the willard family blog

Inspiration Wednesday. . .

2012-02-08T13:32:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning incredibly tired. The alarm on my phone went off at 5:45am and I immediately silenced it. I lied in bed semi-conscience feeling snugly and warm and debating whether I should get up and run my 6 miles for the day. Fifteen minutes later, I was up and downstairs changing into my running shoes. I tied my laces tight and pulled on my fleece. I stretched to get the blood flowing.

A tribute to my youngest. . .

2012-01-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

My little girl upgraded to a big girl bed last week. I cannot believe how much she has grown up. I know that the second child learns a lot from a older sibling but she is amazing. My baby is slowly growing out of being my baby. Yes, there is a small tear in my eye at this moment. My McKenna. . . Super sweet and that smile! I could just kiss her face! Her giggles make you giggle She is totally

Unknown challenges

2012-01-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about the 1/2 marathon and the actual distance I have to run. I have been really good about my training and running my miles. I'm worried about the actual course for this race. I have no idea what the landscape looks like. I have heard that it is hilly and that I should train accordingly. But what does that mean in reality - hilly. Are there rolling hills? Are there steep

What motivates a runner

2012-01-23T12:26:00.001-05:00

Running is obviously a solitary sport. There is lots of time for one to get lost in thought as you tick the miles away. Every runner has their own motivations and reasons to do what they do. Since I have been training for the 1/2 marathon, I have to learn a few things to help keep me focused and motivated. First, I'm motivated because I get to run. I get the opportunity to wake up and run. I

From Awful to Awesome

2012-01-14T12:05:00.000-05:00

I woke up this Saturday morning, put on my running clothes, ate a small piece of bread, took some B12 and headed out the door for a long run. The first mile was basically awful and painful. It was about 28 degrees outside this morning and it penetrated my body immediate. My face slowly became numb and my breathing was making everything worse. After the 1st mile, my body was totally cold and numb

New Year & New Challenge

2012-01-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

As a new year approaches, millions of people are trying to decide what their new resolutions or goals are going to be. OK - I know those millions of people are probably all Type A personalities such as I. Anyway, my newest challenge is running a the Georgia Half Marathon in March. I have always love to run but my distance has stayed between 1 mile to 3 miles. So the challenge of running 13.1

Christmas Recap

2011-12-27T11:31:00.000-05:00

The moment you have your children, you realize as a mom your life will never be the same. You will give so much of yourself for them. You'll be exhausted, drained and cranky. You'll juggle, re-organize and schedule. You'll ponder about "should I do this" or "should I be doing that". You'll feel the tug at your heart strings. All of it is totally worth it for those little smiling faces on

Day at Disney

2011-12-27T11:19:00.000-05:00

We decided to take a trip to Orlando to see our good friends the Wheeler's and venture to Disney World. The kids were excited about all the sights. They did amazing waiting in the long lines for the rides. The weather for December as absolutely beautiful - 70's and sunny. What a perfect holiday treat for the whole family.

Journaling & Memories

2011-11-02T22:55:00.000-04:00

I have always keep a journal. When I was young it was definitely a diary and would probably make me laugh out loud if I read through some of them today. Later in college it because a sketchbook / journal. I keep everything in my sketchbooks - potential works of art with lots of words describing my thoughts and feelings at the time. The journal became a work of art in itself. Currently, my media

There's a chill in the air

2011-11-02T22:22:00.000-04:00

It's officially good-bye to summer and hello to fall and the holidays. The leaves on the trees have been absolutely beautiful this fall which has eased me into accepting the cooler weather. I have pulled out all the long-sleeved clothes and have sported my boots around town. I found some delicious Vanilla & Cinnamon tea at Trader Joes. I think I'm ready for fall.

Updates on Goals

2011-09-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

Back in March, I blogged about goals that I was trying to achieve for the year. As that was seven months ago, it's time for reflection. I have to say that I have stayed true to my goals. As they have not always been top of mind, they have been quietly interwoven into my everyday. #1 Read More - I have definitely have days when this is completely impossible. Then I have days where eating lunch

Disclaimer

2011-09-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

I wanted to throw this out there in just your wondering and you probably aren't. My kiddos can't seem to smile normal at a camera. About 95% of all the pictures I take have someone with a silly grin. And when they smile really big, their eyes seems to disappear. It's cute, funny, silly and it essentially makes me want to kiss their adorable faces.

Another first!

2011-09-11T22:25:00.001-04:00

This school year was a special one as McKenna is now attending Kingswood with Jonah. Her first day was surprising yet at the same time not surprising. She ran into her classroom and immediately started playing with the baby dolls. We had to asked for a hug & kiss good-bye. She has such an independent spirit. Jonah was also surprising this year. He had no trouble to accumulating with his

Birthday Celebrations

2011-09-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

As always, the end of August & first of September is a busy month for birthdays in our household. We came back from Belize and celebrate my birthday on a Wednesday. Then that weekend we celebrated Jonah's 4th birthday. Then the following weekend, we went back to the beach and celebrated James' 40th birthday (plus had another little celebration for Jonah). So my boys are both a year older and

Our trip to Belize. . .

2011-08-25T16:22:00.001-04:00

Some highlights from our trip – THE STORM - Tropical storm came through the first night and made the next day very windy with just a little rain. We taxi'ed down to the local market and purchased some provisions just in case - beer, rum, pineapple juice and some fresh fruit! THE RESORT - Our resort, Mata Rocks (matarocks.com), was very cute but needed some room updates. We had A/C and a beach

i love summer time...

2011-08-03T22:20:00.000-04:00

I love summer. . . being warm, swimming in the pool, trips to the beach, cold beverages, driving with the windows down, sand in between my toes, running through a sprinkler, endless smiles, long days, - hell I love to sweat in the summertime. Give me the heat any day over the cold. Summer makes me feel refreshed & alive. Oh, how I love summer. . . please don't ever end.

My personal QR code

2011-06-20T15:21:00.002-04:00

I'm a geek, I know :)

My little girl is two!

2011-06-13T21:50:00.000-04:00

Bad Mom Moments

2011-06-10T13:28:00.000-04:00

I'm human as the next mom. I definitely make mistakes when it comes to parenting and taking care of my kids - I'm non-reactive when I need to be reactive and vice versa. I yell I threaten I have occasionally spanked I have the "mom does not think that's funny look" down pat My most recent not-so-great-mom moment was while James was out of town. I had planned a fun weekend with the kids and

First Beach Trip of 2011

2011-05-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

The beaches on 30A don't disappoint. The sand is powdery & white and the ocean is blue and clear. Too bad my kids have a serve phobia of it all. I thought this year on the beach would be different with them. Jonah swore days before the trip that he wouldn't be afraid of the sand. It's was a different story when we walked down the boardwalk. They sat on the chair or beach blanket the entire time.

New inspiration

2011-05-11T13:03:00.000-04:00

As I was reading Michael Hyatt's blogs today, I found a very cool site called Wordle.net. What you do is paste in a bunch a text and it generates a text illustrator of the prominent words. I took my blog post called "Just getting started" and tested it out. See below. It's pretty cool. I could see alot of uses for this - You could personalize a card for a friend, provide inspiration to a team,

Spring time pictures

2011-05-03T21:46:00.001-04:00

James' good friend from his high school years, Heather Murphy, is a photographer and had a special on sessions the first weekend of April. This is the second time we have had her take our pictures and she does a fabulous job. Here are a few of the pictures she captured. You can also check out her website for more information - www.heatherphotographer.com

Seriously, where has the time gone

2011-05-03T21:29:00.002-04:00

Ever parent says this statement - "They grow up so fast!" We cannot help it. It's such a true statement. One moment you are holding these fresh, beautiful babies in your arms and the next moment their running circles around you. You enjoy every stage in a refreshing way. I look at Jonah & McKenna and I see the little people they are turning into - Where did my babies go? Jonah will be 4yrs in

Just getting started

2011-03-25T08:56:00.000-04:00

When 2011 rolled around, I made some "quiet" resolutions. I did not want to announce them on my blog or facebook in fear of failure or lack of motivation. After listening to Seth Godin's new audio book "Poke the Box", I have decided to throw that fear in the closet, shut the door and forget it's there. So here I am letting a few people in on my few resolutions and accomplishments so far in

Nicknames

2011-03-24T21:48:00.002-04:00

We have all had a nickname as some point in our lives. Some of us still answer to those nicknames. Some of those nicknames were probably cruel and got dropped a long time ago. As parents when your contemplating a name for your child, you quickly run through any potential nicknames that could conjured up. A lot of names get discharged this way. It's funny how nicknames will drive that decision.

Let's take another one. . .

2011-03-19T09:16:00.000-04:00

This picture makes me giggle. My little ones thought it was funnier to close their eyes for a picture instead of opening them. And yes, they were right - it is funnier.

Trip to Mexico

2011-03-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I had the honor to travel to Cancun with a great group of friends. We all have kids so there were many times we chattered away about our wonderful mom and kid moments. The majority of the trip was relaxing at the resort and trying to figure out which frozen concoctions we should try next. Cheers to girl's trip!

iPad or not?

2011-03-11T11:08:00.001-05:00

This morning James asked me if I'd like to order an iPad or take the cash. The iPad was suppose to be a Valentine's Day but with the arrival of the newest version, James decided to wait. My response after being asked this question was, "I'd rather take the cash to pay off our $600 water bill". How practical am I? And yes, our water bill is $600 after we ran the water a full week to fill up our

"I need to wash my hands."

2011-02-22T21:12:00.002-05:00

James put Jonah to bed on Monday night and decided to lay in bed and read his newest book. I had decided to exercise so I headed to the basement for a good hour workout. While James was reading he heard Jonah go into the bathroom then go back to his room. Nothing out of the ordinary until Jonah comes into our bedroom and said he needed to clean his hands. As James turned his attention to Jonah,

recycle. reuse. reduce

2011-02-17T16:35:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit of extremist when it comes to recycling. It started when I had Jonah. I had this vision of a world filled with garbage and broken gadgets littered everywhere. So I pay Dekalb County to haul off my recycling. It's amazing how much less actual garage you have once you start pulling out the cardboard & plastic. Although I'm not the extremist when it came to diapers. There was no way I was

personalized birthday gift

2011-02-14T16:29:00.001-05:00

I created this painting for my niece's 2nd birthday. I'm hoping it will "grow" with her. I could have made it more kid-like but it would be nice if she could take it to college with her one day. Or even hang it in her first apartment. Plus I love to create things and it was the prefect excuse to get the paints out and get messy. Happy Birthday, Erin!

It's February already

2011-02-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

When your young it seems like it's forever for a year to pass. Now, I can't believe how quickly the days fly by. It's 2011 and it's already February. So much has happened in the new year and so much more is going to take place - McKenna will be turning 2 & Jonah will be 4. I barely remember McKenna as a baby - thank goodness for pictures & my journal. Where did the time go? Why do kids have to go

No play on a snow day

2011-02-07T21:40:00.000-05:00

When I was little the thought of snow would just thrill me. I wanted to stay up all night and witness the first snowflakes. I prayed that school would be canceled but in Georgia it doesn't happen too often. Our recent snow days canceled school for a week and shut down the city. I honestly didn't leave the house for 5 days. Luckily, I hit the grocery store the evening before the snow so there was

This too shall pass. . .

2011-01-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Over the passed month, Jonah has been staying up long after we say "goodnight" and tuck him in. He typically stays in his room and plays with his cars or small race track. Sometimes he will call for us and ask for a specific car to be bought to him from the playroom. It's a simple request and we usually oblige instead of making a big ordeal about it. He'll literally stay up until around 10 or

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T12:37:00.000-05:00

Another wonderful Christmas with family and friends. . .

Traditional Holiday e-Card

2010-12-18T22:38:00.001-05:00

I love to send letters in the mail and I love receiving them. I never can seem to get my act together and mail holiday cards. For the past four years, I have sent a personalized e-card and here it is. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Looking forward to 2011.

Got it together

2010-12-05T22:17:00.000-05:00

I normally don't prepare for the next day the night before. You would like I would because I have a knack for organizing. But I don't and that usually has me rushing around Monday - trying to get dressed, get the kids dress, make sure my laptop is actually in the laptop bag, finding shoes, making sure my outfit actually matches, untangling earrings that I have thrown in a pile the night before,

A little time for myself

2010-11-09T21:35:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've managed to carved out a little time to work on my crafts. I've been working on alot of handmade note cards. I have been making them for friends. I love picking the colors and patterns. Mainly, I just love paper and I still love writing & mailing notes to people. I also converted a plain lamp shade to a nice patch-work shade to fit in the theme of Jonah's beach room. You give me a

Hallow's Eve

2010-11-04T21:41:00.001-04:00

The many nights of preparing Jonah's skeleton paid off. The costume looked really good and glowed in the dark amazingly - thanks to three coats of paint. We had a great time at my Brian's party on Saturday and trick or treating in Inman Park on Sunday. It was really special for me to watch Jonah and McKenna walk up the sidewalk to the house side by side. They can be really sweet to one another

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-10-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

Nine years ago today (27th of October) James and I exchanged our marriage vows on the beach of Jamaica. It was the most perfect day of my life. We had the most amazing morning wedding. So beautiful that I didn't even think about putting on sunscreen and got a nice sunburn from our 2 hours wedding and reception. But seriously, I remember walking down the aisle with my dad and thinking, "I cannot

Relaxing at the Lake

2010-10-24T22:59:00.000-04:00

Our good friend, Doug, is so nice to let us take over his lake house about 4 weekends out of the year. The house sits on the point of Lake Lahusage. The house or "cabin" is decorated like a cabin complete with mounted deer head and Rocky the Racoon who guards the back door. Our getaway this weekend included our friends Josh & Jaime and their two dogs, Brady & Daisy. Jonah & McKenna loved the

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-17T20:58:00.005-04:00

On Friday afternoon, James took the kids to the pumpkin patch at Jonah's school. He and the kids pick out to of the most perfect pumpkins - one short and round & the other one tall & plump. We decided we were carve them on Sunday afternoon out on the deck in the beautiful fall weather. We invited Uncle Dave & Aunt Candy to join. The beautiful pumpkins turned out to be tough to carve. I had to get

Halloween (Part 1)

2010-10-14T19:57:00.004-04:00

I found this cute rendition of a cat costume in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog. Although it's cute, the price is a bit much for me. So I decide to be creative/crafty and make my own for McKenna. I found directions online for a no-sew tutu. I headed to Hobby Lobby and bought tulle & elastic. Here's the instruction in case anyone wants to give it a try.1 package of black elastic ($1.99)1 25yd spool

My library books are late

2010-10-13T21:32:00.004-04:00

I stop by the local Dekalb library every once in a while. My last trip with Jonah we pick out some really great books including one call "Llama, Llama misses Mama". But of course, today it dawns on me, "I wonder when those library books are due back?" And the due date was two days ago. Oops. So they will really be about a week late b/c I probably won't get back over there until Saturday. I

Catching up

2010-10-12T21:33:00.002-04:00

If you're a reader of my posts, you'll notice that I have posted a few tonight. I have a lot of catching up to do and I still can't capture all the moments and memories. Life is so full of busyness and distractions. Making dinner, washing dishes, grocery shopping, laundry. . . whew it's exhausting just listing it. It nice to just take a break and sit on the floor with the kids and watch them in

No more braces for Mommy

2010-10-12T21:28:00.002-04:00

Two years ago, I had to start the process of orthodontics then a dental implant. And now I'm free of braces and a few weeks from having all the dental work completed! I can't tell how great it is to have my smile back. It's so great to say "cheese" with the kids.

McK's 1st Hair Cut

2010-10-12T21:08:00.004-04:00

Top picture is the "before" and the bottom one is the "after"In typically mom fashion, I gave McKenna her "first haircut" at home after bath. I basically cut as much as I could before she took off running. Afterwards, I cried - my little baby is growing up. I did the same thing with Jonah. Then I look at my handy work and decided I should stick with what I know and not try to cut hair.So about a

1st day of school

2010-10-12T20:57:00.002-04:00

Jonah started school in September. He goes 3 days a week to the church down the street from our house. The school reminds me of school when I was little even down to the smell of it. Jonah had a little trouble with us leaving him at school for the first couple weeks. Now, he runs into his classes with all smiles. He does like to stall my departure but asking for hugs every step I make to the

Our days at the beach

2010-08-11T21:11:00.005-04:00

A week at the beach will spoil a person. No agenda, no meetings, no desks, no computer, no connections. . . it was wonderful. Only decisions to be made was "beach or pool?" and "SPF 30 or 50?" The ocean was beautiful at Cape San Blas. CSB has to be one of my favorite places to vacation to in the U.S.The kids took awhile to adjust to the sand. Jonah hated the "yucky sand" and McKenna tolerated it.

The 4th of July

2010-07-10T22:01:00.005-04:00

The 4th of July is always a fun day for our family. The Dunwoody parade starts right in front of our house. Jonah was more interested in the candy that the floats threw out to the crowd than the actual parade. McKenna has a good time smiling and waving at everyone. Our friends, Dave & Thais and their son, Olen, joined us. We spent the rest of the day in the pool and ended up missing fireworks b/c

Family Pictures

2010-07-02T14:56:00.002-04:00

Our Baby Girl is 1. . .

2010-06-21T13:03:00.004-04:00

Sweet baby girl. . . you are 1 now. You went from a baby to a toddler so quickly. You're constantly on the move and demand the attention of mommy & daddy. You're a snuggler and it's so nice to feel that wanted. Your smile brighten up our days and your chuckles at your brother silly ways warms our heart. Your desire to keep up with the older kids has shortened all your milestones or your just

Vacation | Before & After Children

2010-06-04T12:48:00.003-04:00

A vacation for James and I three years ago would have consisted of the following:a flight to a tropical destinationdriving the countryside in a rental car looking for beautiful coastal citiesstopping at various hotel/resorts and picking the one with the best ocean viewsleeping til 10am and spending the day on the beacheating meals whenever we got hunger and filling the in between time with

My little baseball fan...

2010-05-14T14:17:00.002-04:00

Mother of 2

2010-05-09T14:55:00.003-04:00

Mother's day 2010 started off with a chill in the air and as the day has worn on the weather has gotten progressively more beautiful. I'm blogging from my lounge chair on my deck - how could this day get any better? Oh, my two beautiful kids could wake up from their naps and we could go to the park - that would be better. But I'm going to enjoy the breeze through my hair and the sun on my pale

White Blankie

2010-04-24T18:36:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday, I picked the kids up at Dan & Rachel's house in the evening. When we got home, Jonah walked through the door and immediately asked, "Where's white blankie?". White blankie has become Jonah's most precious friend. The blankie was knitted by my mom and technically is white with a blue border. Jonah takes nap with it, sleeps with it, plays with it and when he's in trouble - white blankie

Train of Thought

2010-04-21T12:46:00.003-04:00

I have found that motherhood has really interrupted my train of thought. Example - I will walk into the kitchen with great intentions to accomplish something or grab an item only to totally forget why I walked into the kitchen in the first place. Substitute the "kitchen" for another "location" and I have experience that same results. My solution - standing in the moment, trying hard to remember,

A Calm Evening

2010-04-20T22:09:00.004-04:00

A typical evening at the Willard house usually consists of a two-year old whining about eating dinner while his baby sister devours two jars of food. Then somehow everyone ends up in tears as mommy & daddy try to give baths and lay everyone down for bedtime. Needless to say, evenings can be hectic & unpredictable. The kids moods change at a moments notice. A simple request turns a happy child in

2010-01-28T20:57:00.002-05:00

The times they are a changing. . .

2010-01-27T21:48:00.004-05:00

James and I started the New Year off with a weekend without the kids. It was quite enjoyable. I remember when we first had Jonah, I had an extremely hard time leaving him for more than 8 hours a day. Although McKenna had not been without me for one night since she was born. It was not hard to go away without them. I was needing a much deserved break after 6 months. McKenna is now 7mths - going on

It's December Already?!

2009-12-11T12:52:00.002-05:00

I love Christmas time. It's definitely my favorite holiday of the year. Maybe it's because red is my favorite color or all the glittery decorations. This year is going to be spectacular with the kids. Jonah is going to be really into his presents and McKenna is really into whatever Jonah's into. We put the tree up on Thanksgiving day. I normally decks all the halls in our house but this year I

Basement Issues and other Updates

2009-12-01T11:38:00.003-05:00

So our carpet quest ended up with us buying new carpet tiles for the basement. They looked good and I was able to install them myself over a weekend and a half. We got the office back to normal and I even bought a new more suitable desk for the office. After everything was back in place, I actually felt that I could be more productive! I actually had a new office!And then the rain... AGAIN! I

Our Carpet Quest

2009-10-29T22:09:00.000-04:00

James and I are heading to Calhoun, GA to look at carpet tiles to replace the carpet we had to tear out of the basement. The basement flooded over a month ago and we been deliberating on what to do with the space. Final conclusion: carpet tiles. I had taken two days off of work and this is how we are spending the time together. It’s glamorous, I know.I’m enjoying this

We have a giggler!

2009-10-23T21:40:00.002-04:00

We heard McKenna first true laugh the other day. Luckily we were able to capture it on video. Enjoy!

Smile and the world smiles with you. . .

2009-10-06T21:16:00.004-04:00

I have a reminder in my i-Phone that every Tuesday I need to blog. So far I have dismissed about 4 alerts.Our kids are growing up fast. McKenna will be 4 months in a week. She's all smiles - her smile is so wide and so sincere. McKenna has become an easy baby. She sleeps through the night and only cries when hungry or tired. How did we get so lucky the second time around?Jonah is becoming a

Someone is 2 years old!

2009-09-01T20:42:00.004-04:00

We had Jonah's 2nd birthday party on Saturday. The weather was beautiful but the pool was a bit chilly. Jonah was a bit overwhelmed with all the people and kids. He really enjoyed opening presents. He received alot of trucks so I have stashed a few of them away for later! Here are a few pictures from that special day.

Updates. . .

2009-08-14T22:30:00.005-04:00

A million times a day the thought "I'm a lucky woman" passes through my head. I have so much to be thankful for - my husband, my family, my kids, and my friends. I have so many great moments & memories!We just returned home from our yearly beach vacation to Cape San Blas. We had a great time with our friends - the Donner's, the Wheeler's & the Hickey's. Jonah and McKenna did awesome with all the

Jonah and his popcicles...

2009-08-10T21:43:00.003-04:00

Jonah loves popcicles... but he can't say it. He can say 'pop' and 'cicle' separately, but when you put the two together... here is what you get.

Modern Medicine

2009-07-16T20:38:00.003-04:00

It's been an interesting day which all ties back to the day that McKenna was born. McKenna tested Coombs Positive when she was born. That means my blood mixed with her born at some point and my blood started attacking her blood. The major concern with Coombs is that the infant will become jaundiced. Luckily, over our two day stay at Northside, McKenna never developed jaundice and was doing well

Newborn Cries

2009-07-10T21:31:00.004-04:00

My vacation time, sorry - my maternity leave is flying by. A month has passed and I've been keeping busy with taking care of a newborn, doctor's visits, visits with friends, trips with the family. I'm looking forward to our "actual" vacation to Cape San Blas the first of August. It's been a whole year since I've seen the ocean. I cannot wait to feel the sand between my toes.I had a funny incident

Time Flies!

2009-07-07T12:31:00.002-04:00

McKenna will be a month old on Friday. It's hard to be believe that a month has passed already. We still trying to figure this all out again. McKenna has been a very good baby despite the acid reflux (both tummy & kidney). Sometimes she has a hard time eating because of the reflux than it's hard to get her to settle down. I can't imagine how bad it must hurt. I have been fortunate to have never

McKenna is here!

2009-06-22T22:38:00.004-04:00

Well McKenna Mai Willard has arrived!McKenna was born on June 12th, 2009 at 11:17 AM. She weighed in at 7 pounds and 4 ounces. She was 19 inches long. I little bigger than Jonah.McKenna's NameMcKenna's name was a difficult one for us. We had a list of names selected when we got to the hospital, but none of them really stood out to us while we were there. We had the middle name picked out and that

When will she arrive?

2009-06-09T21:28:00.003-04:00

OK so the full moon didn't work out for this pregnancy like it did the first one. I told James today that I don't remember waiting around like this for Jonah to come. Not knowing what to expect is a good thing - makes the time fly by. I went to the doctor today and I'm 3cm dilated and "everything is favorable". I didn't ask for a lengthy explanation of what favorable means. I'm going to assume

The full moon

2009-06-07T18:39:00.002-04:00

Tonight is a full moon. My water broke with Jonah on a full moon. I think I have my hopes set too high that it will happen the same way again with baby girl. We are definitely ready to welcome her into the world. Her room is completed and I can't think I one thing we are missing except for her.We've been enjoying lazy days with Jonah. "Taking it easy" has been my motto lately. I took a long nap

Hard to believe...

2009-06-05T21:10:00.002-04:00

In just a few days, we will have another addtion to the family. This time things have been much different than when we had Jonah. Time seemed to trickle by as we waited for our first baby. The closer it got to delivery time, the slower time creeped by. Not this time! It seems like just yesterday we found out we were pregnant again. The ultrasounds and doctor visits seem to be daily... And now we

Have you met my amazing husband?

2009-05-18T16:47:00.004-04:00

I thought I would dedicate this blog to my amazing husband. Since I've been pregnant I have done a bad job of letting him know how thankful I am to be his wife. I guess I have been preoccupied with the little one growing in my belly and the little one running around my feet. James does alot in our household. The roles of husband and wife are definitely not defined as the women cleaning and runs

My first jury service

2009-05-18T16:23:00.002-04:00

Today was an interesting day. I left the house around 7:45am to report to the Dekalb County Courthouse in Decatur. In typical Carrie fashion I got turned around in Decatur and than was late getting to the courthouse. I'm not sure why I always lose my way in Decatur - it's not a big city. I arrived at the courthouse, took my seat and awaited being called. Of course, I sit down beside a gentleman

35 and 1/2 weeks

2009-05-17T20:42:00.003-04:00

The finish line is almost here. Unfortunately, I have caught some kind of "funk" that has left me coughing and congested and feeling miserable all weekend. This passed Saturday, I hardly moved from the bed or the couch. Amazing how a little virus will wipe you off your feet. Baby Girl is doing fine though. She kicks and moves a lot. She has definitely been harder to carry than Jonah was. It seems

Social Media Video

2009-05-14T13:30:00.002-04:00

Here's a link to my company first attempt at on internal video. It's pretty funny. Sky Level View of Social Mediahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5d4k6sHVes

Sugar Falls Weekend

2009-04-30T11:50:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, we visited our friends Pat & Lauren at the Sugar Falls cabin in Alabama. Jonah had a great time exploring the grounds and creek. The video above what shot by James and didn't turn out to be the "cutest" thing ever but it is pretty funny (in hind sight). It was a relaxing weekend that was much deserved since we had our house in disarrange for a few days while the roof was being

Easter Sunday

2009-04-17T20:36:00.003-04:00

We spent Easter weekend with family (of course). I was so excited about Easter morning because I had put together an Easter basket for Jonah. My mom did this for us when we were young and it's such a fond memory for me. Here are a few pictures from the Easter egg hunt at my mom's house. Jonah did well looking for the eggs. He definitely had a good time with his cousin's Emily & Ellie. He is

My J-Bone....

2009-03-27T22:53:00.003-04:00

I can't express how much I love this kid... He is such a sweet little boy. Tonight we left him with Jenn Buseick and Sis while Carrie and I went out to dinner with some friends. I left a very detailed email message to them (on Facebook no doubt) on how to take care of him for the night. I re-read my detailed instructions for them when I got home and it almost made me tear up. The only reason for

25 weeks

2009-03-07T19:57:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law & mother-in-law were teasing me today about the second child. How she is already not getting the attention that Jonah did. Yes, I had a very detailed blog for him. I took pictures of my belly every 4 weeks. And baby girl gets two entries on our very simple blog and I just took my second set of belly pictures. The time flies during the second pregnancy. I cannot believe I'm over

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2009-03-05T11:22:00.002-05:00

Here is Jonah's second experience with snow... we was a few months old for his first experience... and it was only a dusting here in Atlanta. This year, we must have had 4-5 inches at our house. It was snowing chunks from about 11-5 that day. Amazing... now it is all gone just days later. Go figure!Well Jonah is growing up WAY to fast. And his little sister is coming much faster than Jonah did.

My newest niece, Erin

2009-02-24T21:16:00.003-05:00

My sister had her baby girl on February 2nd. My sister is a pro at giving birth - no epidural needed for her. Amazing woman is she in more ways than just that. Erin is such a sweet and quiet little baby. She didn't make any noises while we were visiting. She slept for a majority of the time as little babies do. It made me look forward to holding our baby girl which is only 3 months away. Jonah

Feb 14th

2009-02-13T16:40:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, it's what you are expected to give - which is everything." - Anonymous

A Typical Night

2009-01-31T23:30:00.006-05:00

I love coming home to my family. I get big hugs when I walk in the door. Jonah lights up when he sees me and I forget everything that happened in my day. The following pictures are a typical night at our house.

Exciting News!

2009-01-29T16:22:00.005-05:00

James and I had a very exciting Tuesday. We found our the latest addition to our family is a girl. She is healthy and beautiful as far as we can see on the ultrasound. My head is swimming with all the things I have to accomplish over the next few months. We have a nursery to prepare which means rearranging some of the room in our house. We have to pick a name which we are not disclosing until the

Growing up too fast!

2009-01-07T21:00:00.003-05:00

Jonah is already 16+ weeks old... my how the time flys! I often look back at pictures of when he was just a wee little guy and can't imagine how quickly he has grown up. He walks, runs, understands things you are telling him, hugs, kisses.... he even wants his own Facebook account!Last weekend we took Jonah to the Chamblee Train Station where he got to check out the big machines. He loves buses,

New Year & 16 weeks

2009-01-02T21:34:00.002-05:00

Our New Year's eve was of the quieter version this year. We went to Kurt & April's house and rung in the New Year with them. We took Jonah with us and pick him down in the pack 'n play. Then woke him up at 12:30 am to go home. Oh, it's lovely how our lives have changed! No big dinner plans - no staying out til 4am - no hang over from over indulgence of spirits. Life is alot tamer these days.I

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T10:25:00.003-05:00

New Bundle of Joy

2008-11-30T12:12:00.002-05:00

We have officially announced the pregnancy. I'm 11 weeks and feeling relatively great. Here are the stats:Due Date: June 19, 2009 - as the last time I'll be induced a week early b/c of the blood thinner I take.Sex of the Baby: Unknown - probably won't find out until the new year unless I can sweet talk the ultrasound tech on my next visit. We will be sharing the sex of the baby but not the name.

Jonah is WALKING!

2008-11-13T19:58:00.005-05:00

Not sure if this is a good thing or not... Well of course it is! I guess it's about time for him to grow up a little bit more. It is a little saddening to be honest. I have already noticed that he has gotten around and surprised me a couple of times! And so quickly... it was just last week that he was just taking 2-3 steps. Then 4-5 steps a couple of days later... and now he is walking all across

Busy is no excuse. . .

2008-11-12T11:11:00.009-05:00

It's been too long since I have posted anything. Time flies when your having fun. Here are some pictures from our latest adventures. We had a family fun day at the Georgia Aquarium in the beginning of October. Jonah loved the fishes but I think he loved people watching more. We got some really great pictures. The aquarium is very nice. I run my first 5K since having Jonah in October as well. My

Beautiful day

2008-10-07T22:05:00.005-04:00

I had a beautiful day.I woke up, showered, dressed myself, put on make-up, styled my hair, ate breakfast with my family, dropped jonah off at joshua's, went to work, was productive, challenged, had lunch, sat in a meeting, felt good about expressing myself, left work, chatted with my brother, arrived home, check the mail, made dinner, ate dinner with my family, went for a walk with my family,

Smiles & Giggles

2008-09-24T21:19:00.004-04:00

I took this picture one evening when Jonah was having the time of his life crawling around the living room. He would crawl between the end table and sofa. I would peek around from the other side of the sofa and he would giggle and crawl towards me. I snapped the picture at the perfect time.Jonah is starting to pull up on his push toys and walk around. He will also hold on to the furniture and

simple moments

2008-09-11T22:18:00.003-04:00

I love my family. . . I love the simple moments, hugs, kisses, reading books, crawling on the floor, giggles, smiles, open arms, loving embraces, crayons, curiosity, new adventures, snuggles, singing. . .

Jonah's ONE!

2008-08-31T19:53:00.003-04:00

It is unbelievable how quickly time flies... It seemed only yesterday that we were taking Jonah home from the hospital with absolutely no idea on how to take care of a new born! Now it is a year later and he is amazing. He crawls, makes great noises and sounds, and loves his mommy and daddy! Actually today, Jonah has started to feed himself! We have his efforts on video to share with everyone. It

Carrie is another year older

2008-08-25T22:09:00.006-04:00

We celebrated my birthday at my mom's house for lunch. My mom got my favorite dessert, carrot cake - yummy. James' made a handmade card for me which was absolutely super sweet! He is definitely wins the "best husband" award. My office prepared a lunch for me today that was fabulous. It got me away from my desk and I got to eat an excellent lunch instead of eating an apple or a couple

Mommy Track'd

2008-08-25T21:45:00.004-04:00

I have discovered an excellent website for working mom's, http://www.mommytrackd.com/. I have been reading articles that I can totally relate to. For instance, I have been juggling around the concept of a "balanced" life. And then I read the following paragraph from an article on mommytrackd.com:Balance Is BunkGo for acceptance--expect and accept imbalance. Find your own comfort zone. Work your