9 months old

I realize I have not posted any pics from David's party!!! The original destination was outside at David's favorite park, but with the flooding got moved to my house. It was a blast, but I like to refer to it as "mayhem" b/c of the 30-40 people that were over here!! Pictures are coming, but I had to quickly catch up and celebrate my baby girl turning 9 months old!!!

Top 5 new fun things about Mackenzie:

1. She wore her first pony tail. sniff, sniff.
2. She puts everything in her mouth.
3. She crawls silently and quickly. I am thinking of putting a jingle bell on her.
4. She fights back. If David gets too close, she'll squeal or pull his hair!!!!
5. She is pretty easy. No more screaming at bedtime. She is content wherever, but she still could care less about food. I perform a 3 Ring circus at meals to distract her while I shovel food in.








Happy 9 Months Baby Doll!! I'm sure your daddy will want to take pics of you :)

September 19, 2006

GUESS WHO'S TURNING 3???

I truly can't believe it. My first born is turning 3. I think time goes by even quicker when you have a second child, because out of nowhere he will be blowing out 3 candles tomorrow!
I'd like to note that the "Twos" are very cute, but I am gladly waving goodbye to the terrible parts ;) Remember this post, yeah...thats why. However, the "Threes" I'm sure will come with their own set of challenges. For example this week he has already grabbed the hot iron, slammed his finger in the car door, and emptied a bottle of air freshener in my bathroom, dang it! It is so overkill...
The funny thing is David and I are just alike, that's why I go so nuts. We know how to push each others buttons and Tim will sometimes break up our squabbles. It's funny because he'll say, "JENNIFER.....stop it!! You are arguing with a 3 year old!!! You act just like him!" Its true. David, however, is a complete "Mama's Boy". And I love that.

So, in honor of my sweet, crazy, out of control, precious little first born son turning 3...... I have some current pictures Tim took, a slide show of where we came from, and our birth story. Enjoy!

Slide Show



Birth Story
I was one of the women who unfortunately saw 40 weeks come and go by...... my due date was Sept. 14th.
Don't tell me what I should have tried, b/c I tried EVERYTHING to go into labor. (sex, moving heavy furniture, walking, eggplant parmesan, you name it). I truly believe each day past your due date passed makes you a little more insane. So insane, that sometimes you begin to be in denial when you actually do go into labor.
I woke up Sept. 19 at 7 am with small contractions. I told myself they weren't the real ones and told Tim to go to work. I decided to go back to sleep and if they were real labor pains, I would wake up. I called my doctor and gave them a heads up. (haha, thats kinda funny).
I slept through them and then around lunch decided to go down to our clubhouse and get on the treadmill. I walked forever..... I just remember that I had a crazy look in my eye and someone asked me when I was due..... I emotionally yelled, " LAST WEEK!" People started leaving the gym. I was the last one there. I started to get really dizzy and tired so I went and layed in this "cow" chair in the lobby. I was awakened by my doctor calling me. I sat up and felt pain and more contractions. They told me they thought I was in labor and to come down to Northside in Atlanta.
I called Tim and he was there in about 5 minutes! We arrived at Northside at 4 pm. By then I was in visible pain and I was dilated to 3cm (the goal is 10!) when I got to my room. I didn't get an epidural until I was dilated around 6 or 7cm. The pain got scary and I am just not someone who cares about going natural, so I decided to go with some drugs and watched "House" until I reached 10cm!!! It was awesome. I had about 30 people in and out of the room visiting.
Then, labor began. Actually pushing David out took 1 1/2 hours. It was pretty awful and intense.
Anyway, David Timothy Willis made his debut at 10:13pm and was greeted with tears by his mom and dad!!! Talk about a rush! Seeing him take his first breath, watching my stomach deflate, holding him, and our eyes meeting for the first time is one of the most wonderful moments of my life. I'm sure everyone knows this, but a baby knows voices from being in the womb for so long and they know who you are. It's fantastic. We left the hospital with no complications and our healthy baby boy praising the Lord for what we had prayed,
1 Samuel 1:27: For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath granted me my petition.

Escapades

Here is finally our pics from our vacation/staycation we went on!
In between Tim's new job, we had 1 1/2 weeks and did a lot of stuff. We finished our house projects (posted here), worked in the yard, did some massive cleaning, baking, and organizing (okay, that was mainly me), went to the Georgia Aquarium, Dahlonega (where we met), and had an overnight date in Athens while Tim's parents kept the kids!

It was VERY relaxing, which was the whole goal. After our last trip to try the beach, click here, we decided to keep it low key.

Now, 2 stories from our crazy life.

Saturday: Mackenzie and I are driving back home from seeing my family. She is crying because it is past her naptime. I decide to hold off on gas for a few exits and hope she goes to sleep. Instead, I run out of gas and coast off the next exit. Thank the Lord it was all downhill and I rolled into a gas station. I get out and grab my wallet, only to find my wallet is gone. I had grabbed my diaper bag and forgot to put my wallet in there. So, all I find is a checkbook at the bottom of my diaper bag. I take my crying baby out and we go in to see if we can write a check. The guy at the counter is a complete tool, our conversation:
Me: "Hey, I ran out of gas....I don't have my wallet, but will you take a personal check?"
Tool: "No, no checks."
Me: "How about just a $5.00 check??? This is all I have and I can make it home on that?"
Tool: "Nope, no checks."
I reach into my bag to get my cell phone and discover it is dead. great.
Me: "Can I please use your phone? I need to call someone to come help me?" (M still crying).
Tool: "No, you cannot use this phone."
I don't know why, but I just burst into tears. I don't cry a lot so I'm not sure what happened, but I didn't know what else to do.
Tool: "Fine, you can use this phone, but I'll dial the number and stand right here."
As all of this is happening, I guess some customers witnessed this whole mess. A lady came running up and gave the tool a nasty look. She was my angel.
Angel to me: " Honey, hang up the phone. I will pay for your gas, lets go outside and get out of here." M stopped crying.
Me: disbelief, then "Oh my gosh, thank you so much. All I need is $5 to get home. Please let me write you a check."
Angel : "I won't except any money and put in as much as you want. I am so sorry for his rudeness to you. So many people have helped me out in my life. Just return the favor to someone else when they need it." She hugged me, paid for my gas, and left. wow.
I think I still was crying because she was so nice. I put $5 in and made it home, still trying to figure out what just happened.

So, Sunday:

David caught a stomach bug. I think one of the most humbling things that I have done is cleaning up throw-up. It's so awful. I do not ever think I could be a nurse, God bless them. Low temps, aches, and throw-up. That's what went on for about 24 hours. No idea where it came....possibly a cheeseburger from BK.... Possibly another child... who the heck knows.
M caught it Monday morning. This has been my day: throw up, wash clothes, clean, throw up, wash clothes, clean.

Anyway, everyone is well here today. Happy Tuesday. Except me, I feel like I got run over by a garbage truck. Just being around all of it makes you feel YUCK. I am also super sleep deprived from the all night escapades. And, I think I have lost 6 lbs in 3 days because I have no appetite from everything I have seen.

haha, other than these events, I cannot complain. David's 3rd birthday is Saturday so I am trying to pull myself together! Motrin and coffee are my best friends today!

Lamentations 3:22-23 (New International Version)

²² Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

more to come about tims job and the bday boy...

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!!!!

Okay, I am going to have a proud mama moment. My little celebrities got published today!

Now not only is my husband a celebrity, click here, my kids are too. We went to one of my favorite parks yesterday to play with some friends and eat lunch. As we were playing, a photographer came up and asked if they could take some pictures! I was actually totally on board because I had forgot my darn camera! I love taking playground pics of them AND this was Mackenzie's, like, second time in the swing. So, when I asked what it was for, they were from the Cherokee Tribune! An article was being published on the park and the pictures might be used.....

So, low and behold, we got a phone call early this morning with my two little sunshines on the front page ;)

You better believe I bought every single copy at the store. Yup, I was that obnoxious mom that wanted all the copies. Hello, I wanted them to each have a copy along with every family member.

And, FYI, I am lucky they were being cute and not up to any antics yesterday at the park.... that alone is worth publishing.

Tim the Tool Man Taylor

Tim has many names over here, but I wanted to share a little about his hobbies because I don't think you realize the severity of it. You will soon see all he is into after this post.
But, first. I need to share this funny fact about my husband. AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, no matter where we are, someone will come up and ask him if he is Luke Perry (90210). Ha!!! After 10 years, I still do not see it, but policemen, waiters, strangers, young women, you name it.....people come up and ask him. I don't get it, Luke Perry is way older now. Anyway, just for kicks.....
here:

I thought I'd put up the happiest moment of Tim's fatherhood so far also, taking David on his first go kart ride. David still mentions this once a week. Very fun.



Tim's first project was our first home in Athens, Ga. I loved this house. It was a mess though. We got a steal on it, but it came with a lot of hard work. We ripped up the floors, countertops, and repainted everything. All cosmetic so we fixed her up real nice. ;) Really though, we scout out deals and renovate nice, but cheap.




Next, is a hobby that Tim just recently picked up. I think it's mainly to make other people laugh....but he does "chain-saw art." Ha ha, if you have ever driven up in the mountains, you will see these things everywhere. I wanted one last year at an apple festival and he said, "No way I am buying that, I'll make you one." I didn't believe him until we got home and I heard a chainsaw ripping in the backyard. Our neighbors love this hobby.... Anyway, the middle picture is a picture he drew, and the last is a catamaran he bought when we were first married and fixed up.



Okay, the projects that we just did.....
We have a big space issue in our house. So, Tim went and knocked on walls to find some "dead space" in our house and low and behold..... we found some! A small hallway closet turned into a walk in storage closet after he got done with it. The green shading is where the closet first was the yellow is where he extended it back. I am super thankful for the extra space! And it only cost $100 for some drywall, mud, and shelving....not bad for an extra 300 sq. feet.


He also backsplashed my kitchen! He had laid tile before in our first house, but this was the first time it went on the walls, I am in love with it! He is also Mr. Frugal himself and only spent $70 on the whole project. So proud of him.



Last but not least, he painted my half bath for me. I have had a bucket of green paint that I got as "oops" paint for $5 for forever he painted it for me!


Well, that sums it up! We have been busy working on the house together, okay mainly Tim, but I pick out stuff and clean up :) Even though he drives me crazy with all his hobbies, I am thankful for this handy man that I don't have to hire. But, don't worry, I compensate him well.
haha!

Thank you Luke, I mean...Tim!

I almost have our pics together from the trips we made recently...

Wild Angels

I have a lot to update about, so check back for a while...... Tim got a new job, we took a 1 1/2 weeks of vacation, and we have been doing some big house projects!

But, I have to start from the beginning....

Miss Mackenzie has turned 8 months old!!


As you can see, those darn teeth have not come in yet! But, we have come a long way. She is actually on a schedule down to the minute and has ended the screaming fits at bedtime. I run a tight ship with her and David and they are both pretty much on the same schedule, minus naps. She is still a crier at bedtime, but she is super happy all the time. Another fun fact about Mackenzie is that she has started these girly squeals and hits octaves I have never heard. She is definitely Daddy's Girl and looks just like Tim. I kinda think my eyes a little.....

Anyway, let me just tell you what Mackenzie decided to do to celebrate turning 8 months. Her and David plotted on me. Here we go. This is a true story and should not be attempted at home.

So, it's almost the end of the summer and I have successfully taken both kids to the pool by myself all summer with no injuries......so I thought. We were packing up to leave the pool (dang it and if you really want to know why we were leaving it's b/c I told David it was time to go and he told me no and called me a jerk. ???? Needless to say, he only said that word once. Because once was all it took to me to get that out of him.) 3 year olds.....sheesh. ANYWAY, Mackenzie was almost alseep so I wrapped her up in her towel and put her in her carseat that was locked inside the stoller (you know the travel system combo). I pulled the bar up and closed the shades to walk her to the car. I turn around to get my bag and grab David's hand. I hear a SMACK and hear screaming. Mackenzie had UNWRAPPED herself from the towel, pulled the shades back, and used the bar to pull herself out of the stroller and fell onto the cement. I FREAK.
She is fine, but crying and since I didn't see it, I call the doctor and they want to see her immediately. In the midst, David for some reason flips out and runs and jumps into the pool. Seriously? My 7 month pregnant friend jumps in after him because he goes straight to the bottom. He always has a life vest on near the pool, but remember.....we were trying to leave.

End of story, both kids were totally fine. Mackenzie had a small bump on her forehead miraculously. Not even a bruise. Apparently, the toughest bone in the head is your forehead and she was herself about 30 minutes later. The child is tough as nails. Everyone was fine except me!! The guilt just kills you. I just physically watch them both 24/7 and something still happens. It is so hard.

So, this was the event that kicked off all the chain of events that are to come. Tim says it's the day that both our kids tried to commit suicide. Anyway, I really probably sound like the worst mom ever, but I exhaust my efforts to keep an eye on them and safe at all times. They are both just so wild, wild little angels.
Thankfully, it was all uphill from here. More posts to come.