Wisdom from Somewhere

More Pics from Parker's BirthDay!

2012-02-16T11:00:00.000-06:00

Parker, Weasey (my mom), and Bailey

Parker and Pops (my dad)

Parker and Mimi (Greg's mom)

Parker and Uncle Brian (my brother)

Bailey and Lou posing in the window in their Big Sister shirts

First picture of our three girls! - Lou, Bailey, Parker

WE ARE BLESSED!

Miss Parker Gave us a Little Scare

2012-02-11T09:40:00.000-06:00

About 3 hours after Parker was born, a Nursery Nurse came to our room to check on her and she noticed that she was a little gray around her mouth. She took her to the nursery and put her on a breathing monitor which showed that her oxygen was not as high as they would like it to be. She also noticed that Parker had a heart murmur. This is not the news that we wanted to hear, but we put our faith in God and trusted that he would make her whole. Our family left shortly after this news so that Parker could be monitored and we could rest. I asked Greg to pray with me so he prayed and I cried.

That evening, the NICU doctor ordered a chest Xray and it came back to show "no abnormalities." Parker was left on the breathing monitor all night so I went to the nursery to feed her whenever it was time. The next morning (Friday), our pediatrician ordered an EKG because he also heard the heart murmur. Her breathing had improved overnight, but her oxygen level still wasn't high enough. Thankfully, she did not have to be put on actual oxygen through this ordeal so that was a very good sign. The EKG came back to show that the connection between her left and right heart valve had not completely closed. This is the news her doctor expected to hear, and he assured us that this was not a huge concern and the connection should close within the next 24 hours. So, we put our trust in her doctor and our faith in God and we waited. Her pediatrician came in the next morning (Saturday) to check on her and the heart murmur was gone! The connection had closed, her breathing was perfect, and we were cleared to go home! Praise the Lord!

Her follow up visit on Monday showed no signs of breathing issues or the heart murmur.

Thank you again to all of our friends, family, and church family that stood in faith with us through this little scare. We appreciate you more than you'll ever know.

Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

Welcome to the Family, Miss Parker!

2012-02-10T13:03:00.000-06:00

Parker Eva Morrison made her arrival on Thursday, 2/2/12 at 2:02pm. She was 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 1/4" long. Mom and Dad were very proud to welcome their third daughter into the family!

That morning we arrived at St. Francis Hospital at 6:00am for our induction. My doctor showed up around 8:30am to break my water. Over the morning hours, I progressed to having contractions every 2 minutes. At that time, I decided to call in the epidural. Excellent decision on my part! Just after lunchtime I was at a 5-6 and within 20-30 minutes I was at a 10 and ready to push. When kid #3 is ready to come out, there's not much you can do so stop her! I had to "hold her in" while my doctor was called to arrive as quickly as she could. When my doctor walked in the room, she said, "thanks for waiting on me!" I was literally afraid to laugh or sneeze while awaiting my doctors arrival for fear that she might come on out. Within minutes and only a few pushes, Miss Parker was here!

One proud Daddy introducing the older girls to their little sister for the first time!

Mommy (a little tired) and Parker

Our three beautiful girls!

Almost Five ...

2012-01-31T13:27:00.004-06:00

I'm 39 weeks today, and by the below picture, apparently I'm about to pop. Wow, I look huge. My belly doesn't look that big from my angle, but then again I'm always looking down and not getting this enormous side view. Again, I say it, WOW!

Here's one more shot of Lou and myself (Bailey didn't want to pose). If Parker waits until Thursday to show up then she and Lou will be 2 years and 5 days apart.

I can't believe that this third pregnancy is almost over. What a journey it has been with having to check my blood pressure everyday since week 20, to being diagnosed with gestational diabetes (for the second time) and all the daily maintenance that goes along with that, to weekly biophysical profile ultrasounds since week 34, to getting an inflamed kidney and spending the night in the hospital at week 35, to carrying Tums in my purse for the last two months, and not to mention the "normal" everyday joys of pregnancy.

All that being said, I would do it again for the end result that we will see in less than 48 hours. Unless we get a surprise today or tomorrow, we will be inducing at 6:00am on Thursday morning. Our sweet little family of four will become an overflowing family of five! We can't wait!

It's the Final Countdown!

2012-01-26T07:25:00.002-06:00

Coming Soon! - February 2, 2012 (or sooner)

Greg and I were both singing "It's the Final Countdown" as we walked out of the doctors office yesterday. I had my first exam and I was dialted to a 1 and 60% effaced. For those that don't know what that means, the 1 is on a scale of 1-10 and the 60% is on a scale of 0-100%. I truly expected to be 0 and 0%, so I was pleasantly surprised.

My exam went well and Parker is in a great position (like she has been since mid December) so we asked about picking an induction date. I've always liked the number 2 and Greg likes 5 so over the years we've used those numbers, or the combined 25, as our number in sports, etc. That being said, we asked about next Thursday, Feb 2nd - 2/2/12. You can't have many more 2's than that so it seemed like a good date. The only drawback is that the 2nd is Groundhog's Day, but we can live with that. My doctor left to check the schedule and then came back with a yes and a time of 6:00am. You can tell when someone is having kid #3 when their first thought is "Great, we got the date we wanted, but do you have anything later than 6:00am!"

So, now our only goal is to keep her in until the 2nd. Ok, I'm not at all opposed to her coming early, but I at least need to get past this weekend for two reasons. Lou's 2nd birthday is Saturday and we would like for her to have her own special day, and my doctor is off this weekend. Is that to much to ask?!

Preparing to Give Birth

2012-01-25T09:35:00.002-06:00

I'm due in 13 days and I'm fairly certain that my body is preparing to give birth ... to a Semi ... not a small child. The last month, and especially the last two weeks, of carrying a baby can be tough. Don't get me wrong, I love being pregnant and I'm truly blessed to be able to assist God in creating this sweet little miracle, but there comes a time when you're just ready to be done.

About a week ago, I started to waddle. I must admit, my waddle is not pretty, and as much as I try to hide it, it's very obvious and unavoidable. What causes this amazing waddle, you ask? The fact that my pelvic bones are separating so that this Semi can pass through. This is not the most pleasant experience and it seems to be worse this pregnancy than with my first two. This may be too much info, but I honestly feel like I may have fractured something. I know that is not possible, but it sure feels like it! Just the simple task of sitting down and getting back up can stop me in my tracks. In addition to that bit of info, I also wake up around every hour each night to switch sides because my hips are so sore. Do you realize how hard it is to rotate this body/belly over that many times a night ... with achy hips?!

So, if you see me out and about, please excuse the slow waddle that gets me around these days and simple move to the side so that I may peacefully pass through. Thanks!

Ode to Old Spice

2012-01-19T19:59:00.001-06:00

Who can forget this entertaining commercial?

I graduated from OSU in 2002 with a degree in Marketing. I currently spend most of my time at work doing Online Sales and Accounting, but I still love having a marketing background. I've noticed over the years that numerous companies are switching to more modern marketing/advertising campaigns. The most recent company to catch my eye is Old Spice. Thanks to my couponing, I've been stocking Greg up on Old Spice products and we've been laughing at the wording on their products ever since.

The first tip to consider when creating a Marketing Plan is to Know Your Customer. "This is the most important piece of data that every business needs to know. Too often companies will lose focus on who their customer is and will generalize a customer persona." In my personal opinion, I believe that Old Spice nailed it with their customer research and targeting. Here are a few of their more recent products. These pics were taken on my iPhone so I apologize in advance for their rough quality.

"Triple Action Formula. Cleans body, Shampoos hair, and Conditions hair. Thank goodness that the inside of your body cleans itself, or we would have had to make a hair and body and bones and guts and muscles wash."

"Smells like Palm Trees, Sunshine, and Freedom."

"Odor Blocker. You will win. Odor will lose. Guaranteed. In the shower, it banishes odor causing germs to the drain. It spends the rest of the day maiming pesky, yet unavoidable odor causing elements in sweat. After the carnage, all that remains is the FRESH smell of victory."

"Smells like Wilderness, Open Air, and Freedom"

My personal favorite -- "Contains odor-fighting atomic robots that shoot lasers at your stench monsters and replaces them with fresh, clean, masculine scent elves."

I love the modern marketing direction that Old Spice has taken and I felt the need to share it with you. I know this blog did not make you any smarter, but I appreciate that you read it anyway. Enjoy your day!

Dirty Dancing?!

2012-01-18T07:53:00.003-06:00

We have always bathed the girls together, and the older they get, the funnier they get. Recently, Lou (about to turn two) has discovered herself in the mirror-like reflection on the hot/cold water knob in the bathtub. She likes to wave at herself, laugh, smile really big, find us in the reflection, sing, and dance. After a few nights of this song and dance routine, we knew we had to get it on video to share. Towards the end, Bailey joins in the song and that really gets Lou moving. For the record, we have no idea where these dance moves came from so it must just be natural Morrison talent!

Click on the below link and turn up your volume:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx43w24UhUk

Ok, so she's no Jennifer Gray, but we hope you enjoyed those moves as much as we do!

A special thanks to Jared Hood for censoring this video for us. :)

"Practically Perfect In Every Way"

2012-01-17T08:54:00.004-06:00

Where is Mary Poppins when you need her? If we could just borrow her for one week then maybe we could get everything checked off of our To Do list before Parker gets here. I'm 37 weeks today = technically full term = due in 3 weeks = due in 21 days = Bailey was 2 weeks early and Lou was 1 week early = could arrive any day now!

Prepared:

We have moved the two older girls into one room.
We have located the breast pump and cleaned all the parts.
We have cleaned the bottles.
We have purchased and cleaned new paci's.
We have bought a good amount of diapers and wipes, but not nearly as many as we had with the first two girls.
We have cleaned and put away all of the Newborn, 0-3, and 3 month clothes.
We have the cradle sheets cleaned and ready to go.
We have cleaned and put away the newborn towels and wash rags.

Not So Prepared:

We have semi packed hospital bags.
We have not started working on the nursery, but we have located the room that she will occupy.
We have purchased the paint (it's sitting in the closet), and we have two amazing art pieces (sitting on the dresser) to be hung on the wall.
We have a third art project to be completed for her room.
We still have to put the side of the crib back on, raise the crib, and put on clean sheets.
We have not gotten the car seat bases out of the attic, but we have located the actual car seat.

No matter what these two lists say, we can't wait to meet Parker. Will she look like Daddy (probably so)? Will she look like Mommy? Will she look like Bailey? Will she look like Lou? What color will her hair be? Will she sleep well at night (wishful thinking)?

So many questions, so little time. The one thing that we do know for sure is that we are blessed. We are blessed with two beautiful girls and another one on the way. We are blessed with an amazing family and amazing friends. And for that, we are ready for whatever life has to offer.

Psalm 37:26 - "... their children will be a blessing."

Our Sweet Little Lou is Turning Two!

2012-01-15T07:33:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we celebrated Lou's 2nd birthday. She won't turn two until January 28th, but when baby #3 could potentially come at any moment you don't take any chances. Therefore, we celebrated two weeks early!

We kicked off the day by surprising the girls and taking them to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D! Not only had they never seen a 3D movie, but they had never been to the theater. For the most part, the movie was a success. Bailey LOVED it and sat still most of the movie with her 3D glasses on. Lou LOVED it and walked around near our seats most of the time and wore her glasses about 5 seconds. She also had a few crying spells (because it was lunch time and nearing nap time), but we kept those pretty much under control. Thankfully the rest of the audience was young kids and parents of young kids so they could relate. Still, we didn't want to be "those people" so we had to excuse ourselves from the theater one time.

After lunch and a short nap, we had our friends and family over to the house for Lou's party. She got a LOT of great gifts and clothes! I have to admit, it's hard having a kids birthday right after Christmas because she just got loaded up on a lot of Christmas presents and then we have to turn around and do it all over again. Never mind the fact that in a few weeks, we will have two kids with birthday's right after Christmas. Let me just apologize now to our friends and family!

Here are some party pics:

Thank you to all of our friends and family that came to the party! It means a lot that you would take time out of your day to celebrate with us. We are VERY blessed!

Side Note: We have quite a few friends (that attended Lou's party) having babies in the next couple of weeks, so just in case you've never seen one ... Here is a Preggo Train!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, LOU! WE LOVE YOU!

A LONG Overdue Master Bath Remodel!

2012-01-11T08:20:00.001-06:00

We bought our "work in progress" house 8.5 years ago ... and we've been working on it ever since. Thanks to God's direction, we were led to this house and blessed enough to buy it well below market value ... but that's because it needed a LOT of work. I could go on and on about how much work we've put into this house over the years and how much the value has increased, but that's a whole other blog. I will, however, take this moment to thank every one of our friends and family that have helped us improve this house in some way over the years. Without your help, we never would have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Also, thank you to our parents for "letting" two young, newlywed kids, buy a "diamond in the rough."

Ok, so on to the Master Bathroom. When we bought this house, there was only ONE room that had been remodeled from its original 1980 construction ... the Master Bath. Yes, the only room that had been updated was one of the worst looking rooms. Along with our friends and family, we have all gotten a good laugh out of this room over the years. Because it had been "redone" we left it to be one of the last updates to tackle. Please note in the below pictures that the wallpaper was a striped pink and white satin paper with a garden themed border. The fixtures were mirrored and gold, and the shower was small for my standards ... so I don't know how Greg managed all these years since he's almost 6'7" tall! Try not to be jealous that we were blessed to live with this bathroom for so long.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Roughly 90% of our home improvements have been done by us, so it was nice to have the Master Bathroom remodeled by professionals while we sat back and relaxed. Well, there's never really anything relaxing about having people in and out of your house every day OR the fact that this preggo had to walk down the hall every night, sometimes multiple times, to use the restroom OR the fact that the timeline was quoted at 2 weeks, but took 3 weeks PLUS another 2 weeks to have the shower door measured, made, and installed (still waiting on that to arrive) - of course, this was all to be expected and we are more than grateful to have the project completed.

Notable Updates:

The bathroom was made larger by bumping it out into our Master Bedroom. Thankfully the age of our house means that our rooms are larger than most rooms are today so we really don't miss the space. Especially since our lost bedroom space is now the bathrooms gained space.
We went from one sink to two, so no more fighting to brush our teeth.
The soffit was removed above the shower and the shower was extended along the entire back wall.
For Greg's sake, the shower head was raised about 8" so he doesn't have to duck to take a shower. Granted this means that the water is a mere trickle by the time it reaches my head, but we are both happy with the change.
We LOVE the quirky mirrors and storage cabinet that we found. They make great touches that help reflect our personalities.
A sigh of relief as we mark one more project off of our remodel list!

Last but not least, we want to thank my parents for their contribution to this bathroom remodel. They are the reason this project took place and we are grateful that they kicked us in the rear to get this done before Parker's arrival.

THANK YOU!

We love you MORE!

Milestones: Nine Months Pregnant and Already off to Preschool!

2012-01-10T13:18:00.008-06:00

Part 1 of this blog - 9 months:
I can't believe that I'm 9 months pregnant today! I still remember being so confused during my first pregnancy about being pregnant for 10 months (40 weeks) instead of 9 months (36 weeks). I just couldn't comprehend why everything you ever hear in the world is 9 months this and 9 months that ... wrong. It's 10 LONG months of pregnancy, not 9. In the event that you were also not aware of that, then please consider yourself smarter for having read this blog. You're welcome!

These are what our "growth" pictures have turned into. The girls know the routine, but we are just not good at being serious when it's time to take the picture, so, here you go. In the second picture, I'm laughing because Bailey has left the scene and no one (except Parker) wants to cooperate. Can you blame them?!

Part 2 of this blog - Preschool:

So, not only did you get a lesson in the 10 months of pregnancy, but now you get two, two, two blogs in one! What can I say, it's like taking a final in college. I'm cramming as much into one blog as possible in the event that Parker shows up early.

Today, Lou started Preschool. This was a bittersweet day because it means that our baby (at least for a few more weeks) is growing up. She will attend Preschool at our church along with Bailey one day a week. I'm missing my girls, but the extra 2-3 Tuesday's that I will get to prepare for Parker's arrival will be well used.

Here is their "we're about to go to school" picture. Lou is sporting her upside down crown and the note that Greg left her telling her to have an awesome day. Bailey is convinced that it's super cold outside so she's sporting some gloves and a hat. I love these goofy girls!

Spending the First day of 2012 in the Hospital

2012-01-03T07:58:00.001-06:00

I'm not blaming my recent hospital stay on Parker, but it is pretty much her fault. Just like her sisters, she's calling the shots before she even arrives, and apparently she thought mommy and daddy needed a private room to kick off the new year!

On Sunday (Jan 1st) were at church when I started feeling a pain in my left mid back. The pain continued throughout the service and I started to feel a little nauseated. We ran a lot of errands the day before so I was trying to determine if I just overdid it or pulled a muscle getting Lou in and out of the car. Because the pain was not subsiding, I talked to a friend after the service who is a nurse. She advised me to take Tylenol and go home and rest. I felt somewhat better after taking Tylenol, but the pain came back stronger about an hour later. That afternoon, I napped when the girls napped, but woke up in even more pain. The doctor on call thought I might have a kidney stone so I tried to hang out at home and drink lots of water. I finally gave in around 6pm and Greg and I headed to the hospital as soon as my dad could come over to watch the girls (thanks dad).

Because I'm a planner and this was not in my plan for the day, I wasn't thrilled about going to the hospital 5 weeks earlier than my expected due date. I'm also an overachiever (even in the worst of times), so I was happy to meet one of my goals, which was to make it to the hospital before throwing up. Not long after settling into our room, "it" began. Luckily I made it into the bathroom for the first two rounds, but round three happened in the room ... with Greg close by. I guess this is the for better or for worse part. Greg was a trooper.

After some lab work and an ultrasound on my kidneys, the doctor diagnosed me with some big words that Greg and I don't remember. Essentially, my left kidney was inflamed. We were told that this is something normal that can happen in the third trimester because of limited room for my organs and the growing baby putting pressure on my kidneys. Just call me lucky.

Throughout the night, I was given 3-4 bags of IV fluid, 2 bags and one shot of antibiotics, nausea meds, 2 shots of pain meds, and Tylenol. To top it all off I started having contractions every 3-4 minutes. Until the nurse mentioned it, I was unaware of the contractions because of my intense back pain. Greg saw them on the monitor and (thankfully) decided not to tell me since I had enough going on. I was then given a shot to stop/slow contractions, and a pill every 6 hours. I was not dilated or effaced so we felt better knowing that Parker was staying put for the time being.

For the record, Stadol (my pain med) can make ~~you~~ me act a little loopy. It made me laugh, it made me sleepy, it made me paranoid, and it made me very aware of the words that were coming out of my mouth ... or at least I thought. I just tried not to talk soon after taking the meds for fear that I would say something stupid. Only Greg knows the truth!

The next morning, and lots of prayers from family and friends later, I was feeling better, able to eat, and released. I will continue to take the "stop contractions" pill for a week unless my doctor discontinues that at this mornings appointment. I'm certainly glad that this is over and that we decided to go to the hospital when we did because I never would have known that I was having contractions had I stayed at home.

This pic was taken right after the doctor said I could go home. It's not my best look, but this is as good as it gets after the night I had.

Now, lets get on with starting the new year on a happier note!

2011: A Year in Review

2011-12-30T17:05:00.004-06:00

It's hard to narrow down 365 days into one short blog, but here goes:

January:

Lou turned 1 on January 28th. We celebrated her first birthday at our house with family, friends, and 77 degree weather!

February:

Three days after Lou's birthday party, Oklahoma was hit with a blizzard. We got 15 inches of snow!

March:

Bailey started Mother's Day Out at our church, Heritage UMC. She went on Tuesday's and loved it! This allowed Lou and I to enjoy a little one on one time.
Greg and I ran in the St. Patrick's Day 5k. It was my third 5k.
I started couponing to save money on items for our home. As most of you know, this turned out to be something I'm pretty good at!
We lost my mom's mom at the end of March. We got Parker's name from her and my grandpa (he passed in 2009). Their last name was Park.

April:

My brother and sister in law opened The Mustache Goods & Wears in Fayetteville, AR. We are proud of them, and the store has done very well it's first year in business. If you're ever in Fayetteville, check it out or shop online at http://www.shopthemustache.com/.

May:

We finally landscaped our front yard with help from the Francy's, McKinney's, and Burnett's. It's nice to have friends who know what they're doing with plants because we didn't have a clue ... and we still don't!
Greg turned 31 on May 12th
We celebrated 9 years of marriage on May 25th!

June:

Bailey turned 3 on June 2nd
Bailey started 11 weeks of soccer lessons with Cole Chesser at SoccerCity. She loved it! Unfortunately, this was the hottest summer ever and we burned up (indoor with no AC) during her practices.
Baby #3 is on its way!!!
Greg had his wisdom teeth removed. I'll never forget how he acted coming out of anesthesia. Too funny!
Taught my first couponing class with Dawn Chesser. It was nice to teach others the secrets we had learned in only 3 short months of couponing.
We went on vacation to Mt. Magazine, AR, with Pops & Weasey. The cabin and view were amazing, but sadly, I was so sick that we had to come back home the next morning leaving Pops & Weasey there to have fun without us. We'll have to try that vacation again someday!

July:

Greg finished his second degree (in Finance) at OSU. We are very proud of him because it's hard going to school full time, work full time, and having a family. Just call him SuperMan-Dad-Husband!

August:

Dawn and I taught our second couponing class for ladies at our church. Again, this was another great opportunity to share our money saving secrets.
I started writing this blog. Thank you to everyone who takes time out of their day to read what's going on in our crazy lives!

September:

This was our 9th year to participate in the Tulsa Komen Race for the Cure. Our team consisted of 27 family members, friends, and buns in the oven.
Greg and Jared Hood ran the 5k Warrior Run in Tulsa. I can't wait to participate with them next year!
Lou had her first dental check up. She is not a fan of the dentist, which was no surprise because she doesn't like the doctor either.
Baby #3 is a GIRL!

October:

We went on vacation with the Chesser's and Moore's to Eureka Springs, AR. This was Greg and my first kid free vacation. Of course we missed the girls, but we had a BLAST!
Greg and I celebrated being together for 16 years ... can you believe it! He asked me out when we were 15 years old.

November:

I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. No fun.

December:

I turned 32 on December 7th. For those keeping track, yes, I'm 5 months and 5 days older than Greg. No, he doesn't let me forget that.
Greg officially graduated from OSU; however, we did not attend his commencement. Who actually goes to those things ... on the second degree.
We were blessed to make a difference in the lives of the White family after seeing their story on the Dr. Oz show. We are now blessed to call them friends, and to know first hand that God still performs miracles.
Our master bathroom was remodeled (more on this later). Woohoo!

We hope that you and your family made some great memories in 2011, and that you are expecting even greater things in 2012!

Ephesians 4:1-3 - "... I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

Couponing for Christmas Gifts!

2011-12-27T10:55:00.000-06:00

I was inspired by a friends blog (she's actually the friend that got me couponing in the first place) to keep track of our coupon savings while buying Christmas presents. I'm glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised with our savings.

We spent $X amount and saved $X amount. I know, that's not fair, but I can't tell you the exact numbers because that's between us and Santa. I can tell you that we saved 50%! Yup, that's right! Had we paid full retail then we would have paid twice as much for our gifts. Wow! We're pretty impressed with ourselves considering this was our first Christmas to try couponing while buying our gifts.

Here are three examples of items that we saved money on. I can't disclose the exact items because I know that some of the folks who received these gifts will be reading this blog. So, here's as much secret info as I can give you. If you want details, just ask me.

We purchased 3 items that would have cost a total of $77.97 with shipping. After coupons, we only paid $11.39, which was just the cost of shipping.
We were able to help our family members save as well. As a family, we purchased 5 items that retailed for $250.00. After coupons, we only paid $94.
We also bought $75 worth of gift cards for $60.

Not to shabby, but next year our goal will be to save more than 50%!

Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Here Comes Santa Claus ... NO!!!

2011-12-21T07:53:00.004-06:00

Every year that we've had kids, we have taken them to see Santa. This trip can only go one of two ways, and you never know what you're going to get until that pivotal moment arrives.

Bailey (6 months) with Santa at our church in 2008. So sweet!

Bailey (18 months) with Santa at Bass Pro in 2009. Who is this hairy guy and why did you put me on his lap? And, No, she does not have a mullet ... even though it looks that way!

Bailey (2 1/2 years) and Lou (10 months) with Santa at Bass Pro in 2010. The year of peace!

Bailey (3 1/2 years) and Lou (22 months) with Santa at Bass Pro in 2011. These three pictures (in event order) tell it all!

These are the moments that make parents proud. These are the moments that will come up at rehearsal dinners. These are also the moments that we will cherish for a lifetime because they will be gone in the blink of an eye. To survive with children, you have to find the entertainment in life. And yes, there is a small part of me that loves that my girls are not ok with sitting on a hairy mans lap.

To the Santa at Bass Pro - You are a very patient and kind man. Thank you!

Merry Christmas!

33 Weeks! Already?

2011-12-20T13:31:00.007-06:00

I'm 33 weeks today! Pregnancy #3 is flying by. I thought my second one was quick, but this is just crazy. I can't believe that I'll be having a baby in less than 7 weeks. Woohoo!

With Bailey, we took a picture every week in the same outfit to see how much I grew.
With Lou, Bailey and I took a picture almost every week in the same outfit to see how much I grew.
With Parker, both girls (or just me if they were already in bed) and I have taken a picture ~~each week~~ when we remember and in ~~the same outfit~~ whatever I have on!

We haven't taken today's 33 week picture yet so here are some pics at 32/33 weeks of all three pregnancies. If bare belly shots scare you, then just squint. It makes me look thinner anyway!

Bailey (preg #1) at 33 weeks:

Lou (preg #2) at 33 weeks:

Parker (preg #3) at 32 weeks (last week's pic):

Gestational Diabetes Update: So far so good! I'm still peeing on a stick once a day to check my ketones and checking my blood sugar four times a day. Not the most fun process, but it's doable. Next week we will start weekly Biophysical Profile ultrasounds to keep an eye on Parker's growth and the amniotic fluid. We are excited to get to see her once a week!

At this point in a "normal" pregnancy, a woman can expect to gain about a pound a week. At this point in my "abnormal" pregnancy, I've lost a total of 1 lb over the last 4 weeks (instead of a potential gain of 4 lbs). This is not a concern because the baby and I are healthy so I'll just consider that my weight loss program is starting early! At 33 weeks, I've gained a total of 20 lbs. Not to shabby!

FOLLOW UP TO: Please Help Us Help a Tulsa Family in Need

2011-12-11T18:18:00.003-06:00

John 15:15-17 - "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other."

A little over a week ago, Greg and I were led to make a difference in the lives of a Tulsa family after hearing their story on the Dr. Oz Show. A few days after making this decision and asking for you help, I heard the song "I Refuse" by Josh Wilson. Here are part of the lyrics that helped me confirm that we were doing the right thing:

"Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone's alright
When I know they're not
This world needs God, but it's easier to stand and watch
I could pray a prayer and just move on
Like nothing's wrong

But I refuse

I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse"

You can listen to the song with lyrics at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_m2FkisN98

We know that God heard our prayers, and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your generous gifts to the White Family. We are overwhelmed and humbled by your willingness to help. Without those that responded with gifts and prayers to our first post, this Miracle would not have been a reality. These two verses were in my head all week as we gathered items to give to this very deserving family.

John 14:13-15 - "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

So, just by simply asking, here is what we collected in 9 short days and delivered to the White Family today (Sunday, Dec 11th):

Letter of Encouragement
1,100 Food Items donated by the students at Booker T. Washington High School
Multiple other Food and Toiletry Item Donations
3 Soccer Balls and an Air Pump
2 Basketballs
Coupon Binder with Couponing Tips, Coupons to get started, Toiletry Items purchased while Couponing, and a $10 Gas Card
7 Free Meals at Burn Co BBQ

http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=39&articleid=20110331_455_WK5_CUTLIN391854&allcom=1

7 Free Dozen Cupcakes at Beth's Bakery

http://www.facebook.com/bethsbakerytulsa

1 Hour Free Photo Session with a disk of edited pictures by Travis Hall Photography

http://travishallphoto.com/#/page/c0b8/places/

Cash: $1,000
Gift Cards:

Dick's Sporting Goods: $100
The Hamlet: $50
Spa Lux: $100
Wal-Mart: $970
Quick Trip: $205
Visa Card: $100
Louie's Bar & Grill: $50

Meeting the White family and hearing their entire story was a very rewarding experience. The items we were able to deliver to them was a bonus. This grateful family is just like yours and mine. They work hard, they love their kids, they love God, and they are doing the best that they can to get by. We visited with them for about an hour and we left with a smile in our hearts and new friends for life.

No one knew this at the time, but the song that I mentioned at the top of this post played on the radio as we were there talking to the family. Again, it was God's way of showing me that He was there and that we did the right thing.

Please Help Us Help a Tulsa Family in Need

2011-12-02T10:02:00.007-06:00

The Angel Tree is important to our family. Each year we choose one or two angels from our tree at church and we get to go shopping for some very deserving children. It's always a fun shopping trip because you know that each item you purchase will be a blessing to someone you will never meet. This year has presented us with a twist to our usual Angel Tree excitement:

On Tuesday, Nov 29th, Greg and I just happened to be watching the Dr. Oz show. The episode was about Hunger in American, and how there are family's going hungry right in your hometown. The second family interviewed was from Tulsa, OK. We watched as this family shared their story and then explained that the adults skip meals from time to time so that their children will be able to eat and how their dinner may only consists of celery stalks and cheese cubes. This story was coming from your typical American family that is struggling to make ends meet.

Here is what we recall from their Story: Scott and Misty are the parents of 5 children. When Scott retired from the military (Correction: he decided to leave his job as a Police Sergeant in Arizona to focus on his family), they moved to Tulsa to provide a better way of life for their family of 7. Misty was promised a full scholarship to nursing school in Tulsa. She has already gotten her RN license, but she still has 1 1/2 more years of nursing school to complete. Besides going to school, Misty is a stay at home mom because it's to expensive to provide daycare or after school care for her 5 children if she were to work. Scott works one job and his paycheck basically covers the bills not including food, or other necessities. Scott said in the interview that he could take a 2nd or 3rd job, but then he wouldn't be around to raise his children and he feels that it's his responsibility to be there for them to teach them right from wrong. I can respect that. Of course, there is more to the story, but that was enough to pull at our heartstrings. We knew we had to do something.

Before the segment was over, I was on the computer emailing the Dr. Oz show to see if I could get in contact with this family. I know, this was a long shot, but you have to start somewhere. At the same time, Greg was going through the phone book, but the family couldn't be found. During the interview, Greg and I both noticed that Scott was wearing a City of Tulsa name tag (we are detectives in our spare time) so I emailed two different branches of the City of Tulsa. So, there you have it. Our best chances to get a hold of this family were all via emails that could potentially never get checked. Next, we prayed. We knew that we were being called to help this family so we gave it over to God to make it happen. If this was meant to be then He would open the right doors.

On Wednesday, I received a call from Scott's manager at the City of Tulsa. He got my email! For obvious reasons they do not give out employee info, but he offered to give my name and number to Scott. I agreed and he said he figured I would say that so he had actually given Scott my info about 30 minutes prior to our phone conversation. We were excited, but still hesitant because now we had to wait to see if Scott or Misty would even call us.

On Thursday, after arriving home from work, we noticed we had a voice message from Misty. We played phone tag, but were finally able to talk over the phone for 20 minutes this morning. They are an amazing Christian family that will do anything for their children. I cannot say enough good things about this family and I'm honored to be able to help them out. When I asked Misty's permission to put a gift together for her family she started crying. She said they have been blessed beyond belief since the show aired on Tuesday, and that this was all a great lesson to show her kids that God will provide for them.

The million dollar question - What can we do for this family?

At the least, Greg and I will go to the grocery store and by them a good amount of food so that their cabinets (and bellies) will be full this month. At the most, we will put this message in front of as many people as we know to see who else would be willing to help us help this family. Our goal is to collect as much money, gift cards, gifts, etc and Greg and I will deliver those items to the family on Saturday, Dec 10th, NEXT WEEKEND. I know, this a total honor system, and another long shot, but if you would like to donate money, then please consider mailing me a check and I will put that toward a cash donation or Wal-Mart gift card for the family. Or, you could purchase your own Wal-Mart gift card for me to give to the family. My thoughts are if we mostly stick to one store (Wal-Mart) then they will be able to get more for their money.
If you or someone you know own a small business, please consider what you might be able to do for this family such as offer them your goods or services at no charge. I will be contacting a few of my business owning friends soon with my ideas so please don't ignore me. :)
Any amount of assistance you can provide will be such a blessing to this family. If you only have $5 to give, we will gladly take that to add to anything else that comes in.
If you would like to help out, please email me at morrison25@cox.net so that we can work out the details.

So, we know that all of this may sound crazy and that it's a long shot, but we are going for it ... and asking for your help. We are putting ourselves out there for God to use us to bless this family. While typing this I've decided to change my "long shot" comment to a "miracle." This is a miracle unfolding right before my eyes and for that I'm grateful to be a part of it.

Matthew 25:35 - "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." (Jesus taught that when we do good deeds for the weak and downtrodden, it's as if we are helping Jesus himself. Here, he makes it clear that he values kindness done to stranger and to those who struggle to make ends meet.)

I'm Thankful For... (Part 3 of 3)

2011-11-30T08:16:00.002-06:00

November is the month of Thanksgiving so I'm taking this opportunity to give thanks on each of the 30 days this month. Below are days 21-30.

2 Corinthians 9:11 - You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Nov 21st: I'm thankful for a safe home to live in, and reliable vehicles to get our family around.

Nov 22nd: I'm thankful for my children's health (and mine and Greg's health).

Nov 23rd: I'm thankful for the advancement in blood glucose monitors that allow me to check my blood sugar 4x a day without (too much) pain.

Nov 24th (Thanksgiving Day): I'm thankful for a day that allows me to reflect on how amazing my life is. We are a very blessed family!

Nov 25th (Black Friday): I'm thankful that we slept in and then shopped from 8am-11am and still got every deal we were looking for.

Nov 26th: I'm thankful for an entire day spent at home resting with my family. We are always on the go so this was a nice change.

Nov 27th: I'm thankful for our Young Adult Sunday School class. Some of our best friends have come from that class, and they are always there when we need them.

Nov 28th: I'm thankful for another productive day at work. It's nice to see something that you planned actually work. :)

Nov 29th: I'm thankful that my parents have been married 37 years today! They are a great example to follow.

Nov 30th: I'm thankful that I have less than 10 weeks left in this pregnancy. We can't wait to meet Parker!

Christmas Scavenger Hunt!

2011-11-26T10:50:00.000-06:00

It's time for a Christmas Scavenger Hunt! We have been looking for this OSU Christmas stocking since October. We currently have 4, but we need a 5th for the new baby. Technically we have until Christmas of 2012 to find it, but the search is on now. We will give a REWARD to whoever can find this stocking. I'm not sure what the reward will be, but I promise that it will be worth it!

Here are some hints to help you on your search if you choose to accept this challenge:

Orange, Knit, O-State Stocking
At its longest point is measures: 19" x 12"
We bought our first two stockings 5-6 years ago at Dillards in Tulsa
We bought the third one 4 years ago at Bedlam Sports in Tulsa (46th & Memorial)
We bought the fourth one 2 years ago at Bedlam Sports in Tulsa
Retail is $30-35
We've had a few people looking already and we have determined that this exact stocking is not located at Wal-Mart (thanks for your effort though). We've also tried Dillards and Bedlam Sports already.
We don't believe this stocking is being made anymore
We've been searching online and on eBay, but no luck ... so far!

Thank you to anyone who accepts this challenge! GOOD LUCK!

Sharing a Recipe: Black Bean Soup

2011-11-23T15:04:00.001-06:00

We LOVE this healthy and very yummy soup. It comes from Now Eat This by Rocco Dispirito. The cookbook is 150 of America's favorite comfort foods all under 350 calories. We've tried quite a few of the recipes in this book, but this one is our favorite by far. And it's SO easy to make!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

One 14.5 oz can Black Beans, with liquid
2/3 cup Chicken Broth
2/3 cup your favorite Salsa (we use a Peach Pineapple Chipotle Salsa)
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Ketchup
1 pkg Real Bacon bits
Optional: shredded cheese topping

Preparation:

In a blender, combine half of the beans and all their liquid, the chicken broth, and 1/3 cup of the salsa. Puree the mixture until smooth.
Pour the contents of the blender into a medium saucepan and place it over high heat. Add the remaining beans, remaining salsa, chili powder, ketchup, and bacon bits. Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low.
Cook the soup, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 9 minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with shredded cheese if you would like.
Enjoy!

Serving size: 4
Calories: 129
Fat: 2.1 g
Protein: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Cholesterol: 7 mg
Fiber: 5 g

Please Note: We double this for a family of four (two of those small kids) and for leftovers. We like to pour the soup over Frito's; however, that does add to the calorie count ... if you're keeping track!

I'm Thankful For... (Part 2 of 3)

2011-11-20T15:03:00.003-06:00

November is the month of Thanksgiving so I'm taking this opportunity to give thanks on each of the 30 days this month. Below are days 11-20.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Nov 11th (Veteran's Day): I'm thankful to all of the Veterans that I know and that have passed on. Thank you also to those that I will never meet. Your sacrifice has improved our lives and for that we are eternally grateful.

Nov 12th: I'm thankful for my Netti Pot. We've become good friends over the years. And, thank you, to my mom for introducing the two of us.

Nov 13th: I'm thankful for my health and being able to breathe out of my nose, especially since I don't feel good today and my nose is stopped up.

Nov 14th: I'm thankful for the elastic waste band in maternity pants. Whoever came up with that invention is a genius!

Nov 15th: I'm thankful for the amazing 75 degree weather we're having in mid November, even if I'm allergic to everything outside. :)

Nov 16th: I'm thankful that my second 3 hour glucose test of this pregnancy is over.

Nov 17th: I'm thankful that one of my best friends is a nurse. I'm positive that she went to school for the benefit of my family, and for no other reason. Thank you for putting up with all of my questions, even if I ask you the same question multiple times. You know who you are, and I love you!

Nov 18th: I'm thankful for the beautiful leaves that change color each Fall. God outdid himself on that one!

Nov 19th: I'm thankful that Greg already put up the Christmas lights on our house, and that he's agreed not to turn them on until after Thanksgiving.

Nov 20th: I'm thankful that I did NOT run the Route 66 Marathon today in 39 degree weather, but very proud of my brother for completing it!

To be continued...

Merry Christmas from the Morrison's!

2011-11-16T16:57:00.143-06:00

Mod Snowflake Frame Christmas

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The above picture is our 2011 family Christmas card. Ok, so our kids are wearing their Halloween costumes and if you look really hard you will see some pumpkins, but this is what we're all about ... having a good time and no one looking at the camera!

Decorating for Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning this year. Bailey and Lou are old enough to enjoy the decorations and to help out so it has been a lot more exciting. In the past, we've mainly used the same old decorations, but this year we bought some new ones and combined those with some of our old favorites.

OSU candy canes ... all hung in one location

"LOOK" ... Scooby Doo Mystery Machine

Even Parker helped decorate the tree with an OSU Nutcracker

Our princesses showing off their new tiara's

A little help from dad to top off the tree

Here is my creation with the sparkle light bulbs (from a previous post) - I think I'll change this up each year

I'm pretty sure that Greg and I enjoy the Gingerbread pillows more than the girls

Pink sparkle tree for the girls

I love Willow Tree figurines - Especially this Nativity scene

The girls favorite new ornament this year. Should we be worried?

Holiday greetings near our front door

Our first year for yard pizazz - The girls say 4 words whenever we pass a house with lights. It's either "Christmas Lights" or "Blow Ups" - Now we have both!

Pardon my pajama pants

No trip to the front yard to see the new blow ups is complete without a purse and a headband

From our family to yours, we hope that you have a very Merry Christmas! May God bless you!

Sharing a Recipe: Aunt Louise's Breakfast Casserole

2011-11-16T11:49:00.001-06:00

Greg's Uncle Reese and Aunt Louise are from Tulsa, but they currently live in Georgia. Before we had the girls, they and their kids would come stay with us for a week as they visited with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. We loved that week! Now that we have two kids of our own, and another on the way, we have filled all of our extra rooms with pink and purple so we no longer have a bed to offer them. We have tried to give up our bedroom, but they are not taking us up on that offer ... yet!

Everytime they would stay with us, Aunt Louise would make her famous Breakfast Casserole. It's amazing, and one year she shared the secret recipe with me. I felt so honored. Ok, so she would have shared it with anyone, but I was still pumped! So, here it is...

Aunt Louise's Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

6 slices of bread
1 lb of sausage (Jimmy Dean Sage, or any you choose)
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cheese (more or less - whatever you prefer)
6 eggs
2 cu half & half (1 pint carton)
1 tsp salt
Tabasco - optional - a few drops
Worcestershire sauce - optional - a few shakes

Preparation:

Brown sausage
Butter bread on both sides and place in a 9x13 baking dish
Spoon sausage over bread
Sprinkle cheese over sausage
Beat remaining ingredients and pour over casserole
Cover and refrigerate overnight
Remove from refrigerator and let stand 1 hour
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes
Enjoy!

Side Note: My household is impatient when we know that this is on the menu so we skip the overnight part and just bake it right after it's made. It's fantastic. We also cut this in half and make one half one week and the other half the following week. You can also take steps to make this recipe a little healthier (I'm a huge fan of healthy eating), but why mess with perfection?!

Family Photo Shoot - Oct 2011

2011-11-15T12:57:00.008-06:00

On Saturday, Oct 22nd, we met a good friend to take some family photos of us. Our photographer, Travis Hall, and I have known each other since grade school and his photos are amazing. We are always excited to see what he has captured, especially since we don't take life too seriously and therefore have a hard time keeping it together long enough for a photo shoot! Travis took over 200 pic's that day so it was difficult to narrow it down to the ones in this post, but I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Of course, we added some outtake photo's as well!

I love the sun rays (or as we call them God rays) coming down over the girls!

Greg and I comparing Pumpkins!

The girls making wishes!

Lou, our Sweet Cupcake

Bailey, our Beautiful Butterfly

Sweet sisters!

No photo shoot would be complete without a couple of outtakes ...

Bailey was trying to give Lou a kiss and we started to topple over!

In this pic we are all pointing at the Goose poop that Lou found and tried to pick up. Oh, the lessons you get to teach while taking photo's on a farm!

This is my very patient husband putting up with, and laughing at my inner model! Come on, what maternity magazine wouldn't want this pose on their cover?!

I hope you enjoyed that small glimpse into our photo shoot. I wanted to add more pics, like around 200 hundred, but that would be overkill. :)

If that's not enough for you, click on this link to see all of the photo's that I posted to my Facebook album. This link includes around 20 pics. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2198846967064.2107231.1123951036&type=1&l=a61f1ce140

Living with Hypo-WHAT?!

2011-11-13T19:02:00.062-06:00

In 2001, I started getting multiple headaches a week. Throughout the year more of those headaches were progressing into migraines than not. It was a busy year so there wasn't a lot of time devoted to figuring out the cause of my headaches. In May of 2001, Greg and I finished our Junior year at OSU in Stillwater and then moved back home to finish our Senior year at OSU-Tulsa while planning our wedding for the following May. I also started a new job at a credit union that summer and joined a new soccer team. Life was busy and good!

On the afternoon of my first day at the credit union one of my co-workers said she was going next door to Sonic to get drinks so I ordered a Cherry Limeade Slush, my favorite! By the time I was leaving work to drive home, my head hurt so bad that I knew it was already a full blown migraine. The drive home was rough and I wasn't sure that I was going to make it due to the severity of my headache. Without any warning, while sitting at a red light, I vomited all over myself and my car. I was shocked! I made it home, cleaned up, and went to bed for the rest of the day. The following morning I knew something had to change so I called my doctor.

After some discussion and lab work, my doctor mentioned testing me for Hypoglycemia. Hypo-what? Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low, and anything at or below that level could harm you. My doctor also mentioned some symptoms to see if I answered yes to any of them (here is a list that I currently found online): Double/blurry vision, Fast/pounding heart (YES!), Feeling anxious/nervous (YES!), Headaches (YES!), Hunger (YES!), Shaking/trembling (YES!), Sleeping trouble, Sweating (YES!), Numbness of skin, Tiredness/weakness (YES!), and Unclear thinking.

Obviously I answered YES enough to take the 5 hour glucose test. At one point during the test, I was really feeling bad so the nurse had Greg take me outside to walk around and get some fresh air. We later found out that my blood sugar level was 55 at that time (70 being low). No wonder I felt like I was about to pass out. So, after getting the results of the 5 hour test, I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia.

The months to follow consisted of many things: visiting with a dietician, completely changing my diet, cutting out all pop and sugary drinks, cutting out all sweets, eating 6 small meals/snacks a day, losing over 20 lbs (and I didn't have that much to lose), and just trying to make sense of it all.

Since that time, over 10 years ago, I have my Hypoglycemia completely under control. It took about 6 months to a year to get things back to a "new" normal and to get myself to a stable weight so that I was healthy and my headaches were gone. I'm proud to have my sugar levels under control with a healthy diet so that I don't have to depend on medicine/insulin to get by. Never fear - I still enjoy sweets, but I have to be careful of when to eat them and how much to eat. :)

The only thing that throws a wrench into all of this is, you guessed it, Pregnancy.

During my first pregnancy I took the 1 hour glucose test at 28 weeks like everyone else does. I failed. I then took the 3 hour test and I failed that as well. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (which is diabetes only while pregnant and it basically goes away after you give birth - ok, so it's a lot more complicated than that, but that's the easy version). I was sent to a dietician who basically told me everything I already knew considering I had been dealing with Hypoglycemia for so long. For two weeks I had to record everything I ate and drank, check my blood sugar 4 times a day, pee on a stick each morning to check my sugar levels, and go to the hospital once a week for fetal monitoring that lasted 1 hour per visit. This was loads of fun - no, it wasn't! After those first two weeks, the dietician allowed me to go back to doing things the way I had always done them since I had such a good handle on my condition. I still had to check my blood sugar twice a day and continue the once a week hospital visits, but overall the rest of the pregnancy went well. When Bailey was born, her sugar had to be checked multiple times while in the hospital to make sure her levels weren't too low. She was fine. Praise the Lord!
During my second pregnancy, I took the one hour glucose test early at 22 weeks. I failed. I then took the 3 hour test, and I passed! What? I passed! Praise the Lord!
During this third pregnancy, I was registering high blood pressure at the doctors office (which could be related to my blood sugar levels) so I had to start taking my blood pressure twice a day at home starting at 19 weeks. My blood pressure was great so at 21 weeks I was told to only check it once a day at home until delivery. Along with that excitement, I took the 1 hour glucose test early (again) at 22 weeks. I failed. I then took the 3 hour test, and I passed! However, one of my numbers was off by more than 30 points (per their scale) so I was told to take the 3 hour test again at 28 weeks. I took the second test yesterday morning. A nurse called today with the results of my second 3 hour test ... I failed. I have Gestational Diabetes again. I have to admit, I was pretty upset at first. The frustration came from knowing what this means and how much I will have to do the next 12 weeks to keep myself and Parker healthy. It's a doable process, but it takes work. So, here we go again ...

I'm Thankful For... (Part 1 of 3)

2011-11-10T11:58:00.003-06:00

November is the month of Thanksgiving so I'm taking this opportunity to give thanks on each of the 30 days this month. Below are days 1-10.

Colossians 3:15 - Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Nov 1st: I'm thankful that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that I can fully trust Him to take care of our family, our home, our kids, our finances, our jobs, our big events, our little events, simply everything.

Nov 2nd: I'm thankful for my beautiful family. For a husband that loves everything about me, and for my two wonderful, healthy daughters, and for our third daughter coming in February.

Nov 3rd: I'm thankful that I get to listen to Lou talk herself to sleep at night even though most nights we have to go in there and tell her to shhh. I'm also thankful that I can hear Bailey's sweet little voice even if it's at 4am because she pottied in her bed and needs her sheets changed.

Nov 4th: I'm thankful that my left thigh goes numb multiple times a day because it reminds me of the healthy baby growing inside of me. One of my favorite sayings: "Pregnancy is the only time that a human gets to assist God in a miracle." What a great way to look at things!

Nov 5th: I'm thankful that we attended a wedding today, and that I was reminded of how blessed I am to spend the rest of my life with Greg.

Nov 6th: I'm thankful to have survived two earthquakes (4.7 and 5.6) in one day on Nov 5th in Oklahoma. Ok, so there was no real threat, but how many people can say that! * Add to that a 3rd earthquake (4.7) on Nov 7th.

Nov 7th: I'm thankful that my parents watch our girls when I'm at work. The love and care they show them allows me to go to work without a single worry. Thanks Pops & Weasey!

Nov 8th: I'm thankful for the Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino at QT. I wish it were out all year long, but it sure gives me something to look forward to in the Fall.

Nov 9th: I'm thankful for my amazing church family, and a Pastor that is a true leader.

Nov 10th: I'm thankful for my job and my boss. After working full time for 5 1/2 years, my boss allowed me to go to part time after Bailey was born. I've worked part time every since which gives me two extra days a week at home with my girls.

To be continued...

Sharing a Recipe: California's Best Potato Soup

2011-11-08T12:31:00.003-06:00

I love to cook! Don't get me wrong, it's nice to eat out once in awhile, but it's much more rewarding (and cheaper) to make a meal at home and watch your family enjoy it. Please feel free to share your favorite recipes with me as well (via email or FB messaging) and I'll give it a try!

Today's amazingly quick and easy recipe comes from a friend at church. This is one of those meals that we look forward to eating when it's freshly made and we then look forward to eating the leftovers. YUM!

California's Best Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes (leave skin on)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 package of Real Bacon Bits (found near salad dressing, croutons, etc)
1 small Onion
1 carton Chicken Broth
1 - 8 oz carton of heavy cream (or half and half)
2 cups (1 pkg) Colby & Monterey Jack shredded cheese (or Cheddar shred)
6 drops of Tabasco sauce

Preparation:

Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces
Peel and chop onion
Add olive oil to a large pot, heat on high. Add the onion when the oil is hot. As the onion cooks, add half of the bacon bits to the onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the cut potatoes to the pot.
Add the carton of chicken broth to the onion and potatoes; bring to a boil on high heat.
Cook appox 15 minutes uncovered until the potatoes are tender.
Lower the temperature to medium; add the heavy cream, shredded cheese, and Tabasco sauce (this will not make the soup spicy hot).
When the soup comes to a low boil again, add the remaining bacon bits, and continue cooking for another minute.
Enjoy!

I am NOT a girly girl! Or am I?

2011-11-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

If you grew up with me or you know me well, then you know that I'm NOT a girly girl. I've played sports most of my life, and it would be easier for you to find me in a pair of jeans than in a dress. I like to be outdoors, to play coed soccer with my husband, and to run. I'm a girl that actually likes to sweat!

At Bailey's ultrasound I was convinced that she was a boy. I was a little shocked when the tech said it was a girl. "A what?" I said. I will never forget Greg's comment: "I guess you have no mothers intuition." Ha!

Knowing we were having a girl, I kindly ~~warned~~ asked my family not to get her a ton of girly things: no poofy skirts, no dress up high heels, no tiara's, etc. Then it happened, Greg painted her room pink. PINK?! Then along came Lou and he painted her room purple. PURPLE?! And now baby #3 is also a girl (her room is yet to be painted).

Somewhere between three years ago and now I have SLOWLY changed. I took Lou shopping this week while Bailey was at preschool and we came across some Christmas decorations that were 50% off. I'm sure some of you will never believe that these items got in my shopping cart, much less came home with me, and that I'm actually excited about them:

Yes, this is a pink and purple Santa with sparkles on his hat!

A bright pink pillow that says, "All is Merry & Bright"

Do your eyes deceive you? No, it's two shiny tiara tree ornaments!

And this array of sparkle will be strung together to make one awesome decoration that will hang near our fireplace! Each sparkle bulb is 6" tall. (I'll try to remember to post a pic of it once it's done).

So, what have I learned over the past three years? That God knows better than I know when He decided to give us girls instead of boys - That girls are awesome - That poofy skirts are cute - That little girls LOVE to dress up in high heels - That tiara's can finish off the perfect outfit - That pink and purple are great bedroom colors for creative little girls - And, most importantly, don't ~~warn~~ ask your family not to get your kids things because they take joy in getting your kids those very things!

To my family - Thank you for changing me. I love you all, and I love being the mom of all girls!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T13:38:00.001-05:00

Now that the girls are getting older (ok, they're only 3 and 1), holiday's are getting more fun. We had a BLAST this Halloween!

We started our festivities at home painting pumpkins. The girls were more than thrilled to get their hands dirty ... I mean paint!

Our next event was at our church's Fall Festival. Bailey really got into "Trunk or Treating" this year. Lou was just happy following Bailey around until she realized that people were putting candy in her basket. Then she got more excited.

We ended our fun last night Trick or Treating in the neighborhood of our good friends, the Chesser's. Their neighbors know how to go all out. We saw kids being carted around on golf carts, trailors, in the back of trucks, etc. We also saw multiple "tailgate" parties with plenty of food, fun, decorations, and even a big screen with the Monday night football game playing.

There were also some "scary" houses. I did my best not to voice my concern with some of the decor because Bailey was oblivious to the fact that she could be walking into a potentially frightening experience. We'll never forget the Michael Myers house. The kids (ages 3, 2, and 1 years old) were suppose to walk into the foyer of a dimly lit home to grab some candy out of a bowl being protected by a man dressed as Mike Myers with a big knife in his hand. With a little prompting from the dads, Bailey (age 3) and Cole (age 2) were still hesitant to reach for the candy. Lou (age 1) had a tight grip on Greg's neck as she said "no dada, no dada." It was then that Mike Myers slowly lowered his knife behind his back, grabbed the candy bowl, and moved it toward the kids. They grabbed their candy and took off. What a great moment!

We hope you had as great of a Halloween experience as we did! Can't wait til next year!

Giving Back is a Blessing!

2011-10-26T09:39:00.001-05:00

Matthew 25:40 - “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 19:14 - "Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Greg and I were at a concert in 2003 when we first heard about Compassion International. This is a Christian organization out of Colorado Springs, CO, that pairs you with a child in need. You can choose a child of any age and you are asked to commit to sponsoring that child with a monthly pledge until they graduate from the program. After hearing about Compassion, there was no question that God was asking us to sponsor a child. We went out into the hallway and started looking at all of the children in need. It's sad that we didn't even notice this table of children on our way into the concert.

This is John, our first sponsor child. John lives in Kenya and he was 12 years old when we started sponsoring him in 2003. Over the years we got many letters from John and we were able to write him many letters in return. It was amazing to see him grow over the years as his schooling progressed and his love of the Lord progressed. A few weeks ago, we got a call from Compassion saying that John had completed their program at 20 years of age. It was a bittersweet day. We are very proud of all that he accomplished, but it's hard to just stop "taking care" of someone after 8 years of contact. We pray for God's best over John, his family, and his life.

In 2005, we were given another opportunity to sponsor a second child and we did not hesitate to accept. This time we found our child through World Vision, which is another Christian organization very similar to Compassion International.

This is Samuel, our second sponsor child. Sam lives in Malawi and he was 11 years old when we started sponsoring him in 2005. World Vision has more uniform letters that they give you to fill out so it's structured a little differently than the letters you write through Compassion. We are still able to write multiple letters a year to Sam and we receive multiple letters as well. We will continue to sponsor Sam until he granduates from the World Vision program.

My purpose in writing this post is to make you aware of these two amazing organizations that will link you directly to a child in need in another part of the world. I know that we have blessed John and Sam over the years with our financial support and gifts, but, in return, we have been blessed beyond measure as well. If you have any questions about these two organiziation, please let me know.

Compassion International - http://www.compassion.com/default.htm
World Vision - http://www.worldvision.org/home.nsf/pages/home.htm#/home/main/world-vision-family-1-1459

The Red Eyed Monster

2011-10-12T21:30:00.002-05:00

This innocent toilet strikes fear into the heart of my sweet little 3 year old. If you have been through the potty training years and your child survived the automatic flushing toilet, I congratulate you. If you are in the process of potty training, I feel for you. If you have not yet started potty training, be warned!

Bailey loves to use the potty and she is very proud of herself when she can go "all by myself." However, she has met her match when it comes to the automatic flushing toilet (AKA the Red Eyed Monster). No matter how bad she needs to go, if she walks into a public restroom and spots the Red Eyed Monster, then she will plaster herself against the far wall and protest the fact that she ever needed to use the potty.

The Red Eyed Monster combined with the fact that ALL public toilets flush "way to loud" has me surprised that she will go anywhere. I've even tried to cover the Red Eyed Monster to show her that it won't flush until we are ready for it to flush, but the fear has already taken over and she is out the door.

So, to all of you Red Eyed Monsters out there ... we will overcome you ... someday!

Wait Gain

2011-09-25T15:36:00.002-05:00

Yes, that title was on purpose. I LOVE being pregnant. I DO NOT like gaining weight. Let's face it, pregnancy seems to be the slowest weight gain and weight loss process ever. It's all just a waiting game. First you gain weight for 9 months, and then you do your best to lose that weight over the next 9 months. It's a LONG wait!

During my first two pregnancies, I was told that a healthy weight gain was 25-35 lbs so I made sure that I met those guidelines. During this 3rd pregnancy, the number has changed to 20-30 lbs so we'll see how well that works out. :)

I'm going to be very brave for a moment and throw out some numbers. I'm not sure that any other woman would do this, and I'm not quite sure why I'm doing it either. I guess my motivation is to be able to look back at this a year from now to check my progress.

I'm 5'7" and the "average" weight for my height is 125-135 pounds.

When I got pregnant with Bailey, I weighed 133 lbs. During those 9 months, I slowly gained 30 lbs, which put me at 163 pounds on delivery day. During the 10 months after having her, I slowly lost 19 of those pounds before getting pregnant with Lou.
When I got pregnant with Lou (11 months after I had Bailey), I weighed 144 lbs. During those 9 months, I slowly gained 29 lbs, which put me at 173 pounds on delivery day. During the 12 months after having her, I slowly lost 19 of those pounds (again!) before getting pregnant with baby #3.
When I got pregnant with baby #3 (13 months after I had Lou), I weighed 154 lbs. I'm half way through my pregnancy and so far I've only gained 12 lbs. I admit, that's not bad, but it's hard not to factor in the weight that I already needed to lose from my first two pregnancies.

If you haven't already guess it, I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to gaining weight. I've played sports my entire life and I've always been in shape. I'm not obsessive and I'm not going to be one of those crazy people that does whatever it takes to lose weight. I'm realistic - I realize that when baby #3 comes that I will have had 3 kids in 3 1/2 years. I know that takes a toll on a woman's body. But, I also know that I'm not going to let myself settle with this extra weight and I'm writing this to hold myself accountable to return to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Yikes! I can't believe I just put all of that in writing...

Blessed

2011-09-23T22:10:00.002-05:00

As I was leaving work today and walking alone toward my car, I was greeted by a frantic young woman. She wanted a ride somewhere, but she wasn't making a lot of sense with what she was saying so I was hesitant to help her. I apologized that I could not give her a ride, wished her luck, and she went on her way. For those that don't know, I work at 13th & Lewis in Tulsa. Although our company, along with a few others, have greatly improved that intersection, we still get a lot of homeless or intoxicated people in the area. As I got in my car and watched her jog away, I said a prayer for her and her safety.

I reflected quite a bit on my past on the drive home. I have made good and bad decisions in my life. I know I'm not done making mistakes, but I have made enough of them to learn valuable lessons along the way. Thankfully I have made more good than bad decisions. I believe that the road I'm on is exactly where I'm supposed to be. Had I made other choices in life, I could have been where this young woman was today ... roaming the streets, frantic, not making sense, and simply moving on to the next best thing.

As I reflected, I started thinking of all of the wonderful things in my life that were results of the good choices that I made:

God - I gave my heart over to God when I was 8 years old. Throughout high school and college, I strayed from Him and returned, strayed and returned, until finally returning to stay. He has never let me down ... even when I wasn't seeking him.
Family - I have always had great family support. I've never known a family member to tell me that I can't do something or that I'm not good enough.
Husband - My husband is my best friend. He supports me and he lifts me up when I need it. He works full time and he has attained two college degrees, which have allowed me to work part time to enjoy a few extra days at home with my girls.
Children - I'm blessed to be the mom of two beautiful, healthy girls. I believe that my children are simply on loan from God, and I'm honored and humbled that He sees enough in me to allow me a 3rd baby girl to raise.

I guess I'm writing this to encourage you to make more good decisions than bad decision in your life. You never know which path will open a door to the rest of your life.

James 1:12 - Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Naming Number Three

2011-09-20T12:32:00.001-05:00

Parker Eva Morrison

There you have it ... baby #3's name. We are pretty excited about it because it has a lot of family history tied into it.

Parker: Her first name comes from my mom's parents, Kenneth & Vivian Park. Growing up, we called them Bo & Bibby. We were blessed to spend a lot of time with Bo & Bibby over the years. Bo passed away in October of 2009 and Bibby passed away in March of this year. We are proud to let their legacy live on in their great granddaughter. Below is a picture of Bo & Bibby.

Eva: Her middle name comes from Greg's dads grandmother. Darrell's mom passed away when he was only 12 months old, so Darrell was raised by his grandparents, Homer & Eva Pleasant. We are proud to let their legacy live on in their great great granddaughter. Below is a picture of Darrell (Greg's dad), Eva, and Homer.

I came across this passage when looking up the word family in the Bible:

Ephesians 3:14-16: ¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being

Amen!

Race for the Cure 2011

2011-09-17T15:37:00.001-05:00

In 1993, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 13 years old at the time so I didn't understand a lot about what was going on. I'm excited to say that as of this year, my mom is an 18 year breast cancer survivor! Praise the Lord!

I (along with my family) have chosen to run or walk in the Tulsa Race for the Cure every year (since 2003) to show our support for the survivors, those who are currently battling, and those who have passed from this disease. Throughout the years we have know quite a few others to be affected by this disease, including my mom's mom, who was diagnosed in her 80's.

Because our group has gotten so big, we decided to form a team this year. Our team name was Boob Supporters. With a name like that, you just have to make a t-shirt. The front is our team name logo and the back is my brothers logo from his store in Fayetteville, AR. Come on, who doesn't like Boobs and Mustaches! (In case you are interested in his unique store, the website is http://www.shopthemustache.com/).

This year our team consisted of 17 adults, 9 children, and 4 children in the making!

The kids started this years 5k race in style...

After the race, we continued a tradition by meeting at Mimi's Cafe for a much needed breakfast!

I'm also very proud to work for a business, Hasty-Bake, that supports the Komen Race for the Cure and events in the Tulsa, Ok area. We made this one of a kind grill (retails for $999) to be auctioned off at the Race today.

GO PINK!

And the winner is ...

2011-09-14T20:48:00.001-05:00

For those of you that have played soccer or maybe you know some of the rules ... in soccer this would be called a hat trick! Yes, Baby #3 is another GIRL!

Right when the tech put the ultrasound machine on, our little princess was bottom up. The tech scanned away from that area pretty quickly, but Greg and I both saw what we needed to see. Our thoughts were confirmed later in the appointment. Wow, three girls! Our future is looking bright ... and full of more pink and purple!

Her name will be coming soon!

The Gentleman

2011-09-09T20:40:00.003-05:00

In 2003 Greg's dad, Ralph "Darrell" Morrison, was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), which is a precursor to Leukemia.

In 2008, Darrell was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. His radiation treatments lined up perfectly with Bailey's due date. His last treatment was the same week that I was due so I challenged him to a race. The loser buys the winner a steak dinner. To win, I would have to have Bailey before his last treatment. Luckily, she came two weeks early so I was treated to a nice dinner ... and a new baby girl ... and he was cancer free! I'm pretty positive that he would not have let me buy him a steak dinner even if he did win.

In the Fall of 2009, Darrell's MDS was starting to progress. He was having trouble keeping his white blood count and platelets up so he started having blood transfusions every 6 weeks or so.

In February of 2010, Darrell was diagnosed with full blown Acute Leukemia. We knew this was going to be a long road, but as a family, we were more than willing to do whatever was necessary to heal him. That month was the first of many trips to Dallas and the Baylor Medical Hospital's Cancer Treatment Center. After some testing, Darrell was approved to receive a Bone Marrow Transplant. This was fantastic news, except for the fact that we now had to find a donor. Not just any donor. A donor that matched him perfectly AND was still willing to donate.

This picture was taken on Father's Day 2010. This was Papa with Breanna (my niece), Lou, Bailey, and Rachael (my niece).

After lots of prayer, the perfect donor was found and Darrell (and Cindy, Greg's mom) moved to Baylor Medical Center in June of 2010 to prepare for his transplant. After his last and strongest round of chemo, his cancer level was still around 50% which was much higher than the doctors wanted it to be. By God's grace, he was still cleared to receive his bone marrow transplant on July 1, 2010. Darrell was the 116th person to receive a bone marrow transplant that year. What's the significance in that you ask? Darrell's birthday is 1/16. We took this as a sign from God that He was in control.

Although the transplant was the closest match they could find, the new donor cells were up against a fight to replace the cancer still in Darrell's body after chemo. What should have taken days, took approximately 24 days, and then we heard the best news we could have ever heard ... "you are cancer FREE!" Darrell was considered a miracle by the doctors and nursing staff at Baylor. We made sure that every one of them knew that his healing was by God's hand.

A day or two after being pronounced cancer free, Darrell's organs started to shut down. Although he was healed, his body just couldn't fight anymore from the effects of the multiple rounds of chemo he went through to prepare for the transplant.

So, on July 27, 2010, as I stood beside his hospital bed in ICU (along with Cindy, Greg, Greg's brother, Greg's sister, Darrell's sister and her husband, and Cindy's sister and her husband) we said goodbye. That was the toughest day I've gone through so far as an adult. To be honest, that day sucked.

Without God, our family, and close friends, that day would have been unbearable. However, with God, our family, and close friends, we were able to see the blessings in that day.

About a month after Darrell passed, I was able to give my testimony of this journey to my Sunday School class. Thankfully I was among friends and they allowed me to cry through most of my talk. What I wanted them to know, and what I want you to know, is that God is there in the good and the bad. If you just let go and allow Him to work, then He will make you a stronger and better person than you were yesterday. Journey's like this don't happen every day, but I'm thankful that I went through it because afterwards I came out with more faith than ever before. I was finally able to say (and actually believe) that I had enough faith to move a mountain.

Matthew 17:20 says "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

If you would like to sign up for the National Bone Marrow Transplant list, please click on this site: http://www.marrow.org/. It's free and you could save a life.

And baby #3 is a ???

2011-09-04T14:43:00.001-05:00

Ok, that wasn't fair. We don't find out for another 10 days, but I'm fairly certain that baby # 3 will be a boy. I have to be honest though. I was 99% sure that Bailey (girl) was a boy and also 99% sure that Lou (girl) was a boy so I'm not really good at this guessing game.

Here's what I do know:

My first two pregnancies were a breeze. They weren't perfect by any means, but much easier than this one ... so far.
This time around, I had nausea ALL day from approx weeks 7-12. I never actually got sick, but at times I wondered if I would feel better if there had been an end result to all of my nausea. I couldn't cook at home because I would be grossed out by the meal before it was time to eat, and I couldn't eat at the same restaurant for a second time. I was afraid Broken Arrow and Tulsa would run out of eating locations before I got past that stage. So glad it's over!
Weeks 12-14, I had vision issues. So much so that I talked to my OB about it and even made an appointment with my eye doctor. I was told that, with my contacts in, my vision was better than 20/20. Diagnosis: hormones. It's true, I could see (as in read things) fine, but when I went from looking at one item to the next, it would take me a few seconds to adjust and refocus on the new thing I was looking at. This was a little disturbing while driving!
Weeks 14-16, headaches. My vision seemed to be improving, but was being replaced by daily headaches with 2-3 of those (a week) resulting in migraines. Let me just say, migraines are NOT fun when you are pregnant because all you can take is Tylenol. For me, Tylenol just doesn't cut it. A friend suggested caffiene to calm the headaches. I don't drink pop because of my hypoglycemia so I would fill a nalgene bottle with half unsweet tea and half water. I think it did the trick.
Weeks 17-now, vision issues are paying me another visit. This time around is not as bad, but I'm still having issues almost once a day. Thankfully, it's not all day anymore!
Last but not least, I should be napping right now, but I'm wide awake. I try to lay down when the girls do (on days that I'm home) just so that I can be rested enough to keep up with them. I LOVE sleep! This afternoon, I napped for about an hour and woke suddenly. I knew the girls would still be napping for another hour so all I had to do was fall ... back ... asleep. Not going to happen. This pregnancy has had its fill of waking multiple times a night and suddenly waking from naps unable to fall back asleep. I guess I'm getting ready for all those night time visits when the baby arrives.

So, all that craziness leads me to believe that baby #3 is a boy. Will I be right? We'll see (if I can focus on the ultrasound screen)...

A Little Background ...

2011-08-31T13:30:00.002-05:00

I was really excited to start this blog so that I can keep family and friends updated on my life. So excited in fact that now that it's time to write my first entry ... I have nothing. Writers block. Really?! For those that know me, I'm a talker. This can't be happening.

So, in taking advice from one of my best friends ... I'll talk about my greatest passion in the whole world (besides God), my family. My husband and I met almost 16 years ago, as sophmores in high school, and we've been together ever since. He's my best friend, soulmate, you name it. We get along great, and I'm not just saying that. He's a pretty awesome guy! We've been married almost 9 1/2 years. Greg works full time and just completed his second Bachelor's degree. I work part time and I'm a full time mom. :)

Let's talk about the kids. I'll number them 1, 2, and 3 to keep it simple (my Texas side of the family will appreciate the numbering of kids). My dad is one of 5 boys and while I was growing up they always refered to each other as #1, #2, #3, #4, or #5. Love that!

#1 - Bailey June is just over 3 years old. My maiden name was Bailey so that was an easy pick. She was born in the month of June so that came pretty easy as well. Bailey is very outgoing and pretty smart for her young age. Everytime we would get email updates from the baby sites telling us what she should be doing at however many months old, she would already be doing that and more. She's an overachiever (kind of like her mom). I sure hope that doesn't bite her in the rear some day!

#2 - Anberlyn Gale is 19 months old. Her name came from her dads favorite Christian band, Anberlin. We just altered the spelling a bit. Her middle name, Gale, is Greg's moms middle name. All that being said, everyone calls her Lou! When she was born, Bailey couldn't say Anberlyn so she would call her Anberlou, which she then shortened to Baby Lou, and then just Lou. It stuck! I'm not sure if Lou will ever know her real name. :) Lou is pretty bright as well, and she's trying really hard to talk in more than two word phrases. She's definitely our free spirit.

#3 - TBA - IT will be here in February of 2012. We find out what baby #3 is in exactly 2 weeks! Will it be girl #3 or finally a little boy. Only time will tell. Bailey is convinced that it's a boy and she's even named him Captain Crunchy. Awesome! Either way, we already have some names picked out, but we are keeping those quiet for now.

In a nutshell, that's our family of 5! Just in case you're trying to do the math ... Bailey and Lou are 20 months apart, and Lou and #3 will be 24 months apart. Their actual due dates are within 4 days of each other so we are praying that they don't end up with the same birthday! So yes, when #3 is born, we will have three kids 3 1/2 and under. Crazy? No! Blessed? Absolutely!