOT beat him. I may have thought about it though.

My Poor Baby

2006-08-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is what my baby looked like when he woke up this morning. He was freaked out to say the least and I was a little concerned as well. I *think* that he got bit by a rogue mosquito that managed to get into the house. He has bites on his hand (swollen) and his head (big knot) as well. I called the Dr and he just said to give him Benadryl. We are getting by on that for now, but if he is still swollen tomorrow they will look at it when he goes for his 2 year old check.

It's a Bryce!!

2006-05-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

Too true, folks! It does appear that we will be blessed with our third baby boy sometime in November. There was absolutely no questioning his gender even though it is a little early to be finding out. Most importantly, at this point, it appears that there are two functioning kidneys and a bladder. That means that this baby is not cursed with Potter's. I am so ecstatic! We are slowly being able to believe that we are going to get to bring a baby home to keep us up at nights!!

For those that are interested, his name is Brycen James and we will call him Bryce.

On the Ty front, things are going really well. He is growing up so fast!! He can and does say just about anything that you want him to and he is really good about saying PLease and Thank You. His latest funny thing is walking past Cooper and saying, "Excuse me, cat." Lori and I took him and Carter to get their picture taken a couple of weeks ago. They didn't do great, but you couldn't tell it from the photographs! I have to recommend Portrait Innovations. They were wonderful and very reasonably priced!! Here are a couple that I really like.

Josh and I just celebrated our 5 year anniversary last Friday. We decided that we must be old because we constantly find ourselves saying, "It doesn't feel like it's been X years." Anyways, we went to Sundance Square in Fort Worth and went to a comedy club. It was nice to leave Ty with my parents and just have a night away. We stayed at the Worthington (which was REALLY nice) and watched Saturday Night Live completely uninterrupted.

Anyways... that's really all that I know right now. I would promise to update later, but let's be real, I probably won't.

Is Blogging Really That Great?

2006-04-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is the question of the day - is blogging really that great. I am going to say yes, even though I generally suck at it. The reason that blogging is really that great is because it lets people know what is going on. I mean, hey, is Jen having a good day? Let's check her blog. Is Ethan walking? Let's check Kyle and Mel's blog. What diapers are the cheapest? Just check Sara's blog. But beyond keeping up with the people that you see/talk to all the time, it is a great way to stalk people. Just kidding! But, that is what it seems like sometimes. For instance, I know all about Sara's best friends, the Hejls, because I religously read their blog. I mean, I have actually seen them in real life, but I don't know that they could pick me out in a line-up. Then, there are the Mayos Never met 'em. I know alot about them, though. They have a really interesting blog. So, in summary, blogs are great for keeping in touch and learning about new people. Maybe I should keep mine up a little better.

In other news...I haven't posted it here and I probably should... we are having a baby!!! We are about 9 weeks pregnant and due in November. Lord willing, there will be a new thing to be thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner. I knew that it would be hard to be pregnant again. Physically, it hasn't been bad yet. I have had little morning sickness and am still going to the gym 3-4 times a week. I am already showing (I think) but that is because of muscle memory. Emotionally, it has been ALOT harder. I still can't think about actually having a baby in the house. My mind won't let me believe that it could happen. Hopefully, the nightmares and things will stop once we see that the baby has kidneys. I want to be able to enjoy the pregnancy and the baby, but, right now, it is really not possible.

I have another appointment next Wednesday and we should be able to hear the heartbeat. I will let you all know how things are going!

I will write more about Easter later. Just know that Ty loved it and has a new favorite word - candy!!

Just a Glorious Friday

2006-03-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Why is it glorious you ask? Just because it is Friday. I love Fridays. I think they are the absolute best day of the week. There is anticipation because of the weekend, there is relief because it is the end of a work week. What a great day Friday is!

Anyways, I will tell you that my Thursday was pretty great too. Josh surprised me and took a half day at work! He came home and we watched Scrubs while Ty slept. When Ty woke up, we went to the mall and shopped. Granted, we couldn't buy anything (no budget), but it was still fun to look! Also, Josh watched Ty and Mary Ann and I hit Bahama Breeze. It was so nice to just visit and eat dessert. I don't get to do that all that often, but I really enjoy it.

That brings me to a discussion that we had last night. Do you feel like you have a good relationship with God? I theorize that everyone feels like their relationship needs work. That is good - God wants us to want improvement. I think the problem is when we get completely down on ourselves because our relationship with God isn't perfect. I don't think he wants us to feel scared or worried all of the time that we aren't doing enough. I don't know if that is true, but I think that's what I think. Comments?

Also, what is the difference in faith and relationship? I mean, I think I have a strong faith. Hold a gun to my head and ask if I believe in God and I will tell you yes in a heartbeat. I know that the Bible is true and that Jesus is God's son. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for us and everything. I think my faith in the unseen is strong. I think that my relationship is weak. So, in verses where it talks about encouraging those who are weak in their faith, is it talking about the fact stuff or the relationship stuff?

Last thing. So, I sold a curtain on Ebay. The stupid thing sold for .99. I charged 10 for shipping because I have been eating it in shipping costs. I got an email from the lady complaining that the curtain is a little faded on the sun side and that my handling charge was too high. Lady, you bought the curtain for .99! Deal with it. That is all.

V-day!

2006-02-14T05:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! Today is a bittersweet day at our house. It is a day to celebrate love and relationships, but it is also 1 month since we lost Brett. We love and miss him so much and wish he could be here with us. We picked his headstone yesterday. It was tough, but we are glad to have it done and we think it is perfect.

We have plans for tonight without having plans (That makes no sense). We are taking Ty to the church for babysitting and then going to dinner somewhere. Beyond that we have no idea. We are also going to visit Brett today at some point. Gotta go because Ty is screaming. I'll try to write more when he's asleep!

Want to Know Something Not Fun?

2006-02-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you what is not fun - having a sick kiddo. Ty has been feeling badly for the past several days. This means that I don't get to set him down all day long. I was so glad that Sara brought my sling back because Ty has been in a hip-carry while I try to get things done around the house.

Even worse is the fact that I don't feel well either. I want to crawl in bed and whine but I can't because Ty is whining.

Wow. This was a whiny blog. Check back (maybe tomorrow) for a happier one.

Brett Andrew Foster

2006-01-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

That is right. Faith Elizabeth was born on Saturday, January 14 and was renamed Brett Andrew. He was a tricky little guy and hid his "details" until the very end. They actually told us he was a girl about 5 minutes before he was born. They were a little embarrassed, I think, to admit they had been wrong. Here are the details of Brett's Birthday...

I woke up at 1:15 with contractions. After I woke up Josh and was instructed to "make them stop", I ran a bath and settled in to relax. After about 5 minutes of that, I told Josh that we had to go. We packed our bag (contractions were about 2 minutes apart) and Josh casually drove to the hospital. Once there, they told me that I probably had a bladder infection but would check me anyway. Sure enough, we were all shocked to discover that I was 8 cm dilated and 90% effaced. After a while, I got my epidural (God bless anthesiologists) and we were off. My Dr was out of town as was his back-up so we got a third-stringer. He was wonderful. I don't think that we could have asked for a more wonderful Dr.

Brett was born at 5:40 am and weighed 4 lbs, 4 oz and was 15 inches long. He never opened his eyes, but he held our fingers and let us cuddle him. He passed away in my arms about an hour later.

All in all, it was as good an experience as it could have been. I was afraid that he would be hurting and that the whole process would be scary, but it really wasn't. My baby boy was and will always be completely perfect.

The service was held yesterday at 11. There were a ton of people there and it was wonderful. Thank God for friends. Just in case you want to know, we are asking that anyone that wants to do something for Brett send donations to The Kid's Place c/o the Edmond Church of Christ. Just put in memory of Brett in the subject line.

Thank you all so much for the love, support, and prayers that you all have given us over the past 4 months. We want you to know that we love you too.

And so we plan.

2006-01-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Ready for another fun post?? Yesterday we had another Dr appointment. We did the normal things like blood pressure, weight (She lied and told me I still look good), and the cup stuff. Then we did an ultrasound. I am sure that you will all be surprised to know that there wer still no kidneys. Not shocked? Well, believe it or not, I was. I don't know why I make myself think that this baby will be well before every single appointment, but I do. We got to spend alot of time watching her. It was good but very hard. She sucks her thumb and plays with her nose. We could even see her tongue moving. They just watched her profile for a long time so that we could see her. We schedule another appointment for 2 weeks from now and we will probably induce the week after that.

So, we had to do the crummy stuff. We went to the funeral home and picked out a casket. There are only 2 choices for babies and one looked like an ice chest so it wasn't a hard decision. We went and looked at cemetary plots. We found a nice place near a friend's baby and we think we'll put Faith there so she won't be alone. We bought her hospital, funeral home, and burial outfits (including one boy one, just in case) and a hand/footprint mold kit. We also found a Christmas ornament to bury with her and bought an identical one for us to hang on our tree every year for her. It was a productive day overall, but it still sucked. We think we are ready now. I guess we'll see.

Hi Everyone!

2005-11-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it has been so long since I've updated this thing. I want to avoid only writing about the crummy stuff, but that seems to be what occupies most of my thoughts so I just don't write.

Things are going okay here. I feel like everything is falling into place. Our last Dr's appointment sucked so we had a hard week last week, but we are doing better now. They tell us that they think we are having a little girl. We decided to name her Faith Elizabeth. Faith is just such an important thing to us right now and is what is holding us together so it seems an apropriate name. She is kicking alot and getting stronger. I love getting to feel her move (most of the time). I found a memory box that I want to get her and I need to get a handprint/footprint kit and an outfit. I want to be prepared for her when she decides to get here.

Ty is doing well. He mimics words like a crazy person and his new favorite phrase is "Cool, Cool." Halloween was fun even though he didn't love the fact that he had to wear his costume. He quickly forgot his discomfort when we gave him candy. He still loves his "show" and he dances now. It is really cute and quite funny.

I will again promise to update more often, but I think that you should realize that this may be an empty promise. I'll also leave you with a picture of Ty from Halloween becaue he is cute and it should make your day.

Not Good

2005-10-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

We had our follow-up appointment yesterday. We were anxious and filled with hope. Unfortunately, we didn't leave with hope. My fluid levels are down to 0 and there are still no visible kidneys or bladder. We go back in 8 weeks for an ultrasound, but I don't really understand what for.

We want to be hopeful and we know that God can still perform a miracle, but we feel crushed after this news. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Guess what!

2005-10-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today Josh felt the baby kick! Looking back on all of our dates with Ty, it is almost exactly one week later than with him. Also, the baby moved and kicked like a crazy person all through Bible Study. I couldn't help but smile. For those that don't know (most of you, I'm guessing), when there is no fluid around the baby it is very hard for them to move. I am taking the fact that Jr was moving like crazy as a really good sign.

I want to be honest, I am still really scared for our baby but I feel like God has already begun the healing process on him/her. The Bible says in SEVERAL places to ask God for things and do not doubt and they will be given to you. I do not doubt that God can and will heal our baby. Please keep praying for us.

Need Your Prayers

2005-09-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't been very good about updating my blog and I fully anticipated writing yesterday, but things just don't always work out the way that we plan. When Josh and I woke up yesterday morning our only discusssion was what to name this baby. Is it a boy or a girl? Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined the news that we would get.

After 2 ultrasounds, we were told that in all likelihood our baby does not have kidneys. If the baby had one kidney, we could cope, but no kidneys is apparently (and obviously) "incompatible with life". The baby looks great. It has a strong heart and is growing right on track. The only sign of a problem is that there is almost no amniotic fluid around the baby. We saw the baby sucking its thumb and looking at us. It looks great, just a little cramped.

We are a little numb right now and trying to figure out what to feel. I am writing only to let everyone that I possibly can know to pray for our baby. We have another ultrasound in 2 weeks. At that time they will make a more final diagnosis. They said there is really nothing that we can do, but I am going to try a light bedrest when Josh is home and will be drinking water like a mad woman to give the baby every chance that we can. Even with all of that, we know that God is the only one that fix our baby right now. Please pray for us and pray for a miracle.

Please.

Just a quick vent

2005-08-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last night was nothing like the night before. Life is sucking for Josh and I this morning.

Just a quick brag

2005-08-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

So last night, Ty slept ALL night in his big boy bed. He went to sleep at 10, woke up at 11:30 and quickly went back to sleep, woke up at 3 and did not so quickly go back to sleep, and woke for the morning at 7:30.

Perhaps even more amazing - no nursing. It has been 24 hours! My baby is a big boy. :(

Let's Talk About Irritating Things.

2005-08-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

The first thing that we can talk about is washing machine repair people. Our wonderful Maytag Front Loader has had some issues for quite sometime now. The bleach and fabric softener dispenser doesn't dispense. Also, the clothes that are washed in said washer may or may not smell like butt depending on the washers mood. The smart thing to do is call the repair man right (We have a service contract)? So we did that - in June. It is now the end of August and our washer still sucks. The repair man has been out 4 times so far and each time he tells us that the problem is fixed. Not so much is it fixed.

If that were all, that would be mildly irritating. However, I would like to address the 4-hour blocks of life the repair people steal from you for each service call. For instance, if I get an 8-12 time block, I assume that service people will be here at some point in that time range. This means that Ty and I do not do our fun morning activities because we are stuck at the house. When the repairman shows up at 12:45, that really irks me. So, the next time we schedule for 1-5. At 6:15, the repairman shows. Grrr. Today, we went the 8-12 route so we wouldn't have to invite the repairman for dinner. I got a call at 11:53 informing me that the repairman was sick and would not be out today. He will now grace our presence on Friday somewhere between 8 and 12. Right.

And today

2005-08-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

I quit my job. Very sad, I say. I went in this morning and I did my exit checklist, cleared my desk, went to lunch, and got debriefed. Then, I sat in Josh's car and bawled. I know that I am stupid and should be thrilled to be staying at home, but I can't help but feel like my education is being thrown out the window. Not to mention that I am still paying on said over-priced education.

On a brighter note, I am no longer on bedrest. There is still a bleed in the baby's house, but as long as there are no outward signs, I just have to limit my activity. Yea! We also got ANOTHER ultrasound because they couldn't find the baby's heartbeat. He/she is fine and is even measuring a little big at this stage of the game.

Ty is doing well. He now walks around the house quacking like a duck when he has his duck towel. It is cuter than you can believe. He just makes me happy.

That is all for now. I'll see ya' later.

I need validation!

2005-07-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have decided that I want to know who reads this thing. Leave a comment so I know that you are all out there.

Oh, and I did bedrest a la movie theatre today. We saw The Island and I thought it was pretty good. Kind of weird really, but good. I don't really remember any language or nudity, but I know there was alot of blowing up.

Ty said, "Dada, no, no, Mama" today. I interpret that as I don't want to sit in your lap, dad, I want my mom. Too cute, if you ask me. David Hardin taught him how to say star and JC and Court played in the sprinklers with him today. The kid is going to be so sad when I am "un-bedrested". He will be completely bored!

In other news, I apologize to Amanda for having to see my house in its very sad state. Thank you so much for cleaning up for me - I can't so much do anything. Just know that I am mortified that you saw my room. I really appreciate you. My whole class at church has just been amazing through this crummy time. Thanks for the notes, the flowers, the meals, and the babysitting. I will never be able to express how much we appreciate you.

Edited to Add: A special thanks to my secret sister. I am about halfway finished with my first crotched (That looks REALLY wrong) blanket! Also, Courtney - I did not mention my attempt at knitting on this blog. That means you are a liar. :)

I am back (again)!

2005-07-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hello! Just thought I would drop in and catch up on things. Ty had has 1st birthday a couple of weeks ago. We just had his party yesterday, though. It was great. He got an Elmo beanbag chair that he LOVES to lounge in and he got alot of cars and a leapfrog book. He was in Heaven and a few of those toys may soon "run out" of batteries. I will post a picture as soon as I download them from the camera.

The pregnancy is going well. I am 9 weeks. I am on bedrest due to a few problems, but they seem to be really clearing up. That means I should get the all-clear from the Dr. at my next appt (Aug 4) to get off the couch and begin life again. The nausea is NOTHING compared to last time. It is really nice not to get sick every single day.

Ty is doing so much lately. He says bird now and he pointed at me and said "Good". It made my day. Life is great with him around. I am really looking forward to getting to play with him again.

Hannah - thanks for the email. I will write you back soon. My laptop is broken and I can only sit at the computer for short periods of time. Also, what is Caleb's blog? I would love to read it, but can't find it.

And so it begins.

2005-07-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought that I could get away from it, but I was wrong. Morning sickness is rearing its ugly head. I have been queasy for a few days, but last night was the first throwing up experience. My goal is to not get admitted to the hospital this time. I hope it is better than last time. We shall see, I guess.

We went to the church building last night to watch fireworks with our friends. It was alot of fun! Ty seemed to really enjoy himself. He points alot and at one point, he started clapping for the fireworks. Cute. We also went to the 4th of July parade yesterday. It was fun - Ty did well. A man gave him a flag and he loved that. I will post some pictures later.

Guess I should update...

2005-06-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, the big news in our life right now is that we are having a baby! New Foster will join our family sometime in February (hopefully) -February 26th is the due date. Things are going wonderfully here. Other than the whole baby thing there is not a whole lot going on. Ty is doing wonderfully and we are enjoying every day with him. We can't believe that he is almost 1. That means that July is coming and all of the babies that are due in our class will be here soon. Congrats to the Cains on their new son, Ian - He is beautiful. Next is Sara's turn. Can't wait to meet Chase and then comes Alex Hardin. What a great month.

Oh and we aren't the only ones to recently find out that we are expecting! The Owens' and the Powers' also are having "bundles of joy" early next year. That is right, all of the July 04 mommas are expecting again! Yea!

Real Quick Update

2005-06-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here is a really brief rundown of everything that has happened in the last few weeks...

Ty had his first plane ride (to Chicago), we went to Jodi's wedding (It was BEAUTIFUL), we had our 4th wedding anniversary, I quit my job, I UNQUIT my job and took a leave of absence. I think that wraps it up. Oh! And I hosted two baby showers - one for Sara Watterson and one for Shannon Iverson. Both went wonderfully well.

I will flesh this pOst out later, but right now, I am taking Ty to the park!

Oh okay!

2005-05-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

After the last post, I know you all just want to see one more picture of my baby. Here you go....

I'm back

2005-05-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

I plan to be a more faithful blogger in the future - sorry about the lack of updates. Unfortunately, I think my life is going to have to get more interesting if I am planning to write more. Hmmmm....

Well, not a whole lot happening here. Ty took steps which is amazingly amazing (in my opinion). He is such a blessing. We have had a lot of fun playing with him and watching him grow up.

We leave for Nebraska in the morning. I am looking forward to seeing the fam, but definately not looking forward to the drive. Blech! Next week we travel again - this time to Chicago to see my good friend, Jodi, get hitched. It is a little unreal.

It is weird to think about people that you used to be so close to, but never see anymore. Jodi was my best friend. Now, we send an occasional email and that is all. Probably my fault, though. I am LOUSY about keeping up with people. I am afraid it is self-absorption (but I hope not). I know that the tendency is to get so involved in your own life that you lose sight of everyone else. I hate that but I am guilty of it. Oh well. I will try to renew my friendships as best I can. How's that for resolve?

Before I leave, here is a picture of Ty and me from Mothers Day. He's cute, huh? I love him so much and God has just blessed our lives so completely by giving us the chance to raise him. Now, for those reading that are expecting their own soon (Sara Watterson), good luck and enjoy it. It is wonderful.

Grrrr....

2005-04-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

I locked my keys in my car. Now, this is partially my fault, but I am not prepared to take responsibility for it just yet. I am not very responsible. So, to deal with the fact that I can NEVER find my keys, I have been leaving them in my car in the garage. Yesterday, I got out of my car, unlocked the doors, put my keys in the center console, and went around to pick up Ty. I did NOT lock my car because it is impossible to lock my car from the backseat and I didn't open the front doors. Fast forward to this morning... I am trying to load the kids bags into the car and I can't because MY DOORS ARE LOCKED. I fully blame Josh for this. I know that I didn't do it and now he has to drive all the way back here from work to get me my keys. To top it all off, I have to make up time for leaving early yesterday so I could pick up Ty since Josh had softball practice that he didn't tell me about. I REALLY can't afford to be getting there late. I am fuming. I know I'm being irrational but I don't so much care right now. This sucks! *end whine*

Guess What!

2005-04-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am sick. Now for those that know me, this will come as no surprise. I attribute it to Ty. I have gotten sick about every other week since he was born and I really think that he catches stuff and I get it. I thought that this was allergies, but Claritin is doing no good. Any recommendations?

Also, I have decided to become a weather person. In what other profession can you be so wrong all the time and still keep your job?

Where are you?

2005-04-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

I am right here silly. It has been a while since I posted. I figure I need to stock up on things to say. Jobs are really good right now, I guess. It doesn't look like our group will be affected by the budget cuts so I am not going to be a Stay-At-Home Mom just yet. I guess that that is a good thing. Whatever.

Ty is great. He is cutting a tooth and he said his first word - tree. We are so proud of him. I know that tree is an odd first word, and we were is denial at first. I mean, really, what kid says tree before Mama or Dada. Oh well. He loves trees. What can you say? He is also standing by himself for short periods of time. He does so well! We are so excited.

This has been a fun weekend. On Friday Uncle Tim came over and we ate a nice dinner and had Birthdaycake to celebrate his turning 23. Ty loves Uncle Tim and had a great time. Then on Saturday, we went to a friend's garage sale and hung out for a while outside. At 2 we met up with a bunch of friends and were off to the Arts Festival. It was fun and very interesting. I must not be that into art because I would NEVER spend that kind of money on "art". Then all of those friends plus some came over for pizza and cards. We had a great time as always. Unfortunately, Josh and I both woke up sick this morning :( We don't know what's wrong, but we are sure we got it from Ty. Josh has to teach Bible Class this morning, so we will grin and bear it til we can come home and sleep it off. Good times.

Big News on the Job Front

2005-04-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the indestructible may destruct! After being told that we had staffing requirements sufficient to be hiring new employees, this morning we have been informed that times have changed! Apparently the government has cut our funding and sent management into a panic.

I am not so much upset over this since I have been trying to decide whether I should become a stay-at-home mom and this may solve the dilemma. I guess that the moral is to be careful what you pray for. I asked God to show me what I should do and am now wondering if this is my answer.

Now, if Josh gets layed off, that would be a whole 'nother problem completely. If that happens, we may be moving to Texas a bit sooner than planned. I don't think that he will get layed off, but it is something that is hanging out in the back of our minds.

My folks are coming to visit this weekend! Yea! It hasn't been that long since we've seen them (a month maybe), but I miss them terribly. The more fun thing is that I am going to Texas for all of next week! That means I will miss that rumors that are swirling about layoffs at work and I can just relax. That is right, 9 days with no work! Bliss!

It's Josh's Birthday!

2005-03-31T06:04:00.000-08:00

Today is Josh's 27th birthday! He may be having a slight panic attack because he thinks he is now "late 20s". I vote that we end that trend. 27 is still mid-20's, in my opinion. Just think, 23 is considered mid-20's and that is 2 years from 25. Therefore, for the sake of symmetry, 27 must also be mid-20's. Granted, it is the trailing edge of mid-20's, but mid-20's nonetheless. I am glad that we've cleared that up now so that I don't have to worry about it when I am 27.

We got a babysitter for tonight and get to go out on a DATE! I almost can't believe it! I don't really know what we will do. Maybe go to dinner or a movie. If I had thought ahead, I would've planned a poker night with friends. No baby and poker would be fun. Now, I must go shopping!

The Easter Egg Fiend

2005-03-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, first thing first ... screw anonymity. I am Jen, The Engineer is Josh and The Boy is Ty. I am tired of re-writing stinking posts because I forget to be all secretive. Besides, I am linked to two pages that give alot of clues about our life anyway.

Now that I can write unencumbered - Ty loves Easter! It is so cute to watch him "hunt" Easter eggs! I love it! He crawls to the eggs and then just picks them up, shakes them, and lays them down again to find more. If I get time, I'll post pictures so that you can see. He is super cute!

Also, if I can figure out how to post video, I will put up a video of him laughing that is guarenteed to make you laugh. If I can't, just email me if you want to see it.

Nothing New

2005-03-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering why I haven't really written much lately. It is obviously because there is NOTHING new to write about. Isn't that sad when two weeks of your life can pass without anything interesting happening?

The Engineer's birthday is coming up. I want to get him a LoveSac (www.lovesac.com), but they are SO expensive. I am holding my breath that his folks will help me go in to get it. I think he'd be solidly ecstatic.

Need to jet- have to get ready for work.

Not-so Contented Life

2005-03-05T00:45:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those days that sucked the sickest suck that ever sucked? That was my today. Well, it was actually my 10 pm - right now. What is worse is that this thing that has me so upset that I can't sleep, so upset that I actually cleaned my kitchen at 11 pm, is really not that big of a deal. You know when you feel really insecure about something and someone does something that feeds that insecurity? That is what happened and it has really hurt me. I knew I was doing a lot - the mom thing, the wife thing, the employee, the friend (all though not a very good one, generally), the daughter, etc. But I didn't feel like I was doing it very well. Well, apparently I wasn't. Oh well.

On a lighter note - no more cry it out. I couldn't handle it. More importantly, The Boy couldn't handle it. We are back to our fun-lovin', co-sleeping selves. My family is in town this weekend. It is so nice to see them. The Engineer's family will be here in a couple of weeks. It will be great to see them again too. It has been a while and the boy has really changed since they saw him last. It will be a lot of fun to watch them interact.

Well, gotta go. There's a whole house waiting to be cleaned.

He claps!

2005-03-01T15:23:00.001-08:00

Guess who claps now! That's right - The Boy. We have been trying to teach him for about a week and it finally clicked. He was so happy when his uncles came over that he showed them his new talent. He also used his abilities to show his love to Beyonce Knowles after her performance in the Oscars. We still need to teach him taste in music, I guess.

The Boy's whole world is about to change and I don't know who is less ready for it. We have decided that he NEEDS to learn how to sleep in his own bed because Momma NEEDS to sleep. Unfortunatly we have tried to do this the easy way. It didn't work. Cry it out is our next option. I am worried about how it will go, I will let ya'll know tomorrow.

Peace Out (We won't have any peace here, I'm afraid).

He claps!

2005-03-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

General Ramblings

2005-02-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't written in a while and have been duly chastized. I promise to write more often, I swear - really. This has been quite a week! Not a whole lot has happened because The Boy has been sick as a dog. He has run a fever (102 -ish) for the last 3 days and has generally been a crank. Let me tell you what I hate about sick babies - pediatricians. I took The Boy in on Friday because he was lethargic and had a temp. The ped was a pain in the behind! He was not happy because we had been in last week (Checkup from double ear infection) and just generally was dismissive. HE didn't tell me anything helpful and made me feel like an overprotective neurotic mom. I mean, I am an overprotective, neurotic mom but he doesn't have to be all pissy about it.

The Engineer watched The Boy for me so that I could go out with the girls for dinner and cards. Have I mentioned that he is spectacular? It was a ton of fun. We brainstormed names for my friend Sara's son and then went to C.C's NEW house to play a little Hand and Foot. It was nice to have a little girl talk without The Boy needing my constant attention. Oh - and we found the most deranged DOT ever. There was definately a little penis in our box of movie candy. So Funny.

Anyway, I am done rambling. I put a picture of The Boy up to show him off. It is a month old, but like any bad mother, I am too lazy to download the new pictures off of the camera. C'est la Vie!

The Boy at Play

Texas, Rehab, and More

2005-02-20T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a busy weekend. My brother "graduated" from rehab on Friday. He has hopefully moved from heroin addict to functioning member of society. Time will tell, I suppose. Isn't odd that we've been trying to stop him from using for years with no success, but we sent him off to a camp-like place for 6 months and now he's supposed to be totally better. He does seem like he's doing well, though, and it is very nice to see the old Tim.

We left the rehab graduation and went to Texas for the weekend. A friend from school had a personal shower and my cousin's fiance had a shower. Both were nice. The personal shower was interesting because 1/2 of the attendees were pregnant. That puts a whole new spin on marriage and sex. The bride-to-be didn't hear a lot of positive things from those ladies.

The Boy did well. I swear he said Momma, but only once. I can't count it as a first word since I was in another room and it could have easily just been babble.

Still love the hubby - he's patient as always. We went out with my folks and brother. It was a lot of fun. See HITCH!

My First Blog Entry!

2005-02-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I am joining the land of the bloggers. I don't intend to bore with details of my political stances (not often anyway), but do intend to wax philosophical about family, religion, the people next door, etc.

An introduction seems appropriate at this stage. I am a first-time mom, age 25. I work part-time for Northrop Grumman testing weapon, radar, and vehicle management systems on the B2. I have been married almost 4 years to my husband, termed The Engineer and my son, The Boy, is 7 months old. I am living the contented life, loving most of it. I can't wait to be a Stay-at-Home Mom. Isn't funny how quickly ambitions change? Last year, I wanted to be THE up-and-comer and work. Suddenly all I want is to play peek-a-boo and go to the park.

Well, that is all for now. I will keep you updated as life happens. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day!