All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

Well, not exactly her two front teeth. More like her bottom two and top one. Anna has lost 3 teeth in the last month and a half. We are currently waiting for the second top tooth to fall out. The dentist told her Monday that she should lose the top two before Christmas. Sure enough she lost one yesterday!





I tried taking pictures last night of the kids in the Christmas pajamas (thanks for the pj's Mimi). It was difficult getting them both to cooperate at the same time. We are going to get pictures made with Santa later this week. I want them to wear their Christams pajamas then too. I just haven't quite talked Anna into wearing them to the mall. :) Also, we are having family pictures made Sunday. I am just not sure how to make sure Jay is awake. I scheduled them at a time during the day when Jay is usually awake. The problem is that Jay falls asleep everytime we get into the car. He is then hard to wake up. Any suggestions from you moms out there?




I walked into the room the other day to find Bongo laying in Jay's boppy pillow. I think he may have more of a jealousy issue than Anna does!

Rambling...again!

I have finally decided to wait until after Christmas to go back to school. I never wanted to have to take Jay so soon to daycare and that was what made my decision for me. It is the RSV season and that is the last thing I want my baby to go through. This is also time for Jay and Mommy to spend one on one time all day every day that may not be possible later. My students will just have to retaught and retrained in Jan. I can always make up that time with my students but not with Jay! He is laying here beside me as I type smiling and cooing! I guess he is telling me that I have made the right decision.
I am however going to school today to help work on the benchmark exam we give every 9weeks. I am taking Jay with me for everyone to see. So many of my coworkers have sent encouraging notes, gifts, and prayers but have not gotten the chance to meet the little guy.

On another note, my sister-in law just found out that she is having a baby girl! (Congrats Jody and Miranda!) I guess Jay will just have to put up with being the only boy for awhile. They will only be about 7 months apart. Hopefully one day we will live closer so that they can grow up spending time with each other!

Well, Christmas time is here! I love Christmas but seem to be a little behind this year. So many people I know have already decorated and finished their shopping. Me however, have not done either. I am almost finished shopping for my kids (thanks to my mom going shopping with me on black Friday!). However, I have not bought anyone else's presents yet! I plan on having it all done this week. But for those of you who know me well, know that I am a procrastinator!!

1 Month

Jay is a month old today and already been through so much. However, he is such a good baby! Last night he slept 6 hours straight without a bottle and the night before it was 8 hours! I am just hoping that this trend continues. Also, we went to the dr. twice this week and he has gained a whopping 7 ounces in three days! I told the ped. the reason is b/c he is eating 2 1/2 ounces every hour and a half to two hours. Not sure I can afford to keep feeding this child. LOL! I am just happy that we are finally on our way to where we are supposed to be and that surgery was all we needed. Even though it was scary to go through, I know it could always be worse. I am just thankful that he had something that could be fixed!

Torn

Right now I am torn between Jay and school. I cannot seem to decide when to return to school. I was planning on returning after the Christmas holidays, but Jay decided to come two weeks earlier than I had planned. My c-section was planned for Nov. 1st, and he was born Oct. 18th. Therefore, my maternity leave will be up before the Christmas holidays. I keep going back and forth. Do I take an extra week or return before Christmas. If I return I will be going back two weeks before the break. However, I would love to stay home with Jay a little longer. On the other hand, I know that my students aren't getting what I could be giving them. At the moment they have a sub who is not a certified teacher. She does have a degree in English, but I teach math. Also, she has not gone to school for teaching and has not had the classroom experience that you receive from college. Justin and I have talked about it and he says that it is my decision. I have considered all of my options and still cannot decide. If I go back that means that I would have to pay day care over the holidays to save Jays spot even though he will not be attending. Then again, I will make more money if I return. The difference of what I would make minus day care costs is several hundred dollars. The money would really help with all of the dr. bills that I have incurred lately. The thing that stinks about my insurance is that it starts over every year on Nov. 1st. Which means I am going to owe for both his birth and his surgery! He was born in Oct. and his surgery was in Nov. Stinks huh? Atleast I think so!! Is it worth it? Should I really be considering my students needs above my own? Aaaahhhh...I just can't decide!!! Even if Jay were to go to day care for two weeks before the break, I would be able to pick him up somewhat early b/c my school ends at 2:30 and his day care is about 2 minutes from my school. I also need to let the day care know ASAP when he will start. They are very sweet and accomodating, but I feel like I am putting them in a bind by not knowing when I will be returning. I know I am rambling, I am just hoping writing all of this will help me decide. At this point it doesn't look like it will!

WE'RE HOME!!!

FOOD!!

He's eating!!!!!! He is working on his 6th feeding of the day without getting sick!!! We will stay in the hospital over night and see the doc again in the morning. Hopefully they will say he is fixed!! Maybe we can go home tomorrow!!! Thanks for the prayers! They have sure worked!!! Without them I could not have handled it!

Another Try!

They have taken the NG tube out of his nose just a little while ago. We are going to try and feed again after they put some medicine in his IV. Hopefully it will work this time!

Day 4

It is now day 4 in the hospital. We got out of PICU yesterday evening. I am not sure of the time as everything is running together right now. His oxygen level is stable which is good. The bad news is that he is still vomiting and has not had anything by mouth in over 24 hours! Right now we are waiting on the surgeon, but it looks as if they are going to have to use an NG tube to clean out his belly. We were going to feed him again this morning if he didn't vomit anymore last night. Well around 1 this morning he vomited! So, we will see!

Update #3

Please keep Jay in your prayers! As of now he is still not keeping anything down. We have tried Pedalyte and will try again in 2 hours. The dr. said that there was a chance he would still get sick at first....and he did! Also, they have tried taking him off of oxygen but his level dropped again. So right now we are just waiting it out. I feel like all of my posts are negative...I appologize!

Update #2

Jay's surgery went well. We are now in ICU on oxygen as a precation. We should start eating around 8 tonight. Hopefully he can keep it down!!

Update

It was confirmed today that it is pyloric stenosis. He will be having surgery tomorrow around 11 am.

Sick Baby

Jay has been sick now for almost 3 days. He cannot seem to keep anything down...formula or pedialyte. We made a trip to the afterhours clinic yesterday and the doc said that he might have a 24 hour virus. So, we stopped the formula to see if that would help. It didn't! We went back to the afterhours clinic today and saw another doc. He suggested we give Jay benadryl. I thought, "WHAT?? Are you kidding me?" So, we went to the ER instead. The doc there said I did the right thing. Anyway, blood work, and ultrasound, and 2 1/2 hours later we were sent home. Jay has what they call Pyloric stenosis. It requires surgery to fix. However, Jay's is on the larger side of normal. Therefore they want to wait it out. They said that if he does not quit vomiting by tomorrow to take him to his doc. She may want to run more tests...upper GI and such. SO, we are praying that it will stop! I want my baby to feel better and I need a good nights sleep!!!!

Halloween

I was planning on trick-or-treating this year with Anna, but since Jay decided to come early he and I stayed home and passed out candy. Justin, my dad, and Anna went trick-or-treating around the subdivision. We now have lots of candy in the house which is not good for a mommy who's trying to get her figure back! Luckily all of the good chocolate is already almost gone!

Jay and Anna

We have had a hard time deciding what to call our son. We had not come up with any boys names prior to giving birth. Justin wanted to come up with a girl name and then a boy. Needless to say, we never came up with a girl name much less a boy name. When the birth certificate people called to see what his name was, I had no idea. So, as Justin says, he became a Jr. by default! At first we were going to call him J.J. but we have decided that he will be known as Jay. Anna said that she is still going to call him J.J., which is fine with us.

Just thought I would share a little about Jay's birth.....I woke up Thursday feeling like it was any other day. So, when my water broke I was completely in shock! This was not supposed to happen so soon! My section was not planned for two more weeks. I was only 37 weeks pregnant!

I was on my way to the hospital when my mother-in-law called to tell me that she told Justin the night before I was going to have the baby. I asked why and she said that it was Jason's birthday. I had completely forgotten that it was Jason's birthday! For those of you who do not know Jason, he is Justin's brother who passed away almost 5 years ago. So, even though he decided to come early, Jay could not have been born on a better day!

On a side note, my baby girl is no longer a baby! She lost her first tooth the other day. She didn't even cry! She is also whiping her own hiney now too! I guess it's about time, she is almost 6! I guess I have just been one of those mama's who would rather do it myself than have her rear not competely clean!

Justin Norman Moss Jr. (J.J.)

J.J. decided that he could not wait until November 1st to come into this big world. Instead, he came yesterday, October 18! I was sitting in class, luckily with no students, when my water broke. By the time I got to the hospital my contractions were strong and close together. It wasn't long after that J.J. made his debut. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and is 20 inches long!

22 and counting

I have finally hit 36 weeks. We have set up our c-section for November 1st at 12:30. So, in 22 days this baby will be here!! The only problem is that we still do not have any names picked out (either boy or girl)! Nor do we have the nursery set up. We started several weeks ago cleaning out the bedroom but the bed still remains along with several boxes of odds and ends. I keep telling myself that I am going to get up and clean out the room but I end up resting instead. Hopefully before this baby comes everything will be in order! I am going this weekend to buy everything we need....car seat, matress for the babybed, bottles, baby wipes, diapers...you name it, we need it. You would think we would be prepared, but no, I am still the procrastinator that I always have been. Everything gets put off until the last minute here in the Moss household. Lets just hope that this baby doesn't decide to come early!

Root Canal

I've never had a root canal before, but I found out Thursday that I need one. I will be having the procedure done tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be as painful as everyone says it will be. However, if it will make my tooth feel better I am up for just about anything!

Getting Ready

I keep telling myself that we need to get ready for this baby. We finally got our baby bed out of storage in Minden a few weeks ago, but it has been sitting in our storage here waiting to be cleaned ever since. So, yesterday I finally got off my big butt and began working on the room. We moved out most of the items that were small. Now Justin just has to find someone to help him move all of the furniture. I mean, this baby will be here in less than 7 weeks. We are looking at Nov. 1st as our date but have not set it in stone yet.

Also, for those of you who don't know, Becky Turner Wilson had her baby Tuesday. I have not gotten to see or talk to her but I found a pic of the baby on Minden's website. Hopefully she won't mind me sharing. Click on the link below and it should take you there. He is precious!!
http://mindenmedicalcenter.com/webnursery/v/2007/September/W_+Babyboy+09-11-07.JPG.html

Before and After

Lately I have been so swollen by the time that I get home from school that it hurts to even walk. When I wake up in the mornings my feet are back to normal and it starts all over again. However, the last two days I have woke up to swollen feet. They have not gone down even after a good nights sleep. So, last night I laid with two pillows under my feet for about 12 hours so that they would be elevated above my heart. I thought I would share the results. Needless to say, I will be coming home from now on and doing nothing but propping my feet up! Otherwise, I am scared that I will be put on bed rest.

Before

After

My feet are not quite back to normal but very close. I have fat feet as it is but finding shoes now is almost impossible. I have bought two new pairs of shoes that are both a size bigger than I wear and they are already too tight. And as you can see I can't bend over far enough to paint my toe nails. LOL!

30 weeks and counting

I guess I don't have much to say. I just thought I'd share this picture. Justin took it this morning before school. Just think about how huge I'm going to be by the time this baby gets here!!

One Down 35 To Go!

Well, the first week of school is over! I am exhausted!! We (the teachers) started week before last and there was no air at school. Being in the condition that I am, I could not handle the heat. I ended up leaving early every day that I went. The air finally was fixed late Friday. So, I spent my entire last Saturday before school at school fixing my room and working on my lesson plans.

I have enjoyed my students so far but being on my feet all day is killing me. By the end of the day my feet and ankles are HUGE!! I cannot even put on my wedding ring anymore. Oh well, it will all be over soon.

On another note, Anna started school Monday. She seems to really like it. She has made lots of new friends. She doesn't even cry in the mornings when I make her get up at 6 am. LOL! My school starts an hour before hers so she goes to school with me in the mornings and catches the bus from there with all of the other teachers kids. So, here is a picture of her getting on the school bus for the first time.

School Girl

Monday was the last Mommy and Me day at the mall since summer is now coming to an end. Anna had fun but was sad that it was over. She decided to get painted as a clown so that she could match the others. Afterwards the two of us went shopping for her school uniforms. I'm sure everyone there thought that we were crazy! Oh well!

On a side note, school starts next week....YUCK!!! I went to clean up and unpack my room today but did not stay long due to the heat. The air is not working right now and boy was it hot! So, I got absolutely nothing accomplished. Maybe I'll get it done...and maybe I won't. I'll leave you with this picture of my clown in her new uniform. Hopefully it will give you a laugh for the day.

Fun Filled Weekend

This past weekend my mom, nephew, cousin, and her two children all came to visit me! So, there were four adults (if you want to consider us that) and four children (two 3 year olds, a 5 year old and a 6 year old) in my house for 3 days! We had a blast! Friday we spent ALL day at Chuck E. Cheese and then Saturday we spent ALL day at Blue Bayou. Anna and Olivia even got to see Aly and AJ in concert! Saturday was my mom's birthday...I"m sure she did not plan on spending it at a waterpark for 12 hours! She sure was a good sport climbing the ropes and sliding down the slides with the kids. Happy Late Birthday Mama! We had a blast, but I am still catching up on my rest! LOL!

Anna and Olivia sweating while waiting for Aly and AJ to perform.

Anna and Gran after a hard day of playing at the water park.


Anna and Noah hanging out in their pajamas.


Rylee waving bye on Sunday afternoon.

He's Home!

Justin is finally home! Don't get me wrong..I LOVE spending time with Anna, but I am sure in need of a break! Justin played a game with her yesterday when he got home which allowed me to catch a 30 min. cat nap. Boy...that was AWESOME!! I also slept pretty good last night with him home. I did not have to lock my bedroom door or sleep with my cell in my hand. LOL! Anna has enjoyed having another playmate other than me home as well. (Although she can't stay away from me for too long! Last time we went to Blue Bayou she only wanted to go down one slide with Justin b/c she missed me too much. :) ) He is such a good daddy!

In need of a nap!

Justin left on Sunday and won't be home until Friday. He is in California working. This means, I have not gotten one minute to myself in about 4 days now. Whether I am taking a bath or trying to sleep, someone (Anna) is right there with me. I love her to death, but sure could use a little alone time.
Monday, we did our weekly Mommy and Me trip to the mall. Then that night we went to Jump-n-Jive where she got to jump and slide to her hearts content. Yesterday, we went to see Ratatouille. It was cute! Then we went out to eat and came home to make crafts together. Today we went to Global Wildlife where you ride around on covered wagons looking at and feeding animals. It was neat b/c they have a new giraffee that was born last week along with many other pregnant animals right now. Tomorrow, we are going to Blue Bayou. And Friday, Justin will be home!!!!

So...I'm sure you are glad you know my weekly schedule! You can sleep good tonight. LOL!

Summer Fun

When school was coming to an end, I was so excited about all of the fun Anna and I were going to have this summer. Now, however, I find myself being lazy too often. I literally had to make myself get off my butt this week and clean. It was so hard, but once I did it, I felt better. The house was clean for once and I didn't spend my whole day on my butt.

We planned on going to Blue Bayou two days this week but could not because of rain. So, instead we played on the playground at McDonald's and invited a friend over to play. We also went to Mommy and Me at the mall on Monday. Anna got turned into a pink spotted puppy dog by Bubbles the clown. Other than that, we haven't been up to anything. We're just boring people I guess.

HOT!

Ok...it's the second "official" day of summer and I am at home babysitting (for free) an old neighbors 3 children. To top off my great day....my air conditioner went out and I am waiting to find out how much my pocket will be hurting once its fixed!

It's A....

Healthy Baby!! We had our 20 week ultrasound today. The baby is big and healthy. It weighs 13 ounces and has a heart beat rate of 153. The baby is constantly moving therefore it was difficult to get good pictures. We did get some though. Not as good as a 3-D ultrasound though. The baby's measurements show that I am a little over 21 weeks but previous calculations show I am 20 weeks tomorrow. The dr. said we are not changing the due date as of now. The baby may have just hit an early growth spurt. So, as of now it looks like we will have the baby around Nov. 1st or so.

Mommy and Me

Well, it's Mommy and Me time again at the mall. Anna took a friend with her today. They had a blast! Here are some pics of my fiesty cat and her friend at the mall.

As usual, I wait months before posting something new and have lots to post about. Although when I start typing I can never think of what to say. So, if I ramble please excuse me.

Anna is growing up so fast! Last month she graduated from preschool. They held a big ceremony with caps and gowns and the whole nine yards. It was really cute. She was so proud of herself that afterwards when we went out to eat she wore her cap and gown in the resturaunt. And by the way, no she has not lost any teeth. Alot of people have asked me if she has lost teeth in this pic. She broke her front two teeth not long after she got them. But it seems that lately it has become more noticable than ever. The dentist says that they are not impacted or anything, just chipped off. Oh well., it could be lots worse.

Well, I've been enjoying my summer vacation for a whole week now! After school let out, I worked on our parish curriuclum for a week, so my summer was prolonged a little. Anna and I spent the entire week last week in North LA visiting friends and family. It was nice but it sure is good to be home! Our plans are to spend the summer at Bleu Bayou, a water park near our house. Hopefully we won't get tired of it too soon.

Well, I will be 19 weeks pregnant on Wednesday! We actually go in for our 20 week ultrasound on my birthday but we are not finding out the gender. My husband seems to think it will be neat to run out of the hospital room screaming,"It's a __________!" I'm not sure that I agree with him but I am open to the idea. Although, it sure would be nice to know just for planning purposes. I told Justin that he will be out buying clothes while I am at home holding the baby if it's a boy. We have all of Anna's clothes still, so if it's a girl, I have that department covered. Anyway, I'll leave you with a pic of my belly. My mom took it last week. When I asked her to e-mail it to me she told me that it did not do my belly justice. So, in other words, my belly is actually bigger than it looks in this picture.

Almost 12

So, I'm almost 12 weeks and already wearing maternity clothes! With Anna I didn't wear maternity clothes until I was 5 months. I've only gained about 2 pounds but my stomach seems huge! Even my assistant principal told me how big I looked the other day. I'm scared to know what I'm going to look like at 5 months.
I have no energy lately. I go to work, come home, and sleep. It's pretty sad. I actually forced myself to clean house yesterday. It almost killed me today though. I have been so tired and cranky!! My students even commented on what a bad mood I was in! LOL! I know it will soon pass, the first trimester is almost over!
On another note, my baby girl is growing up. I picked her up from preschool the other day and her graduation pictures had come in. I wanted to cry when I saw her in a cap and gown holding a diploma! She will soon be in "big girl" school. She says she's ready, I'm just not sure her Mama is!

Not alot has been going on here since my last post. Living in Prairieville is great. It takes me less than 10 minutes to take Anna to school, sign her in, and be at work signed in myself. It is wonderful! Justin on the other hand now gets to drive about 30 minutes to work each morning. He doesn't mind though. I mean, I did it for 2 years, it's his turn now.
Next week we give the iLEAP and LEAP tests at school. I am hoping to be well before then b/c I cannot miss school during those days. I took Anna to the doctor earlier this week. The dr. said she has strep. This is the second time since Feb., poor baby. Well, I now have it! I went to the dr. yesterday after school and I have strep and a severe sinus infection. All of this on top of pregnancy nasuea makes for a grumpy lazy person! Oh..did I forget to mention I'm pregnant?? It seems it must be in the blogger water or something. I am not quite 8 weeks. I go to the dr. next week for my first visit. I don't remember having to wait so long with Anna to go to the dr. We are excited but Justin does not want to find out the sex of the baby this time. I am not so sure I agree with him, but I promised to not find out as long as he goes to all of the ultrasounds with me. I know I will not be able to resist the temptation without him there to make me stick to my promise. Hopefully the suspense won't put too much stress on me...LOL!
Well, that's about all that's been going on here!

Things here have been pretty busy lately as always. I'm not sure life ever slows down. Not in my world at least. Christmas came and went pretty fast. The two week break I got was not near long enough. We left on the 22nd (the day I got out of school) to see family. We did not get a minute of down time the whole time we were there. We didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked because we bought a house and had to be back to sign the papers. Yes, We bought a house!!! It is good to be out of our little apartment but I am still trying to unpack all of our boxes. That's actually one of the things I am supposed to be doing right now. I guess I should get back to work. I will leave you with a pic of the house.

Thanksgiving

Where does the time go? Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is right around the corner. Wow...school will be half over in 1 month!! This Thanksgiving break was much needed, yet I am not ready to return to school tomorrow. I will be counting down the days until Christmas break! Hope everyone has a good break as well!

Winter, this is for you! I have not posted lately for three reasons. The first is that I have been REALLY busy!! The second is that I haven't had anything positive to say, and it seems that all of my posts are nothing but me complaining. The third and final is because I didn't think anybody really read this thing.
Anywho...as I said earlier I have been very busy lately. It seems that I eat, sleep (when I have enough time), and go to school. I have even been neglecting Anna to the point that I take her to play at the playland at McDonald's just so that I can grade papers and not feel so guilty about it. For those of you who know what it is I am in my second semester of LaTAAP right now. For those of you who don't, it's basically a bunch of bull! During your first two years of teaching in Louisiana you have to go through a series of evaluations to obtain your state license. The evals themselves aren't so bad. I mean, it doesn't bother having someone in my classroom watching me teach because if there is something that I am doing wrong I want someone to correct me rather than have me keep doing it wrong. BUT there is a portfolio that we have to put together that is nothing but crap!! I have to have all of these official documents showing how I complete all of the requirments of the portfolio which are stupid. Anyway, even my administration says it is nothing but busy work...boy does it keep you busy!
On top of that I am the only experienced 6th grade math teacher we have this year...and I'm only a second year teacher. Here I am trying to show them how our school runs as well as how the comprehensive curriculum works. I feel stupid..I mean I am still learning myself yet I am teaching others how to do it. LOL!
And on top of that, our school is giving benchmark exams at the end of each 9 weeks b/c it is part of our school improvment plan. This exam has been so stressful. We as teachers were responsible of making a leap like exam that aligned with our objectives for that 9 weeks. Needless to say, teachers that have lots more experience than me were crying daily and threating to quit and they aren't going through LaTAAP or teaching new teachers like I am. So...all I can say is that I have been STRESSED!
So...do you see now why I have not posted? I try to be optimisic but lately it is hard. I love teaching but it just seems that everything is on me right now at once. Only about two more weeks and I will have this whole LaTAAP thing behind me, we just finished giving our 9 weeks exam so I only have grading left, and the new teachers have now caught on. WOW...there is an end in sight!!
Among all of this stress and crap though I did get a raise and new car!! Boy, is it overdue for that car. We have been looking for months but have not found anything we wanted in our budget. I finally gave up looking and just went out and bought one. I found it and called Justin. I told him if he wanted to see it before I bought it he needed to come there right away. I did not trade my car in though. My brother is driving it right now, but will have his car back soon. So, if anyone wants a 2000 ford escort with 95000 miles and half a bumper let me know...LOL! I will leave you with a pic of my wonderful car!! Maybe my next post will be more uplifting! Sorry!

Need I say more??!!

Mommy and Me Day

On Monday's during the summer from 11 until 1 the Mall of Louisiana has what they call Mommy and Me Day. They always have a table hosted by Chick-fil-A where the children learn something and get to make a prize to take home. They also get a free meal from Chick-fil-A. Also, there is a clown named Bubbles that either paints faces or makes balloon animals. They also have a table set up from the hospital with fun things to do. The best thing of it all is that it is all free!!! Also, the carosel is free for the entire day!! It is really a fun time for both me and Anna. Yes, we do have to wait in long lines to participate in it all, but it is worth it! Anna gets to do alot of fun things, I get joy out of spending time with her outside of our house, and it's FREE!!!

Lazy

Ok... I have been such a lazy bum lately!! I had an excuse last week....I had some gum graphs done and didn't really feel like doing a whole lot! But this week I have no excuse. Anna is at her Mimi's going to VBS in Homer and Justin is at work. It is just me sitting at home on my butt doing nothing!! It does feel kinda nice but at the same time I feel like I am waisting time that could be used to do more productive things. Oh well..........

Ok..I just got home from the doctor's office. Basically everything is fine. The MRI was normal...there is not even any extra tissue as we first thought. He basically said that the cause of my epilepsy is unknown. He also said that having epilepsy with an unknown cause is pretty common. So, he told me to continue my medicine and to come back in 2 months. Thanks for the prayers!!

This is your brain....

Mine however is much bigger! I know many of you are laughing right about now, but I am telling the truth! Ok..what am I talking about? Well, it all started about 4 years ago. Most of you probably already know this, but I had some complications when I was pregnant. I was 6 months pregnant with Anna, and I passed out at work. I was in the hospital for 3 days but did not know where I was. Long story short, I continued to have memory problems for the rest of my pregnancy. I went to several doctors (high risk pregnancy and neurologist) but all I was ever told was that my protein C and S were high and that I had hormone porblems. Anyway, long story short, my doctor here referred me to a neurologist b/c my loss of memory has continued. I went to Dr. Acosta about two weeks ago, and he ran LOTS of tests. He told me that my EEG was not normal. Bascially I have what is known as a birthmark on my brain as well as extra tissue on my brain (hence the large brain..LOL!). These things are causing me to have what he called mild complex seizures. I am fully awake (except for one time when I was pregnant) and act normal when they happen. It just causes me to have memory loss. I forget what happens at the moment of my seizure. For example, this past Easter I took Anna on an egg hunt but cannot for anything remember anything about the egg hunt. I cannot remember what the place looked like, if we hunted real or fake eggs, etc. Anyway, I am now on medication that will hopefully correct the problem. I did however go in for another MRI yesterday to confirm that the extra tissue is just that....extra tissue and not a tumor. My doctor is confident that it is not a tumor but just wants to cover all of his bases. I will find out next Thursday the results. I am just glad that I have found a doctor that actually believed there was something wrong with me and was able to find what it was. So, if any of you reading this ever need a brain transplant....I'm your donor!!

Summertime Fun Cont.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video SharingOk..I think I finally did it. It took a little while. I went to Shandra's blog and saw that she used DropShots. Anyway, I figured it out so without further waiting...here is Anna's best hit of the season! LOL! Enjoy! And yes, I do sound very annoying..Sorry!

Summertime Fun

Well, so far it has been a busy yet relaxing summer. It has been full of doctor and dentist appointments, swimming, t-ball, and playing with Anna.
Anna had a t-ball game tonight, and I actually caught her best hit of the season so far on camera.(I can't seem to figure out how to add a video image though...any help? Shandra I know you know how...your videos turn out great!) Anyway, the bases were loaded, and Anna got a base hit! The ball actually flew in the air a few feet!! (It normally immediatly hits the ground and rolls a few feet!)
Anna is actually the only girl on her team, but that doesn't seem to bother her. She loves playing nonetheless! Don't get me wrong, she is no great player, but her team is undefeated! She is a typical 4-year old who plays in the dirt while in the outfield and has to be told when to run from base to base. But hey..it's t-ball not college ball like some of the other coaches and parents think it is!
Anyway, hope you are all having a great summer as well. Maybe I will post again before next month...LOL! Some of you reading this also need to update your blogs...I've been checking daily for a long time for an update (HINT: Ashely Howard Perry!)

Random Pictures

Here is another picture of Anna and the neighbors playing. Anna loves having someone around to play with! We cannot go swimming or to the park without them!


This one was taken this morning before church. My child is such a ham!!



This last one was taken last Friday before Justin's graduation. We all went out to eat before the ceremony. I may be partial but I think I have a beautiful family!!

BORED

Ok..It's 7:30 and I am sitting at school bored to death! The 8th grade awards night is going on and I am in my room burning DVD's. Why you ask?! Well, I'll tell you. I teach technology and therefore I am in charge of the 8th grade DVD. It is a DVD that includes hanging out, individual, sports, teachers, and supurlative pictures. 65 8th graders ordered a DVD, and it takes 8 minutes to burn each one. 65 DVD's at 8 minutes each is a VERY LONG TIME...LOL! Roughly that is 7 an hour which puts me burning DVD's for about 10 hours. Anyway, the DVD is playing right now at award's night and I have to finish burning these to give to the students tomorrow. I only have 21 DVD's to go!! WooHoo!! No, seriously I had fun working with the 8th grade and creating the DVD, I'm just bored waiting for each one to burn! So, I guess I will fill you in on the last month of my life....
Let's see..I'll try to just hit the important things. Justin graduated!!!! Friday night was his graduation as a matter of fact! No more one income family!! We will actually be living on two real incomes! LOL!!! I think he is glad to be through as well. No more late nights studying! Hopefully it won't be long now until we have a real house as well. The apartment seems to get smaller each day. It's just that houses around here are so expensive. We are hoping that in the next 6 months or so (we have 6 months left on our lease) house prices will drop. We are also going to have to buy a new car within the next year which might put a hold on the whole house buying.
Funny story, I was at Wal-Mart last week. I went to leave after only being there about 20 minutes and my car would not start. The guys in the automotive department jumped my car off and checked my battery. In the process my car died again. The guy told me that it may be my alternator and I may not make it home. Justin thought otherwise. He told me to go ahead and drive home and if anything happened to call him. Well, guess what?! My car died at a busy intersection. I knew better than drive it home...I was having to balance the clutch and gas at every red light to keep from moving and/or dying. Anyway my car finally gave out at one red light. Imagine...8:30 at night, busy Baton Rouge intersection, and my car dies....no lights, no hazards, NOTHING!! I called Justin in tears. He told me that Jenny (our neighbor who has a truck) was already on her way to come get me. She decided that her truck could push me through the intersection. We waited for a green light and began to go. Since my car is a standard, all it took was one push from her truck and my car stared again. I barely made it in the driveway when my car died again. Long story short, we took it to be fixed and 200 dollars later they told us I just needed a new battery. Man did we get ripped off!!
Ok, I guess I have bored you all enough with all of my excitement!!

I'm sitting here waiting for the season finale of Desperate Housewives to come on. I decided I needed to update my blog while I wait. The only problem is that the show is about to come on in two minutes so I need to make this short...cannot miss the show! Ok...it's on. I'll leave you with a picture of Anna and her friends from next door. Hopefully I will be able to fill you in on the last month of my life tomorrow!

Have I ever told you that I have the greatest mom? Incase I haven't told you and incase you haven't met her.....I have the BEST mom ever!!! She came to stay the week with us since I was on spring break. It was her first week to be alone in a while (she has been babysitting Noah while my brother works), and she chose to come to Baton Rouge rather than relaxing at home! We did not do much of anything, but it sure was nice having her here. We went out to eat once, went to the mall, and went swimming. Other than that though we sat around the house and played with Anna. Anna loved having her here and playing hide-and-go-seek with her Gran!
Speaking of Anna...Thursday night my mom and I took her to an afterhours clinic. The three of us went swimming earlier that day and she seemed to be fine. Then her friends from next door came over to play. While they were here she became fussy and started running fever. To make a long story short, she has strep throat. (I sure hope my mom doesn't get sick!) We were going to take her to the hospital b/c her temp. was 102.6, but I found an afterhours clinic to take her to. (I did not know such places existed!) It sure was nice having my mom here to help take her to the doctor and get her medicine!

This isn't the most recent pic of my mom and Anna (it was taken a year ago), but it is one of the best ones that I have! I think they both look beautiful in the picuture!



Even though this week has been nice, I am sad for this coming week to get here. It means I have to go back to school! I love teaching but this past week has spoiled me. I love not having to get up at 5 in the morning and being able to stay home with Anna! The good side to going back to school is that I only have 5 weeks until summer vacation!!! Boy I cannot wait!
Well, I guess I have bored you enough with my life. There's just not too much excitement going on around here for me to share!

James and Noah

For those of you who do not know them, this is my brother James and his precious son Noah. The first pic was taken just shortly after we found and brought Noah home. Every time I see or talk to Noah on the phone he is laughing, playing, and loving on his daddy!

As you can see James is enjoying having him home as well. James and Noah went with my cousin and her kids to see Sesame Street Live a few nights ago. (That's where these other pics were taken.) James said Noah LOVED seeing Elmo! Noah has several Elmo videos that he watches over and over and over. My mom says he would watch them all day long if she would let him.












Anyway, for the update.....Not much happened in court Monday. We were there for several hours but no one got to testify. The judge has ordered that they both have some evaluations completed. Therefore court will reconvene in September. Until then, James and Jessica will have joint custody. They will each have him two weeks at a time. The judge ordered that Noah not be taken out of a certain area (From Red Oak, Tx to Webster Parish along I-20) If Noah is taken out of this area they will be charged with criminal kidnapping. Even so, it is still scary to think that she will have him for any amount of time. She could just up and leave oneday and we will never see him again! Even so...we have to obey the judge's orders and pray that the best will come out of this. Right now, we are just enjoying our time with Noah and covering him with love!

Why Me?

Ok..it is 4:45 am, and I cannot sleep. I came to Homer yesterday because my brother has court in the morning (well, actually this morning!) for custody of Noah(please say a prayer!). I left Justin and Anna at home and came by myself. I spent the night with my in-laws who are now on their way to Acapulo, Mexico for an optometric convention/vacation. I was asleep upstairs and heard them getting ready to leave. They were supposed to be at the airport at 6, and I could tell that were running late. My mother-in-law kept telling my father-in-law to hurry. Anyway, I was just about back in dreamland when I heard a big BANG! Yes, you guessed it...they backed into my car! Mr. Eddie (my father-in-law) comes running in to tell me what he did and who to take it to. I of course am now wide awake and telling him to have a safe trip and not to worry about my car. I am just worried that there is more damage than he could see. I mean it is pitch black outside and he does drive a Expedition. I of course have a small Ford Escort. I sure hope he did not mess up any tires! I just replaced one Friday! Oh well, life goes on!

Simple Things!

Not much going on here today. We are giving LEAP and iLEAP tests at school. The kids already seem drained, and we just started. I could see the fear in their eyes as we began this morning. It was kinda funny though because most of them were quite surprised at how prepared they really were for this test. They took the math portion today, and many of them talked as if they knew most every answer. Let's just hope they were right! LOL! The one thing I like about the test is that I do not have to actually teach! No lesson plans for me this week!
After school, Anna and I went to the mall for some girl time. Anna was a great sport all weekend while I (we) cleaned the apartment and ran errands. So, I promised her a trip to the mall. She always loves that! It means that she gets to ride the carousel and get an elmo cookie! I love how I can go to the mall with her and spend less than $5, and she is satisfied! I know it won't last long though because she will soon want to actually shop!
I guess that's about all that's going on here in Baton Rouge.

THANK YOU GOD!!!

Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus! My brother now has his son in his arms!!! Yesterday my family was notified of Noah's whereabouts. My mom, dad, and brother then headed towards South Texas to get him. They spent all morning today at the DA and CPS offices. Then along with the cops...they surveyed the house where Noah was supossed to be at. My mom called to let me know at 2:29 that they had Noah in their arms! They are now headed back to Louisiana with him. I just pray that they have a safe trip.

I just want to say a huge "THANK YOU!" for all of your prayers and concerns!!! It has definately helped in finding him. God has definately heard and answered all of our/your prayers!

Now...if we could only see James' stepdaughters and know that they are in a safe and loving home. So...my prayers will continue. I know that God is great and HE can do anything!

My Craziness!

I love reading other people's blogs. I actually read them daily and anticipate reading something new. I just can never seem to think of anything to write on my own! So...I guess you will just have to endure what's been going on in my life...LOL!
This past weekend was the best that I have had in several months! I went to Arlington for Ashley and Austin's wedding shower. I spent the night with Meredith and Justin. I also got to visit with Kristin, Bradley, Michael and Meg. It was so good to see friends that I have not seen in years! We stayed up until 1 am and then visited for hours more the next morning. It was a very short trip but I loved every minute of it! I have to say that everyone there are true friends! I have not seen them in so long, yet it seemed like old times. Thanks to all of you for making my hectic life seem carefree for even a day!!!! I love you all!


If this face doesn't brighten your day..I'm not sure what will!! Anna truly is the bright spot in my every day!!!!





Some of you may be wondering why I am posting in the middle of a school day. Well..I did not go to school today. Yesterday we had a facutlty meeting where we ate pizza and learned more about the iLEAP that we will be giving next week. I was sitting there visiting and eating pizza when CRUNCH! it felt as if there were a rock in my pizza. I immediately spit it out and to my surprise it was MY TOOTH!!! One of my upper left molers had cracked and broken off!!!! Just the thing that I need added to my plate right now! So, I have a dentist appointment in a few hours to see what they can do with my tooth. I know what you are thinking.....YES! I brush and floss daily! I told Justin I feel as though I am a nasty person that doesn't take care of my teeth, BUT I DO!!! Oh well I guess it's just one of those things that you can't control. Luckily it does not hurt...atleast yet!
To add to my day, I came home to LOADS of laundry. I decided at bedtime that I should get started on it. As I was moving clothes from the washer to the dryer I slammed my thumb into the dryer. My thumb nail immediately started bleeding. I looked down and half of my nail was bent backwards. I am definatly going to loose my nail! I started screaming and crying it hurt so bad!!! Oh well I guess it's just another on of those things!
Ok..I guess you've read enough about my hectic life now. Before I go though please just remember to keep Noah and James in your prayers! We still have not found Noah but my mom and brother have not given up. They are doing everything they know to do to find him. Hopefully I will have a "Good News" post to put on here in the next few days!

Explanation

I know most of you are wondering why I keep asking for prayers. I guess it is okay to go ahead and tell you why. About a month or so ago, my brother's wife up and moved while he was at work. She took everything they owned including their only vehicle. She has two girls by a previous marriage, and she and my brother have a son who will be 2 in June. We have not seen nor heard from them in weeks. My whole family has been trying to find them b/c right after she moved she called and told my brother that he would never see his son again. My mom has been working her butt off trying to get help. She finally did it!! If you click on the link below you can find a pic of him on the Texas missing children's page. You will first have to search for Harris and then you will see him. His name is Noah. Please just continue to keep my brother and Noah in your prayers! I will let you know what happens from here.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/mpch/MissingPersons.asp?Search=Name

MORE THAN EVER!!!

I am still asking for prayers...more than ever!! PLEASE keep my brother in your prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayer Request

As you can tell by the title, I am in need of some prayers. Well, actually, I am asking for my brother. I cannot go into any details right now....but I will as soon as I can. Please just keep my brother in your prayers! He is going through some really though times right now! Please pray that he has strength and safety. He really needs it!!!
Also, while I am asking...please pray for Anna. She has been to the doctor twice in the last four days. All they can find is a sinus infection, but the medicine does not seem to be helping much. She has had fever (with no known source) for 5 days now. They ran a flu test but it came back negative. They told me that if her fever did not pass by the end of the week to bring her in for more tests.
Thanks! I know I can count on all of you when times are hard! I love you all!

Tired of Being Sick!

Anna and I both left school early yesterday. I was not feeling well and had been running fever but forced myself to go to school anyway. I have not missed a day yet. Anyway, after being there only about 10 minutes I decided I could not make it though the day. They found me a sub and I left!! I took Anna to the doctor (she has a sinus infection), and then we came home. We have done absolutely nothing since! My poor husband has been cleaning house all day while we've rested! I have actually taken two naps today!

Oh...on a happy note....Justin got a job! A REAL job!! He starts in two weeks! We are actually looking for houses now! I am so excited to know that my apartment days will actually be coming to an end in the near future!

Another Birthday!

Sunday was Justin's birthday. I can now say my husband is only a year younger than me! LOL! We did absolutely nothing for his birthday. It was a lazy day which was greatly needed by all three of us. We were so lazy, in fact, that Anna did not get dressed all day.
By the way, do you like his birthday cake? It is Ronald McDonald in case you cannot tell. We took our own cake to Anna's party so they gave us her McDonald's cake still frozen. I kept it in the freezer until Sunday. I think it made him feel like a kid again! LOL! (I am glad however that we did not use it at Anna's party because it would not have been big enough!)

Happy Birthday Anna!

Well, my baby turned 4 on Tuesday. She thinks that she is officially big now. She has actually slept in her bed by herself every night since her 4th birthday! Thank you Jesus!!!!!! We had her a family party last weekend back home, but today she had her first ever friend party. Being the last minute person that I am, we had to have her party at McDonald's. I could not find any other place that would let us have a party on such short notice, and I was not having it in my tiny apartment! Anyway, it turned out great. Counting Anna there were 11 kids. I was surprised to have such a good turn out. They played on the indoor playground, ate happy meals and cake, opened presents, and seemed to have a blast! For those of you who are not tired of seeing pics of Anna...here are some from both parties that she had. Hope you enjoy!:)


Here is Anna and a few of her cousins at her family party. Her strawberry cake was WONDERFUL!


In this pic I am the pony. Not sure if you can tell, but I have THREE little girls on my back! Or should I say BIG girls!


Anna and Mama....here we are today at McDonald's. The picture would probably be clear but my camera SUCKS! Sorry but it does! Anyone who has camera advice for me please feel free to share. I am looking to buy a new camera....and I want a GOOD one!








Can you tell she is worn out? She was mad because I would not let her take her presents out of their packages. She got lots of ponies (which are her favorite) and I made her eat cake before she could play with them. She quickly changed her tune when we started singing Happy Birthday!








Here is Anna and her friends from school. They seemed to have a great time.




HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA! Mama loves you bunches!!!!!

Ski Trip

The day after Christmas we headed toward Glorietta, New Mexico. Why you ask?? Skiing of course! The trip was a very eventful one! We left Monday morning and got home Saturday afternoon. And still we only skiied one and a half days!! Still though, I don't think I could have skiied another day. New Mexico has not received much snow this winter and therefore only 5 of 56 slopes were open. There was only one blue slope open and no blacks...therefore the skiing was very redundant. It was however fun. Why?? Because Anna learned to ski. She had a great time! She was in ski school both days and was able to ski down the bunny slope with me twice on the last day! She did get a little altitude sickness on the first day and had to have oxygen given to her, but that did not slow her down! She was such a trooper! All in all, the trip was fun. Hope everyone reading this had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!



Here's a pic of Justin and Anna the first morning in Glorietta. Anna is all decked out in her ski attire.







Here's my baby getting oxygen later that day.









And here's the trooper out on the slopes the next day. She wanted loved getting to actually ride a chair lift and ski down the mountain!